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    Elementary and Secondary Education

    Home Education and Private Tutoring

    In 1988, the Pennsylvania General Assembly passed Act 169 (Senate Bill 154), amending the Pennsylvania School Code. It amended section 1327, Compulsory School Attendance, to define a properly qualified private tutor and to allow a parent, guardian, or person having legal custody of a child to home school their children as an option for complying with compulsory school attendance. It added section 1327.1, Home Education Program, to specify the rights and responsibilities of the parents and the school district where the family resides.

    Act 67 of 2005 (Senate Bill 361) amended section 1327.1 to allow children enrolled in a home education program to participate in any activity that is subject to the provisions of section 511, School Athletics, Publications, and Organizations, given certain criteria are met for these extracurricular activities.

    In 2014, Act 196 (House Bill 1013) was passed, amending section 1327.1 in regard to a number of provisions. Among others, these changes included paths to a high school diploma with all the rights and privileges afforded by the Commonwealth or a Commonwealth agency and that the evaluation of a home education program by a qualified evaluator is the required proof that an appropriate education has taken place, whether from a mid-year request by the superintendent or the evidence due at the end of the school year.

    The current version of sections 1327 and 1327.1 are available online and discussed in the Home Education and Private Tutoring Guide.

    This Home Education and Private Tutoring webpage contains information relevant to parents and guardians, evaluators, private tutors, school districts, businesses and institutions of higher learning. Although some topics are targeted specifically to one of these audiences, all topics contain information that may be relevant to others.

    Act 55 0f 2022 was passed and school districts must allow home educated students to participate in any cocurricular activity that merges extracurricular activities with a required academic course, academic courses (equaling up to at least one quarter of the school day for full-time students), and career and technical education (CTE) programs effective the 2023-24 school year. Section 1327.1(f.2) (1)-(5) of the School Code requires school districts to develop policies and procedures to permit a child who is enrolled in a home education program to participate in any cocurricular activity or CTE program. The board of school directors may adopt further policies to implement the participation of home education students in cocurricular activities, academic courses, and CTE programs. School districts should establish policies and procedures for home education students including procedures addressing enrollment and attendance of students from home education programs into classes and CTE programs. 

    For additional information, please contact:
    School Services Office
    Home Education and Private Tutoring Advisor
    RA-home-education@pa.gov        

    Home Education and Private Tutoring Guide

    Sample Affidavits and Unsworn Declarations

    Home education program supervisors should review the board policy of their local school district to determine which forms and information should be filed with the district. The sample affidavits shown below may be used by the supervisor of the home education program for children at the elementary school level (kindergarten through sixth grade) or at the secondary school level (seventh through twelfth grade). These affidavits must be notarized.  Alternatively, the unsworn declarations shown below may also be used by a home school supervisor.  They are similar to the affidavits, however, unsworn declarations do not need to be notarized but instead, are governed under perjury statutes.

    School District Report

    Diplomas and Diploma-Granting Organizations

    Some organizations apply to PDE for recognition as state approved diploma-granting organizations, using the Home Education Association Application for Recognition. These organizations are listed at the Diploma-Granting Organizations for Home Education Programs (State Approved) link. Additionally, supervisor-issued homeschool diplomas are recognized by the state. This form for a supervisor-issued diploma (PDE 6008), and the others, are provided below.

    The accompanying table lists the diploma-granting organizations that currently are authorized by the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) to grant state-recognized home education diplomas for PA residents only. They may not grant a home education diploma to anyone who is not a resident of PA. Additionally, they may grant diplomas only to those students who have submitted a home education affidavit and evaluation to their superintendent of schools for their graduation year.

    These organizations reapply every three years and new organizations are added, so this list may change from year-to-year.

    Becoming a Diploma Provider

    An organization serving homeschooling families may apply to PDE for recognition to grant home education diplomas by completing the Home Education Association Application for Recognition on the Home Education and Private Tutoring homepage. 

    Support Groups and Resources

    Various organizations provide support for homeschoolers. The information contained herein has been provided by the organization, based on categories provided at the bottom of this file. Inclusion in this list does not imply evaluation, review or approval of any kind by the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE).

    While PDE does not list individuals as resources, an organization may download the Application for Listing as a Support Group from the Home Education and Private Tutoring homepage and return it for inclusion of their group on the website.

    County and regional support groups for parents of homeschoolers are particularly welcomed to the list because they link together homeschool families in the same geographical area to share ideas, resources and activities.