(1) A notarized affidavit of the parent or guardian or other person having legal custody of the child or children, filed prior to the commencement of the home education program and annually thereafter on August 1 with the superintendent of the school district of residence and which sets forth: the name of the supervisor of the home education program who shall be responsible for the provision of instruction; the name and age of each child who shall participate in the home education program; the address and telephone number of the home education program site; that such subjects as required by law are offered in the English language, including an outline of proposed education objectives by subject area; evidence that the child has been immunized in accordance with the provisions of section 1303(a)³ and has received the health and medical services required for students of the child's age or grade level in Article XIV; and that the home education program shall comply with the provisions of this section and that the notarized affidavit shall be satisfactory evidence thereof. The required outline of proposed education objectives shall not be utilized by the superintendent in determining if the home education program is out of compliance with this section and section 1327.⁴ The affidavit shall contain a certification to be signed by the supervisor that the supervisor, all adults living in the home and persons having legal custody of a child or children in a home education program have not been convicted of the criminal offenses enumerated in subsection (e) of section 111⁵ within five years immediately preceding the date of the affidavit.

(2) In the event the home education program site is relocating to another school district within this Commonwealth during the course of the public school term or prior to the opening of the public school term in the fall, the supervisor of the home education program must apply, by registered mail, thirty (30) days prior to the relocation, to the superintendent of the district in which he or she currently resides, requesting a letter of transfer for the home education program to the district to which the home education program is relocating. The current superintendent of residence must issue the letter of transfer thirty (30) days after receipt of the registered mail request of the home education program supervisor.

(3) The letter of transfer, required by clause (2), must be filed by the supervisor of the home education program with the superintendent of the new district of residence. In the case of pending proceedings, the new district of residence superintendent shall continue the home education program until the appeal process is finalized.

(1) At the elementary school level, the following courses shall be taught: English, to include spelling, reading and writing; arithmetic; science; geography; history of the United States and Pennsylvania; civics; safety education, including regular and continuous instruction in the dangers and prevention of fires; health and physiology; physical education; music; and art.

(2) At the secondary school level, the following courses shall be taught: English, to include language, literature, speech and composition; science; geography; social studies, to include civics, world history, history of the United States and Pennsylvania; mathematics, to include general mathematics, algebra and geometry; art; music; physical education; health; and safety education, including regular and continuous instruction in the dangers and prevention of fires. Such courses of study may include, at the discretion of the supervisor of the home education program, economics; biology; chemistry; foreign languages; trigonometry; or other age-appropriate courses as contained in Chapter 5 (Curriculum Requirements) of the State Board of Education.

(1) Four years of English.

(2) Three years of mathematics.

(3) Three years of science.

(4) Three years of social studies.

(5) Two years of arts and humanities.

(d.1)(1) Notwithstanding any provision of this act or any other law or regulation to the contrary, a high school diploma awarded by a supervisor or an approved diploma-granting organization shall be considered as having all the rights and privileges afforded by the Commonwealth, a Commonwealth agency, including, but not limited to, the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency, a political subdivision, a local agency and an authority or instrumentality of the Commonwealth or a political subdivision to a high school diploma awarded under this act, subject to subparagraphs (i) and (ii):

(2) The department shall establish eligibility criteria and an application process for approving diploma-granting organizations to award high school diplomas to students enrolled in home education programs. The department shall maintain a list of approved diploma-granting organizations and post the list on the department's publicly accessible Internet website.

(1) A portfolio of records and materials. The portfolio shall consist of a log, made contemporaneously with the instruction, which designates by title the reading materials used, samples of any writings, worksheets, workbooks or creative materials used or developed by the student and in grades three, five and eight results of nationally normed standardized achievement tests in reading/language arts and mathematics or the results of Statewide tests administered in these grade levels. The department shall establish a list, with a minimum of five tests, of nationally normed standardized tests from which the supervisor of the home education program shall select a test to be administered if the supervisor does not choose the Statewide tests. At the discretion of the supervisor, the portfolio may include the results of nationally normed standardized achievement tests for other subject areas or grade levels. The supervisor shall ensure that the nationally normed standardized tests or the Statewide tests shall not be administered by the child's parent or guardian.

(2) An annual written evaluation of the student's educational progress as determined by a licensed clinical or school psychologist or a teacher certified by the Commonwealth or by a nonpublic school teacher or administrator. Any such nonpublic teacher or administrator shall have at least two years of teaching experience in a Pennsylvania public or nonpublic school within the last ten years. Such nonpublic teacher or administrator shall have the required experience at the elementary level to evaluate elementary students or at the secondary level to evaluate secondary students. The certified teacher shall have experience at the elementary level to evaluate elementary students or at the secondary level to evaluate secondary students. The evaluation shall also be based on an interview of the child and a review of the portfolio required in clause (1) and shall certify whether or not an appropriate education is occurring. At the request of the supervisor, persons with other qualifications may conduct the evaluation with the prior consent of the district of residence superintendent. In no event shall the evaluator be the supervisor or their spouse.

(f.1)(1) Beginning January 1, 2006, the school district of residence shall permit a child who is enrolled in a home education program to participate in any activity that is subject to the provisions of section 511,⁶ including, but not limited to, clubs, musical ensembles, athletics and theatrical productions, provided that the child:

(2) For the purposes of this subsection, the school district of residence's program of interscholastic athletics, including varsity sports, shall be considered an activity and shall include all activities related to competitive sports contests, games, events or exhibitions involving individual students or teams of students whenever such activities occur between schools within the school district or between schools outside of the school district.

(3) Where the activity requires completion of a physical examination or medical test as a condition of participation and the school district of residence offers such physical examination or medical test to students enrolled in the school district, the school district shall permit a child who is enrolled in a home education program to access such physical examination or medical test. The school district shall publish the dates and times of such physical examination or medical test in a publication of general circulation in the school district and on its publicly accessible Internet website.

(4) A board of school directors may adopt a policy to implement the requirements of this subsection. Such policy shall only apply to participation in activities and shall not conflict with any provisions of this section.

(f.2)(1) Beginning with the 2023-2024 school year and each school year thereafter, the school district of residence shall develop policies and procedures to permit a child who is enrolled in a home education program to participate, on the same basis as other students enrolled in the school district, in any cocurricular activity that merges extracurricular activities with a required academic course, including, but not limited to, band or orchestra, and must permit a child who is enrolled in a home education program to participate in academic courses equaling up to at least one quarter of the school day for full-time students, pursuant to the policies and procedures of the school district of residence, on the same basis as other students enrolled in the school district, provided that the child:

(2) For the purposes of this subsection, the school district of residence shall provide the grade for each cocurricular or academic course to the home education program supervisor, who shall be responsible for maintaining the material in the portfolio of records.

(3) The parent or legal guardian of the child shall be responsible for transportation of the child to and from school for the selected courses, except that a home education student may utilize district transportation to or from school during the times a bus is otherwise already operating and space is available.

(4) A board of school directors may adopt a policy to implement the requirements of this subsection. A policy under this paragraph may require that the cocurricular or academic courses taken under paragraph (1) be taken consecutively during the school day if the school or a child's parent or legal guardian is not able to provide adequate supervision for the child between cocurricular and academic courses. The policy shall only apply to participation in cocurricular or academic courses and shall not conflict with any provisions of this section.

(5) A home education student enrolled in a cocurricular or academic course in the student's school district of residence shall be included in the average daily membership of the school district of residence and shall be calculated by counting the time the home education student spends in the public school.

(f.3)(1) Beginning with the 2023-2024 school year and each school year thereafter, the school district of residence shall develop policies and procedures consistent with the enrollment or seat allocation provisions of the written agreement among the participating school districts which established the career and technical education center, or in the case of a school district-operated career and technical education program, the school district of residence shall develop policies and procedures consistent with subsection (f.2), to permit a home education student to participate in a career and technical education program on the same basis as other students enrolled in the school district, provided that the child:

(2) For the purposes of this subsection, the school-district-of-residence-operated career and technical education program or the career and technical education center shall provide the grades to the home education program supervisor, who shall be responsible for maintaining the material in the portfolio of records.

(3) The home education students may utilize district transportation to or from the career and technical education program during the times buses are otherwise already operating and space is available.

(4) A board of school directors may adopt a policy to implement the requirements of this subsection. Such policy shall only apply to participation in career and technical education programs and shall not conflict with any provisions of this section.

(5) A home education student enrolled in the career and technical education program shall be included in the average daily membership of the school district of residence and career and technical center, if applicable, and shall be calculated by counting the time the home education student spends in the career and technical education program.