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In MA, per the statute and related discussion of relevant court cases above, it gives too much discretion to the local school districts, IMHO, and is vague enough to invite a hodgepodge of regulations across the state with regard to what constitutes an acceptable plan of education.

In fact, it does not only invite such abuse, there IS a hodgepodge of regulations from district to district.

Even the MA statutes allow more than one way of evaluating progress. The problem here is DSS has custody and is demanding testing the parents object to. Ordinarily the parents would be permitted to choose another method of evalution. The "LAW" here seem only to be what DSS has laid down for this family.

The school district did not approve the education plan of the parents; why is unclear, although I suspect it is possible that they chose to reject an unschooling plan.
Unschooling does not violate the statute, per se' in fact, the statute expressly forbids the local district from interfering in the manner of instruction.

However, the local district is given far to much discretion in what kind of plan it will or won't accept, and is given several weasel clauses to throw up roadblocks for any parent that desires to homeschool.

DSS filed the "educational plan" with the district. Their students have rebelled against unscheduled and unwanted testing. DSS says the parents don't have custody and have no authority in the education of their children, and yet demands the parents instruct their rebelling children to take the test.

The whole situation is wrong, and my present opinion is that the school district improperly rejected the teaching plan of the parents because of a vague statute that invites abuse by localities with axes to grind.

The education of children is a responsibility that belongs to parents. In principle I think state oversight should be at a minimum.

The school district in this case rejected the plan because it was a non-plan, not a serious effort to satisfy the minimal requirements set forth by the school district but more jiberish aimed more at making a point and getting publicity than informing the school district of their plans. There's a reason why the courts would take such a drastic action as giving custody to DSS. Look behind the sensational headlines and attention getting one liners here and maybe you'll start to get the picture that these people are different from all of the competent, level-headed home schoolers across this country.