As the regulations show, the main requirement placed by CT on homeschoolers is to attend a portfolio review in the spring of each year. The purpose of this review is to merely determine that you have been doing the schooling promised in the Notice of Intent. It is NOT to evaluate your work.

While some school districts have asked for more than the guidelines require, don't be intimidated by them. Know the rules and insist that everyone play by them. Some towns HAVE asked for more than the CT Guidelines require which is their right as the Guidelines are only recommendations. HOWEVER by doing so the town will be opposing the State who may not feel kindly about this and may not support them in this. Feel free to contact other homeschoolers, support group members or leaders if you feel the need for advice or encouragement. In particular, your children do not need to be present (probably shouldn't be there) and you should not just drop off your materials for them to review alone.
If you still have any questions about the portfolio process, feel free to contact us and we'll see if we can clarify things.

Karol Ann has written a nice review of the portfolio process. Her review follows.

Connecticut state guidelines call for an annual portfolio review for each homeschooled student. What is required? What judgments can your reviewer make?

Do not be overwhelmed by the situation. If you are confident and calm you will do fine. All you need to do is demonstrate that teaching is happening. Your reviewer is not supposed to make a judgment of the quality of the learning or the curriculum you use. That is what the guideline specifies. The most likely thing that will happen is that the reviewer will look at whatever materials you bring in noncommittally and thank you for coming. Or s/he will make positive comments. Many cannot help making suggestions. Some can even be useful. You can listen politely, but if you disagree strongly you can point out that you are following the state guideline.

The minimum of material is needed. Check your letter of intent for a listing of which subjects are required and bring only one or two samples of work from each. You might also like to take samples for the recommended subjects, science and health. Before you decide how much to bring, consider that bringing too much material could set a precedent for other homeschoolers and end up forcing them to meet your standard. Having said that, we'll note that some additional materials we like to bring are lists of field trips, outside classes, and books read. However, these are not required and you can see where they could be a problem for certain families if they were required. Some particularly self-confident families have actually made it through reviews with NO material in hand at all. We do not suggest this unless you plan your presentation in advance and know it is sufficient to satisfy your reviewer.

It is very unlikely that you will run into a hostile reviewer. If s/he does comment negatively on your homeschool, s/he is out of line and you can POLITELY point out why you disagree with his/her negative comments and state that you are following the state guideline. Of course, if you are in the presence of a negative reviewer, the less you say, the better. If your reviewer actually makes any kind of threatening statement, ask for it in writing so that you can show it to your legal counsel. Even if you have no legal counsel, asking will make the reviewer think twice and make sure s/he is within the law before proceeding. If you belong to HSLDA, consult with them or you can approach the ACLU, which supports the right of parents to homeschool.

If you encounter a hostile reviewer who demands materials that are clearly outside the guideline (such as standardized test results), feel free to call the state Department of Education. Once you have shown your local district that you are serious about what you are doing and that you know and will stand up for your rights, it is unlikely they will try to curtail your right to homeschool in the future.

We went through a dozen portfolio reviews (our youngest is above 16 so we are done with them now). Each year it seems we brought less and less material. You will likely do the same. The more comfortable you get with the process, the less threatened you feel, and the less defensive you will become. Your confident attitude, and the familiarity your reviewer has with you, will make up for any lack of material.