Homeschooling in Full View

This, a first full-scale edited book, is a reader that describes, discusses and analyzes homeschooling from an array of different and international perspectives. We portray the energy of this movement in this volume, looking at the history of education writ large, in a larger social, political and religious context, one for placing homeschooling in perspective. Like most movements in education, this one is both a reaction to the problems and inadequacies of existing schools, and a new direction in schooling that stands on its own. This book grew out of the efforts of Associates for Research on Private Education (ARPE), an international organization of scholars and practitioners affiliated with the American Education Research Association (AERA), which has spurred interest and research on private schools for over 30 years. ARPE publishes quarterly, the Private School Monitor, as a means for highlighting the newest developments in the field of private education. As such, Homeschooling in Full View - A Reader, seeks to portray the richness and diversity of homeschooling - from an educational, religious, social, and political perspective. Some chapters are highly scholarly, based on research: for example, analysis of how well homeschooled kids do on college entrance exams (SATs) and processes of gaining access to the prestigious Ivy League colleges. Other chapters are more philosophical, or more highly personal - a mother who writes about her feelings and concerns.