The stats

I tend to be on the analytical side, I wanted to find statistics on academic performance that backed what my heart was telling me to do. This is by no means comprehensive or the most up to date, but it's what's out there...

This study is facinating and conclusive: Home School Legal Defense Association Study

According to this report, homeschoolers outscore their peers on standardized tests. Even more interesting, this achievement is not dependent upon:

• their parent's of level education,
• teacher certification,
• the amount of money spent,
• the level of government oversight,
• gender, or
• race.

Other stats found at http://home-school.lovetoknow.com/Statistics_on_Homeschooling_in_the_United_States:

• Children who have been homeschooled all of their lives outperformed those in a traditional school environment
• Eighth grade students who have been homeschooled for at least one year scored in the 59th percentile
• Eighth grade students who have been homeschooled for two years or more scored between the 86th and 92nd percentile

The following information was published by SAT and the ACT High School Profile Reports:

• In a 1991 test, scores reported by the Stanford Achievement Test, showed that homeschooler's composite scores were 18 to 28 points above their public school counterparts. 
• In 1998, graduating homeschoolers had an average score of 22.8 out of a possible 36 on the ACT. The national average was 21.0.

Did you know that academic rates are higher in families with three or more children in two parent households with only one parent in the labor force?