The five records worth keeping anywhere
- Attendance: the dates you taught. Pennsylvania, New York and Georgia count days; Georgia counts only days of 4.5 hours or more.
- Hours by subject: the minutes of each lesson, with its subject. Pennsylvania, New York and Missouri set yearly hours; Missouri also sets 600 hours in the core subjects.
- A reading list by title: Pennsylvania's law requires the log to name the reading materials by title. It is the fastest way to show breadth anywhere.
- Work samples: worksheets, writing, projects and photos. Pennsylvania calls it the portfolio; Missouri asks for a portfolio of samples; New York's quarterly reports and Georgia's annual report are easier to write from them.
- Progress notes and evaluations: grades or a narrative each quarter in New York, a report for each subject each year in Georgia, a record of evaluations in Missouri, an evaluator's certification in Pennsylvania.
Add standardized test results where your state schedules them: grades 3, 5 and 8 in Pennsylvania, every other year in grades 4 to 8 and every year in grades 9 to 12 in New York, at least every three years from the end of 3rd grade in Georgia.
What each state asks for
| State | Days or hours | What you file | What you keep |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pennsylvania | 180 days, or 900 hours (elementary) or 990 hours (secondary) | An affidavit or unsworn declaration by August 1; the evaluator’s certification by June 30 | A portfolio: a log made as you teach that names reading materials by title, work samples, and test results from grades 3, 5 and 8 |
| New York | 900 hours in grades 1 to 6, 990 in grades 7 to 12; the equivalent of 180 days | A letter of intent by July 1, the IHIP, four quarterly reports with the hours and material covered, and an annual assessment | Attendance records, and whatever backs the quarterly reports |
| Missouri | 1,000 hours; 600 in reading, language arts, math, social studies and science; 400 of those at home | Nothing. The optional declaration of enrollment was abolished in 2025 | A plan book, diary or log of subjects and activities; a portfolio of work samples; a record of evaluations |
| Georgia | The equivalent of 180 school days of at least 4.5 hours | A Declaration of Intent to the state within 30 days of starting and by September 1 each year | Your own attendance record, an annual progress report for each subject (kept three years) and test results from a test at least every three years from the end of 3rd grade |
| Ohio | No hours or days requirement since October 2023 | A notification to the district superintendent by August 30, or within five days of starting, with the parent’s name and address, the child’s name and an assurance that English language arts, mathematics, science, history, government and social studies will be taught | Nothing is required; keep your own log and samples |
| Most other states | Often 180 days, or no number at all | Often a one-time or yearly notice; some states ask for nothing | What your state names, if anything; a log, samples and a reading list serve a transcript anywhere |
These summarize each state's law as of November 9, 2026; each state guide links to the statute. Laws change and districts differ, so check the current text and ask a homeschool association in your state when something is unclear.
How to count a school day and an hour
A day is a date with instruction on it. Write the date on every lesson and the days count themselves; in Georgia, add the minutes for the date and the day counts once they reach 4.5 hours. An hour is 60 minutes of instruction: log the minutes, not a rounded hour, so a 40-minute lesson is 0.67 hours and three 20-minute lessons are exactly one. Give each lesson a subject, because Missouri's 600 core hours, New York's per-subject reports and Georgia's per-subject progress report all need the split. Write where the lesson happened if you are in Missouri, for the 400 hours at home.
How many hours a day is that?
The laws set yearly totals. Spread over 180 school days, they come to an average school day of:
| State | The year | Average school day |
|---|---|---|
| Pennsylvania, elementary | 900 hours | 5 hours |
| Pennsylvania, secondary | 990 hours | 5 hours 30 minutes |
| New York, grades 1 to 6 | 900 hours | 5 hours |
| New York, grades 7 to 12 | 990 hours | 5 hours 30 minutes |
| Missouri | 1,000 hours (600 core) | 5 hours 33 minutes (3 hours 20 minutes core) |
| Georgia | 180 days of 4.5 hours (810 hours) | 4 hours 30 minutes, every counted day |
A shorter year means longer days: 1,000 hours over 160 days is 6 hours 15 minutes; 900 hours over a four-day week for 36 weeks (144 days) is 6 hours 15 minutes too. Pennsylvania lets you meet the days instead of the hours, so a family with short lessons every day is fine there; New York asks for both the hours and the equivalent of 180 days.
Free printable: attendance and hours log
Homeschool attendance and hours log (PDF): one line per lesson with the date, the subject, what you covered, the reading by title, the minutes and a tick for a work sample, with a page total for the hours and signature lines for the parent and an evaluator or witness.
The same log in Excel: the hours fill in from the minutes, and the top counts your school days, your hours and your core-subject hours as you type. It opens in Excel, Numbers and Google Sheets (File, then Import).
Or let the app count
In My Award Tracker, mark a child as homeschooled, pick your state and the month your school year starts, and the targets fill in: days and hours in Pennsylvania and New York, hours and core hours in Missouri, 4.5-hour days in Georgia, or your own target anywhere else. Log each lesson by subject in minutes, attach a photo of the worksheet, and the dashboard shows where the year stands. The year record PDF has the daily log, hours by subject, reading by title and signature lines. Already keep a paper planner? Take a photo of each page and the lessons are read into the record; you check every row first. Every feature is free for your first 30 days; then Plus is $9.99 a year for one child and the Family plan $29.99 for up to 6. Start your record.
State guides
- Pennsylvania: 180 days or 900/990 hours, the portfolio and the June 30 evaluation.
- New York: 900/990 hours, the IHIP, quarterly reports and the annual assessment.
- Missouri: 1,000 hours, 600 in the core subjects, 400 at home.
- Georgia: 180 days of 4.5 hours, the Declaration of Intent and the progress report.
Frequently asked questions
What counts as a school day?
A date on which you taught. Pennsylvania and New York count days alongside hours; Georgia counts a day only when it has at least 4.5 hours of instruction; Missouri and Ohio do not count days at all. Two sessions on the same date are one day.
How do I count hours? Does a 40-minute lesson count as an hour?
Hours are minutes of instruction added up, so a 40-minute lesson is 0.67 hours and three 20-minute lessons are exactly one hour. Rounding every lesson up to an hour overstates the year; a log in minutes is accurate and takes no more effort.
Do field trips, co-ops and sports count?
The laws set totals and subjects; none of them lists which activities count, so families decide in good faith and write down what was learned. In Missouri, core-subject hours away from home count toward the 1,000 and the 600 but not toward the 400 at the regular homeschool location. In Georgia, the day counts only if the instruction reached 4.5 hours.
How long should I keep homeschool records?
Georgia names three years for the progress reports. Missouri names no period; HSLDA suggests two full years for elementary and middle school and all four high school years indefinitely. Keep every high school year everywhere: the transcript, with its hours and grades by course, comes from these records.
We started in the middle of the year. When is the paperwork due?
New York: the letter of intent within 14 days of starting. Georgia: the Declaration of Intent within 30 days. Ohio: the notification within five calendar days. Pennsylvania: the affidavit before you start. Missouri: nothing.
Does My Award Tracker file anything for me?
No. It keeps the daily log, counts the days and hours against your state’s targets and prints the year record. You file what your state asks for, the way it asks, and hand the record to your evaluator or keep it at home.