Connecticut homeschool law for high school: graduation, diploma and records

Home instruction rests on C.G.S. § 10-184, which lets a parent show that a child is 'elsewhere receiving equivalent instruction' in the required subjects, and § 10-184b bars the Commissioner of Education from using waiver powers to limit that authority. The Department of Education's notice of intent and annual portfolio review come from State Board of Education procedures adopted in 1990 and circulated in Circular Letter C-14 (1994), which the department calls 'suggested procedures'; they are guidance, not statute. Public Act 26-37 (H.B. 5468), signed May 26, 2026, replaces this framework with 'parent-managed learning' from July 1, 2027.

Conn. Gen. Stat. § 10-184; Conn. Gen. Stat. § 10-184b; CSDE Circular Letter C-14 (July 15, 1994), in Home Schooling Information Packet; Conn. Pub. Act 26-37

The law as of September 29, 2026.

Connecticut at a glance

As of September 29, 2026

Notice to the state: No notice required
No statute currently requires notice. The department's suggested procedures ask parents to file a notice of intent (teacher's name, subjects, days of instruction, methods of assessment) with the superintendent within 10 days of starting, and the department's web page asks parents to contact the district; neither is a statutory duty. Under Public Act 26-37, from July 1, 2027 a parent withdrawing a child from public school for parent-managed learning must appear in person, sign a withdrawal form and wait for a DCF records check of every adult in the home, and from the 2028-2029 school year must file an intent to educate form with the district by October 1 each year (or within 14 days of moving into a district).CSDE Circular Letter C-14, Part III (A)-(E); CSDE, Homeschooling in Connecticut; Conn. Pub. Act 26-37, § 1 (§ 10-184(c), (e)(2))
Records the law asks for: None required by law
No statute requires a home instructor to keep or submit records. The department suggests, as 'best practice', keeping a log of attendance showing days and hours of instruction and a portfolio for each child with work samples, a log of books and materials and any national assessment results. Public Act 26-37 does not add a record-keeping requirement.CSDE, Homeschooling in Connecticut; Conn. Pub. Act 26-37
Testing or evaluation: None required by law
No statute requires testing or evaluation. The department's suggested procedures describe an annual portfolio review with school officials 'to determine if instruction in the required courses has been given'; this is guidance, and the review does not evaluate test results.CSDE Circular Letter C-14, Part III (F)
Graduation requirements: None set by the state
Connecticut sets no graduation or credit requirements for home instruction; the credit requirements in § 10-221a govern public school diplomas. Section 10-184 requires instruction in reading, writing, spelling, English grammar, geography, arithmetic, United States history and citizenship, including a study of town, state and federal governments.Conn. Gen. Stat. § 10-184; Conn. Gen. Stat. § 10-221a
Diploma: Issued by: parent
No statute provides for a home school diploma; in practice the parent issues it. The department states that it 'neither recognizes credits nor credentials' earned through homeschooling and that the route to an official high school diploma for a homeschooled individual is to pass the GED test.CSDE, Homeschooling in Connecticut
Compulsory school ages: Age 5 to under 18, unless the child is a high school graduate. A parent may delay a 5-year-old to age 6 and a 6-year-old to age 7 by signing an option form in person at the district office; a 17-year-old may be withdrawn to an adult education program and a student 18 or older may withdraw. Public Act 26-37 keeps the 5 to under 18 range from July 1, 2027.Conn. Gen. Stat. § 10-184; Conn. Pub. Act 26-37, § 1 (§ 10-184(b), (c)(2))

The legal options for homeschooling in Connecticut

Equivalent instruction at home (law in force until June 30, 2027)C.G.S. § 10-184 requires a child aged 5 to under 18 to attend public school unless the parent 'is able to show that the child is elsewhere receiving equivalent instruction in the studies taught in the public schools'. The statute sets no notice, record, testing or teacher-qualification requirement for this option. Basis: statuteConn. Gen. Stat. § 10-184; Conn. Gen. Stat. § 10-184b
Parent-managed learning (from July 1, 2027)Public Act 26-37 rewrites § 10-184 from July 1, 2027 so that a parent must cause a child to enroll in public school, attend a nonpublic school, or 'be instructed through parent-managed learning', defined as education managed by a parent or guardian in a setting other than a public or nonpublic school. It adds a supervised withdrawal process from July 1, 2027 and an annual intent to educate form from the 2028-2029 school year. Basis: statuteConn. Pub. Act 26-37, § 1 (amending Conn. Gen. Stat. § 10-184)

What Connecticut law means for your transcript

No Connecticut statute defines a high school credit for home instruction; counting a 120-hour course as one credit is a common convention, not a requirement.
The department says a district is not required to award graduation credit for home instruction in grades 9 to 12 if the student re-enrolls (it cites § 10-221a), so course descriptions and work samples are worth keeping as practice.
The subjects listed in § 10-184 are the only statutory curriculum, so high school course titles, levels and grading scales on the transcript are the parent's choice.
The department names the GED as the route to an official diploma; a parent-issued diploma and transcript are the custom for college applications.

Recent changes to Connecticut homeschool law

Public Act 26-37 (Substitute H.B. 5468, 'An Act Concerning the Provision of Parent-Managed Learning') was approved May 26, 2026. Section 1 rewrites § 10-184 effective July 1, 2027: it creates 'parent-managed learning', requires a parent withdrawing a child from public school for it to appear in person and sign a withdrawal form that does not take effect until a DCF records check of each adult in the home is completed (a withdrawal is blocked if an adult is on the child abuse and neglect registry or under current DCF investigation), and, from the 2028-2029 school year, requires an annual intent to educate form by October 1. Sections 2, 3 and 5 took effect July 1, 2026 (department forms due by July 1, 2027; nonpublic schools must file annual attendance reports; DCF disclosure to boards for the records check), and section 4 (state data on parent-managed learning) takes effect July 1, 2027. The House removed portfolio and assessment requirements from the bill before passage.

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What we could not confirm

These points could not be checked against the statute or regulation text, so treat them with care:

The department's FAQ page (portal.ct.gov/sde/homeschooling/homeschooling-in-connecticut/faq) did not render for automated reading; department positions come from its main homeschooling page and the Circular Letter C-14 packet.
Circular Letter C-14 is dated 1994 and reproduces the 1990 State Board policy with ages 7 to 16; we could not confirm whether the department has issued a newer version, and the packet we read was compiled for 2013-14.
We did not find a Connecticut statute on home school graduates' admission to public colleges or state aid; college_access is null on that basis.
HSLDA's description of the 2026 bill history (House amendment LCO 4428 removing portfolio and assessment requirements) comes from HSLDA; the enacted text of Public Act 26-37 was read directly and contains no portfolio or assessment requirement.

Sources

General information about Connecticut law as of September 29, 2026, not legal advice. Laws change, so check the statute before you rely on it. Found an error? Email [email protected].