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Colorado laws recognize the rights and
obligations of parents to educate their children
in the way that they choose. Colorado recognizes
homeschooling as a legitimate educational method
with proven results. Therefore, the state
statute recognizes the need to limit government
control over homeschooling.
While Colorado laws are not overly burdensome to
homeschoolers, they impose far more demands and
government controls than other states. Colorado
mandates many aspects of homeschooling including
the number of hours and days of attendance, the
subjects taught, annual notifications, minimum
test scores and record keeping.
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Colorado
homeschool laws require the following items:
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School attendance is compulsory for all children from ages 6-16
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Homeschool
children must complete an average of 4 hours of instruction each
day for 172 days each school year.
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Homeschool
subjects must include but are not limited to
communication skills of reading, writing and speaking,
mathematics, history, civics, literature, science and regular
courses of instruction in the constitution of the United States
as provided in section 22-1-108.
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Homeschool parents must provide written
notification to the local school district 14 days prior to the
start of each homeschooling year. The notice must provide the
name, age, place of residence and number of hours of attendance
of each child enrolled. Providing this notice of intent allows
parents to legally establish and operate a homeschool.
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Homeschool students must take standardized
achievement tests every other year, starting in grade 3 and
continuing until grade 11. Students scoring below the 13th
percentile are required to enroll in public school the following
school year. After enrolling in public school, if they are
tested and score above the 13th percentile, they may return to
homeschooling the following school year.
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Homeschool students who want to transfer into a
public school may be tested by the school district to determine
grade level placement.
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Homeschool parents are responsible for
maintaining permanent records which include attendance, test
scores and immunization records. These records are normally not
required to be submitted to the school superintendent unless the
superintendent suspects problems with a particular homeschool.
If records are requested, parents must provide them within 14
days.
Another option for homeschooling in Colorado is to enroll
in a private school that permits at-home instruction. In this
scenario, the subject and testing requirements are established by
the private school. Parents have no legal requirements regarding
attendance, teacher qualifications, school board notification, or
recordkeeping. However, the private school might impose their own
requirements.
A final option
for legally homeschooling under
Colorado state law is hiring a private tutor. The tutor must be teacher certified
and must teach the same subjects required for all homeschool parents. No
requirements exist regarding attendance, school board notification,
recordkeeping, or testing when using a private tutor.
See homeschool groups in Colorado
Colorado Department of Education
Colorado Legislative Information
Note: This
summary of Colorado homeschool law is
for information purposes only and not as legal advice. |