"Helping families to home school in knowledge and confidence."

The Excelsior Academy (TEA) serves families who are home schooling their children, primarily in the states of Maryland and Pennsylvania. TEA also works with families living overseas who want to comply with their state's homeschool provisions and obtain documentation of their students' work. TEA is a nonpublic entity registered with the Maryland State Department of Education to supervise the education of students enrolled in home education programs.

In addition to enabling families to comply with the legal requirements of their state of residence, TEA provides knowledgeable consultation, curriculum planning, support, and problem-solving to parents and students in their home education endeavor. High school diplomas and transcripts are awarded to students who meet the graduation requirements set forth by their state education agency and The Excelsior Academy. TEA also hosts the Historic Gettysburg Home School Graduation Ceremony to recognize its seniors each June.

Maryland families can choose from three enrollment options depending on their needs and homeschool experience. TEA also offers an Associate Member option for families who want to take advantage of TEA's support services, especially its high school and college resources, but receive their review and legal oversight from their county board of education or another oversight program.

Contact TEA for more information on these various options and visit our Maryland Services link.

Pennsylvania families can benefit from using TEA's evaluation services in order to comply with the PA homeschool law, and TEA's counseling services to support their homeschool endeavor. Pennsylvania families should visit our PA Services link and contact TEA at the special email address for PA Families, pa-evals@comcast.net. Having homeschooled her children in PA and advocated on homeschoolers' behalf with both the PA State legislature and Department of Education, Wendy Bush is well-equipped to help you comply with the PA homeschool law and advocate for you if your school district does not approve your portfolio or attempts to impose unauthorized requirements.

TEA Executive Director Wendy J. Bush has worked in the home education field for over twenty years and served thousands of students. She is a elementary and secondary teacher, former journalist, legislative liaison, and state-level support group leader. She has successfully home educated her children from kindergarten to graduation, with both receiving full scholarships and acceptance into the honors program of their first choice colleges.

High School and College Admissions Counseling:

High school and college admissions counseling services are TEAs specialties. TEA is a member of numerous education and college admissions organizations and works closely with students, parents and colleges to enable a successful transition from high school to college. Contact TEA for more information on high school and college admission counseling services.