Colorado Homeschool Laws

1. Homeschooling under Colorado’s homeschool statute.
2. Independent school.
3. Certified teacher.

Homeschooling under Colorado’s homeschool statute.

• Decide who will homeschool your child. Instruction must be provided by a parent, guardian, or adult relative designated by a parent.
• Notify a state school district that you are homeschooling. Parents must provide 14 days’ notice before starting a home-based education program, and must do so again each year. This notice can be sent to any school district in Colorado and must include the name, age, address, and hours of attendance of the child being taught.
• Teach the required subjects. Parents must provide 172 days of instruction, an average of four hours per day, in the following subjects: U.S. Constitution, reading, writing, speaking, math, history, civics, literature, and science.
• Keep reliable records. Unlike some other states, Colorado requires homeschooling parents to maintain attendance records, immunization records, and test and evaluation results. The school district where you send your original notice of intent to homeschool is legally allowed to request access to these documents under certain conditions.
• Administer tests/evaluations. Students are required to be assessed with a nationally standardized achievement test or by a “qualified person” to determine whether they’ve made sufficient academic progress. Children must be tested or evaluated in grades 3, 5, 7, 9, and 11. If you opt for an evaluation rather than a standardized test, one of the following must conduct the evaluation:
  • A Colorado certified teacher
  • A teacher employed by a private school
  • A licensed psychologist
  • A person with a graduate degree in education

Independent school. By law, children in Colorado are allowed to be enrolled in established “independent schools” in which parents teach their children at home under the independent schools’ supervision. Two or more homeschool families can establish their own independent school by keeping records and providing the required instruction, as well as complying with other statutory requirements.

Certified teacher. If your child’s instructor, whether it’s you as the parent or someone else, holds a valid Colorado teaching certificate, you are not required to notify, assess, or comply with other requirements.

Here you’ll find websites for any questions you may have about education in the state of Colorado.

• Colorado Department of Education: https://www.cde.state.co.us/
• Colorado Education Association: https://www.coloradoea.org/
• The Colorado Education Initiative: https://www.coloradoedinitiative.org/
• Great Education Colorado: https://www.greateducation.org/
• List of Colorado school districts: https://ballotpedia.org/List_of_school_districts_in_Colorado

Whether you already homeschool in Colorado or are looking to do so, these resources are quite useful if you’re searching for support, co-ops, or answers to questions about homeschooling in your state.

• ArkValley Homeschoolers: https://www.facebook.com/groups/755099651175919/
• Christian Home Educators of Colorado: https://chec.org/
• Christian Homeschoolers of Pueblo: https://www.facebook.com/groups/christianhomeschoolersofpueblo
• Colorado Heritage: https://www.coloradoheritage.org/
• Colorado Secular Homeschoolers: https://www.facebook.com/groups/406172546208294/
• Colorado Springs Homeschool Families: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1428408444135638/
• Denver Unschoolers: https://denverunschoolers.boards.net/
• Douglas County Catholic Home Educators: https://www.dcchomeschool.com/
• Family Academy of Christian Education: https://www.faceschool.org/
• High Country Home Educators: https://www.hche.org/
• Johnston/Milliken Homeschoolers: https://www.facebook.com/groups/894482560627128/
• Longmont Homeschoolers: https://www.facebook.com/groups/LongmontHomeschoolers/
• Montrose Homeschool Corner: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1468572003401269/
• Northern Colorado Homeschoolers: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1444884432456992/
• Parker Christian Home Educators: https://www.homeschool-life.com/co/pche/
• Pueblo Eclectic Homeschoolers: https://www.facebook.com/groups/763332570393338/
• R-HOM Homeschooling Support Group: https://r-hom.com/
• Rocky Mountain Education Connection: https://rockymountaineducationconnection.com/
• Rocky Mountain Homeschoolers: https://rockymountainhomeschool.org/
• Velocity Recreation (homeschool sports): https://www.velocitycolorado.com/

One of the many benefits of homeschooling is the flexibility to explore! Here are some ideas for amazing–and educational–field trips around the great state of Colorado!

• Black American West Museum: Denver, CO
• Boulder History Museum: Boulder, CO
• Buell Children’s Museum: Pueblo, CO
• Buffalo Bill Museum and Grave: Golden, CO
• Challenger Learning Center of Colorado: Colorado Springs, CO
• Cheyenne Mountain Zoo: Colorado Springs, CO
• Children’s Museum of Denver: Denver, CO
• Children’s Museum of Durango: Durango, CO
• Cripple Creek and Victor Narrow Gauge Railroad: Cripple Creek, CO
• Crow Canyon Archaeological Center: Cortez, CO
• Denver Museum of Nature and Science: Denver, CO
• Denver Zoo: Denver, CO
• Dinosaur Ridge: Morrison, CO
• Environmental Nature Center: Newport Beach, CO
• Fiske Planetarium and Science Center: Boulder, CO
• Florissant Fossil Beds: Florissant, CO
• Garden of the Gods: Colorado Springs, CO
• Mesa Verde National Park: Mesa Verde National Park, CO
• Mollie Kathleen Gold Mine: Cripple Creek, CO
• Museum of Western Colorado: Grand Junction, CO
• National Museum of WWII Aviation: Colorado Springs, CO
• Pueblo Nature and Raptor Center: Pueblo, CO
• Pueblo Zoo: Pueblo, CO
• Red Rocks Park and Amphitheater: Morrison, CO
• Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge: Commerce City, CO
• Rocky Mountain Dinosaur Resource Center: Woodland Park, CO
• Rocky Mountain National Park: Estes Park, CO
• Space Foundation Discovery Center: Colorado Springs, CO
• U.S. Olympic Training Center: Colorado Springs, CO
• WOW! Children’s Museum: Lafayette, CO