South Dakota Homeschool Law: SDCL 13-27-3

Not yet verified at a primary source. DiplomaPath has not independently verified South Dakota’s homeschool requirements against the statute text or the state’s own published guidance as of September 2026. The requirements described on this page may be incomplete or out of date.

Before you rely on any deadline, filing, or testing requirement here, confirm current law with the South Dakota Department of Education and the HSLDA South Dakota page. When this page has been checked against a primary source, this notice will be replaced with a verified date and a link to the statute.

Two free things before you read on. The sample transcript PDF is yours either way, no email needed, and the transcript checklist walks through what to include, line by line.

South Dakota calls home education alternative instruction under SDCL 13-27-3. Families file an Alternative Instruction Notification (AIN) within 30 days of starting, a one-time filing per child rather than an annual renewal, re-filed only if a transition occurs (moving districts, returning to public school, etc.).

SB 177 (effective July 1, 2021) eliminated South Dakota’s mandatory standardized testing entirely; there is no state assessment requirement today. Required curriculum under the statute covers just two subjects, language arts and mathematics, though most families teach a fuller curriculum. South Dakota requires 175 instructional days per year, with no minimum hours per day.

Minimal by design: South Dakota is now one of the least-regulated states in the country for homeschooling. Don’t assume older information about grade 2/4/8/11 testing still applies, SB 177 removed it.

Comparing South Dakota with another state, or planning a move? See our guide to homeschool graduation requirements by state.

South Dakota’s 22-Credit Public-School Benchmark

South Dakota homeschoolers aren’t bound to the public-school credit structure. Under SD Admin Rule 24:43:11, public schools require 22 credits.

Subject AreaCourses / NotesCredits
Language ArtsWriting 1, Speech/Debate 0.5, Literature 1 (incl. 0.5 American Lit), electives 1.54.0
MathematicsAlgebra I 1, electives 23.0
ScienceBiology 1, electives 23.0
Social StudiesUS History 1, US Government 0.5, electives 1.53.0
Fine Arts1.0
Personal Finance/Economics0.5
Health0.5
Physical Education1.0
Electives (CTE/Capstone/World Language)2.0
Additional Language Arts/Math/Science/SS electivesDistributed above4.0
TotalSD Admin Rule 24:43:11 benchmark, not a homeschool mandate22.0
DiplomaPath tip: Set the South Dakota 22-credit model, or your own custom targets, in DiplomaPath’s Requirements tracker — earned vs. planned progress updates automatically per subject.

Required Transcript Elements

Use this checklist when building your South Dakota homeschool transcript:

  • Student information
    Full legal name, date of birth, address
  • Alternative instruction program name
    The name of your home program
  • Courses organized by year
    Group by grade (9th, 10th, 11th, 12th) or academic year
  • Grades and grade points
    Letter grade and numeric grade point value; include your grading scale
  • Credits per course
    Full-year course = 1.0 credit; semester course = 0.5 credit (Carnegie Unit)
  • Cumulative GPA, weighted and unweighted
    Include the scale (e.g., A = 4.0; Honors +0.5; AP/dual-enrollment +1.0)
  • Total credits earned
  • Graduation date
  • Parent signature and title
    Sign as “Administrator” or “Supervisor” of your home program

GPA Calculation

GPA is calculated the same way in every state: multiply each course’s grade points by its credit value, sum all products, and divide by total credits. The standard 4.0 scale applies to most courses. Honors courses typically add 0.5 points; AP and dual-enrollment courses add 1.0 point for a weighted GPA.

Always report both weighted and unweighted GPA on your transcript, clearly labeled. Include your complete grading scale (e.g., A = 93–100 = 4.0) so admissions reviewers understand exactly how grades were assigned.

Want to calculate GPA automatically? Use our free Homeschool GPA Calculator, enter courses and grades and get weighted and unweighted GPA instantly.

Common Mistakes

  • 1
    Teaching only the two legally-required subjects
    SDCL 13-27-3 only mandates language arts and math, but colleges expect a full college-prep transcript. Teach a complete curriculum even though the law sets a low floor.
  • 2
    Forgetting to re-file after a transition
    The one-time AIN filing must be updated within 30 days if you move districts or your child’s status changes, don’t assume the original filing covers every change.
  • 3
    Skipping SAT/ACT because testing isn’t state-required
    South Dakota eliminated its testing mandate, but South Dakota colleges still expect or recommend SAT/ACT scores from homeschool applicants.

Generate a Complete South Dakota Transcript Automatically

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