A Connecticut Field Guide · Updated for 2026

How to start homeschooling in Connecticut.

Connecticut trusts parents more than almost any state in the country - there is no form to file, no test to schedule, and no approval to wait for. Zero required filings. Eight subjects named in the statute. Compulsory ages 5 to 18. Here is how the 'equivalent instruction' standard of C.G.S. 10-184 actually works, in plain language and without the noise.

The Path · Getting Started

Five steps to begin homeschooling without filing a single form.

№ 01
01

Know the law you're standing on.

Connecticut's homeschool framework is one sentence of statute, not a stack of regulations. C.G.S. 10-184 makes parents responsible for their children's education and exempts any child 'receiving equivalent instruction elsewhere' from school attendance. There is no registration, no approval, and no state oversight body for homeschools.

What the statute does
  • Places the duty to educate on parents
  • Recognizes 'equivalent instruction elsewhere' as legal
  • Names the eight studies to be taught
  • Creates no filing or approval process
02

Withdraw - and know the C-14 form is optional.

If your child is enrolled in public school, send a short, dated withdrawal letter to the school and keep a copy. Some districts will hand you the C-14 notice-of-intent form at this point. You may file it if you wish - under the 1994 Suggested Procedures it creates a presumption of equivalent instruction - but it is voluntary guidance, not law, and a district cannot require it.

Your withdrawal letter should include
  • Child's name and grade
  • A clear statement of withdrawal & effective date
  • A line noting instruction will continue per C.G.S. 10-184
  • Your signature and the date - keep a copy
03

Plan instruction around the eight statutory studies.

The statute asks parents to instruct children in reading, writing, spelling, English grammar, geography, arithmetic, and United States history, including citizenship and the workings of town, state, and federal government. How you cover them - textbooks, online programs, co-ops, unit studies - is entirely your call. Connecticut does not approve or review curriculum.

Useful starting points
  • Connecticut Core Standards (optional benchmarks)
  • Local co-ops, learning pods & library programs
  • CT Homeschool Network's getting-started resources
  • Curriculum review sites like Cathy Duffy
04

Keep the records you're not required to keep.

No statute requires Connecticut homeschoolers to keep records - but the State Department of Education recommends them, and so do we. An attendance log, a portfolio of work samples, and a list of books and materials are your quiet proof of equivalent instruction, and they become the backbone of a high school transcript later on.

A sensible file
  • Attendance log of days & hours
  • Work samples, projects & assessments
  • Log of books and materials used
  • Course descriptions & grades for high schoolers
05

Decide on the voluntary portfolio review - and plan for high school.

The C-14 procedures also describe an annual portfolio review with the district - a short meeting to show work samples. Like the notice of intent, it is voluntary. Looking ahead: districts are not required to grant credit for homeschool work in grades 9-12, so if re-enrollment is possible down the road, talk to the district early and keep detailed records.

Worth knowing
  • Portfolio review is optional - you may decline
  • Parents issue the diploma & transcript
  • Districts decide their own credit policies for returners
  • The GED is the state-recognized credential route
The Law · Connecticut

One legal route - and it is a wide one.

№ 02

Homeschooling in Connecticut rests on C.G.S. 10-184, which makes parents responsible for instruction in reading, writing, spelling, English grammar, geography, arithmetic, and United States history and citizenship - and exempts any child 'receiving equivalent instruction elsewhere' from school attendance. The statute creates no filing or approval process; the C-14 'Suggested Procedures' notice and portfolio review are voluntary guidance, not law.

Option 01

Equivalent Instruction at Home

Connecticut's single legal route - and one of the freest in the nation, built on parental duty rather than paperwork.

  • No notice, registration, or approval required
  • Teach the eight studies named in the statute
  • No day count, hour count, or state testing
  • C-14 notice & portfolio review are strictly voluntary
  • Governed by C.G.S. 10-184
Requirements · Curriculum

The eight studies Connecticut writes into the statute.

№ 03

These come straight from the text of C.G.S. 10-184 - not from a regulation or a department checklist. Connecticut does not approve curriculum, set hours, or review your methods; it simply expects the year's instruction to include these studies.

01

Reading

Phonics, fluency, and comprehension across genres and grade levels.

02

Writing

Composition and expression, from first sentences to formal essays.

03

Spelling

Word study, patterns, and accuracy - the statute names it explicitly.

04

English Grammar

Sentence structure, usage, and the mechanics of clear English.

05

Geography

Maps, regions, and how people and places shape one another.

06

Arithmetic

Numeracy and computation, growing into broader mathematics.

07

United States History

The American story - chronology, primary sources, and context.

08

Citizenship

Town, state, and federal government - named in the statute itself.

0
Forms to file

Connecticut requires no notice, registration, or approval. The C-14 notice of intent exists, but it is voluntary.

8
Statutory studies

Reading, writing, spelling, English grammar, geography, arithmetic, U.S. history, and citizenship - per C.G.S. 10-184.

5-18
Compulsory ages

Parents may sign a district option form to delay the start for five- and six-year-olds; seventeen-year-olds may withdraw with parental consent.

$0
Cost to comply

No filing fees, no mandatory testing, no required evaluator. Legal compliance in Connecticut costs nothing.

Questions · Answered Honestly

Straight answers for families who keep hearing rumors

№ 04
No. The C-14 'Suggested Procedures' were adopted by the State Board of Education in 1990 and revised in 1994 as guidance for districts - they were never enacted as law or regulation. Filing the voluntary notice within 10 days of starting creates a presumption that you are providing equivalent instruction, and some families like having that on record. But a district cannot require it, condition your withdrawal on it, or treat you as truant simply for declining it.
No. Connecticut sets no qualifications whatsoever for homeschooling parents - no degree, no license, no minimum education level. C.G.S. 10-184 places the duty of instruction on parents and leaves the how entirely to you.
Yes. You can withdraw at any point in the year by delivering a short, dated withdrawal letter to the school and keeping a copy. Equivalent instruction under C.G.S. 10-184 begins when you do - there is no waiting period and no approval step. Mid-year withdrawals sometimes prompt a district to offer the voluntary C-14 paperwork; you may decline it.
No. There is no approval process in Connecticut - no application, no review, no sign-off. The voluntary portfolio review in the C-14 procedures is just that: voluntary. Districts have no statutory authority to monitor, inspect, or evaluate a homeschool program.
Not many are needed, but keep them anyway. The State Department of Education recommends an attendance log of days and hours, a portfolio of work samples and assessments, and a list of books and materials used. None of it is submitted to anyone - but it is your evidence of equivalent instruction if a question ever arises, and your raw material for a high school transcript.
No. CIAC - the body governing interscholastic athletics in Connecticut - requires athletes to be bona fide full-time students of the school they play for, which rules out varsity sports for homeschoolers. Proposed 'Tim Tebow' bills have not passed. Practical alternatives: town recreation leagues, club teams, and any intramural or non-CIAC activities your district chooses to open up.
Yes. Parents set graduation requirements and issue the diploma and transcript, and homeschool graduates go on to Connecticut colleges and beyond every year. Two honest caveats: the state does not accredit homeschools, and a district is not required to award credit for homeschool work if your child re-enrolls in grades 9-12. A student who wants a state-recognized credential can take the GED.
Not currently. Connecticut has no education savings account, voucher, or homeschool funding program as of 2026. The flip side is real independence: no funding strings, no curriculum approval, and no reporting. Watch current legislation, as school-choice bills do surface.
Resources · Connecticut

Where Connecticut families get their bearings

№ 05
Official - State

Connecticut State Department of Education

The state's homeschooling page - C.G.S. 10-184, the suggested (voluntary) procedures, and recordkeeping recommendations straight from CSDE.

Visit CSDE
Community - Statewide

CT Homeschool Network

Connecticut's statewide, inclusive homeschool organization - law and policy explainers, local group listings, and new-homeschooler support.

Visit CHN
Legal - National

Home School Legal Defense Association

Plain-language analysis of Connecticut law - including why the C-14 procedures are voluntary - plus member legal help if a district oversteps.

Read the Law
The Connecticut Getting Started Kit

The paperwork Connecticut doesn't require - done right anyway.

The Connecticut Getting Started Kit gives you clean, print-ready documents matched to how this state actually works: a proper withdrawal letter instead of a notice of intent, and records that quietly prove equivalent instruction under C.G.S. 10-184.

  • Connecticut Withdrawal Letter template - the one document that matters in a no-notice state; dated, signed, and citing C.G.S. 10-184's equivalent-instruction standard.
  • C-14 Decision One-Pager - what the voluntary notice and portfolio review are, what filing does and doesn't do, and polite language for declining.
  • Recordkeeping Log - attendance, hours, and materials tracking matched to CSDE's recommended (not required) practices.
  • Weekly Planning Template - built around the eight statutory studies, from reading and arithmetic to town-state-federal citizenship.
  • First 30 Days Roadmap - a day-by-day action plan from your withdrawal letter to your first full week of teaching.
Instant Digital Download
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Arrowstead Academy

Insights, tools, and inspiration to help you cultivate wisdom, curiosity, and character at home.

Arrowstead Academy provides educational information, not legal advice. Homeschool law changes; verify current requirements with the Connecticut State Department of Education and your school district, or consult an attorney. Statute citations reflect Connecticut law as of 2026.

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