How Do I Homeschool In Pennsylvania?

Parents in the state of Pennsylvania can choose to educate their children at home. Ever since the pandemic hit, more and more people have been choosing this option for their children. But how can you start homeschooling in the state of Pennsylvania?

To homeschool your children in Pennsylvania, you will need to:

Have a high school diploma.

Make sure you complete an affidavit every year by July 31.
You must provide between 900 and 990 hours of instruction a year.
Prepare an accordion file organizer, a binder, or recordkeeping with the student’s year work.

Allow your child to undergo an end-of-the-year evaluation before June 30.

There are other homeschool options available. For instance, some people include other relatives (nephews, nieces, etc.) in their homeschooling program. Let’s see more about these options and how they work.

Homeschooling Options In Pennsylvania

You have four homeschooling options if you decide to provide home education to your child.

Homeschooling Under The Homeschool Statute

In this option, one of the parents chooses to be the supervisor of their children. The supervisor is responsible for following up on the students’ education, progress, and record keeping.

Image 100468811 13834098, Home Schooling Fun

Private Tutor

A tutor will receive a payment to provide instruction to a child or children members of a family. The tutor must be a certified teacher who constantly communicates with the superintendent to inform the student’s progress.

Some of the information the private tutor needs to provide to the superintendent include:

Their criminal background check.
Students’ basic information.
Absences and withdrawals from the program.

Satellite Of A Religious Day School

The organization qualifies as a school as long as they:

Provide the instruction hours and subjects required by law.
Report the names and addresses of the children enrolled in the program.

File an affidavit with the Department of Education.

Satellite Of An Accredited School

You can enroll your child in an extension of a day or boarding school.

Before You Begin Homeschooling In Pennsylvania

Up to this point, you know the homeschooling options you have in the Commonwealth Of Pennsylvania. Now, we will see more information you should know before you even start.

Do You Have The Time? Space? Interest?

Your child must attend 900 hours or 180 days of instruction in every grade throughout elementary school. For high school students, this amount of hours goes up to 990.

Elementary students should receive at least 5 hours of instruction every class day to complete 900 hours in 180 days. High school students should have at least 5.5 hours of classes.

Regarding the space your student needs, Pennsylvania has no rules about what it should look like. You will choose a place that can meet your student’s needs.

Some people claim that you should find a spot where your child feels comfortable and materials are easy to access and use. Also, the place should be quiet; thus, students can focus on their work.

Many parents in Pennsylvania have chosen to provide home education to their children. Home-based learning is not new in the state and first started in the ’80s.

Pennsylvania Laws For Homeschooling

The Pennsylvania homeschool law requires:

The parent, also known as the supervisor, should have a high school diploma.
Before the school year starts, the supervisor should fill out an affidavit with the superintendent. It is a recurring step supervisor should do no later than August 1.
Supervisors must record all of the students’ activities and completed work.

Students in grades 3rd, 5th, and 8th should receive a test not provided by their supervisors.
By the end of the school year:
1. Every student should undergo an evaluation performed by someone approved by the superintendent.
2. Supervisors turn in their evaluation letters so the evaluator can confirm the success of the homeschool program and authorize another year of home education.

Image 100468811 14538994, Home Schooling Fun

Registration Process

For the registration process, the parents must fill out an affidavit. The document contains the following information:

Supervisors name

Child information
1. Name
2. Age

The site information of the home education program
1. Address
2. Phone number

Required subjects
1. State each subject
2. Ensure instruction is provided in English
3. Learning objectives
Certificate of immunization
Supervisor’s 5-year background check

Costs Of Homeschooling In Pennsylvania

Some companies will offer you home education services. If you need help with the curriculum, these companies create them for you for a price.

Prices are not available online unless you want to contact a sales representative.

This service is also offered at a price for the test.

Additionally, it will come at a cost if you hire a tutor to help with your child’s education. The home education law requires all parents to pay private tutors for home education, and the tutor determines the price.

Choosing A Homeschool Curriculum

Pennsylvania requires every curriculum to include the following:

For elementary-Level (K–6th grade) students

English spelling, reading, writing

Arithmetic
Civics
History of the U.S. and state history

Health and physiology
Physical education
Music

Art
Geography
Science

Safety education, including fire safety.

For secondary-Level (7th–12th grade) students

English language, literature, speech, composition
Mathematics
- General Math
- Algebra
- Geometry

Social studies
- Civics
- History of The U.S. and State History
- World History
Health
Physical Education

Music
Art
Geography

Science
Safety Education
- Fire Safety

Finding a curriculum to meet the needs of the state requirements, the student’s learning style, and the parent’s teaching style can feel overwhelming. Local libraries and often community centers will have valuable resources available for little to no cost. Most companies that work with homeschooling families will offer a free trial before a final decision needs to be made.

To help get you started on your search, here is a list of well-known homeschool programs:

Alpha Omega Publications (AOP)

Schoolhouse Teachers
Khan Academy
ABC Mouse and Adventure Academy

Calvert
K12
Abeka Homeschool

Sonlight
Supercharged Science
Duolingo

Curiosity Stream
Code Advantage
Hooked on Phonics

Style

While supervisors are required to teach the previously mentioned subjects, they can freely choose the materials, textbooks, field trips, and resources for each instruction.

State Standard

The state standard is to provide 180 days of instruction. You can choose how you give each instruction as a supervisor or tutor. You only need to remember that within those 180 days, you should achieve at least 900 hours of instruction for grades K-6 and 990 hours from 7th grade through graduation.

Recordkeeping And Testing For Homeschooled Students

A tutor needs to record all the work completed by the student throughout the instructions. For instance, besides completing tasks, you can also include pictures of the child completing specific work.

Additionally, students should take standardized tests for grades 3rd, 5th, and 7th. Supervisors and tutors must keep in their records the results of these tests.

By the end of the year, supervisors and tutors must choose an authorized evaluator to revise the student’s work included in the portfolio.

Homeschooling And Special Education Services

Before you start homeschooling a child with disabilities, a certified teacher must review and approve the education program supervisors and tutors have selected. Psychologist teachers and clinical psychologists can also support the program.

Homeschooled Students And Public School Access

Homeschooled students can participate in extracurricular activities. The student can enroll in sports, school bands, or any other program the local school district has enabled for homeschooled children.

Graduation Requirements

To graduate from high school, students must receive instruction as detailed below:

Four years of English

Three years of math
Three years of science
Three years of social studies

Two years of art and humanities

Field Trips For Homeschooled Students

Some of the field trips available for homeschooled students in Pennsylvania include:

Museums

Hoyt Arts & Education Center
Carnegie Museum of Natural History
Fort Ligonier

Appalachian Trail Museum
Piper Aviation Museum
Wheatland

Outdoor

Presque Isle State Park
Rachel Carson Homestead

Lake Tobias Wildlife Park
Lincoln Caverns & Whisper Rocks
Old Bedford Village

Ringing Rocks County Park

Science

Punxsutawney Weather Discovery Center

The Franklin Institute
Wagner Free Institute of Science

Homeschool Associations, Groups, And Co-Ops

Here’s a list of associations, co-ops, and groups in Pennsylvania to help parents connect with others who can assist with the process.

Harrisburg Area Homeschoolers Association
Christian Homeschool Association, in Palmyra.
Washington County Homeschoolers Co-op.

Mason Dixon HomeSchool Association, in Waynesboro.
New Horizons Homeschool Group, in Dillsburg.
Excelsior Homeschool Cooperative, in Saylorsburg.

Final Thoughts

Homeschooling in Pennsylvania is possible; you must follow the state’s regulations. The bright side is that Pennsylvania is one of the few states to give a diploma to students who received a home education. It is a huge responsibility, but many parents are into home education in the Keystone state.