The public school system of Pennsylvania does not allow any child less than six years of age to attend school. This requirement does not apply to homeschooled children. Parents need to file their education program plan and the age of the child being homeschooled with the superintendent of schools for their district.
Elementary homeschool regulations require children to be taught in reading, spelling, writing, mathematics, Pennsylvania history, U.S. history, health, civics, physical education, music, art, science, geography, safety and the dangers of fire. Children must have 180 days of educational instruction or 900 hours of instruction each year.
Secondary homeschool regulations require students to learn language, speech, literature, composition, geography, science, civics, world history, U.S. history, Pennsylvania history, mathematics, geometry, algebra, music, art, health, physical education, safety and fire prevention. Homeschooled students need to complete high school requirements of four English credits, three math credits, three science credits, three social studies credits and two arts and humanities credits. Secondary education requires 180 days or 900 hours of schooling each year.
Parents have the option of teaching their children at home if they submit an outline of the education program, which must be approved by the school superintendent. They must also provide an immunization record for the child, have legal custody of the child and have not been convicted of any criminal activities for the past five years. They must also hold a high school diploma.
Parents must file records, including a log of all learning materials used for homeschooling. A written report must be completed every year by a teacher, evaluating the child's progress. If the evaluation states that the child is not meeting educational requirements, the parents have the right of appeal.
Homeschooling a child with disabilities requires the educational program approval of a special education professional certified in Pennsylvania or the school psychologist.
Pennsylvania law states that parents who are certified by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania as a private tutor are allowed to teach their children at home. The parent needs to file a copy of their certification to the superintendent and also have a criminal record check.
Parents are allowed to homeschool their children if they are attending a day school or religious day school. The child only needs to be registered at the day school but can be taught at home. The day school where the child is enrolled must file an affidavit with the superintendent that gives the name, address and age of the enrolled child. The day school is also required to report any absences that are more than three days.
When the homeschooled child is not enrolled in a day school, standardized testing is required for grades three, five and eight to ensure a quality education is being given.