Pennsylvania Homeschool Educational Objectives: What You Actually Need to Write

When families discover that Pennsylvania's homeschool affidavit requires "an outline of proposed educational objectives by subject area," many respond by writing a small novel. Scope and sequence documents. Daily lesson plans. Unit overviews with learning targets and assessment methods. They spend a weekend on it, file it with their district, and feel like they have done things properly.

They have also done far more than the law requires — and in some cases, inadvertently handed their district documentation that could be used against them.

Understanding what Pennsylvania law actually means by "educational objectives," and what it explicitly says those objectives cannot be used for, changes the entire approach. The statute is on your side here. Most families just do not know to read it.

What the Statute Says — Word for Word

Pennsylvania's home education statute at 24 PA C.S. §13-1327.1 requires that the affidavit include "an outline of proposed educational objectives by subject area for the coming school year."

That same statute then adds this sentence, which most parents never read: the objectives outline "shall not be utilized by the superintendent in determining if the home education program is out of compliance."

Read that again. The superintendent is legally prohibited from using your educational objectives to evaluate whether you are in compliance. They cannot reject your affidavit because your goals are too loose. They cannot open a compliance inquiry based on what you wrote in the objectives section. The objectives are filed — and then they are essentially inert from the district's perspective.

This is not an accident. The legislature included that language deliberately, after years of districts using submitted objectives as a tool to second-guess curriculum choices. The law closed that door.

Why Families Over-Document Objectives

The over-documentation pattern is predictable, and it comes from a reasonable instinct: if the district is going to read this, I want it to look thorough. If something goes wrong down the road, I want to have covered myself with detail.

The problem is that this reasoning is backward. The more specific your objectives, the more surface area a district has to argue you deviated from them. If you write "student will complete Singapore Math 5A and 5B, chapters 1 through 18, by June 30," you have created a benchmark a district could theoretically use to argue you did not follow through — even though the statute explicitly says they cannot use the objectives for compliance determinations.

Vaguer and shorter is not just legally sufficient; it is legally smarter.

There is a second problem with over-documentation: it sets an expectation in your own mind. Families who write detailed objectives sometimes feel obligated to follow them even when their child's learning naturally moves in a different direction. The objectives you write in August should not constrain what you actually do in March.

What "Outline" Means in Practice

The statute uses the word "outline" — not "curriculum," not "scope and sequence," not "learning plan." An outline is a high-level map of the territory, not a route schedule.

For each required subject, the objective should do two things: name the subject, and give a short phrase indicating what kind of work will happen. That is the full extent of what the law requires.

Here is the difference in practice.

An over-documented objectives entry for math: "Student will complete chapters 1-12 of Saxon Algebra 1 during the first semester, covering real numbers, linear equations, inequalities, and graphing. Second semester will introduce quadratic functions. Weekly problem sets will be reviewed by supervisor. Mastery will be assessed via chapter tests. Student will also use Khan Academy for additional practice on topics where remediation is needed."

A legally sufficient objectives entry for math: "Mathematics: Algebra concepts including equations, functions, and graphing. Supplemented with problem-based practice."

Both meet the statutory requirement. Only one of them creates compliance risk or constrains how you actually teach the subject.

Sample Objectives Language by Subject

The following reflects language appropriate for a secondary-level program. Adjust grade-level framing for elementary.

English: Literature analysis, composition, grammar, vocabulary, and oral communication through reading across genres, essay writing, and discussion.

Mathematics: Algebra and geometry concepts, problem-solving, and mathematical reasoning through curriculum and applied practice.

Science: Biology and earth science concepts through reading, projects, and observation.

Social Studies: U.S. history, Pennsylvania history, geography, and civics through primary and secondary sources.

Health and Physical Education: Physical fitness, health concepts, safety education, and fire prevention through activity and reading.

Art: Art history appreciation and studio projects in multiple media.

Music: Music theory fundamentals and appreciation through listening and practice.

For elementary-level programs, the subject list is shorter — English, math, science, geography, U.S. and Pennsylvania history, civics, safety/fire, health, PE, music, and art — but the same principle applies: brief, subject-named descriptions with a general phrase indicating the nature of the work.

The Criminal Background and Immunization Sections of the Affidavit Are Separate

One clarification worth making: the educational objectives are one section of the affidavit, but they are not the only section that trips families up. The affidavit also requires immunization documentation and a criminal background certification. Those are separate elements with their own requirements, covered in the full affidavit guide. The objectives are specifically the section where families tend to over-engineer — and where the statute most clearly protects you from district overreach.

What Happens If Your Objectives Change Mid-Year

Nothing — legally. You filed objectives describing proposed goals. The word "proposed" is doing work in the statute. You are not held to the outcomes or the methods you described in August. If you started a history curriculum and pivoted to a completely different approach in February, the statute does not require you to amend your affidavit.

Your portfolio and evaluator review address whether appropriate education occurred during the year. Those are the documents that establish compliance, not the objectives outline. The evaluator certifies that "an appropriate home education program is being conducted" based on what actually happened — the work samples, the log, the overall picture. Not based on whether you executed the objectives as written.

This is a critical distinction for families who pursue project-based learning, interest-led learning, or unschooling approaches: write objectives that are broadly accurate and legally sufficient, then let your actual educational philosophy guide what you do.

Filing the Objectives as Part of the Complete Affidavit

The educational objectives section belongs in the affidavit itself — not as a separate attachment, not as an addendum filed later. File one complete document that addresses all eight required statutory elements together.

If you are drafting your affidavit for the first time and want a template that walks through each required section with appropriate language — including the objectives section, the immunization and health documentation, the criminal background certification, and the notarized vs. unsworn declaration options — the Pennsylvania Legal Withdrawal Blueprint includes affidavit templates formatted for both new and continuing families, with explanations of each statutory requirement.

Writing the objectives with legal precision and appropriate brevity is not cutting corners. It is reading the statute correctly. The law was written to give families flexibility — the objectives section is one place where that flexibility is most explicit.

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