Colorado homeschool laws require the following items:

1. School attendance is compulsory for all children from ages 6-16

2. Homeschool children must complete an average of 4 hours of instruction each day for 172 days each school year.

3. 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.

4. 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.

5. 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.

6. Homeschool students who want to transfer into a public school may be tested by the school district to determine grade level placement.

7. 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.

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