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Pennsylvania Homeschool Requirements Checklist

Everything you need to do to homeschool legally in Pennsylvania, based on 24 P.S. Section 13-1327.1 (Home Education Program). Pennsylvania is classified as High regulation.

This is the general checklist for Home Education Program, the most common of Pennsylvania's 3 pathways. Our free wizard customizes this for your family, including grade, pathway, enrollment status, and IEP.

Your compliance checklist

Do first

File your Letter of Intent & instructional plan

Submit to superintendent of the school district of residence. Deadline: August 1 annually; prior to commencing if starting mid-year.

Deadline: August 1 annually; prior to commencing if starting mid-year

More details

Include: parent/guardian name, child's name, child's age, address where instruction takes place, parent/guardian phone or email, list of subjects to be taught, educational plan or objectives. Must be notarized

Send a withdrawal letter

If your child is currently enrolled in school, send a withdrawal letter to superintendent of the school district of residence.

Deadline: Before you start (if enrolled)

Confirm your qualification

This pathway requires a high school diploma or GED.

Deadline: Before you start

More details

Background check required.

Ongoing

Required subjects (varies by grade)

elementary–K–6: English (spelling, reading, writing), arithmetic, science, geography, history of the United States and Pennsylvania, civics, safety education (including fire prevention), health and physiology, physical education, music, art. secondary–7–12: English (language, literature, speech, composition), science, geography, social studies (civics, world history, history of the United States and Pennsylvania), mathematics (general mathematics, algebra, geometry), art, music, physical education, health, safety education (including fire prevention)

Meet instructional time requirements

Minimum: 900 hours/year.

Show your child's progress

Portfolio review or Standardized test or Teacher evaluation — annually. At grades: 3, 5, 8.

More details

Submit by: 06-30

Keep basic records

You must maintain: attendance records, grades or evaluations, student portfolio. Records may be reviewed by the district.

More details

Portfolio must include: reading log, work samples, writing samples, test results.

Submit annual (by June 30) progress reports

Submit annual (by June 30) progress reports to superintendent of the public school district of residence. Annual renewal also required by August 1.

More details

Submit: evaluator's certification or letter. Due: 06-30.

Filing requirements

What to file
detailed plan
Send to
superintendent of the school district of residence
Deadline
August 1 annually; prior to commencing if starting mid-year
How often
annual

Your notice must include:

  • •parent/guardian name
  • •child's name
  • •child's age
  • •address where instruction takes place
  • •parent/guardian phone or email
  • •list of subjects to be taught
  • •educational plan or objectives

Notarization is required.

24 P.S. §13-1327.1(b)

Ongoing requirements

Required subjects

  • ✓English (spelling, reading, writing)
  • ✓arithmetic
  • ✓science
  • ✓geography
  • ✓history of the United States and Pennsylvania
  • ✓civics
  • ✓safety education (including fire prevention)
  • ✓health and physiology
  • ✓physical education
  • ✓music
  • ✓art

Varies by pathway. Home Education Program: {"elementary_K_6":["English (spelling, reading, writing)","arithmetic","science","geography","history of the United States and Pennsylvania","civics","safety education (including fire prevention)","health and physiology","physical education","music","art"],"secondary_7_12":["English (language, literature, speech, composition)","science","geography","social studies (civics, world history, history of the United States and Pennsylvania)","mathematics (general mathematics, algebra, geometry)","art","music","physical education","health","safety education (including fire prevention)"]}; Private Tutoring: null; Religious Day School: null

24 P.S. §13-1327.1(c)

Detailed requirements by grade

elementary–K–6

  • ✓English (spelling, reading, writing)
  • ✓arithmetic
  • ✓science
  • ✓geography
  • ✓history of the United States and Pennsylvania
  • ✓civics
  • ✓safety education (including fire prevention)
  • ✓health and physiology
  • ✓physical education
  • ✓music
  • ✓art

secondary–7–12

  • ✓English (language, literature, speech, composition)
  • ✓science
  • ✓geography
  • ✓social studies (civics, world history, history of the United States and Pennsylvania)
  • ✓mathematics (general mathematics, algebra, geometry)
  • ✓art
  • ✓music
  • ✓physical education
  • ✓health
  • ✓safety education (including fire prevention)

Instructional time

Varies by pathway. Home Education Program: null; Private Tutoring: false; Religious Day School: false

Hours per year:
900

24 P.S. §13-1327.1(c)

Testing and assessment

Varies by pathway. Home Education Program: "06-30"; Private Tutoring: undefined; Religious Day School: undefined

Accepted types
Portfolio review, Standardized test, Teacher evaluation
Frequency
annually
At grades
3, 5, 8
Submission deadline:
06-30
Practical tip: Your evaluator can be a licensed clinical or school psychologist, a Pennsylvania-certified teacher, or a nonpublic school teacher or administrator with at least two years of teaching experience in a Pennsylvania school within the last ten years, with grading experience at your child's level. Others may evaluate with the superintendent's prior consent. The evaluator cannot be you or your spouse. At grades 3, 5, and 8, use a nationally normed test from the Department of Education's list, or the Statewide tests. The test may not be given by the child's parent or guardian (24 P.S. 13-1327.1(e)).

See our full assessment guide for Pennsylvania for details.

24 P.S. §13-1327.1(e)

Recordkeeping

Varies by pathway. Home Education Program: ["reading_log","work_samples","writing_samples","test_results"]; Private Tutoring: undefined; Religious Day School: undefined

  • ✓Attendance records
  • ✓Grades or evaluations
  • ✓Student portfolio

Records may be reviewed by the district.

Portfolio must include:

  • •reading log
  • •work samples
  • •writing samples
  • •test results

24 P.S. §13-1327.1(e)

Reporting

Varies by pathway. Home Education Program: "06-30"; Private Tutoring: undefined; Religious Day School: undefined

Progress reports
annual (by June 30) reports to superintendent of the public school district of residence
Annual renewal
Required by August 1
Evidence required:
evaluator's certification or letter
Submission deadline:
06-30
Practical tip: If the evaluator's certification does not reach the superintendent by June 30, the superintendent sends a certified letter giving you ten days to submit it. If the superintendent has a reasonable belief during the year that appropriate education may not be occurring, a certified letter stating the basis can require an evaluator's certification within 30 days. If a required certification is not submitted, the school board provides a hearing before a qualified, impartial hearing examiner within 30 days. The examiner may set up a remedial education plan agreed to by you and the superintendent. Either side may appeal to the Secretary of Education, Commonwealth Court, or court of common pleas, and the program may continue during an appeal (24 P.S. 13-1327.1(h.1), (i.1), (k), (l)).

24 P.S. §13-1327.1(b), (e)

Instructor qualifications

Varies by pathway. Home Education Program: true; Private Tutoring: undefined; Religious Day School: undefined

The instructor must have a high school diploma or GED.

A background check is required.

24 P.S. §13-1327.1(a)

Other ways to homeschool in Pennsylvania

This checklist covers Home Education Program, the most common pathway. Pennsylvania offers 3 different ways to homeschool, each with different requirements:

  • •
    Home Education Program(this checklist) : You file a notarized affidavit with the superintendent of your school district of residence before you begin and by August 1 each year. You provide 180 days of instruction, or 900 hours at the elementary level or 990 hours at the secondary level, in the required subjects, and keep a portfolio. Each year a qualified evaluator reviews the portfolio, and you submit the evaluator's certification that an appropriate education is occurring to the superintendent by June 30. Standardized tests are required at grades 3, 5, and 8 (24 P.S. 13-1327.1).
  • •
    Private Tutoring : A Pennsylvania-certified teacher, paid for the instruction, provides most of the instruction to children of a single family and files a copy of the certification and criminal history record with the superintendent of your school district of residence (24 P.S. 13-1327(a)). Testing and attendance records are not required of the family by state law. The tutor reports the child's enrollment, any withdrawal, and any three days of unexcused absence to the school district (24 P.S. 13-1332).
  • •
    Religious Day School : Your child attends a day school operated by a bona fide church or other religious body that provides 180 days of instruction, or 900 hours at the elementary level or 990 hours at the secondary level, and teaches the courses listed in the statute (24 P.S. 13-1327(b)). The school's principal files a notarized affidavit with the Department of Education. Testing and attendance records are not required of the family by state law. The school reports enrolled children, withdrawals, and any three days of unexcused absence to the school district (24 P.S. 13-1332).

Our wizard helps you choose the right one. Compare all pathways for Pennsylvania

Get your personalized checklist

This is the general checklist for the most common pathway. The wizard customizes it for your family's specific situation, including grade, pathway, and IEP status.

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Requirements sourced from 24 P.S. Section 13-1327.1 (Home Education Program). Last reviewed October 2026