While students are able to maintain their own pace and work independently most of the time, the responsibility for teaching ultimately rests with parents. This means it's a parent's job to make sure their children meet state standards and are ready for graduation. In that case, the state pays for specific resources in exchange for homeschooling meeting certain requirements to stay in the program. I was only in public school for kindergarten, first grade, and a couple of months in second grade, so that's the only perspective I can come from.
In fact, a large percentage of families study at home until high school and then enroll their teens in traditional school. If you finish high school studying at home, you won't have a government-issued diploma or transcripts. In addition, community college classes work well to meet state requirements, and these credits very well complete a high school transcript for future colleges. This is because many homeschoolers find that emulating educational approaches in the classroom is not as effective as the local version, and in many places, there are many opportunities for children learning at home to learn with friends and in the community.
Families choose homeschooling for a variety of reasons, including dissatisfaction with available educational options, different religious or educational philosophies, and a belief that children do not progress within the traditional school structure. Since at least one of the options must be completed while the student is still of compulsory school age, it is imperative that homeschoolers are aware of the education laws of their state and of any state in which they wish to attend college. For example, if you're not a member of a homeschooling group, or if your group doesn't have cooperatives for certain classes, such as biology, your teen could study biology in person at a community college. In Virginia, VHSL prohibits homeschooling students from participating in high school athletic programs.
But if there is, you may need to rethink the program you want for your child or whether homeschooling in your state is really the better option than private or public schools. Homeschooled parents are essentially taking primary responsibility for educating their own children. However, you'll also need to know that you may not have access to your taxpayer dollar benefits in the public school system after choosing homeschool. Parents and children don't need to follow school conventions when they are studying at home; they can customize and choose their own curriculum or approach.
Many begin their studies early in the morning, as in a traditional school, but some choose to make less of a distinction between school and home.