Pennsylvania homeschool checklist for this year
Answer two questions and get the year's deadlines with their dates, the notice, testing and records, each linked to the law. Print it or tick it off here.
- Pennsylvania law
- This year's checklist
- Letter of intent
- Withdrawing from school
This is general information, not legal advice; check your state's own page. Laws change, and Pennsylvania's own statute and education department are the final word. The links below go straight to them.
Deadlines, forms and amounts checked on against the sources linked on this page.
Pennsylvania homeschool checklist, school year
Things to do, with their deadlines
File a notarized affidavit with the superintendent of your school district of residence.
Source: Pennsylvania Public School Code, section 1327.1 Home Education Program (General Assembly)Give the superintendent the evaluator's certification that an appropriate education is occurring.
Source: Pennsylvania Public School Code, section 1327.1 Home Education Program (General Assembly)Put the results of a nationally normed achievement test (or the statewide tests) in reading/language arts and math in the portfolio.
Source: Pennsylvania Public School Code, section 1327.1 Home Education Program (General Assembly)
Need the letter? Fill in the Pennsylvania letter of intent and print it.
All year
Teach the subjects Pennsylvania names: English, arithmetic and mathematics, science, geography, history of the United States and Pennsylvania, civics and social studies, safety education (fire prevention), health and physiology, physical education, music, art.
Source: Pennsylvania Public School Code, section 1327.1 Home Education Program (General Assembly)Keep count of the days and hours. The law says 180 days of instruction a year, or 900 hours a year at the elementary level or 990 hours a year at the secondary level. A family may count either days or hours.
Source: Pennsylvania Public School Code, section 1327.1 Home Education Program (General Assembly)The parent keeps a portfolio for each child: a log made at the time of teaching listing the reading materials by title, samples of writing, worksheets, workbooks or creative work, and the grade 3, 5 and 8 test results. School districts do not review the portfolio; the evaluator does. Only the evaluator's certification goes to the superintendent.
Source: Pennsylvania Public School Code, section 1327.1 Home Education Program (General Assembly)
Good habits (not in the law)
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Keep a copy of everything you send, and of any acknowledgement you get back, with the date.
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Start simple records on day one: the days you teach, the books you read and a few samples of work in each subject. They help if you move, return to school or apply to college.
Where this comes from
- Pennsylvania Public School Code, section 1327.1 Home Education Program (General Assembly) (the law)
- Pennsylvania Public School Code, section 1326 Definitions (General Assembly) (the law)
- Department of Education: Home Education and Private Tutoring (state agency)
- Department of Education: Home Education and Private Tutoring Guide, May 2026 (state agency)
- Department of Education: Opportunity Scholarship Tax Credit Program (state agency)
Checked on October 29, 2026. This is general information, not legal advice. Laws and forms change; confirm a date with your school district or the state agency before you rely on it. For legal advice, ask a lawyer licensed in Pennsylvania; homeschool legal-help organizations and your state's homeschool groups can also point you to help. Something out of date? Tell us and we will fix it.