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PA

High regulation

Homeschool laws in Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania allows homeschooling under its home education law, but it is more regulated than many states. Families generally file a notarized affidavit or unsworn declaration each year, teach the required subjects, keep a portfolio, and submit an annual evaluation.

Last verified

2026-04-20

Compulsory age range

6-18

Quick-start checklist

What parents need to do first

This is the plain-English checklist a parent can follow to get started without reading a mountain of legal text.

  1. 1Make sure the homeschooling supervisor has at least a high school diploma or equivalent.
  2. 2File the annual notarized affidavit or unsworn declaration with your local district superintendent by August 1 or before starting.
  3. 3Choose a curriculum that covers Pennsylvania’s required subjects and plan for 180 days or the required yearly hours.
  4. 4Keep a portfolio with a contemporaneous log, reading materials, and samples of the student’s work.
  5. 5Arrange the required annual evaluation and remember standardized testing in grades 3, 5, and 8.

Pennsylvania homeschool law hub

These state-specific guides turn the core law summary into focused SEO pages for the questions parents search most: requirements, forms, records, testing, graduation, and support groups.

Requirements

Plain-English Pennsylvania homeschool requirements: notice, subjects, hours, testing, records, teacher qualifications, and source links.

Letter of intent

Find out whether Pennsylvania homeschool parents need a letter of intent, who receives it, timing, and what to include.

Recordkeeping

Plain-English guide to homeschool records in Pennsylvania: attendance, portfolios, grades, transcripts, and what parents should keep.

Graduation

How homeschool graduation works in Pennsylvania, including diplomas, transcripts, college admission, dual enrollment, and high-school records.

Testing

Plain-English Pennsylvania homeschool testing guide: whether tests or evaluations are required, how often, and what records to keep.

Co-ops & support groups

How to think about homeschool co-ops, umbrella schools, virtual options, sports access, and local support while homeschooling in Pennsylvania.

Popular Pennsylvania homeschool searches

These guides connect the state law checklist to the long-tail questions parents actually search: curriculum by grade, secular options, ADHD support, public-school comparisons, teacher qualifications, and testing.

Best 1st grade curriculum in PennsylvaniaBest secular 4th grade curriculum in PennsylvaniaHomeschooling a child with ADHD in PennsylvaniaHomeschool vs public school in PennsylvaniaCan you homeschool without a degree?Do homeschoolers need testing?

What to do next: choose curriculum after you understand the law

The legal checklist tells you what Pennsylvania expects. Curriculum is the next decision. Start with your child’s age, learning style, parent prep time, and whether you want faith-based, secular, online, workbook, or literature-rich materials.

New homeschoolers

Pick a simple open-and-go core for math and language arts first. Add science, history, and enrichment after your routine is stable.

Busy parents

Favor programs with clear lesson plans, independent student work, grading support, or online components if parent prep time is limited.

High school

Choose courses you can document with credits, grades, descriptions, labs where needed, and a transcript-friendly record from day one.

Curriculum recommendation links will only be added after official affiliate/tracking URLs are approved and verified. No placeholder affiliate links are used on this page.

Free printables

Download the homeschool starter kit

Print these before you start: a state startup checklist, letter-of-intent template, attendance tracker, and high-school transcript template.

View all downloads

New homeschool families

State homeschool startup checklist

A printable first-week checklist for choosing your pathway, handling notices or withdrawal, tracking deadlines, and setting up records.

Download PDF →

Notice or withdrawal paperwork

Homeschool letter of intent template

A parent-safe fill-in notice/withdrawal template with reminders to use official state forms when required.

Download PDF →

Recordkeeping

Homeschool attendance tracker

A simple school-year tracker for days, hours, holidays, field trips, and notes you can keep with your records.

Download PDF →

High school planning

Homeschool transcript template

A fill-in high-school transcript starter with course records, credit summary, and parent certification lines.

Download PDF →

These printables are general planning tools, not legal advice. Always verify the current rule on your state page and official source links before filing deadlines.

Full breakdown

Every field is designed to answer the real-world compliance questions parents ask first.

Legal status
Homeschooling is legal in Pennsylvania, but families must follow yearly filing, portfolio, and evaluation rules unless they use another legal option such as private tutoring or a different private school arrangement.
Compulsory age range
6-18
Notification required
Yes. Families homeschooling under the home education statute generally file a notarized affidavit or unsworn declaration each year.
Who you notify
The superintendent of the local school district of residence.
Notification deadline
By August 1 each year, or before starting a home education program midyear.
Required subjects
English, including spelling, reading, and writing, Arithmetic and mathematics, Science, Geography, History of the United States and Pennsylvania, Civics, Safety education, including regular and continuous instruction in fire safety, Health and physiology, Physical education, Music, Art, Literature, Foreign language in the elementary grades
Hours or days required
180 days each year, or 900 hours at the elementary level and 990 hours at the secondary level.
Record keeping
Keep a portfolio for each student with a log made at the time of instruction, reading materials used, and samples of writings, worksheets, workbooks, or creative materials. Families also typically keep copies of the affidavit and annual evaluation, and the affidavit process references immunization and health records or lawful exemptions.
Testing and evaluation
Yes. An annual written evaluation is generally required every year, and standardized testing is required in certain grades.
Testing frequency
Annual evaluation every year; standardized testing in grades 3, 5, and 8.
Teacher qualifications
The homeschooling supervisor must have at least a high school diploma or its equivalent.
Curriculum freedom
Moderate. Parents choose curriculum, but they must cover required subjects, meet day or hour minimums, and maintain a portfolio and annual evaluation.
Umbrella school option
Yes. Pennsylvania families may use alternatives such as private school or private tutor arrangements instead of the standard home education statute, depending on their situation.
Virtual school option
Yes, but public cyber charter and other virtual public school options are separate from independent homeschooling.
Special education
If a student has been identified as needing special education services, the home education program may need additional approval or oversight tied to the child’s needs.
High school diploma
Pennsylvania homeschoolers can earn a parent- or supervisor-issued homeschool diploma under state law if graduation requirements are met.
College admission
Pennsylvania colleges commonly accept homeschool applicants with transcripts, diplomas, course records, and test scores when requested.
Sports access
Yes. Pennsylvania homeschool students may be able to participate in public school extracurricular activities, including sports, if they meet local district eligibility rules.
Dual enrollment
Dual enrollment options may be available, but access varies by college and local program rules.
Notes
First-pass draft generated from HSLDA and Pennsylvania sources. The broken statute URL was replaced with the official Pennsylvania General Assembly code page anchored to Section 1327.2 for home education, but it should still be rechecked during final QA before publication.

From our sister site

Overwhelmed by curriculum choices?

Now that you know the laws, find the right curriculum. Take the free 5-minute quiz at The Curriculum Compass — matched to your child, your teaching style, and your family values.

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Official sources

Parent-friendly reminder

This page is designed to reduce confusion, not replace legal advice. If something changes or feels unclear, verify with your state Department of Education before making compliance decisions.

Want more homeschool guidance and encouragement? Follow Dani at @thedanicerrato.