This study examined the day to day operations of home schools. The case study method was used with four families
from a larger pool of families that held membership in a home school organization. Data was gathered using
interviews, observations, and artifacts. Findings suggest that these families operated their home schools using
traditional methods to reach progressive goals. The families operated their home schools much as a person in a
restaurant would choose food from a menu. They identified instructional goals and selected methods from a variety
of choices available to them including courses taught through a home school cooperative, community colleges,
online courses, video instruction, and individual study. Public schooling was not an option available to them.
Traditional schools can learn from this home school model as it serves as a resource that supports individual
learning goals rather than as the sole distributor of knowledge in a community.