How to Start Homeschooling in Pennsylvania

Required hours

900 hrs/year, 990 in grades 7-12

School days (either/or)

180 days/year

Required subjects

11 subjects

Notice

Required each year

Testing / evaluation

Professional evaluation

Portfolio

Required

Jump to the full Pennsylvania requirements for plain-English detail on each of these.

Step by step

1. 1

   Understand Pennsylvania's homeschool law

   Pennsylvania has moderate homeschool requirements. Families meet either 900 hours of instruction or 180 school days, and you'll file notice with your local school district.

2. 2

   Withdraw from public school (if enrolled)

   Moving a child from public school to homeschool in Pennsylvania starts with a written withdrawal to the current school and a notice of intent to the local district. Together they put the new arrangement on record. Homeschool Fox can draft the withdrawal letter for you. It fills in the student, district, and date fields automatically.

3. 3

   File your notice of intent

   Yes, Pennsylvania requires you to file notice of your intent to homeschool. You must notify your local school district. The notice is filed again each school year.

4. 4

   Plan your subjects

   Pennsylvania requires instruction in english, math, science, geography, history, civics, safety, health, physical education, music, and art. Beyond these requirements, you have flexibility to add subjects that interest your family.

5. 5

   Set your hours or days target

   Pennsylvania accepts either measure: 900 hours of instruction, or 180 school days. Meeting one satisfies the requirement, so pick the one you will actually track and stay with it.

6. 6

   Plan for assessment and records

   Pennsylvania requires a written annual evaluation by a qualified evaluator — a licensed psychologist, certified teacher, or nonpublic school teacher with recent experience — based on a student interview and portfolio review. The evaluator also certifies that an appropriate education is occurring, and the certification is filed with the superintendent by June 30. Under 24 P.S. § 13-1327.1(e), families keep a contemporaneous log of reading materials by title plus samples of the student's writings, worksheets, workbooks, and creative materials. Standardized tests in math and reading/language arts are included in the portfolio in grades 3, 5, and 8.

7. 7

   Track your hours and keep records

   Log activities as they happen so hours, attendance, and subject coverage build up automatically. Homeschool Fox lets you log from your phone or by voice and generates a Pennsylvania-specific compliance report when you need it.

Free Pennsylvania printables

Three ready-to-use PDFs for Pennsylvania homeschoolers. No account needed.

Templates, not legal advice. Confirm the current rule with your state or district.

Free tool

Calculate your homeschool pace

Pennsylvania accepts 900 hours or 180 days. If you are counting hours, enter how far you've come and we'll show you the daily pace to finish on time.

What Homeschool Fox tracks for Pennsylvania

The records Pennsylvania asks you to keep, plus the rest of your year, in one place. No spreadsheets, no lost notebooks.

• Hours toward your 900-hour goal
• Required subjects
• Days attended
• Portfolio records
• Professional evaluation
• Daily activity logs
• Printable PDF reports
• Progress tracking

More Pennsylvania guides

• Pennsylvania Homeschool Requirements Hours, notice, assessment, and subjects at a glance.
• Homeschooling High School in Pennsylvania Credits, GPA, transcripts, and graduation.
• Record Keeping in Pennsylvania What to document, how to organize it, and staying compliant.
• How to Withdraw From School in Pennsylvania The steps, the letter, and timing to avoid truancy issues.
• Moving to Pennsylvania What to file when you arrive and whether your records transfer.
• Public School Sports in Pennsylvania Whether homeschoolers can play, what it takes, and who to ask.
• Homeschool Hours Required in Pennsylvania The number, what counts toward it, and the pace to hit it.
• Required Subjects in Pennsylvania The list, how much time each needs, and proving you taught them.
• Pennsylvania Letter of Intent Who to file with, when it's due, and a free generator.
• Pennsylvania Year End Report What goes in it, when it's due, and who reviews it.
• Pennsylvania Homeschool Portfolio What belongs in it, who can ask to see it, and a printable checklist.
• Homeschool Testing in Pennsylvania What the state asks for, when, and low-score rules.
• Homeschool Field Trips in Philadelphia Places to go, how long a visit takes, and what it counts toward.