Put the student's name, the name of the homeschool and other paperwork required by the state into the first section of the binder that will serve as the portfolio. Some states have strict record keeping requirements, whereas other states have minimal record keeping requirements. Most states have rules that fall in the middle. Keep these items in one removable section, so that you can easily give them to government officials without turning over the entire portfolio.
Provide in the next section a copy of all permanent records --- such as standardized test scores, IQ records and immunization. This section should also include the child's entire academic transcript. Even if these documents overlap with the items required by the government, keep a copy in this section for the parent's use.
Incorporate learning objectives --- the most important section of the portfolio. A homeschool portfolio binder should include a section for learning objectives by year. At regular intervals, the homeschool parent should update the portfolio and indicate the child's progress relative to academic goals. The homeschool binder portfolio should provide a written record of whether or not the student met this year's learning objectives.
Include in the final section of the portfolio a permanent and comprehensive record of the content of the child's education --- course descriptions for everything that the child has been taught.
In some cases, a parent may choose to use a less formal method of recording the child's education --- for instance, work samples, parent narratives, photographs and certificates of participation. Separate each section in a manner that suits the homeschool's teaching style.
Structure the permanent and comprehensive records. A parent who structures her homeschool in a manner similar to the public school system will probably organize her child's permanent record by the child's grade, school year and subject.