Homeschool Research Lab

About the Lab

The Homeschool Research Lab is a thought leader in homeschool research and policy. Current work includes gathering and compiling multi-sector education participation data, curating research, and convening leading researchers. Current research topics include examining homeschool growth by state and region, post-pandemic persistence in homeschool participation, changes in homeschool regulation over time, increases in Black and Brown homeschooling and how grassroots expansion networks develop, and dismantling negative tropes about homeschooling and who homeschoolers are with longitudinal data.

About the Researchers

keturah abdullah, Summer Intern keturah abdullah is a doctoral student in Educational Studies at the University of Michigan. She is interested in learning about homeschooling communities and practices. Her experiences as a homeschooling parent motivated her to research and explore African American homeschoolers’ unique experiences. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Africana Studies and a Master of Science in Reading from the University at Albany and a Master of Science in Education in Special Education from Long Island University, Brooklyn. keturah’s other broad research interests include historical and contemporary schooling contexts for Black children, African American education, literacy education, and alternative schooling models.

Christy Batts, Graduate Student Research Fellow Christy Batts is a doctoral candidate in the Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis program at North Carolina State University and a Graduate Student Research Fellow for the Homeschool Research Lab at the Johns Hopkins Institute for Education Policy. Her research agenda centers around school choice policies and practices concerning alternative education options, including homeschool, hybrid school, micro school and dual enrollment. She has most recently published the first empirical study to focus on the experiences of Hispanic and Latina homeschool parents, and a piece investigating homeschool parents’ perceptions of school safety. Her dissertation focuses on homeschool parents’ access to and use of public education resources.

Yan Wu (Mike), Graduate Student Research Fellow Yan Wu (Mike) is a PhD student at Johns Hopkins. He holds a BA in English and an MA in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages. With experience teaching English to students from diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds, his research focuses on the learning motivation of language minority students and bilingual/bicultural education. He is enthusiastic about contributing to homeschooling projects by applying his academic knowledge and teaching experience.

Alumni

Karuna Sinha, Graduate Assistant Karuna Sinha is a Master’s in Education Policy student at Johns Hopkins University. Although she has not participated in homeschooling, Sinha’s interest in the topic stems from a desire to explore alternative educational models that cater to diverse learning needs. Her other research interests include accessibility policies for disabled students and the implications of COVID-19 on the K–12 education system. Post-graduation, Sinha aims to contribute to these areas, preferably with a research institution or nonprofit.

Coming Soon

We are currently seeking support for a lab expansion that will include a curated consortium of affiliated researchers from leading institutions across the country and an annual convening of researchers and policymakers. Contact the Johns Hopkins Institute for Education Policy for more information.