Educational success is generally measured in terms of academic achievement. If this standard alone were applied to home schooling, most people would agree that home schooling can be a successful alternative to public school.

Testing evidence indicates that home schooling is highly effective in terms of academics. The average home-schooled student scored 81 points higher on the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) than did the general population in 2000. At the National Spelling Bee in 2000, the top three winners were home-schooled. Studies show that home-schooled children also tend to score higher on basic skills testing than do public school children. According to the Wall Street Journal, "Evidence is mounting that homeschooling, once confined to the political and religious fringe, has achieved results not only on par with public education, but in some ways surpassing it."

However, one subject continues to surface whenever the issue of home schooling arises. Public school administrators...