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Elementary Evaluations for Grades K-6

Secondary Evaluations for Grades 7-12

A Sample Evaluation
Feel free to save the sample to your computer to use as a template for your evaluations.
If you have difficulty opening the file, you can view it in HTML.

How-to Tips for Evaluators

The Law's Requirements for an Evaluation

The portfolio shall include "an annual written evaluation of the student's educational progress..."

As an evaluator, your job is simply to interview the child, look over the portfolio, and verify in writing that the child has progressed in the overall program and that he/she has studied the required subjects and fulfilled the number of days or hours of study required by the law.

An Elementary Evaluation
According to the law (and verified by a representative of the PA Department of Education), a student does NOT have to study all of the required subjects every year. As long as the subjects are taught during the elementary years, the law is fulfilled.

• 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
• Art

A Secondary Evaluation
According to the law (and verified by a representative of the PA Department of Education), a student does NOT have to study all of the required subjects every year. As long as the subjects are taught at some point (even for one semester) during the secondary years, the law is fulfilled.

A student at the secondary level should have instruction documented for either 180 days or 990 hours.

• English, to include language, literature, speech (not necessarily a separate textbook or entire year's course), and composition
• Mathematics, to include general mathematics, algebra, and geometry
• Social studies, to include civics (U.S. and Commonwealth government), world history, History of the United States and Pennsylvania
• Science
• Geography
• Music
• Health and safety education, including regular and continuous instruction in the dangers and prevention of fires
• Physical education
• Music
• Art

However to fulfill the law's requirements for graduation from home-school, a student DOES need to do the following subjects during the 9-12 grade years:

• Four years of English
• Three years of mathematics
• Three years of science
• Three years of social studies
• Two years of arts and humanities
  • "Arts and humanites. Study of dance, theatre, music, visual arts, language and literature including forms of expression, historical and cultural context, critical and aesthetic judgment and production, performance or exhibition of work." Chapter 4, 4.12 (4)

How-to Tips for Evaluators

A simple method for performing an evaluation is to:

1. Look through the student's portfolio and jot down some notes
2. Interview the student by asking him/her questions about his/her studies and activities and take some notes
3. Copy down information from table of contents in the student's texts
4. Write an evaluation using your notes and the table of contents

It has been the habit of some evaluators to simply do a checklist evaluation. This is NOT recommended as the law does stipulate a "written evaluation."

See a sample evaluation.
Feel free to save the sample to your computer to use as a template for your evaluations.
If you have difficulty opening the file, you can view it in HTML.

• Organizing your school year
• Keeping a log
• Grading your students' work
• Testing
• Portfolios
• Evaluations