Home Education

All children ages six through 18 must comply with compulsory school attendance requirements. To meet these requirements, parents must ensure that their child between the ages of six and 18 is attending or participating in one of the following: a public elementary, middle, or high school; a public charter or cyber-charter school; a private licensed academic or private religious school; home tutoring by a certified teacher; or an approved program of home education.

If your child is a current student in the district, a student withdrawal form must be completed before registering as a home education student. The form is obtained from the school your child currently attends.  Failure to complete this process may result in truancy citations.

Following withdrawal, a notarized affidavit with attachments must be filed with the school district before you start your home education program and then annually by August 1 thereafter.

If your child is transferring into the district, you should first withdraw your child from the current district.  Request that a letter of transfer be sent to York Suburban School District.  You may then submit the affidavit with attachments to York Suburban.
 

Beginning of School Year: Due August 1

• Home education notarized affidavit
• Educational objectives for each subject (an educational plan for that year that lists your goals for each required subject for each child)
• Evidence of immunization (records or physician’s letter) or medical, religious or philosophical exemption
• Evidence of health/medical services (records or physician’s letter) 
• Students with Disabilities:  If the student has been identified as a child with a disability pursuant to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), written notice of approval of the home education program by a licensed clinical or certified psychologist or a PA-certified special education teacher must be submitted along with the affidavit.  

End of School Year: Due June 30

• Yearly Evaluation.  Throughout the school year, the supervisor must maintain a portfolio of student work.  The portfolio must be evaluated at the end of each year by a clinical or school psychologist, a Pennsylvania-certified teacher, or a nonpublic teacher or administrator with at least two (2) years of teaching experience within the last ten (10) years in Pennsylvania.  The evaluation is arranged by the supervisor.  If not previously provided, evidence of the evaluator’s certification must be submitted along with the evaluation.
• Achievement tests help determine whether an appropriate education is occurring. The law requires that home education students take the statewide tests or other authorized tests in grades 3, 5, and 8.

Affidavits & Attachments
A notarized affidavit of the parent/guardian shall be filed with the superintendent or designee prior to commencement of the home education program and annually thereafter on August 1.  

Included in the Affidavit:

1. The name of the supervisor of the home education program
2. The name and age of the student
3. The address and telephone number of the home education program site
4. A statement that the mandatory subjects will be taught in the English language
5. An outline of proposed education objectives by subject area
6. Evidence that the child has been immunized in accordance with section 1303(a)
7. Evidence that the child has received the health and medical services required for students of the child’s age or grade level in Article XIV
8. Assurance that the home education program will comply with the law
9. A certification that the supervisor, all adults living in the home and persons having legal custody of the student have not been convicted of the criminal offenses enumerated in subsection (e) of section 111 within five years preceding the date of the affidavit

Instructional Program
A student enrolled in a home education program meets the established requirements if the program provides a minimum of 180 days of instruction, or 900 hours of instruction per year at the elementary level, or 990 hours per year at the secondary level.  Documentation of days or hours should be included in the portfolio.  If documenting days, you do not need to specify the number of hours each day.

Elementary School Level (Grades K-6) Mandatory Courses
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.

Secondary School Level (Grades 7-12) Mandatory Courses
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.

Loan of Instructional Materials
At the request of the supervisor, the district will lend to the home education program copies of the school’s planned courses, textbooks, and curriculum materials appropriate to the student’s age and grade level.

Student Portfolios
In order to demonstrate that appropriate education is occurring, the supervisor will provide and maintain on file for each student enrolled in the home education program a portfolio of records and materials.

Minimum Portfolio Requirements

1. Samples of any writings, worksheets, workbooks or creative materials used or developed by the student
2. A log, made contemporaneously with the instruction, which designates by title the reading materials used
3. A written evaluation from a qualified home education evaluator verifying whether the student has had an appropriate education. It is the responsibility of the parent to pay for any charge for this service.
4. For students in grades 3, 5, or 8, the results of the statewide tests or other authorized nationally normed standardized achievement tests

Nationally Normed Standardized Tests

1. California Achievement Test
2. Comprehensive Testing Program (CTPIV)
3. Iowa Test of Basic Skills
4. Measures of Academic Progress (MAP)
5. Metropolitan Achievement Test
6. Peabody Achievement Individual Test - Revised Version
7. Stanford Achievement Test
8. Terra Nova
9. Woodcock-Johnson Revised Tests of Achievement III
10. Woodcock-Johnson IV
11. Wechsler Individual Achievement Test III (WIAT-III)    

Evaluator Qualifications

• Licensed clinical psychologist 
• School psychologist 
• Pennsylvania certified teacher with two years of grading experience at the level they evaluate (K-6 and/or 7-12) 
• Nonpublic school teacher or administrator with two years of PA teaching experience within the last 10 years at the level they evaluate (K-6 and/or 7-12) 
• Persons with other qualifications, with the prior consent of the superintendent of the district of residence

Compliance Determination
The supervisor will provide the annual evaluation to the superintendent or designee at the conclusion of each district school year for each student participating in the home education program.

The superintendent or designee will determine whether a student is receiving an appropriate education that consists of instruction in the required subjects for the time required, and the student demonstrates sustained progress in the overall program.

If the superintendent or designee has a reasonable belief at any time during the school year that appropriate education may not be occurring in the home education program, s/he may, by certified mail/return receipt requested, require documentation pertaining to the portfolio to be submitted to the district within fifteen (15) days, and documentation pertaining to the evaluation of educational progress to be submitted within thirty (30) days.

If required tests have not been administered by the time the supervisor receives the request for documentation, the supervisor will submit the other requested documentation and submit the documented test results at the end of the school year.

Based on the documentation provided, if the superintendent or designee determines during or at the end of the school year that appropriate education is not occurring for a student participating in the home education program, the superintendent or designee will send a letter by certified mail/return receipt requested to the supervisor.  The letter will state it is the opinion of the superintendent or designee that appropriate education is not taking place.  The superintendent or designee also will return all documentation and specify what aspect(s) of the documentation is inadequate.

The supervisor will have twenty (20) days from receipt of the certified letter to submit additional documentation demonstrating that appropriate education is taking place.

If documentation is not submitted by the supervisor within that time, the home education program for the student will be determined as out of compliance.  The student will be enrolled promptly in the district schools or a nonpublic school.
If the superintendent or designee determines that additional documentation submitted by the supervisor still does not demonstrate that appropriate education is taking place, s/he will notify the supervisor by certified mail/return receipt requested; and a proper hearing will be provided, in accordance with Board policy.

The superintendent or designee and hearing examiner may photocopy submitted documentation for his/her files.

The superintendent or designee and hearing examiner will return, upon completion of review, all required documentation to the supervisor.

Right of Hearing
A proper hearing by a duly qualified and impartial hearing examiner will be held within thirty (30) days.

The hearing examiner will render a decision within fifteen (15) days of the hearing, except that s/he may require the establishment of a remedial education plan, mutually agreed to by the superintendent or designee and supervisor of the home education program, which shall continue the home education program.

If the hearing examiner finds that the documentation does not indicate that appropriate education is taking place in the home education program, the home education program will be determined out of compliance, and the student will be enrolled promptly in the district schools or a nonpublic school.

The supervisor, superintendent, or designee may appeal the decision of the hearing examiner to the Secretary of Education or the Commonwealth Court.

Graduation Requirements
The following minimum courses in grades 9 through 12 are established as a requirement for graduation in a home education program: four (4) years of English; three (3) years of mathematics; three (3) years of science; three (3) years of social studies; two (2) years of arts and humanities.

The district is under no obligation to award a diploma or acknowledge completion of a student’s education in a home education program.

Transfers
When a home education program is relocating to another Pennsylvania school district, the supervisor must request from the superintendent or designee a letter of transfer for the home education program.  The request must be made by registered mail thirty (30) days prior to relocation.

The superintendent or designee will issue the letter of transfer within thirty (30) days after receipt of the supervisor’s registered mail request.

When a home education program is not in compliance with law, the superintendent or designee will inform the home education supervisor and superintendent or designee of the relocation district of this status and the reason for denial of the transfer letter.

When a home education program is in hearing procedures, the superintendent or designee will inform the home education supervisor, hearing examiner and superintendent or designee of the relocation district of this status and the reason for denial of the transfer letter.

Students with a Disability
A home education program meets compulsory attendance requirements for a student with a disability only when the program addresses the specific needs of the student and is approved by a teacher with a valid Pennsylvania certificate to teach special education, or a licensed clinical or certified school psychologist.  Written notice of such approval must be submitted with the required affidavit.

The supervisor may request that the district or intermediate unit of residence provide services that address the specific needs of a student with a disability.

When the provision of services is agreed to by both the supervisor and district or intermediate unit, all services will be provided in district schools or in a private school licensed to provide such programs and services.

Extracurricular Activities
Students enrolled in a home education program who meet all the conditions stated in Board policy will be eligible to participate in the following District extracurricular activities:

1. School organizations
2. Class organizations
3. Clubs and societies
4. Musical ensembles
5. Theatrical organizations
6. School publications
7. Debating
8. Forensics
9. Other activities related to the school program

Interscholastic Athletics
Students enrolled in a home education program who meet all the conditions stated in Board policy will be eligible to participate in the District’s program of interscholastic athletics, including varsity sports and all activities related to competitive sports contests, games, events and exhibitions involving students or teams of students when such activities occur between schools within the District or between schools outside of the District.

When the District provides physical examinations or medical tests required for participation in an interscholastic athletic program to District students, the District will provide the same opportunity to students enrolled in a home education program.

The District will publish the dates and times for physical examinations and medical tests required for participation in an interscholastic athletic program in a publication of general circulation and on the District's website.