| Just how many homeschoolers are there today? The | | | | Some of the research reports, books, and videos |
| National Home Education Research Institute (NHERI) | | | | (video) available at NHERI's site are as follow: |
| keeps statistics and information on homeschooling in | | | | - Home Educated and Now Adults: Their Community |
| America. Just who and what is NHERI? | | | | and Civic Involvement, Views About Homeschooling, |
| The National Home Education Research Institute's | | | | and Other Traits; newest nationwide study of |
| mission is to: | | | | "graduates" of homeschooling; family history, |
| 1. Produce high-quality research (e.g., statistics, facts, | | | | demographics, community service, occupations, |
| findings) on home-based education (homeschooling). | | | | reasons for homeschooling, attitudes toward |
| 2. Serve as a clearinghouse of research for the public, | | | | homeschooling, satisfaction with life |
| researchers, homeschoolers, the media, and policy | | | | - Worldwide Guide to Homeschooling; research, |
| makers. | | | | history, charts, how families get started |
| 3. Educate the public concerning the findings of all | | | | homeschooling; like a small almanac |
| research on home education. | | | | - Strengths of Their Own; nationwide study of |
| Whether called homeschooling, home schooling, | | | | homeschool families and their children; academic |
| home-based education, home education, | | | | achievement, demographics, et cetera |
| home-schooling, unschooling, deschooling, or a form | | | | - Home Schooling on the Threshold; full-color synopsis |
| of alternative education, the movement is growing | | | | (booklet) of dozens of research studies |
| and the National Home Education Research Institute | | | | - Home-Based Education: The Informed Choice; video |
| is tracking and analyzing it, internationally. NHERI's | | | | with research, statistics, charts, philosophy of |
| forte is in the realm of research, statistics, technical | | | | education, history, and more |
| reports, data, facts, demographics, the academic | | | | - Home School Researcher journal subscription and |
| world, consulting, academic achievement tests, and | | | | back issues |
| expert witness (in courts and legislatures) while | | | | The U.S. Department of Education (Institute of |
| serving people ranging from researchers and policy | | | | Education Sciences; NCES) released in August a |
| makers to professional educators, teachers, | | | | report dated July 2004 entitled "1.1 Million |
| homeschoolers (home schoolers), and parents in | | | | Homeschooled Students in the United States in 2003" |
| general to the media, marketing consultants, and the | | | | (by Princiotta, Bielick, & Chapman) in which the |
| general public. | | | | authors estimate the number of homeschooled |
| NHERI was founded by its president Brian D. Ray, | | | | students in the United States (i.e., homeschool |
| Ph.D., who has been the editor of the refereed | | | | population size). Dr. Ray, however, still estimates that |
| academic journal "Home School Researcher" since | | | | there were 1.7 to 2.1 million K-12 homeschool |
| 1985. | | | | students in the US during the 2002-2003 year |
| In fulfilling its mission, NHERI engages in professional | | | | Consistent with Dr. Ray's findings (see Worldwide |
| research for various clients throughout the nation and | | | | Guide to Homeschooling), the researchers found that |
| internationally. In addition, Dr. Ray and his associates | | | | homeschooling has grown about 7% per year during |
| serve as consultants to the growing number of those | | | | the past 4 years. |
| presently engaged in research on home education | | | | Dr. Ray, in "A Brief Review of Educational Neglect |
| topics. Dr. Ray or another representative of NHERI | | | | and Compulsory Schooling: A Status Report," |
| will be speaking in several places around the country. | | | | provides a critical look (as of January 28, 2006) at a |
| NHERI, a 501(c)(3) non-profit research and | | | | new report written by Philip Kelly, Robert Barr, & |
| educational organization, also makes available for | | | | James Weatherby that relates to homeschooling. |
| public purchase many print, audio, and video | | | | In summary, the National Home Education Research |
| productions ranging from basic bottom-line fact | | | | Institute (NHERI) is a key leader when it comes to |
| sheets about homeschooling to more technically | | | | conducting and reporting on homeschooling as it |
| sophisticated academic reports. | | | | relates to homeschool research (i.e., home-school |
| Homeschooling is growing worldwide, and as more | | | | research), homeschool statistics, homeschool data, |
| and more parents homeschool (home school) their | | | | homeschool reports, homeschool facts, homeschool |
| children, NHERI will be studying them, striving to | | | | consulting, homeschool studies, homeschool |
| understand them, educating others about them, and | | | | population, homeschool demographics, and |
| serving them. | | | | homeschool expert witness. |