Detailed requirements
Homeschooling in Pennsylvania
The heaviest rules among big homeschool states: a notarized affidavit, a portfolio, an annual evaluator sign-off, and standardized tests in grades 3, 5, and 8.
Getting started (notice)
a notarized affidavit (or unsworn declaration) filed with the local school district superintendent before starting, then annually by August 1; it includes names/ages, address, subjects to be taught in English, educational objectives, immunization and health-service evidence, and a criminal-history certification. Alternatives: a Pennsylvania-certified private tutor, or satellite enrollment in a religious or accredited day/boarding school.
Required subjects
elementary (K-6): English (spelling, reading, writing), arithmetic, civics, U.S. and Pennsylvania history, health/physiology, physical education, music, art, geography, science, safety education; secondary (7-12): English (language, literature, speech, composition), mathematics (incl. algebra and geometry), social studies (civics, U.S., Pennsylvania and world history), plus the same arts/health/science/safety list; 180 days or 900 hours (elementary) / 990 hours (secondary) per year
Records you must keep
a portfolio with a contemporaneous log of instruction and reading materials, samples of student work, and the required standardized test results
Testing / evaluation
standardized testing in grades 3, 5, and 8 (approved tests include CAT, ITBS, Stanford and others), plus an annual written evaluation of the portfolio by a qualified evaluator (licensed psychologist or certified teacher with two years' experience), with the evaluator's certification submitted to the district by June 30
Parent qualifications
the supervising parent must have a high school diploma or its equivalent
Where Letters & Devotion fits in Pennsylvania
Whatever Pennsylvania asks you to keep, keeping it should not be a job. Letters & Devotion logs instructional hours automatically while your child works, tracks mastery per skill as a ready-made portfolio record, and prints a transcript in one click, so notices, portfolios and evaluations start from records that already exist. The curriculum itself covers every core subject, K through 12.
Read all 84 courses in full before you pay anythingEvery unit, every skill, every objective. No account, no card.$29 a month after the first month. Cancel anytime, in one click.
This is a plain-language summary, not legal advice, and laws change. Last verified 2026-08. Always confirm current requirements with your state before relying on them. Sources:
HSLDA also publishes a plain-language summary of Pennsylvania's law, at hslda.org/legal/pennsylvania, and sells a paid legal-defense membership built on top of it. It is an advocacy organization, not a legal authority: its leadership is explicitly Christian, and it lobbies on homeschool legislation, positions a family may or may not share. Read what membership actually costs and covers before joining anything.