Home and Hospital Instruction

 

What is Home & Hospital Instruction?
Existing law requires each person subject to compulsory education to attend full-time
school or continuation school. The Home and Hospital Instruction Program
(California Education Code Section 48206.3) serves students who incur a temporary
disability, which makes attendance in the regular day classes or alternative education
program impossible or inadvisable. The district in which the home or residential health
facility is located is responsible for instructing and educating pupils who must be
hospitalized or remain at home due to a temporary but extended illness or disability. There
is no provision in statute that specifically addresses instructional content; however, the
goal of home or hospital instruction should be maintenance of the pupil's former level of
performance while recovering.

Who can receive Home & Hospital Instruction?
A student with a temporary disability who is in a hospital or other residential health facility,
excluding a state hospital, located outside of the school district in which the student’s parent or
guardian resides, shall be deemed to have complied with the residency requirements for school
attendance in the school district in which the hospital in located. (EC Section 48207)
Home and Hospital Instruction serves students with a temporary disability (EC Section
48206.3[b][2]) that makes attendance in the regular day classes or alternative education
program in which the student is enrolled impossible or inadvisable, excluding students with
“exceptional needs” (EC Section 56026).

It is the primary responsibility of the parent or guardian of a student with a temporary disability
to notify the school district in which the student is deemed to reside of the student’s presence
in a qualifying hospital. Within five working days following notification from the parent or
guardian, the school district shall determine whether the student will be able to receive
individualized instruction, and, if the determination is positive, when the individualized
instruction may begin. Individualized instruction shall start no later than five working days after
the positive determination has been made. (EC Section 48208)

 

Purpose of Home & Hospital Instruction
The purpose of home and hospital instruction is to provide instruction to a student with a
temporary disability in the student’s home or in a hospital or other residential health facility,
excluding state hospitals.

A temporary disability is defined as a physical, mental or emotional disability incurred while a
student is enrolled in regular day classes or an alternative education program, and after which
the student can reasonably be expected to return to regular day classes or the alternative
education program without special intervention.

A temporary disability does not include a disability for which a student is identified as an
individual with exceptional needs pursuant to California Education Code (EC) Section 56026
It is the primary responsibility of the parent or guardian of a student with a temporary disability
to notify the school district in which the student is deemed to reside of the student’s presence
in a qualifying hospital. Within five working days following notification from the parent or
guardian, the school district shall determine whether the student will be able to receive
individualized instruction, and, if the determination is positive, when the individualized
instruction may begin. Individualized instruction shall start no later than five working days after
the positive determination has been made. (EC Section 48208)