Free: Homeschool Compliance Starter Checklist
The general checklist of what states require. For Pennsylvania's affidavit, portfolio logs, and evaluator checklist done for you, get the PA Compliance Kit above.
Pennsylvania has one of the most detailed homeschool laws in the country — but once you see the whole year laid out, it’s completely manageable. Under Act 169, PA’s Home Education Program has four pillars: a notarized affidavit, a portfolio, standardized testing in three grades, and a year-end evaluation. Here’s exactly what’s required in 2026, the deadlines, and how to stay compliant without the overwhelm.
The four pillars of Pennsylvania homeschool law
- File a notarized affidavit with your school district superintendent by August 1 each year.
- Keep a portfolio all year — a reading log, work samples, and (in testing years) test results.
- Test in grades 3, 5, and 8 with a nationally standardized test.
- Get a year-end evaluation from a qualified evaluator by June 30, and submit that certification to your district.
That’s the whole cycle. It’s based on 24 P.S. § 13-1327.1 (Act 169 of 1988).
The affidavit (due August 1)
The affidavit opens your home education program. It must be notarized and filed with your district’s superintendent before you begin, and by August 1 every year after. It includes: each child’s name and age, your address and phone, your notarized signature, an assurance the required subjects will be taught in English, an outline of educational objectives by subject, evidence of immunization (or exemption), evidence of required health services, and a certification that no adult in the home has been convicted of certain criminal offenses in the past five years. The supervisor (the parent running the program) must have a high school diploma or equivalent.
Required subjects
Elementary (K–6): reading, writing, spelling, English grammar and composition, arithmetic, science, geography, U.S. and Pennsylvania history, civics, safety education (including fire prevention), health and physiology, physical education, music, and art.
Secondary (7–12): English (language, literature, speech, composition), science, geography, social studies (civics, world history, U.S. and PA history), mathematics (general math, algebra, geometry), art, music, physical education, health, and safety education (including fire and highway safety).
The portfolio (kept all year)
You build a portfolio as you go and keep it at home — you do not mail it to the district. It contains a contemporaneous log of reading materials, samples of your child’s work across subjects, and (in grades 3, 5, and 8) the standardized test results. Pennsylvania also sets a minimum of 180 days or 900 hours at the elementary level and 990 hours at the secondary level, so keep a simple log of instruction.
Standardized testing (grades 3, 5, and 8 only)
PA requires a nationally normed standardized test only in grades 3, 5, and 8 — not every year. Common choices include the Iowa Assessments, Stanford Achievement Test, and CAT. The results go into your portfolio; you don’t send scores to the state.
The year-end evaluation (due June 30)
Each year by June 30, a qualified evaluator reviews your portfolio, interviews your child, and writes a certification that an appropriate education is occurring. A qualified evaluator is a Pennsylvania-certified teacher (active or retired), a licensed clinical or school psychologist, or a person with a PA teaching certificate and at least two years of teaching experience (a nonpublic school teacher or administrator may also qualify). You then submit only the evaluator’s certification to the superintendent — the portfolio stays with you unless the district requests to review it.
What you send the district vs. keep
- Send: the affidavit + objectives (by August 1), and the evaluator’s certification (after the June 30 evaluation).
- Keep at home: the full portfolio (reading log, work samples, test scores). The district may ask to see it, so keep it organized.
Frequently asked questions
Do I mail my whole portfolio to the school district?
No. You submit only the evaluator’s certification. The portfolio stays with you; the district may request to review it.
Which grades require testing in Pennsylvania?
Only grades 3, 5, and 8, using a nationally standardized test kept in the portfolio.
Do I need to be a certified teacher to homeschool in PA?
No — the supervising parent needs a high school diploma or equivalent. Your year-end evaluator, however, must be qualified (a certified teacher, licensed psychologist, etc.).
When are the deadlines?
The notarized affidavit is due by August 1; the evaluation by June 30.
The bottom line
Pennsylvania’s law is detailed but predictable: file the affidavit in summer, build the portfolio as you go, test only in grades 3/5/8, get evaluated by June 30, and send the district just the one-page certification. If you’d like a fill-in template for every piece — the affidavit, objectives, portfolio logs, and evaluator checklist — plus a deadline calendar, our Pennsylvania Homeschool Compliance Kit puts it all in one place.
This guide is an educational resource, not legal advice. Verify current requirements with your school district before filing.
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The general checklist of what states require. For Pennsylvania's affidavit, portfolio logs, and evaluator checklist done for you, get the PA Compliance Kit above.