Pennsylvania · Record-Keeping Guide
Homeschool Record Keeping in Pennsylvania: What the Law Actually Requires
Pennsylvania's home education law names its records precisely: a contemporaneous log with reading titles, work samples, day counts, and an annual evaluator review. Here's the whole picture in plain English, and how to keep a portfolio that makes evaluation day easy.
The five things Pennsylvania asks of home educators
Pennsylvania's home education law (24 P.S. § 13-1327.1) is famously paperwork-heavy, but every piece has a place. Under the home education program route, the supervisor (that's you) must:
- File a notarized affidavit with your district superintendent before starting, and each year by August 1, along with your list of educational objectives by subject area.
- Provide 180 days of instruction - or 900 hours at the elementary level / 990 hours at the secondary level.
- Keep a portfolio with two parts the statute names precisely: a log, made contemporaneously with the instruction, which designates by title the reading materials used, and samples of any writings, worksheets, workbooks, or creative materials used or developed by your child.
- Administer the required standardized tests in grades 3, 5, and 8, with results included in the portfolio.
- Have an annual evaluation by a qualified evaluator - a PA-certified teacher with two years' experience, a licensed clinical or school psychologist, or certain others - who reviews the portfolio and interviews your child, and certifies that an appropriate education is occurring. The evaluator's certification goes to the superintendent by June 30.
Read that log requirement again
Pennsylvania is one of the only states whose statute literally requires a contemporaneous log "which designates by title the reading materials used." A daily log plus a running book list isn't a nice-to-have in PA - it's the letter of the law, and it's exactly what evaluators open first.
What evaluators actually want to see
- An as-you-go log - steady entries across the year, in your own words, not a May reconstruction.
- The reading list - titles, kept as you went.
- Work samples over time - pieces from fall, winter, and spring showing sustained progress in each subject area.
- Days or hours that add up - 180 days or the hour equivalent, visible at a glance.
How The Homeschool Log maps to each requirement
📅 The contemporaneous log A sentence or two per subject each day, typed in seconds on your phone, with holidays and sick days tagged in place - an honest, as-you-go record, which is exactly what the statute asks for.
📗 "Designates by title the reading materials used" The book log keeps every title, author, and reading level; snap a cover and it fills itself in. Your reading list prints as its own section of the portfolio.
🖼️ Samples of writings, worksheets, and creative materials Photograph the work when it happens; photos file themselves by date and subject and appear in the work-samples section automatically.
⏱️ 180 days / 900-990 hours Every logged day counts itself, and hours tracking covers the hour route - your running total toward the requirement is always on screen.
🧾 The evaluator portfolio Before your evaluation, pick the year's date range and generate the portfolio: narrative subject summaries drafted from your own entries, the attendance record, the book list, and work samples, ready to print or email to your evaluator. See a sample report →
Keep a PA-ready portfolio in two minutes a day
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Log as you go, snap the good work, and your evaluator portfolio assembles itself.
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This guide summarizes 24 P.S. § 13-1327.1 in plain language for convenience. It isn't legal advice, and district practices vary; verify current requirements with your district or a group like CHAP or HSLDA.