Every summer I get some version of the same message. “We’re thinking about homeschooling this year. Where do I even start?” Sometimes it’s a family who has been thinking about it for years. Sometimes it’s a family who decided last Tuesday.
If you want to homeschool in Pennsylvania, here’s the good news. The steps are clear, and there aren’t that many of them. The not-so-good news is that they’re written in legal language that makes them feel a lot scarier than they are. So let’s go through it the way I would if we were sitting at my kitchen table with coffee.
Quick note before we start: I’m a Pennsylvania certified teacher and homeschool evaluator, not a lawyer. This is the plain-language version. For the official word, check the Pennsylvania Department of Education home education guide and your school district.
Who has to follow the rules to homeschool in Pennsylvania?
To homeschool in Pennsylvania, start with age. The compulsory school age is 6 to 18. If your child turns 6 by September 1, they need to be enrolled in school or in a home education program that year. If your little one is 4 or 5, you can absolutely start learning at home, but there’s nothing to file with the district yet.
Pennsylvania actually has a few legal ways to homeschool, including private tutoring by a certified teacher and satellite programs through certain private schools. Most families use the home education program under the homeschool law, so that’s the one this post covers.
Step 1: File your affidavit before you start
Your first official step to homeschool in Pennsylvania is a notarized affidavit or an unsworn declaration. It goes to the superintendent of the school district where you live. In your first year, file it before you begin homeschooling. After that, it’s due by August 1 every year.
Your affidavit includes:
- Your name, your child’s name and age, your address, and your phone number
- A statement that instruction will be in English
- An outline of your educational objectives for each subject
- Proof of immunizations (or an exemption) and the required health and medical services
- A statement that the adults in your home haven’t had certain criminal convictions in the past five years
- Proof that you, the supervisor, have a high school diploma or equivalent
Many districts post a sample form on their website, and using it can make life easier. Send it in a way you can track, like certified mail, and keep a copy for yourself.
If your child has an IEP or special education needs
This is the piece a lot of families don’t hear about until the last minute. If your child needs special education, your program has to address their specific needs. It also has to be approved by a Pennsylvania certified special education teacher, a licensed clinical psychologist, or a certified school psychologist. That written approval gets submitted with your affidavit, so plan for it early. I hold Pennsylvania special education certification, and I can review and approve your child’s program before you file.
Step 2: Plan your required subjects and days
To homeschool in Pennsylvania, you need 180 days of instruction, or 900 hours for elementary (K through 6) and 990 hours for secondary (7 through 12). You pick which way you count.
Elementary students need English (spelling, reading, and writing), arithmetic, science, geography, civics, United States and Pennsylvania history, health and physiology, physical education, music, art, and safety education, including fire safety.
Secondary students need English (language, literature, speech, and composition), math (including algebra and geometry), science, geography, social studies (civics, world history, and United States and Pennsylvania history), health, physical education, music, art, and safety education.
That list looks long, but a lot of it happens naturally. A nature walk is science and PE. Baking is math. A trip to the fire station checks off safety education. I break this down more in my post on choosing homeschool curriculum in Pennsylvania.
Step 3: Keep a portfolio as you go
When you homeschool in Pennsylvania, your portfolio is your proof of learning, and it stays with you. You don’t send it to the district. It needs three things:
- A log kept during the year that lists the reading materials you used by title
- Work samples like writing, worksheets, workbook pages, or creative projects
- Standardized test results in grades 3, 5, and 8
My favorite tip: one binder per child, one tab per subject, and drop in a sample every week or two. Date everything. Future you in May will be so grateful.
Step 4: Test in grades 3, 5, and 8
Families who homeschool in Pennsylvania test in grades 3, 5, and 8. Your child takes a standardized test in reading or language arts and math. You can use a nationally normed test from the state’s approved list or have your child take the state tests through your district. The one rule that surprises people: you can’t give the test to your own child. Results go in your portfolio, not to the district.
Step 5: Get your evaluation done by June 30
At the end of every year you homeschool in Pennsylvania, a qualified evaluator sits down with your child, looks through the portfolio, and writes a letter saying whether an appropriate education is happening. That letter is the only thing you send to your superintendent, and it’s due by June 30.
Evaluators can be Pennsylvania certified teachers with at least two years of experience, licensed psychologists, school psychologists, or certain nonpublic school teachers. You and your spouse can’t evaluate your own child. I walk through exactly what happens in my post on what to expect at a Pennsylvania homeschool evaluation.
Your homeschool in Pennsylvania timeline
- Before you start (first year) or by August 1 (every year after): file your affidavit
- All year: keep your log and add work samples
- Spring of grades 3, 5, and 8: standardized testing
- April through June: schedule and complete your evaluation
- By June 30: send the evaluator’s letter to your superintendent
You don’t have to figure this out alone
The paperwork is the part of starting to homeschool in Pennsylvania that makes families nervous, but it’s the easy part. The real work is building days that work for your kid. That’s where I come in.
I’m a certified elementary and special education teacher with almost 20 years in classrooms, and I support homeschool families with evaluations, curriculum planning, and tutoring, both in person and virtually. If you’re starting to homeschool in Pennsylvania and want a second set of eyes on your plan, check out my homeschool family services or email me at [email protected].