ByHow To Start Homeschooling in PA—DoNotPay Answers Your Questions
The Pennsylvania school system may be good, but homeschooling offers you an opportunity to personalize your child’s education and make it even better.
Homeschooling is a major step, but once you have started, Pennsylvania makes homeschooling easy for parents wanting to move out of traditional schooling.
DoNotPay has all the info you need to start homeschooling in PA—the process may be easier than you think!
What Are the Basics of PA Homeschool Law?
Every child between the ages of eight and 16 has to attend school in Pennsylvania, but opting out of traditional schooling requires you to jump through a few hoops.
To be eligible to be a homeschool teacher, you need to have:
- A high school diploma, GED, or equivalent
- No criminal convictions in the last five years
Once you are homeschooling your child, you have to comply with the following ongoing assessment procedures:
- Home education evaluation
- Standardized testing
- Fulfillment of graduation criteria
- Immunization
Home Education Evaluation
Your child must be interviewed every year by a state-approved homeschool evaluator.
This is designed to make sure each homeschool student is progressing in line with their age and school grade.
Standardized Testing
The state requires every homeschooled child to take standardized tests in grades three, five, and eight.
Fulfillment of Graduation Criteria
In contrast to many other states, your child can achieve a state-recognized high school diploma in homeschool.
If you have fulfilled all the ongoing requirements up to your child’s final school year, getting a diploma involves:
- Submitting a portfolio or affidavit for 12th grade
- Being interviewed by a certified evaluator
- Getting the standard state diploma certificate countersigned by the evaluator
Immunization
You have to prove that your child has received all the state’s required vaccines and that the immunization records are up-to-date.
Is There a Required Curriculum in Pennsylvania?
PA homeschool laws require you to teach the following subjects:
| School Level | Required Subjects |
|---|---|
| Elementary |
|
| Secondary |
Electives can include:
|
To qualify for a high school diploma, your child must complete the following in grades nine through 12:
- Four years of English tuition
- Three years of math, science, and social studies
- Two years of arts and humanities
PA legislation states that your homeschooling hours must total a minimum of 180 days or 900 hours per year, with the requirement increasing to 990 hours in secondary school.
Where Can You Get Curriculums or Teaching Material in Pennsylvania?
Once you have got through the barriers to entry, Pennsylvania is highly supportive of your homeschooling activities.
Most school districts offer you free access to:
- Public school curriculums
- Textbooks and teaching materials
- Extracurricular activities and field trips run by your local school
This means that your child can follow the same subjects at the same time as public school peers, as well as participate in sports, bands, drama groups, and other clubs.
Use of your school districts materials isn’t mandatory, though, so you are free to:
The pros and cons of each of these approaches are:
| Curriculum Type | Pros and Cons |
|---|---|
| Created curriculum | Developing your own teaching program means you can choose a mix of teaching methods to better stimulate your child.
You are not limited to one teaching style but can incorporate methods such as: You can also share the teaching with other homeschool parents by starting or joining a homeschool co-op |
| Off-the-shelf program | Ready-made curriculums are convenient and comprehensive, providing you with everything you need to homeschool—your most important job is to prepare and concentrate on teaching effectively.
Most pre-packaged programs stick to one teaching approach, though, so you should choose carefully according to:
|
How Do You Get Started With Homeschooling in PA?
Getting your homeschool started in Pennsylvania consists of the following steps:
Preparing an Affidavit
You need to prepare an affidavit stating your intention to homeschool your child. The document has to include:
- Your child’s name, address, and school grade
- Name of the proposed teacher and confirmation of their eligibility
- Affirmation that you will be teaching in English
- Confirmation of your child’s immunizations and health checks
- Promise to teach all the required subjects for the correct number of hours
- Summary of the teaching objectives for each subject
You can begin homeschooling at any time, but your affidavit—or letter of intent—must be received by the school district before you take your child out of school.
This might sound complicated, but DoNotPay has you covered—we can and forward it on your behalf!
DoNotPay Makes Setting Up Your PA Homeschool Easy!
Our Notice of Intent to Homeschool product takes the major administrative hurdle off your hands by generating your PA affidavit for you—your letter will be ready to send in a few clicks!
Here’s what you need to do:
- Click on our Notice of Intent to Homeschool feature
- Work through the short questionnaire to give us the details about your homeschool plan
Your letter will be ready in an instant. You can choose to print it out or let us help you get it notarized online and sent automatically!
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