PencilGoPennsylvania asks you to keep a portfolio all year and to have an evaluator review it. The evaluator, not you, sends a certification to your school district. Here is what the law says and how PencilGo fills in each piece.
Last checked October 30, 2026 · Templates, not legal advice
| Topic | What Pennsylvania asks | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Notice | A notarized affidavit (or the department's unsworn declaration form) filed with the superintendent of your district of residence before you start, then every year by August 1. It names each child and gives your address and immunization evidence. | 24 P.S. § 13-1327.1 (Public School Code, Pennsylvania General Assembly) |
| Days or hours | A minimum of 180 days of instruction or 900 hours a year at the elementary level (990 hours at the secondary level). | 24 P.S. § 13-1327.1 (Public School Code, Pennsylvania General Assembly) |
| Portfolio | A log, made at the same time as the instruction, that names the reading materials used by title. Samples of writing, worksheets, workbooks and creative materials. Test results. | 24 P.S. § 13-1327.1 (Public School Code, Pennsylvania General Assembly) |
| Testing | In grades 3, 5 and 8, results of a nationally normed achievement test in reading and language arts and math, or the statewide tests, go in the portfolio. The child's parent cannot give the test. | 24 P.S. § 13-1327.1 (Public School Code, Pennsylvania General Assembly) |
| Yearly evaluation | A written evaluation by a licensed psychologist, a Pennsylvania-certified teacher, or a qualifying nonpublic school teacher or administrator. It is based on an interview with your child and a review of the portfolio, and says whether an appropriate education is occurring. You or your spouse cannot be the evaluator. | 24 P.S. § 13-1327.1 (Public School Code, Pennsylvania General Assembly) |
| Who receives what | The affidavit goes to the superintendent by August 1. The evaluator's certification goes to the superintendent by June 30. The text we read does not say the portfolio itself is sent. Ask your evaluator and district. | Pennsylvania Department of Education: Home Education Program circular |
Free sheets to keep them on: the Pennsylvania attendance sheet, the weekly log sheet and the hours log. The attendance tracker page lets you set the start month and the number of children.
Your evaluator reads the portfolio and talks with your child. The law says the evaluation is based on that interview and the portfolio review, so a tidy, dated set of samples makes the visit short.
Evaluators differ in what they like to see. Ask yours how many samples and what order they prefer before you build the packet.
Dates come from the sources below. Confirm them with your district before you rely on them.
Rules change. Spot a change? Write to [email protected]. Templates, not legal advice.
Yes. The statute describes a portfolio kept by the person supervising the program: a log made at the time of instruction that names reading materials by title, samples of the child's work, and test results for grades 3, 5 and 8.
A licensed clinical or school psychologist, a Pennsylvania-certified teacher, or a qualifying nonpublic school teacher or administrator. The parent supervising the program and that parent's spouse cannot be the evaluator.
The evaluator's written certification must reach your district's superintendent by June 30 each school year. The affidavit that starts or renews your program is due by August 1.
In the law and state circular we read, what goes to the superintendent is the affidavit and the evaluator's certification. We did not find a requirement to send the portfolio itself. Check with your evaluator and read the statute for your own situation.
It prepares them: dated work samples and marked scores from the sheets you scan, estimated hours, and the books you add. You keep and review everything, and your evaluator does the evaluation. PencilGo does not tell you that you meet Pennsylvania law and does not file anything.
Coming as we finish reading the law: Missouri, Utah, New Hampshire, Alabama, California, Delaware and more.
Print a sheet, scan it when it’s done, and PencilGo adds the date, subject and about how long it took. Free, about five minutes a day, and no screen time for your child.
Templates, not legal advice. Check what your state asks for. Last checked October 30, 2026. Spotted a change? Write to [email protected].