Success of the Systems
COM155
September 9, 2012

Homeschool or Public School
In 2010, there were more than 1.5 million students being home-schooled (O’Shaughnessy, 2010), while 49.5 million students made up the public school system that same year (Nces.ed.gov, 2012). Public school has the numbers, but does it have the success? While analyzing these two options of schooling, it will be made apparent which system has the advantage. Although homeschooling and public school have similarities in curriculum, they differ in cost, social interaction of students, and overall rates of academic achievement.
Overall, parents who homeschool spent a median of $400 to $599 on their school supplies in the 2007-2008 school year. The lowest amount spent that year was less than $200, and the most money spent on homeschool supplies was over $2000(academic leadership journal). These prices can come from the multiple pre-set curriculum options available and finding a curriculum on their own that fits their needs. The price also includes any supplies, such as pencils and paper. Some prices for pre-set curriculums include: the Alpha Omega Lifepac 5 Subject Mega Kit for any grade, costing at $258.26 from Christianbook.com. The Switched-on School House 5 Subject kit for any grade costs $395.99, also found on Christianbooks.com. For subscriptions to websites that offer homeschooling curriculums and activities the prices range from $300 to $399 retail value on homeschoolbuyersco-op.org. This website offers discounts on homeschool curriculums.
After looking at the costs of each system, parents are likely to be interested in seeing if the money spent is being put to good use. In looking at test scores and the success rates of college students, there is a clear difference between home-schooling and public school. On average, home schooled students scored in the 88th percentile for standardized achievement tests of the core studies, while