On September 16, the United States Senate, by unanimous consent, officially passed Senate Resolution 183, designating the week of September 19-25, 1999, as "National Home Education Week."

This resolution, drafted by and lobbied for by Home School Legal Defense Association, was sponsored by Senator John Ashcroft. Several highlights of the resolution state that: parents have the fundamental right to direct the up-bring of their children; family participation and parental choices in pursuit of educational excellence are important; and training in the home strengthens the family and guides children in setting the highest standards for their lives which are essential elements to the continuity of morality in our culture.

Although this resolution does not hold the weight of law, it is an official recognition of home schoolers by our United States Senate, and can be used as powerful tool in public relations.

Below is the full text of the resolution.

S. RES. 183

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES Mr. ASHCROFT (for himself, Mr. ABRAHAM, Mr. COCHRAN, Mr. COVERDELL, Mr. DeWINE, Mr. GORTON, Mr. GRAMS, Mr. HAGEL, Mr. HELMS, Mr. INHOFE, Mr. GREGG, Mr. SMITH of New Hampshire, Mr. SMITH of Oregon, Mr. THURMOND) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary:

September 14, 1999
Designating the week beginning on September 19, 1999, and ending on September 25, 1999, as National Home Education Week.

Whereas the United States is committed to excellence in education;
Whereas the United States recognizes the importance of family participation and parental choices in pursuit of that excellence;
Whereas the United States recognizes the fundamental right of parents to direct the education and upbringing of their children;
Whereas parents want their children to receive a first-class education;
Whereas training in the home strengthens the family and guides children in setting the highest standards for their lives which are essential elements to the continuity of morality in our culture; Whereas home schooling families contribute significantly to the cultural diversity important to a healthy society;
Whereas the United States has a significant number of parents who teach their own children at home;
Whereas home education was proven successful in the lives of George Washington, Patrick Henry, John Quincy Adams, John Marshall, Robert E. Lee, Booker T. Washington, Thomas Edison, Abraham Lincoln, Franklin Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson, Mark Twain, John Singleton Copley, William Carey, Phyllis Wheatley, and Andrew Carnegie;
Whereas home school students exhibit self-confidence and good citizenship and are fully prepared academically to meet the challenges of today's society;
Whereas dozens of contemporary studies continue to confirm that children who are educated at home score exceptionally well on nationally normed achievement tests;
Whereas a March 1999 study by the Educational Resources Information Center Clearinghouse on Assessment and Evaluation at the University of Maryland found that home school students taking the Iowa Test of Basic Skills or the Tests of Achievement and Proficiency scored in the 70th to 80th percentiles among all the students nationwide who took those exams, and 25 percent of home schooled students were studying at a level one or more grades above normal for their age;
Whereas studies demonstrate that home schoolers excel in college with the average grade point average of home schoolers exceeding the college average;
and Whereas United States home educators and home instructed students should be recognized and celebrated for their efforts to improve the quality of education:
Now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the week beginning on September 19, 1999, and ending on September 25, 1999, is designated as National Home Education Week. The President is authorized and requested to issue a proclamation recognizing the contributions that home schooling families have made to the Nation.

Passed the Senate September 16, 1999