How to Homeschool in Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania homeschool law in detail

Each requirement below links to the statute that governs it, so you can read the law yourself instead of taking our word for it. The governing law is 24 P.S. Section 13-1327.1.

Notice / letter of intent

Before starting a home education program, and by August 1 of each school year after that, the supervisor (usually a parent) files a notarized affidavit or an unsworn declaration with the superintendent of the school district where you live, under 24 P.S. Section 13-1327.1. It includes names, ages, address, an assurance that instruction is in English, an outline of proposed education objectives by subject area, evidence of required immunizations and medical services (or exemption documentation), and a certification that the supervisor and all adults in the home have no disqualifying criminal history. The Pennsylvania Department of Education publishes free elementary and secondary templates for both the affidavit and the unsworn declaration; the unsworn declaration version does not need a notary.

Read the law: 24 P.S. Section 13-1327.1 The record attributes the affidavit/unsworn declaration filing requirement to 24 P.S. Section 13-1327.1 without naming a more specific subsection.

Required subjects

At the elementary level (roughly K-6), required subjects include English (spelling, reading, writing), arithmetic, science, geography, civics, U.S. and Pennsylvania history, health and physiology, physical education, music, art, and safety education including fire prevention. At the secondary level (7-12), the list shifts to English language, literature, speech and composition, mathematics (including general math, algebra, and geometry), science, geography, social studies (civics, world history, U.S. and Pennsylvania history), health, physical education, music, art, and safety education. For a home education high school diploma, the statute also sets graduation course minimums such as four years of English and three years each of math, science, and social studies.

Read the law: 24 P.S. Section 13-1327.1 The record describes the elementary and secondary required-subject lists under the home education statute but does not name a specific subsection (graduation-credit minimums are flagged against 24 P.S. 13-1327.1(d)).

Required days or hours

Pennsylvania requires 180 days of instruction per year, or a minimum of 900 hours at the elementary level and 990 hours at the secondary level. You choose whether to count days or hours.

Read the law: 24 P.S. Section 13-1327.1 The record states 180 days or 900 hours (elementary) / 990 hours (secondary) under the home education statute without naming a specific subsection.

Recordkeeping

You keep a portfolio for each student: a log made contemporaneously with instruction that designates by title the reading materials used, plus samples of writings, worksheets, workbooks, and creative materials. Standardized test results in reading/language arts and math go in the portfolio for the grade 3, 5, and 8 testing years. Since Act 196 of 2014, the portfolio is reviewed by your chosen evaluator, not submitted to the school district.

Read the law: 24 P.S. Section 13-1327.1 The record describes the portfolio/contemporaneous-log requirement under the home education statute (as modified by Act 196 of 2014) without naming a specific subsection.

Testing and assessment

Each year, a qualified evaluator reviews the portfolio and interviews the student, then certifies whether an appropriate education is occurring. Evaluators may be a licensed clinical or school psychologist, a Pennsylvania-certified teacher with at least two years of teaching experience, or a nonpublic school teacher or administrator with at least two years of experience in the last ten; the supervisor and their spouse cannot be the evaluator. You submit the evaluator's certification to the superintendent by June 30. In grades 3, 5, and 8, students take an approved standardized test (options include the Iowa, Stanford, CAT, Terra Nova, MAP, Woodcock-Johnson, and others); a parent or guardian may not administer the test.

Read the law: 24 P.S. Section 13-1327.1 The record describes the annual evaluator certification (due June 30) and grade 3/5/8 standardized testing under the home education statute without naming a specific subsection.

Withdrawing from public school

If your child is enrolled in public school, filing your affidavit with the superintendent is the legal trigger; the home education program may begin once the affidavit is filed. It is wise to also send the school a short written withdrawal notice so attendance records are closed out cleanly. If you move districts mid-program, you can request a transfer letter from your current superintendent by registered mail and file it with the new district.

Read the law: 24 P.S. Section 13-1327.1 The record states filing the affidavit is the legal trigger to begin home education under the statute and notes any separate district withdrawal form is district practice, not a statutory subsection requirement.

Good to know

Pennsylvania actually has four legal home-instruction routes: the home education program described here (the common one), a Pennsylvania-certified private tutor, and satellite arrangements through a religious or accredited day school. The home education statute is uniform statewide, but small mechanics (preferred forms, where to mail, withdrawal paperwork) vary by district, so a quick call to your district's home education contact is worth it.