Traditional Homeschool

“Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.”

— Proverbs 22:6

Parent-Directed Homeschooling with RPS Umbrella School Support

Academic Year 2026–2027

RPS serves as an umbrella school facilitator for parents who choose to homeschool their children. While parents remain the primary instructors and curriculum decision-makers, RPS provides structured academic oversight to ensure students remain on track and meet state or regional home-education requirements.

Our Traditional Homeschool Program is offered in two distinct plans to meet the varied needs of homeschooling families. Both plans share a common foundation of Christian values, professional accountability, and personalized family support. The primary distinction lies in curriculum ownership and instructional resource delivery:

• Faith-Centered Education — Every subject is taught from a biblical worldview that honors Jesus Christ as Lord.
• Parental Partnership — We recognize parents as the God-ordained primary educators; our role is to support and equip, never to replace.
• Academic Excellence — We hold high standards for student achievement and provide the tools necessary to reach them.
• Community and Accountability — Families are connected to a broader Christian homeschool community with professional oversight.
• Flexibility with Structure — We provide enough structure for compliance and accountability while honoring each family’s unique educational approach.

Plan A of the RPS Traditional Homeschool Program is designed for families who are confident in selecting and delivering their own instructional curriculum while desiring the accountability, structure, and professional oversight that a reputable umbrella school provides. In Plan A, Remnant Preparatory School serves as your official umbrella school—not your curriculum provider—giving you the freedom to teach with the resources you know and trust while ensuring your homeschool program meets all applicable state and regional home-education requirements.

This plan is rooted in the conviction that parents are uniquely positioned to know their children’s learning styles, academic needs, and spiritual formation goals. RPS respects and honors that calling by providing the professional infrastructure—facilitator support, portfolio evaluations, and compliance documentation—that empowers families to homeschool with confidence and peace of mind.

As your umbrella school, RPS provides the following services to all Plan A families:

• Each family is assigned a personal RPS academic facilitator who serves as your primary point of contact throughout the school year.
• Facilitators are experienced educators with a background in Christian homeschool philosophy and state compliance requirements.
• Families may contact their facilitator via email, phone, or scheduled video conference for guidance, encouragement, and academic support.
• Facilitators provide personalized feedback on student progress and offer recommendations for enrichment or intervention when needed.

• RPS conducts two formal portfolio evaluations per academic year—one at mid-year and one at year’s end.
• Portfolio evaluations assess student mastery of core subjects including Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, History/Social Studies, and Bible.
• Parents submit a curated portfolio of student work samples, assessments, reading logs, and other academic evidence for review.
• The RPS facilitator provides a written evaluation summary documenting student progress and academic achievement.
• Evaluation reports are signed and dated by the RPS facilitator and serve as official documentation of the student’s home-education progress.

• RPS maintains official enrollment records, attendance logs, and evaluation reports for each student.

•  All records are securely stored and available for retrieval in the event of a government or state compliance review.

• RPS provides families with an official Letter of Enrollment that may be used to satisfy local home-education notification requirements.

• End-of-year academic records and transcripts (for secondary students) are prepared and maintained by RPS upon request.

•  RPS tracks cumulative records across grade levels, providing continuity and professional documentation throughout the student’s homeschool journey.

• Plan A families are welcomed into the broader RPS homeschool community through access to newsletters, prayer updates, and family encouragement resources.
• RPS hosts periodic virtual family gatherings, orientation webinars, and Q&A sessions to strengthen the community and address family needs.
• Families have access to the RPS parent resource library, which includes guidance documents on homeschool planning, state law summaries, and portfolio building tips.

In Plan A, parents hold full authority and responsibility for selecting, purchasing, and delivering their child’s instructional curriculum. RPS does not prescribe or restrict curriculum choices—families are free to use any curriculum that aligns with their educational philosophy and faith convictions.

Popular curriculum choices among RPS Plan A families include, but are not limited to:

• Abeka — A rigorous, traditional Christian curriculum with a strong phonics and classical emphasis.
• Bob Jones University Press (BJU Press) — Comprehensive, Christ-centered textbooks for all grade levels.
• Sonlight Curriculum — A literature-rich, Charlotte Mason-influenced Christian program.
• My Father’s World — An integrated, missionary-focused curriculum built on Charlotte Mason and classical principles.
• Classical Conversations — A classical, community-based Christian homeschool model.
• Apologia — An award-winning science and worldview curriculum with a strong apologetics focus.
• Time4Learning — An online, self-paced secular program often supplemented with Christian resources.
• Other state-approved or family-selected curriculum materials of the parent’s choosing.

Parents are responsible for:

• Maintaining a consistent daily or weekly instructional schedule appropriate to the student’s grade level.
• Planning and delivering all lessons, assignments, projects, and assessments.
• Keeping detailed records of assignments, grades, attendance, and completed work throughout the year.
• Ensuring their selected curriculum covers all required core subjects at the appropriate grade level.
• Providing copies of student work samples for bi-annual portfolio evaluations.

Plan A families who wish to supplement their home curriculum with professionally taught coursework may enroll their student(s) in RPS Flex courses. These a-la-carte elective and core subject courses are delivered online and taught by qualified Christian instructors. Flex courses are available in a variety of subjects including:

• Advanced Mathematics (Algebra I, Algebra II, Geometry, Pre-Calculus)
• English Composition and Literature
• Physical and Life Sciences with Lab Components
• Biblical Worldview and Christian Apologetics
• Electives: Art, Music, Health, Physical Education, and more

RPS Flex course credits are recognized within the RPS transcript system and may be included in the student’s official academic record upon successful completion.

Plan A is the perfect fit for families who value educational freedom without sacrificing accountability. It is especially well-suited for:

• Parents who are experienced homeschoolers with a preferred curriculum already in place.
• Families with a strong biblical or classical educational philosophy who wish to maintain full instructional control.
• Students who thrive in a flexible, parent-led learning environment tailored to their individual pace and interests.
• Families who need professional umbrella school documentation to comply with state or government home-education requirements.
• Parents seeking a connection to a supportive Christian homeschool community without surrendering curriculum autonomy.
• Families transitioning their child from a traditional school setting who want expert guidance as they begin their homeschool journey.

Why Standardized Testing Matters: The Iowa Assessments provide an objective, nationally normed measure of your student’s academic achievement—giving you clear insight into where your child excels and where additional support may be beneficial.

RPS is pleased to offer Plan A families the option to participate in the nationally recognized Iowa Assessments as a standardized testing component of their homeschool program. Administered twice per academic year—once in the Fall and once in the Spring—the Iowa Assessments provide a comprehensive, objective snapshot of each student’s academic achievement and growth across core subject areas.

The Iowa Assessments are one of the most trusted and widely used standardized tests available for homeschool students in the United States. Published by Riverside Insights, the Iowa Assessments have been used for decades to measure student performance in Grades K–12 against national norms, providing families and educators with reliable, research-backed data on academic progress.

• Reading — Vocabulary, reading comprehension, and literary analysis skills appropriate to each grade level.
• Language Arts — Spelling, capitalization, punctuation, grammar, and written expression.
• Mathematics — Concepts and estimation, problem solving, data analysis, and computation.
• Science — Scientific reasoning, inquiry skills, and foundational content knowledge.
• Social Studies — Geographic understanding, historical reasoning, and civic knowledge (selected grade levels).
• Core Composite Score — An overall academic performance score benchmarked against national norms.

• Assessments are administered in a proctored, parent-supervised home setting following official Iowa Assessments testing protocols.
• RPS provides complete testing materials, administration instructions, and a secure testing guide to ensure standardized, consistent administration.
• The Fall assessment (administered in September–October) establishes a baseline of academic performance at the start of the school year.
• The Spring assessment (administered in April–May) measures growth and achievement at the conclusion of the academic year.
• Completed assessments are returned to RPS for official scoring and processing through the Riverside Insights scoring system.

• Families receive a detailed Individual Student Report (ISR) following each assessment, providing grade-equivalent scores, national percentile rankings, and standard scores for every subject area tested.
• Score reports identify academic strengths and areas for growth, empowering parents to make informed instructional adjustments.
• Fall-to-Spring score comparisons provide a measurable record of academic growth over the course of the school year.
• Iowa Assessment scores may be included in the student’s official RPS academic portfolio and records upon family request.
• Results are especially valuable for families considering college dual enrollment, scholarship applications, or transitions to traditional school settings.

• Nationally Normed — Results are compared to a broad national sample of students at the same grade level, providing a meaningful, objective benchmark.
• Widely Recognized — Iowa Assessment scores are accepted by colleges, scholarship programs, and state education agencies across the country.
• Homeschool-Friendly — The Iowa Assessments are specifically available for homeschool administration, making them one of the most accessible and appropriate standardized tests for home-educated students.
• Growth Tracking — Twice-yearly testing creates a clear record of academic growth that complements RPS’s portfolio evaluation process.
• Low Stress — Unlike high-stakes standardized tests, the Iowa Assessments are designed to be a calm, informative tool—not a pass/fail judgment—helping students build confidence and familiarity with standardized test formats.