Legal Requirements
for 
Homeschooing in Connecticut

Connecticut

Connecticut is a very homeschool-friendly state

Traditional Homeschooling in Connecticut

Vaccination Requirements:  None
State Mandated Subjects:  Yes

Connecticut is unique because there are two different documents that influence how a family homeschools.  The first is the actual Connecticut law.  The second is a document called the Guidelines and, although it is not law, it seeks to establish procedures as to how a family is "to show" that their child is receiving the required "equivalent instruction" and therefore, many home school families do follow its strongly worded suggestions.

In regards to the law, Connecticut is both simple and specific.  Connecticut law merely requires that parents of children between the ages of seven (7) to sixteen (16)  be able to show that their child is receiving  "equivalent instruction" to "studies taught in the public schools."

The parents are to "instruct them or cause them to be instructed" in

• reading
• writing
• spelling
• English grammar
• geography
• arithmetic
• United States history
• citizenship - including a study of the town, state, and federal governments

Where things get less straightforward is the shift from being able to show equivalency  to the Department of Education's statement that "local boards of education must determine whether or not such a child is receiving equivalent instruction as required by Section 10-220."

The guidelines, referred to as procedures, were established to "assist parents and local boards of education to work together in such a way as to assure children receive the education to which they are entitled by law. We would deem compliance with these suggested procedures as satisfying the requirements of Sections 10-184 and 10-220 of the General Statutes." 
(taken from http://www.sde.ct.gov/sde/lib/sde/pdf/curriculum/homeschool/home_schooling_information_packet_2013_14.pdf, page 2 on December 5, 2017.)

Not all families follow these procedures.  They do not see the request for them as being in accordance with the law.    "If your child has never attended public school, as a homeschooling family in Connecticut you don't have to "do" anything. Just homeschool. Unless you are contacted by a school district, at which time you can consider the information they are contacting you with, and about. Most families who have never enrolled their children in school, do not hear from a school district. "(http://www.ct-cheer.com/legalinfo.htm; 11/28/2017)

Having said that, although the  request for documentation is not written in the law, many homeschooling families do follow the procedures as put forward by the  Connecticut State Department of  Education.  Compliance requires essentially  two things annually:  1.  Mail a Notice of Intent (NOI) to the school district where the child lives.  The NOI is effective for only one (1) school year and should be filed ten (10) days prior to the start of your family's homeschool instruction - not the district's calendar.  A complete form will be one that provides basic program information including name of teacher, subjects to be taught and days of instruction, and the teacher's methods of assessment.  2.  Prepare and, quite likely, present a portfolio to the school district near the end of the academic year.

In regard to the  Notice of Intent, Teach CT provides a Notice of Intent form.  They also provide instruction for completing the Notice of Intent.

More specifically -

• for children under seven no interaction with the school district is required
• Children withdrawing from public school in order to be homeschooled need to be officially withdrawn in written form.  Teach CT provides recommendations and forms for doing so here.  The Letter of Withdrawal should be followed up with a Notice of Intent form
• Teach CT recommends that students 7 to 16 years of age annually submit a Notice of Intent form.

If you do file a Notice of Intent, the school district will probably want to set up an appointment with you at the end of the school year to conduct a Portfolio Review. The school district will contact you.  The meeting is very short - approximately 15 minutes.  Its sole purpose is to to determine if instruction in the required courses has been given - that you did, indeed, cover the subject matter you initially committed to teach in your NOI.    Some school districts do not contact parents for the Portfolio Review. 

TEACH CT clearly states:  "The Portfolio Review requires  providing a one-page example of each subject taught. There is to be no evaluation of the student’s academic progress or standardized test results, and no review of the curriculum you use.  Prepare for this meeting in case you are in a less than supportive of homeschooling school district.  Teach Ct's Tips for Conducting a Portfolio Review."

The reason for submitting a NOI is because of the State Recommended Guidelines for Homeschooling generated by the Connecticut State Board of Education.

In regards to the "Guidelines"  Teach Ct states:
 
"Please note that the ... guidelines are suggested procedures, not the law.  School districts vary in their attitude about the necessity of homeschoolers filing a Notice of Intent.  Many of them respect the choice of a family not to file, and some of them do not.  It is the position of the HSLDA and TEACH that since the guidelines were part of a good faith agreement between the State and home school representatives, every effort should be made to abide by them, referencing the following scriptures:  "if it is possible, leave at peace with everyone ... submit yourselves to the governing authorities...  He who rebels against authorities is rebelling against what God has instituted." (Romans 3:1-3)."   https://www.teachct.org/site/assets/files/1032/the_guidelines_with_new_age_requirements.pdf on 11/28/2017.

"However,  be aware that a few school districts are less accomodating, and will pressure, if not outright threaten, a family with action if they do not file the Notice of Intent form. Some families have not complied with this sort of threat, and they have had DCF at their door. In the past, CT homeschool families have had some challenging experiences. For families that have their children enrolled in school, who deliver a Letter of Withdrawal, some of them are being threatened into filing. If they do not file, after demands from their school district to do so, they are reported to DCF.  This is not common, but it has happened. " 

Steps for Filing a Notice of Intent (from TeachCT)

1. Complete one (1) form per child, 7 to 16 years old.  A school district should not accept or require a Notice of Intent for any child younger than seven years of age or older than sixteen years.  
2. Make a photo copy of the completed, signed form(s) for your records.
3. Mail the original form(s) by Certified Mail and request a return receipt.  Send it to the Superintendent's office.  When you receive the receipt back in the mail, staple it to your copy of the NOI to keep for your own records.

What the State Guidelines require: 

A. Parents must* file with the superintendent of schools in the town in which they reside a notice of intent form which provides basic information about the program to be provided to their child. A notice of Intent will be effective for up to one school year. (Teach CT takes exception to the language of "must" in a guideline.)
 
B. Filing must* occur within ten days of the start of the home instruction program. (per above.)
 
C. The school district will* receive the notice of intent, check it for completeness and keep it as part of the district’s permanent records. A complete form will be one which provides basic program information including name of teacher, subjects to be taught and days of instruction, and the teacher’s methods of assessment. 
 
D. A parent, by filing a notice of intent, acknowledges full responsibility for the education of their child in accordance with the requirements of state law. Receipt of a notice of intent in no way constitutes approval by a school district of the content or effectiveness of a program of home instruction. 
 
E. If a parent fails to file a notice of intent or files an incomplete form then a certified letter shall be sent to the parent requesting compliance within ten days. 
 
F. An annual portfolio review will be held with the parents and school officials to determine if instruction in the required courses has been given. 
 
G. Any continued refusal by the parent to comply with the reasonable request of the school district for completion and filing of the notice of intent, or to participate in an annual portfolio review may cause the child to be considered truant** .  (Teach CT  notes:  " truancy does not apply to 'any child receiving equivalent instruction'—which is homeschooling.  Again, know and keep handy copies of the law—do not assume school officials know the law". )
 
H. A school district should not accept nor require a notice of intent for any child younger than seven years or older than sixteen years. 
 
I. The school district shall record the number of students instructed at home on the appropriate form issued by the State Department of Education.(the above information comes from https://www.teachct.org/ct-law/c-14-guidelines/ accessed on 11/28/2017.)

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