HOMESCHOOLING IN COLORADO & HOMESCHOOL LAWS
You may be considering homeschooling in Colorado, but don’t know where to start regarding Colorado homeschooling laws. This guide will walk you through what you need to know to successfully set up your own program under Colorado law. We’ll cover the history of homeschooling in Colorado, current homeschool law and regulations, required notifications and filings, curriculum and testing choices, high school transcripts, extracurricular activities, graduation requirements, and special education services.
History of Homeschooling in Colorado
In 1973, the Colorado law regarding compulsory attendance was revised to allow homeschooling under state board-approved systems. Prior to 1980, the state board had no official homeschool requirements under Colorado law. By 1980, homeschooling laws in Colorado were established, mandating parents without teaching certificates to use state-approved correspondence courses or seek permission for their chosen curriculum from the Colorado school district. Some districts refused approval, leading to truancy charges for non-compliance of Colorado law.
In the 1980s, dissatisfaction persisted among some Colorado homeschooling families who viewed the homeschooling laws as too stringent. This prompted further legislative action, resulting in a proposed Colorado homeschool law (Senate Bill 56) in early 1988. The bill underwent contentious debate, leading to amendments addressing concerns over accountability and child welfare. Ultimately, in 1988, a new Colorado homeschool law was signed establishing regulations for homeschooling in Colorado that have endured for over two decades.
In the early 1990s, Colorado enacted more homeschooling laws, including one homeschool law in 1993 allowing homeschool students the right to participate on an equal basis as public school students in extracurricular activities. In 1994, Colorado homeschool law (Senate Bill 4) introduced changes allowing homeschooling parents to opt for portfolio evaluation instead of standardized testing. Despite the longevity of Colorado homeschool laws, dissatisfaction remained. In 2008, the Delegate Assembly of the Colorado Association of School Boards advocated for improvements to Colorado homeschool laws due to recognized shortcomings and associated issues.
See Reference here.
Current Colorado Homeschool Laws and Regulations
Colorado’s compulsory education laws require all children between the ages of 6 and 17 to attend public school or a private, independent school or umbrella school, or home-based educational program. These requirements and truancy enforcement apply universally, whether a student is enrolled in a traditional school district or following a homeschool curriculum under Colorado homeschool laws.
To meet the Colorado homeschool laws’ definition of a “qualified home-based educational program,” Colorado homeschool laws stipulate that a program must provide a minimum of 172 days of instruction per school year, averaging at least 4 instructional hours per day. The homeschool curriculum must also cover core academic areas including communication skills of reading, writing, and speaking, mathematics, history, civics, literature, science, and regular courses of instruction in the constitution of the United States. Teaching must be done by a parent, legal guardian, or adult relative designated by the parent to homeschool in Colorado.
As long as these basic hourly and subject matter Colorado homeschooling requirements are satisfied, homeschooling families have wide latitude to choose their desired curriculum and methods of instruction to begin homeschooling. Colorado homeschool laws take a very hands-off regulatory approach.
How to Set Up a Homeschool In Colorado
To legally establish a homeschool program in Colorado, parents must follow this two-step process in accordance with homeschooling laws:
Step 1: Submit the notice of intent or homeschool letter of intent to the school district where you reside, or enroll in an independent school or umbrella school, such as the CHEC Independent School. The homeschool letter of intent must be submitted at least 14 days before beginning homeschool instruction or withdrawing a child from public schooling. Most Colorado districts have an online letter of intent form or homeschool website where parents can easily complete this notification. According to homeschooling laws, the following is required to start your homeschooling journey:
Names, ages, place of residence for each homeschooled student.
Number of planned instructional hours per day and days per academic year.
Curriculum details or the name of the independent school (umbrella school) providing materials.
Location where the homeschool instruction will take place.
Names of any teachers for students under age 7.
Step 2: Research and access homeschool resources, organizations, an independent school or umbrella school, and support networks. Excellent statewide resources include:
If moving to Colorado from another state, families only need to complete the fourteen days written notice of intent– no need to transfer any previous school records. If they are enrolling in one of the umbrella schools, a letter of intent is not required. The homeschool law also does not require homeschool parents or instructors to hold any teaching credentials or certifications.
In addition to the notice of intent requirements, families are highly encouraged to connect with local and regional homeschool programs, Colorado co-ops, or an umbrella school to learn more about how to homeschool in Colorado. These communities provide invaluable guidance for homeschool success, shared resources, social opportunities and support regarding the homeschool law.
Maintaining Your Colorado Homeschool
Once the initial 14-day notice of intent has been submitted to the school district, homeschool laws in Colorado place no further documentation requirements under the homeschool law. No additional paperwork, filings, or ongoing proof of attendance or making sufficient academic progress is legally mandated.
Although you aren’t required to purchase curriculum under homeschool laws, Colorado expects you to teach the core academic subjects at every grade level: language arts, history, science, and math.
It is strongly advisable that families homeschooling keep extremely thorough records and portfolios documenting curriculum, attendance logs, student work samples by grade level, evaluation results, progress reports, and achievement. Maintaining these records when you homeschool in Colorado serves several important purposes:
It demonstrates compliance with the homeschool law requiring 172 days and 4 hours per day of instruction should that ever be questioned.
It creates an academic transcript and body of evidence to facilitate smooth transitions if a student ever re-enrolls in public/private school.
It builds a credible record of high school courses and academic qualifications for college admissions or career/vocational pursuits.
In essence, meticulous record-keeping benefits the family and protects the student’s future educational and professional opportunities. Do not rely solely on verbal assurances from districts – maintain your own records.
Colorado Homeschool Reporting Requirements
Records for each child participating in a home program must be kept on a permanent basis by the parent who is overseeing the program in accordance with homeschool law.
The records must include, but are not limited to, attendance, test scores and evaluation results, and immunization records as required by non public school law.
The records must be produced and provided to the school district where you provide written notification, not the state of Colorado, at the school district’s request.
Students that are participating in a home school program must have academic progress evaluated in grades 3, 5, 7, 9, and 11. Students are not required to take the state standardized test, but can take a nationally standardized test, or a person, as described in the non public school law, can be selected by the child’s parent to evaluate the student’s academic progress.
According to the non public school law, the assessments that home school students must take are either a nationally standardized achievement test or an evaluation of academic progress administered by a qualified person holding a current Colorado teaching license that the parent selects.
A qualified person is someone who is a CO licensed teacher, is a teacher in an independent or parochial school (umbrella school), is a licensed psychologist, or has a master’s degree in education.
Homeschool Testing In Colorado
Homeschooled students in Colorado are not mandated to undergo the state’s standardized tests or provide evaluation results, yet their parents can ask the local school district if they wish their child to partake. It’s important to note that Colorado-specific evaluations don’t satisfy the nationally standardized test requirement for home-schooled students. Examples of nationally standardized tests include the California Achievement Test (CAT), the Iowa Test of Basic Skills (ITBS), and the Stanford Achievement Test (SAT).
Funding Your Colorado Homeschool
Colorado offers limited financial support for homeschooling families. While the state does not provide direct funding specifically designated for homeschooling under any non public school law, there are certain resources and programs that may be available for your homeschool in Colorado:
Colorado offers tax credits for educational expenses, which may include homeschooling expenses. Families should consult with a tax professional to understand how these credits may apply to their situation.
Some online learning programs may be available to Colorado homeschoolers at no cost or reduced cost. These programs are typically administered through public school districts or charter schools.
Homeschooling students in Colorado may be eligible for scholarships or grants offered by private organizations or institutions. These opportunities vary, so families should research available scholarships and eligibility criteria.
Colorado provides access to various educational resources, including libraries, museums, and community organizations, which homeschooling families can utilize at little to no cost.
While Colorado does not provide funding specifically for curriculum, homeschooling families have the flexibility to choose resources that meet their educational goals and budget. There are many affordable or free curriculum options available online, as well as used curriculum exchanges and libraries.
Federal Tax Breaks
Homeschooling families may be eligible for certain federal tax benefits to help offset educational expenses. One option is a Coverdell Education Savings Account, which allows money to grow tax-free when used for qualified education costs. Homeschool parents might also be able to deduct a portion of mortgage interest or rent if part of the home is used regularly and exclusively for homeschooling. Finally, tax credits or deductions could be available for required books, supplies, equipment and curricula used for homeschool instruction. To learn more about these potential tax advantages, homeschooling families should review the information and resources provided by the IRS.
Colorado Immunization Requirements
Like students enrolled in any Colorado public or private school, homeschooled students must provide proof of required immunizations or official exemption forms to the local school district per the standard childhood vaccination schedule.
Colorado follows the immunization recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This includes vaccinations against diseases like measles, mumps, rubella, polio, hepatitis B and others. Homeschool parents must submit immunization records or completed exemption forms at the time of notification of intent to homeschool.
Colorado State Graduation Requirements
Colorado does not prescribe any specific credit, course, assessment or other requirements that homeschool students must meet in order to receive a high school diploma. Families have full discretion to determine their own graduation policies, child’s education, and internal assessments.
That said, families are advised to model Colorado homeschool programs credit and course requirements to generally align with traditional high school graduation standards. This provides credibility and ensures students are properly prepared if they ever transfer to a public or private high school setting. It also builds transcripts that meet typical admissions criteria for colleges and future educational endeavors.
Keep meticulous records – including awarding credits, grading systems, and cumulative GPAs – to build a transcript and confer an official homeschool diploma upon graduation that future institutions will recognize. This diligence ensures graduates have viable options.
Colorado Homeschool Charters
In addition to operating fully independent homeschools, such as the CHEC Independent School, Colorado families also have the option to enroll students in various public charter school and online education programs that blend aspects of homeschooling and traditional public schooling:
Colorado Connections Academy: Fully virtual K-12 public charter school with a Colorado licensed teacher providing instruction.
Pikes Peak Online School: Online public charter serving K-12 students in the Pikes Peak area.
Most of these blended models require participation in annual state standardized testing like the Colorado Measures of Academic Success exams and other assessments. But they offer alternative pathways for families that want to homeschool with some additional structure and support.
Local Colorado Homeschooling Resources
Each Colorado public school district has a designated homeschool coordinator who serves as the primary point of contact and support for families in that local area who want to start homeschooling.
Beyond the district level, Colorado offers a wide array of regional and community-based homeschool support groups such as the Rocky Mountain Education Connection, cooperatives (co-ops), academic programs, and other resources:
Colorado enrichment programs including field trips
Rocky Mountain Education Connection: This homeschool group focuses on the relaxed and unschooling methods of homeschooling.
Examples of local homeschool communities include:
A state homeschool organization
These local and regional organizations provide myriad services, including park days, field trips, group classes with other homeschoolers, student clubs and activities, special needs support, annual curriculum sales, homeschool graduations, standardized testing, and information about non public school law, and more.
Getting connected to local groups is invaluable for homeschool families. It provides social, academic, logistical, and moral support, as well as a sense of community to start homeschooling.
Colorado homeschooling families have a wealth of resources, organizational support, autonomy, and legal protections. By following the straightforward notification process, keeping detailed records, and tapping into local communities, parents are empowered to successfully homeschool their children and provide personalized educational experiences. Check with your local school board and official Colorado laws before making decisions about your student’s education.
