Pennsylvania Homeschool Evaluations
How to Start Homeschooling in Pennsylvania: A Step-by-Step Guide
A plain-English guide to starting a home education program in Pennsylvania: filing your affidavit, keeping a portfolio, standardized testing, and the year-end evaluation.
Deciding to homeschool in Pennsylvania is a big step, but the legal process is more straightforward than most families expect. Pennsylvania’s home education law lays out a clear path: file one document to begin your program, keep good records through the year, and have a qualified evaluator review your student’s progress at the end.
This guide walks you through each step in plain English — from filing your affidavit to meeting the year-end evaluation requirement — so you can start your home education program with confidence and stay compliant from day one.
This article is for general information only and is not legal advice. Homeschool requirements can change, and local district practices may vary. For official requirements, review Pennsylvania Department of Education guidance or contact your local school district.
Quick Answer: How Do You Start Homeschooling in PA?
To start homeschooling in Pennsylvania, the parent or guardian (the “supervisor”) files a notarized affidavit or unsworn declaration with the local school district superintendent, along with a list of educational objectives and proof of required immunizations and health services. Your first year you may file any time; after that, the affidavit is due by August 1. During the year you keep a portfolio and a reading log, teach the required subjects for the required time, and include standardized test results for grades 3, 5, and 8. At year-end, a qualified evaluator reviews the portfolio, interviews the child, and certifies progress — and that certification is submitted to your district by June 30.
Planning Ahead for Your Year-End Evaluation?
The Homeschool Evaluator completes your required Pennsylvania evaluation online, so the last step of your homeschool year is the easiest one.
Who Can Homeschool in Pennsylvania?
To be the supervisor of a Pennsylvania home education program, you must be the child’s parent, guardian, or a person with legal custody, and you must hold at least a high school diploma or its equivalent (such as a GED). You do not need a teaching degree, a certification, or any special license to homeschool your own children.
The law also requires that no adult living in the home has been convicted of certain disqualifying criminal offenses within the past five years. You confirm this with a simple statement on the affidavit — you don’t need to attach background-check paperwork.
Step 1: File the Affidavit That Begins Your Program
In Pennsylvania, a home education program does not legally exist until you file an affidavit with the superintendent of your district of residence. This single document is what starts everything.
You have two equally valid options: a traditional notarized affidavit (signed in front of a notary) or an unsworn declaration under penalty of perjury (no notary required). Both carry the same legal weight, so choose whichever is easier for you.
Your filing should include:
- The supervisor’s name and address.
- The name and age of each child being homeschooled.
- A statement that instruction will be provided in English.
- An outline of proposed educational objectives by subject area.
- Evidence of required immunizations (or a valid exemption).
- Evidence of required health and dental services for the child’s grade level.
- The certification that no adult in the home has a disqualifying conviction in the past five years.
Submit your affidavit by certified mail with return receipt, or deliver it in person and ask for a date-stamped receipt. Keep proof of submission — it’s your record that your program legally began.
When to file: the first year you homeschool a child, you may file any time the program begins. In every following year, the affidavit is due by August 1.
Starting Mid-Year: Withdrawing From Public School
Many families decide to homeschool partway through the year. If you’re pulling your child out of a public school, the order of steps matters: file your affidavit with the superintendent before or on the same day your child stops attending. The affidavit is what triggers the district to remove your child from its rolls, so filing it first protects you from any truancy question.
If you start mid-year, you only owe the portion of the required instructional time that falls after your program begins — but remember that your year-end portfolio still needs to be evaluated and the certification submitted by June 30. Plan your remaining days so there’s time for the evaluation at the end.
Step 2: What You Do During the School Year
Once your program is filed, Pennsylvania expects three things across the school year: instruction in the required subjects, the required amount of time, and a portfolio that documents the work.
Required subjects. The required subjects differ slightly for the elementary level (grades 1–6) and the secondary level (grades 7–12). They include areas like English, math, science, geography, history and civics, health, and the arts. The Pennsylvania Department of Education’s Home Education guide lists the full set for each level — review it when you write your objectives.
Required time. Pennsylvania requires at least 180 days of instruction, or the equivalent in hours: 900 hours at the elementary level and 990 hours at the secondary level.
The portfolio. Throughout the year, keep a portfolio that includes a contemporaneous log of reading materials used, samples of student work, and any worksheets, projects, or creative materials. You don’t need to save everything — you need enough to show the instruction and progress that happened. For a practical starting list, see our What You Will Need page.
Standardized Testing in Grades 3, 5, and 8
In three years — grades 3, 5, and 8 — your portfolio must include results from a nationally normed standardized achievement test covering reading/language arts and mathematics. A few practical points trip families up:
- You, the parent, cannot administer the test. A neutral, qualified person must proctor it.
- The test results go in your portfolio — they are not submitted to the school district.
- In non-testing grades, no standardized test is required at all.
Step 3: The Year-End Evaluation
The final requirement is an annual written evaluation. A qualified evaluator — a Pennsylvania-certified teacher with the right experience, or a licensed clinical or school psychologist — reviews your portfolio, interviews your child, and certifies whether an appropriate education is occurring.
That certification is the one document submitted to your superintendent, and it’s due by June 30. The district doesn’t see your portfolio, your work samples, or your test scores — just the evaluator’s certification. To learn exactly what goes to the district and when, read what to submit by June 30, and for a feel for the review itself, see what a PA homeschool evaluator looks for.
How The Homeschool Evaluator Makes the Last Step Easy
The year-end evaluation is the one part of the process that requires a qualified outside professional — and it’s the part we handle for you. The Homeschool Evaluator completes your required Pennsylvania evaluation entirely online: you start the form, upload your portfolio details and a few documents, and you receive the completed certification to submit to your district. No appointment to schedule, no boxes of binders to carry anywhere.
Ready When Your Evaluation Is Due?
Start your online Pennsylvania homeschool evaluation with The Homeschool Evaluator and finish the process from home.
Starting Homeschooling in PA: FAQ
Do I need a teaching degree to homeschool in Pennsylvania?
No. The supervisor only needs a high school diploma or its equivalent (such as a GED). No teaching certification or degree is required to homeschool your own children.
When do I file the affidavit?
The first year you homeschool a child, you may file any time the program begins. In every year after that, the affidavit is due by August 1.
Notarized affidavit or unsworn declaration — which do I use?
Either. An unsworn declaration under penalty of perjury carries the same legal weight as a notarized affidavit, so pick whichever is more convenient.
Can I start homeschooling in the middle of the school year?
Yes. File your affidavit with the superintendent before or on the same day your child stops attending public school. You then complete the remaining required instructional time before June 30.
Do I submit my portfolio to the school district?
No. The only year-end document submitted to the district is the evaluator’s certification, due by June 30. Your portfolio and test scores stay in your private records.
Which grades require standardized testing?
Grades 3, 5, and 8. The results are kept in your portfolio and reviewed by your evaluator — they are not sent to the district.