In Connecticut, all children 5 to 18 years old must attend classes, unless they have already graduated from high school. A parent may personally appear in the school district office and sign an option form for their 5- or 6-year old to opt out of school. A student may drop out of school at age 16, but the parent must personally appear in the school district office and sign a withdrawal form, according to General Statute § 10-184. In addition, students are required to have 180 days of instruction per year.
Connecticut requires the following subjects to be taught: reading, writing, spelling, English grammar, geography, arithmetic, United States history, and citizenship, including a study of local, state, and federal governments. Although not required, suggested additional subjects are health and science.
In Connecticut General Statute § 10-220, it is mandadted that local boards determine that each child is fulfilling the terms of Connecticut General Statute § 10-184. The specifics of the procedures that local boards follow to make this determination are not dictated by state law. However, the right of local boards to implement procedures that prove a homeschooler is abiding by the law is supported by state law.
The State Board of Education, in 1990, issued a general recommendation for the procedures local state boards should follow in order to make the determination required by law. Most local boards follow those procedures, while a few local boards may ask for additional materials to prove that state law is being fulfilled.
The procedures require parents to file a "Notice of Intent" and submit to an annual portfolio review. If parents fail to follow these procedures, the child will be declared in violation of truancy laws.
Within 10 days of beginning to homeschool, parents must file a notice of intent with the local school superintendent. In it, parents must state their intention to homeschool their child, the teacher's name, the subjects in the curriculum, the days of instruction, and how the teacher will assess the child's progress. This notice will remain in effect for one year.
Alternately, if the child is under 7, the parent may appear in the local school district office and file an form to opt out of school, and if the child is 16 or older, the parent may appear in the local school district office and file a withdrawal form.
In Connecticut, homeschoolers must attend an annual portfolio review every spring. The point of the review is to verify that the parent has been schooling the child as outlined in the Notice of Intent. The reviewer does not judge the quality of education, only that the child is being educated. Suggested materials to bring include one or two examples of work from each subject listed in the Notice of Intent. Standardized testing is not required for homeschooled children.
The law does not require local, regional and state boards to provide any special education or related services to those students who are being educated at private school or home.