Legal
Pennsylvania’s Legal Process for Home Schooling:
- PA Department of Education: Home Education & Private Tutoring
- Pennsylvania Homeschoolers Accreditation Agency
- Ask Pauline: Homeschooling in Pennsylvania
- PA Homeschool Law (Updated)
- Home Schooling under the “Private Tutor” Law
- 1949 Act 14
- National Home Education Research Institute
- How to Follow Requirements – With Infographic (Peak Academy Guide)
- Secular Homeschooler
- SEA Homeschoolers
- CHAP (Christian Homeschoolers Association of PA)
- Home School Legal Defense Association: How to Comply with PA Homeschool Law
- PHEA.net Pennsylvania Homeschool Educators Association
Diplomas
PA Home School Diploma (PDF Template)
Mandatory Testing
Testing is only required in grades 3, 5, and 8.
- Acceptable tests include:
- California Achievement Test
- Comprehensive Testing Program (CTPIV)
- Iowa Test of Basic Skills
- Measures of Academic Progress (MAP)
- Metropolitan Achievement Test
- Peabody Achievement Individual Test – Revised Version
- Stanford Achievement Test
- Terra Nova
- Woodcock-Johnson Revised Tests of Achievement III
- Woodcock-Johnson IV
- Wechsler Individual Achievement Test III (WIAT-III)
Details:
https://www.education.pa.gov/Policy-Funding/BECS/Purdons/Pages/HomeEducationProgram.aspx
When should I test? What grade test should I use?
The law does not specify, but the various test companies all have the same recommendation. In the fall, test at current grade level. In the spring, test at the next grade level.
Providers:
Portfolios
Portfolios are no longer submitted to the district:
Ask Pauline
Current Portfolio Requirements
Groups & Co-Ops
Grace Alliance Academy (hybrid program, open to homeschoolers)
Local Evaluators
Evaluations by Lisa
Lisa Bonocore
PO Box 3
Tafton, PA 18464
570-290-3575
Flora Schubert (Elementary Grades)
Dawn Sweeney (Elementary)
School District Contacts
Pleasant Valley District Administration Office
2233 Route 115, Suite 100
Brodheadsville PA 18322
Attention: Joshua J. Ziatyk
Cyber Schools
21st Century Cyber CS
Chester County – Grades 6-12
website: https://21cccs.org/
email: [email protected] (?)
Mr. Jon Marsh, CEO
455 Boot Road
Downingtown, PA 19341
484-237-5206
Achievement House CS
Montgomery County – Grades 9-12 (open 2004)
website: www.achievementcharter.com
email: [email protected]
Dr. Tim Daniels, CEO
222 Valley Creek Blvd, Suite 301
Exton, PA 19341
484-615-6200
Agora Cyber Charter School
Philadelphia County – Grades K-12 (open 2005)
Website: https://agora.org/
Email: [email protected] (?)
Ms. Sharon Williams
995 Old Eagle School Road, Suite 315
Wayne, PA 19087
1-877-362-4672
ASPIRA Bilingual Cyber CS
Philadelphia County-Grades K-12
Website: www.aspiracyber.org
Email: [email protected]
Mr. Alfredo Calderon
2901 South 15th St.
Philadelphia, PA 19145-4916
215-455-1300
Central PA Digital Learning Foundation CS
Blair County – Grades K-12
website: www.cpdlf.org
email: [email protected]
Mr. Norman J. Miller, CEO
1500 Fourth Avenue
Altoona, PA 16602
814-940-6989
Commonwealth Connections Academy CS
Cumberland County – Grades K-12
website: www.connectionsacademy.com
email: [email protected]
Dr. Maurice Flurie, CEO
4050 Crums Mill Rd, Suite 303
Harrisburg, PA 17112
717-605-8900
Frontier Virtual Charter High School Charter Surrendered Philadelphia County – Grades 9-12 July 2012
Website: www.frontiervchs.org
Email: [email protected]
Mr. John B. Craig, CEO
178 Bryn Mawr Avenue
Lansdowne, PA 19050
1-(888)-398-1012
PA Cyber CS (formerly Western PA Cyber CS)
Beaver County – Grades K-12
website: www.pacyber.org
email: [email protected]
Dr. Nick Trombetta, CEO
1200 Midland Ave.
Midland, PA 15059
724-643-1180
PA Distance Learning CS
Dauphin County – Grades K-12 (opened 2004)
website: www.padistance.org
email: [email protected]
Dr. James Hoover, CEO
2200 Georgetown Drive, Suite 300
Sewickley, PA 15143
(888) 997-3352 or (724) 933-7300
PA Leadership CS
Chester County –Grades K-12 (opened 2004)
website: www.palcs.org
email: [email protected]
Dr. Jim Hanak, CEO
1332 Enterprise Dr
West Chester, PA 19380
610-701-3333
PA Learners Online Regional Cyber CS
Allegheny County – Grades K-12
website: www.palearnersonline.com
email: [email protected]
Dr. David Martin, CEO
(Allegheny IU 3)
475 East Waterfront Drive
Homestead, PA 15120
412-394-5733
PA Virtual CS
Montgomery County – Grades K-12
website: www.pavcsk12.org
email: [email protected] (?)
Dr. Joanne Jones Barnett, CEO
One West Main St. Suite 400
Norristown, PA 19401
610-275-8501
(toll free general info: 1-866-512-2273)
SUSQ-Cyber Charter School
Columbia County – Grades 9-12
website: www.susqcyber.org
email: [email protected]
Ms. Karin Shipman, CEO
240 Market St., Suite 15
Bloomsburg, PA 17815
570-245-0252
CEO = Chief Executive Officer
PDE website: www.education.state.pa.us
Cyber School Comparison Chart
| Connections | PA Distance | 21st Century | Achievement | Agora | PA Cyber | PAVCS | |
| Website | CCA | PA Distance | 21st Century | Achievement | Agora | PA Cyber | PAVCS |
| Synchronous | X | X | X | X | |||
| Asynchronous | X | X | X | X | X | ||
| Grades | K-12 | K-12 | 6 through 12 | 7 through 12 | K-8 | K-12 | K-12 |
| Field Trips | 500 per yr | 9 per yr min | 9 per year | 9 per yr | 24 per yr | 108 per yr | 351 per yr |
| Internet Reimbursement | $40/mo | whole cost | up to $75/mo | whole cost | $35/mo | up to $50/ mo | $16 /mo, per student |
| ****Submit bills? | no | yes | yes | yes | no | yes | no |
| Computer? | yes- HP | yes-HP | yes- MAC | yes-varies HP | yes-HP | yes-HP | yes-Lenovo |
| Scanner/ Printer? | yes | yes | yes | yes | highschool only | yes | yes |
| Other Equipment? | no | $25 Office Max upon request | Calculator/ Tablet | varies | no | tablet | no |
| Ink Replacement? | 2 per yr | yes | varies | 4 black | 2 color/ 2 black | 2 color/ 2 black | 2 color/ 2 black |
| Textbooks | online/offline | online | offline/ online | online | K (12) online/ offline | online/offline | K (12) online/ offline |
| End of Year Picnic | Hershey | not at this point | Bowling in Downingtown | Varies | yes, it changes | Hershey | Kirby Park/ Knoebels |
| ****Paid for 100%? | yes | n/a | 100% | depends | yes | discounted | no |
| Community Class Reimbursement | $200 per yr | $100 year / $200 year | no | $15 per month for PE | no | no | no |
| For profit? | Not for profit | Not for profit | |||||
| School Year 2012-2013 | 9/4/12-6/6/13 | 9/4/12- 6/6/13 | 9/4/12- 6/6/13 | ||||
| Flexibility of grade levels (ex. 5th grade LA, 6th grade math) | yes | no | yes | yes | yes | yes | |
| Log in EVERY day? | no | yes | no | yes/no | yes | yes/no | yes/no |
| Flexible/ moveable vacation days? | yes | no | yes | yes | yes | yes | yes/no |
| Teacher contact | bi-weekly | weekly | bi-weekly | varies | no | bi-weekly | bi-weekly |
| Met AYP 2011-2012? | no | no | yes | no | no | no | no |
| Met AYP 2010-2011? | no | no | yes | no | no | yes | no |
| Sample assignment day/week | sample | sample | |||||
| Connections | PA Distance | 21st Century | Achievement | Agora | PA Cyber | PAVCS | |
| How many enrolled students 2009-10 | 3958 | 370 | 568 | 388 | 7727 | 8539 | 3691 |
| Instructional Staff 2009-2010 | 150 | 22 | 26 | 23 | 206 | 268 | 165 |
| Subsidy per student from state | Portion from Local School District | $8,776.00 | $9,898.76 | $8,200.00 | $8,050.00 | varies | varies |
| Student Teacher Ratio | 27:1 | 16:1 | 23:1 | 17:1 | 50:1 | 16:1 | 32:1 |
| How many enrolled students 2010-11 | 4846 | 345 | 690 | 604 | 8575 | 9651 | 3353 |
| Instructional Staff 2010-2011 | 186 | 23 | 32 | 33 | 284 | 355 | 127 |
| Subsidy per student from state | varies | $8,776.00 | $10,138.73 | $9,000.00 | $10,697.00 | varies | varies |
| Student Teacher Ratio | 26:1 | 16:1 | 21:1 | 18:1 | 50:1 | 17:1 | 55:1 |
| Multiple Offices | Yes | No, Wexford | No, Exton | Yes, 3 | No, Wayne | No, Norristown | |
| Teachers teach from: | Office/ Home | Office | Office | Office/ Home | Home | Home | |
| Education Centers | |||||||
| Length of time in business 2012-2013 | 10 | 8 | 12 | ||||
| Year Started | 2003 | 2004 | 2001 | 2004 | 2005 | 2000 | 2001 |
| PA Dpet. Of Education Report 09-10 | Report CCA | Report PA Distance | Report 21st | Achievement Report | Agora Report | PA Cyber Report | PAVCS Report |