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STATE OF CONNECTICUT GUIDELINES FOR HOMESCHOOLING

Homeschooling is legal in all 50 of the United States, however,the laws governing homeschooling differ from state to state. In Connecticut there are two main documents related to homeschooling that families should become familiar with:

The Law – CT General Statute 10-184 which deals with Compulsory Education and Compulsory Attendance and mandates that parents have the responsibility to care for and instruct their children, unless they arrange for someone else to provide such instruction.
The “Guidelines” – C-14 (or C-4) Guidelines which provides suggested procedures for Home Instruction in CT. The guidelines are not law.

These two documents sometimes cause confusion for people. Because of this, there are occasional inconsistencies in interpretation from one school district to another. Following are the recommendations of TEACH in accordance with the Homeschool Legal Defense Association (HSLDA) to help you understand CT State Homeschooling Laws and Guidelines.

In 1994, the State Board of Education, issued the C-14 Guidelines, which are the suggested procedures for homeschoolers and local school districts to follow. While these guidelines do not carry the force of law, they are viewed by the state as reasonable and the state expects homeschoolers to follow them. These procedures are deemed to satisfy the requirements of “equivalent instruction” under Sections 10-184 and 10-220 of the General Statutes.

It is the position of HSLDA and T.E.A.C.H. that since the guidelines were part of a good faith agreement between the State authorities and home school representatives, every effort should be made to abide by them:

"If it is possible,.. live at peace with everyone... submit yourself to the governing authorities.. he who rebels against authority is rebelling against what God has instituted" Romans 13:1-3- see also Ti 3:1-2, Heb 13:17, 1Tim 2:2, 1Peter 2:13-17

If a homeschooler could not in good conscience follow the guidelines because of their religious convictions, Public Act 93-252 could be used by the homeschooler as a defense. The court would then have to decide whether the guidelines are the "least restrictive means" of ensuring compliance with Section 10-184

If your child is not enrolled in school and is between the ages of 7 – 16yrs, we recommend filing a Notice of Intent Form. in accordance with the Guidelines. Suggestions for filling out a NOI can be found here. The NOI should be filed within 10 days of the start of a home instruction program, whenever the parents determine that is -- it does not need to follow the school calendar. Among other things, this form must include “name of teacher, subjects taught, days of instruction, and the teacher’s method of assessment.” This is the only information you should be asked to provide. Send the NOI form to your local superintendent “certified mail – return receipt requested.” Filing a NOI requires you to be available for a portfolio review at the end of the year, if (and only if) the school calls you for one. The limited purpose of the portfolio review is to “determine if instruction in the required courses has been given”. There is to be no evaluation of the student’s academic progress or standardized test results, and no review of curricular materials. Suggestions for conducting a portfolio review can be found here.

If your child is already attending public school and you are about to withdraw your child, you need to write a Letter of Withdrawal to the school superintendent before you begin homeschooling. In doing so, you break the bond with the school district for your child and they are no longer under the school's jurisdiction. Once your letter is prepared, it should be delivered in one of two ways:

1. Hand delivered to the school superintendent’s office, and have them sign and date it, giving you a photocopy, OR
2. Mailed “Certified Mail, Return Receipt Requested”.

In doing this, both you and the school district have documentation that the child is no longer enrolled in the public school system. No additional information is required. At this point, you have the option of filing a Notice of Intent (NOI) in accordance with the Guidelines, above.

For a brief summary outlining CT General Statute 10-184 and C-14 Guidelines, please visit the Homeschool Legal Defense Association HSLDA website.

We recommend becoming a member of both TEACH-CT (The Education Association of Christian Homeschoolers -CT) and HSLDA (Homeschool Legal Defense Association). TEACH membership affords a $20.00 discount to HSLDA.

STATE OF CONNECTICUT GUIDELINES FOR HOMESCHOOLING

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