End-of-Year Homeschool Wrap-Up

A May Checklist for Florida Families

May is the deep breath at the end of a long sprint. The lessons are slowing down, summer is almost in sight, and most Florida homeschool families have one big task left on the calendar: wrapping the year up properly. Done well, the last few weeks of the year give you peace of mind, satisfy your annual requirements, and set the stage for an easier start in the fall.

This is your May checklist, practical, compliance-friendly, and built around the rhythm of a Florida home education program.

Step 1: Confirm Your Florida Home Education Compliance Date

Under Florida Statute 1002.41, Florida home education families must submit an annual educational evaluation to the district school superintendent within one year of the date the home education program was established, and annually thereafter. Most families count the anniversary from their original Letter of Intent, not from May or June. Pull your file, confirm your date, and work backward from there. The official Florida Department of Education home education page has the current statutes and rules if you want to double-check.

Step 2: Finalize Your Homeschool Portfolio

If you have been gathering work samples all year, this is the gentle pass. If you have been meaning to start, this is the do-it-now moment.

A complete Florida homeschool portfolio typically includes:

• A log of educational activities, including curriculum, online programs, field trips, and read-alouds
• Representative writing samples from across the year
• Math work showing the concepts your student worked through
• Science and social studies samples (projects, lab notes, photos, written summaries)
• Photos or artifacts from hands-on learning, co-ops, or community classes
• Any outside class certificates, summer workshop completions, or standardized test scores

Aim for representative, not exhaustive. A few strong samples per subject is plenty.

Step 3: Schedule Your Annual Portfolio Evaluation

The portfolio review is the most common evaluation path under Florida Statute 1002.41, and May is the right time to book it. Evaluations slow down in late June as families finalize district submissions, so the earlier you schedule, the easier the timing.

At Bloom Homeschool, annual portfolio evaluations are conversational, encouraging, and conducted by certified Florida educators over Zoom or in person when available. Academic advising is included at no additional cost, so the conversation also leaves you with concrete next steps for the year ahead.

Step 4: Decide About Standardized Testing

A standardized test is not required to satisfy the annual evaluation, but many families add one for the clarity it provides. The Stanford 10 is the most common choice, nationally normed, accepted by Florida districts, and useful for spotting specific skill strengths and gaps. Bloom offers the Stanford 10 online with live proctoring for grades 3–12. Pair it with the evaluation and you walk out of the year with both a national benchmark and a qualitative picture of growth.

Step 5: Reflect on the Year With Your Student

Before the file closes, sit down with your child for a 20-minute reflection. The questions are simple:

• What did you love this year?
• What was harder than you expected?
• What do you want more of next year?
• What do you want less of?

This is not paperwork. It is a moment that often shapes the next year more than any curriculum decision you will make. Your evaluator will also love hearing these reflections during the appointment.

Step 6: Plan the Summer With Intention

A few hours of intentional summer planning saves weeks of catch-up in the fall. Bloom's summer workshops for math and academic writing are running June and July sessions for grades 5–12, and one-on-one online tutoring is available year-round for students who need a steady cadence rather than a workshop sprint. If you are using PEP or Unique Abilities funding, Step Up for Students scholarships can be applied to Bloom services.

Step 7: Submit Your Evaluation to Your District

Once your evaluator signs the form, submit it to your district school superintendent before your anniversary date. Districts vary on how they want submissions (email, portal, mailed copy), so check your district's home education office page if you are unsure. The FLDOE Parent FAQ is a useful current reference.

Step 8: Save Everything for Next Year

Florida law requires you to maintain the portfolio for two years and make it available for inspection if requested. Drop this year's portfolio into a labeled folder, on a shelf or in a cloud folder, and call it done.

Wrap-Up: Finishing the Florida Homeschool Year With Confidence

A good wrap-up is about closing the loop. Confirm your date, finalize your portfolio, schedule your evaluation, decide on testing, reflect with your student, and plan the next chapter. That is the whole list.

If you would like a partner for the evaluation, testing, or planning piece, reach out to Bloom Homeschool. We will make the rest of May feel lighter than it should.