Frequently Asked Questions about Home Schooling

Homeschool FAQs

What should I know about homeschooling?

• Homeschooling is deregulated in the state of Colorado. Therefore, the parent or guardian is taking on all the responsibility for the student's education including but not limited to the acquisition of books, supplies, tests, and maintaining permanent records. The parent assumes the role of the primary instructor.
• There is no public funding available for homeschool.
• Homeschooling falls under non-public education and is not accredited by the Colorado Department of Education or a local school district.
• A nonpublic, home-based education shall include no less than one hundred seventy-two days of instruction, averaging four instructional contact hours per day. (22-33-104.5(3)(c), C.R.S.)
• Homeschool students are not required to take Colorado’s standardized tests; however the parent may request of their local school district that their child participate. Colorado specific assessments do not fulfill the requirement for homeschool students to take a nationally standardized test.
• A parent who intends to homeschool does not need to provide written notification of the program to a school district until the child is 6 years old. (22-33-104.5(3)(e), C.R.S.) It should be noted that the parent does not need to “establish the program until the child is seven years of age; or continue the program or provide notification after the child is sixteen years of age.” (CRS 22-33-104.5 (3)(e)(II) and 22-33-104.5 (3)(e)(III))

How do I register my child for homeschool?

• The parent or guardian must provide written notification explaining the intent to homeschool his or her child. Notification can be given to any Colorado public school district office.
• This written notification must be given 14 days before the parent or guardian establishes the homeschooling. (22-33-104.5(3)(e), C.R.S.)
• The notification must list the child's name, age, place of residence, and attendance hours.
• Written notification must be re-submitted to the school district each year.
• If the written notification is not submitted to the school district the student resides in, it is advisable to notify the residing school district as well to avoid truancy action.

What requirements or qualifications must I have to homeschool my child?
You must be the child's parent, legal guardian or an adult relative designated by the parent. (22-33-104.5(3)(a), C.R.S.) No other qualifications or licenses are required.

NOTE: If your child is enrolled in a homeschool co-op program and those running the program may conduct an evaluation for educational progress, those teaching your child must be qualified. The law refers to a qualified person in the context of having a student evaluated NOT taught. CRS 22-33-104.5 (2)(c) “ “Qualified person" means an individual who is selected by the parent of a child who is participating in a nonpublic home-based educational program to evaluate such child's progress and who is a teacher licensed pursuant to article 60.5 of this title, a teacher who is employed by an independent or parochial school, a licensed psychologist, or a person with a graduate degree in education.”  (22-33-104.5(2)(c), C.R.S.)

What are the requirements for attendance?
Attendance shall include no less than 172 days of instruction, averaging four instructional contact hours per day. (22-33-104.5(3)(c), C.R.S.)

What subjects do I have to teach?
Subjects shall include, but is 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. (22-33-104.5(3)(d), C.R.S.)

What kind of records do I have to keep?
Your records must include but are not limited to, attendance data, test and evaluation results, and immunization records. Such records may be requested by the school district that receives the letter of intent to homeschool (22-33-104.5(3)(g), C.R.S.) School districts cannot request records without probable cause and must give 14 days written notice. CRS 22-33-104.5 (3)(g): “Such records shall be produced to the school district that received the notification required by paragraph (e) of this subsection (3) upon fourteen days' written notice if the superintendent of said school district has probable cause to believe that said program is not in compliance with the guidelines established in this subsection (3)."

What kind of test is my child required to take? Who pays for it? Where do I get the test?
The homeschool student must either take a nationally standardized achievement test when he/she reaches grades three, five, seven, nine, and eleven to evaluate academic progress, or a qualified person must evaluate the student's academic progress at the parent's expense. It is the parent's obligation to report the test or evaluation results to either the school district that receives the letter of intent to homeschool, or report the test or evaluation results to an independent or parochial school.

* If the parent submitted the test or evaluation results to an independent or parochial school, the name of the school must be provided to the school district that receives written notification. (22-33-104.5(3)(f), C.R.S.)
NOTE: If your child is enrolled in a homeschool co-op program, it is still the parent's obligation to report test/evaluation results to the school district.

Is my homeschooled child required to take a state assessment test?
No. Homeschooled students are required to take a nationally standardized test, not the state assessments. However, if a parent or legal guardian requests it, a district may permit a homeschooled student to take the state assessment and provide the results of the assessment to the parent or legal guardian. The test is given only to homeschooled students whose parents request that the child participate in the testing. (22-7-409 (III)(1.3)(b), C.R.S.)

Is there a state diploma or can my child earn one from the district?
There is no state diploma. District diplomas are presented only to students who have attended a public high school in the district. Some companies selling homeschooling curricula offer a diploma at the completion of their program. A parent or guardian can purchase a diploma at an office supply store or make a diploma on a computer to present at the completion of the program. Homeschool programs are not accredited by the state of Colorado or local school districts.

Does my homeschooled child have to take the GED?
No. The parent may graduate the student by simply issuing a diploma. However, taking the GED (High School Equivalency) is an option.

Is there any funding available for home schooling?
At the time of this update, there is no funding available.

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