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Home School

Pleasant Valley School District
Home Education Overview

In 1988, the Pennsylvania General Assembly passed Act 169, a law that amended the Pennsylvania School Code to allow parents or guardians to homeschool their children as an option to compulsory school attendance. In 2015, House Bill 1013 amended the law. The following is a brief summary of Pennsylvania Department of Education Homeschool requirements, as amended.

Beginning Your Homeschool Program

  • Parents/Guardians must file a notarized affidavit or an unsworn declaration for each child being homeschooled.
  • The affidavit declaration must be filed when the home education program begins and annually thereafter by
    August 1.st
  • Attachments to the affidavit or unsworn declaration must include:
    • An outline of the proposed educational objectives arranged by subject matter.
    • Any student who has been identified under the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)
      as needing special education services (excluding those identified as gifted/talented) must have his/her
      home education curriculum approved by a state-certified special education teacher or a licensed clinical or
      certified school psychologist. A letter from the approver must be included with the affidavit.
    • Evidence that the child has been immunized in accordance with the provisions of law.
    • Evidence that the child has received the health, medical and dental services, required for students of the
      child's age or grade level.
       
  • The notarized affidavit is considered to be "satisfactory evidence" of the following:
    • that the supervisor of the home education program has earned a high school diploma or its equivalent and
    • that the supervisor and all adults living in the home and persons having legal custody of the child have not
      been convicted of the criminal offenses listed in section 111(e) of the PA School Code.

Throughout the School Year


The supervisor of the home education program is responsible for keeping a portfolio of student work. Each student's portfolio must include:

  • Samples of student work
  • A list which identifies by title the reading materials used throughout the school year,
  • A log of instructional time (primary - 180 days or 900 hours / secondary - 180 days or 990 hours)
  •  Standardized test results (grades 3, 5, and 8 only) To satisfy this requirement, homeschool students are invited to
    participate in PSSA testing in the appropriate school of the district, or parents may choose another standardized
    test option as permitted by the PA Department of Education.

The superintendent may request the portfolio and evaluation any time prior to June 30* if the superintendent has a
reasonable belief that appropriate education is not occurring. Supervisors should consult 22 Pa. Code §§ 4.20 - 4.28
for information regarding age-appropriate courses.

Completion of the School Year


To close out the school year, the home education supervisor is required to have the portfolio evaluated by a Pennsylvania certified teacher (see PDE website for alternate evaluator requirements). The evaluation must also include an interview with the child, to be conducted by the evaluator. No later than June 30* of each year, the supervisor of the home education program must provide the evaluator's report to the Office of the Assistant Superintendent located in the Pleasant Valley Administration Building at 2233 Route 115, suite 100 in Brodheadsville, PA 18322. Once the Evaluator Report is received by the district, a letter of successful completion will be sent to the supervisor.

Under Act 169, students whose homeschool program has been determined unsuccessful may have to return to school and repeat the grade for which homeschooling was scheduled.

The school district does not award a diploma to students in a home education program. If a home education student enrolls in the school at any time, he/she must meet all graduation requirements/criteria as established by the school/district.

For additional information on home education, please see Board Policy No. 137 or contact the Office of Curriculum and
Instruction at (570) 402-1000, ext. 1246. More information can also be accessed by visiting the Pennsylvania Department
of Education (PDE) website at education.state.pa.us