Homeschooling in Pennsylvania: affidavit, portfolio, evaluation, the 3-5-8 tests
Pennsylvania asks for more paperwork than many states, but every step is on a calendar you can print.
To homeschool in Pennsylvania under section 1327.1 of the Public School Code, file a notarized affidavit with your district superintendent before you start and every August 1, teach 180 days or 900 hours (990 in secondary), keep a portfolio, test in grades 3, 5 and 8, and send an evaluator's certification to the superintendent by June 30 each year.
Checked October 27, 2026.
This is a plain-words summary, not legal advice. Laws change: check your state's current law and its education department before you act.
What do I file, with whom, and by when?
| Line | Pennsylvania |
|---|---|
| File | A notarized affidavit with objectives by subject and proof of immunization and health services. |
| To | Superintendent of the school district where you live. |
| By | Before the program starts, then every year on August 1. |
| Keep | A portfolio per child: a log listing reading by title, work samples, and the grade 3, 5 and 8 test results. 180 days, or 900 hours (elementary) / 990 (secondary). |
| Test | A yearly evaluator's review, to the superintendent by June 30; standardized tests in grades 3, 5 and 8. |
What goes in the affidavit?
The statute lists the supervisor's name, each child's name and age, the program's address and phone, that the required subjects are offered in English with an outline of objectives by subject, evidence of immunization and the required health services, and a certification that no adult in the home has been convicted of the listed offenses in the past five years. It is notarized. Peabody's affidavit maker prints it with a notary block.
Who may teach?
The parent, guardian or person with legal custody who has a high school diploma or its equivalent. Pennsylvania also allows a private tutor who is a certified Pennsylvania teacher, and in-person private schools, as other routes.
What is the 3-5-8 rule?
In grades 3, 5 and 8 the portfolio must hold results of a nationally normed achievement test in reading or language arts and math, or the statewide tests. The parent may not give the test. Other years need no test, only the evaluation.
What does the evaluator do?
A certified teacher, a licensed psychologist, or a qualified nonpublic school teacher or administrator interviews the child, reviews the portfolio and writes whether an appropriate education is occurring. You send that certification to the superintendent by June 30; the district does not review the portfolio itself. The portfolio examples post shows a layout.
Can my child join school activities and classes?
Yes. The district must let a home education student take part in clubs, bands, athletics and theatre on the same eligibility and tryout rules, and since 2023–24 must allow academic courses up to at least a quarter of a full-time day, per the Department of Education.
Does a parent-signed diploma count?
Yes, if the student completed the graduation courses: four years of English, three of math, three of science, three of social studies and two of arts and humanities. A diploma signed by the parent as supervisor, or from an approved diploma-granting organization, carries the same rights as a school-issued one.
Do the year in the Record Book
Start with the affidavit and the checklist, which prints this year's August 1 and June 30 dates. Count days or hours, build the portfolio, and print the evaluation pack for the evaluator.
Sources
- Pennsylvania Public School Code, section 1327.1 Home Education Program (General Assembly) (checked October 27, 2026)
- Pennsylvania Public School Code, section 1326 Definitions (General Assembly) (checked October 27, 2026)
- Department of Education: Home Education and Private Tutoring (checked October 27, 2026)
- Department of Education: Home Education and Private Tutoring Guide, May 2026 (checked October 27, 2026)