Homeschool Diploma Pennsylvania: Act 169 Rules and Evaluator Requirements

Pennsylvania's Two-Track System

Pennsylvania governs home education under 24 P.S. § 13-1327.1, enacted as Act 169 and amended by Act 196. The law creates two tracks: the home education program (supervised by the parent) and the private tutor option (requiring a certified teacher). Most families use the home education program track.

Under Act 169, as amended by Act 196, the parent or guardian serving as program supervisor has statutory authority to issue a high school diploma after the student meets the graduation requirements. A supervisor must have a high school diploma or equivalent. Section (d.1) directly authorizes the supervisor-issued diploma. Pennsylvania is one of the few states where the diploma-issuing power is written into the code with that level of specificity.

The Evaluator Requirement

What makes Pennsylvania distinctive is the evaluator system. At the end of each school year, your portfolio of work must be reviewed by a qualified evaluator — a licensed teacher, a licensed school psychologist, or a person with appropriate qualifications agreed upon by the superintendent.

The evaluator reviews:

• Your educational objectives for the year (filed with the district each August)
• The portfolio of student work, including writing samples, worksheets, workbooks, and creative materials
• Log of reading materials used
• Standardized test results (required in grades 3, 5, and 8)
• Evidence that the required subjects were taught

The evaluator writes a certification letter stating that the home education program provided instruction in the required subjects and that the child's education is proceeding in a manner consistent with the educational objectives filed. This letter goes to the school district superintendent.

For high school, the evaluator is reviewing your 12th-grade portfolio and seeing four years of accumulated documentation. A strong portfolio — organized course descriptions, graded assessments, dated work samples — makes the evaluation straightforward and produces a certification letter that reinforces your diploma's credibility.

Required Subjects

Pennsylvania's home education statute specifies required subjects at the secondary level:

• English (including spelling, reading, and writing)
• Mathematics
• Social studies (including civics, world history, and US history)
• Science
• Physical education
• Health and physiology
• Music
• Art
• Safety education (including regular and continuous instruction in the dangers and prevention of fires)

The fire safety requirement catches parents off guard. It does not need to be a standalone course — most families cover it within a health or safety unit — but it must be documented in your portfolio.

Building the Transcript

Your transcript should reflect the courses that meet these required subjects plus any electives your student completed. Pennsylvania requires four years of English, three years each of mathematics, science, and social studies, and two years of arts and humanities. The law specifies courses by year, not a statewide credit-unit total; you may set additional graduation requirements.

However, if your student is applying to Pennsylvania State System universities, Penn State, or any other in-state college, your transcript should demonstrate at least 20-24 credits across a standard college-prep distribution. Colleges do not lower their academic expectations because the state does not specify a credit threshold.

Include on your transcript:

• Course titles using standard naming conventions
• Credit values (define 1 credit = 120-150 hours of instruction)
• Letter grades with a grading scale key
• Weighted and unweighted cumulative GPA
• A note identifying the evaluator who certified each year's portfolio

That last point is specific to Pennsylvania. Listing your evaluator name and certification year connects your transcript to the official evaluation file maintained by your school district. It gives institutional reviewers a third-party reference point beyond your own signature.

Diploma Wording

For a state-recognized supervisor-issued diploma, use the PDE-provided form. It must be co-signed by the evaluator whose evaluation for the student's 12th-grade graduation year was submitted to the superintendent; the supervisor's signature alone is not sufficient.

Your diploma should include:

• Your homeschool's name (matching the name on your notification filings)
• The student's full legal name
• A graduation statement referencing completion of the home education program
• Location and date of issuance
• Your signature as the program supervisor

Some Pennsylvania families add a line stating "Issued pursuant to 24 P.S. § 13-1327.1(d.1)" to preempt any question about authority. This is optional but can shortcut verification conversations, especially with out-of-state employers or military recruiters who are not familiar with Pennsylvania's statute.

PA Homeschoolers and Accreditation

PA Homeschoolers is a well-known organization that offers AP courses, diploma services, and evaluation. Some families pay for PA Homeschoolers' accreditation-affiliated diploma rather than issuing their own. This is a legitimate choice, but it is not required. The statute gives the parent supervisor the same diploma-issuing authority regardless of whether you use an outside organization.

The Homeschool Transcript & Diploma Kit includes transcript and diploma templates designed for Pennsylvania's evaluator system, with fields for evaluator certification references and course documentation that aligns with Act 169's portfolio requirements.

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