Presenter says homeschooling enrollment surged since 1970s; committee hears national outcome studies

Rachel Jensen, speaking for a homeschool advocacy group, told the Senate Education Committee that homeschooling has expanded substantially since the 1970s and highlighted studies and survey findings she said show homeschooled students perform well on standardized and social indicators.

Jensen told the committee that homeschooling grew from an estimated 5.6% to 11% of families with school-age children during the COVID-19 period and that homeschooling enrollment rose from roughly 13,000 students in the 1970s to more than 3.7 million today. "There are over 5,000,000 homeschooled children in the U.S. today and it continues to grow," she said, citing several national sources during a slide presentation.

Why it matters: Jensen framed homeschooling as a growing national education pathway and argued it yields strong academic and social outcomes; her presentation included national statistics that committee members may weigh as lawmakers consider state education policy.

Jensen cited multiple research findings, including higher average standardized-test percentiles for homeschooled students and claims that long-term homeschooled adults report lower depression and anxiety scores and higher life satisfaction in certain surveys she referenced. She also described the growth of classical Christian curricula and community programs that support home educators.

Committee members asked few substantive follow-ups; Jensen offered to provide the committee with her slide deck and thanked members for the opportunity to present.

Ending: The testimony was primarily informational; no formal action followed directly from the presentation.