Homeschooling in Colorado

Before you begin homeschooling

  • Parents (or guardians) who homeschool are responsible for the education of each student, including purchase of books, supplies, and tests.
  • Homeschooled students must be tested in grades 3, 5, 7, 9, and 11 at the expense of the parent.
  • Understand the different philosophies and methods of homeschooling and decide if homeschooling is best for your family’s lifestyle and your child’s educational needs. Click here to read about popular homeschooling methods, styles, and philosophies.
  • Homeschooling families are responsible to keep records of attendance, immunizations, and test scores. It is also helpful to keep records of high school course work for college applications.
  • Visit Colorado Department of Education’s homeschool webpages.
  • You must provide written notification to any Colorado school district at least 14 days before beginning to homeschool. A change in the law, effective July 1, 2007, requires parents to provide written notice of the intent to homeschool once a child turns the age of six years old. Parents are not required to begin the homeschool program until the child is seven years old. The written notice must include the name, age, place of residence, and number of hours of attendance in the school year for each child who will homeschool (the number of hours should be at least an average of four hours per day for 172 days per year, for a total of at least 688 hours for the school year). You must notify the school district each year that the child is homeschooled, until age sixteen.
  • Keep track of records. The law requires that you keep records of attendance, immunizations, and test scores.
  • Students must be tested using a nationally norm-referenced test in grades 3, 5, 7, 9, and 11. (See below to find test resources.) The test results must be submitted to the local school district or to a private or parochial school for evaluation. If the student tests at or below the thirteenth percentile, he or she is required to enter a public, private, or parochial school at least until the next testing period.
  • Homeschool instruction must include reading, writing, speaking, mathematics, history, civics, literature, science, and the United States Constitution.
  • Homeschool students have the right to participate in extra-curricular and interscholastic activities at the local public school. See your neighborhood school for more information. If the student plans to participate in high school varsity athletics, be aware that participation may be limited because of CHSAA rules.
  • Parents are not required to have a teaching license to homeschool their children.
  • You can read the homeschooling law here or see Colorado Revised Statutes 22-33-104.5.

Visit several support groups and find one that is the most helpful for your family.

A variety of religious and secular homeschool support groups in Colorado are listed on these sites:

  • The law requires that students study reading, writing, speaking, mathematics, history, civics, literature, science, and the United States Constitution.
  • Understand the various philosophies and methods of homeschooling. Choose your homeschooling curricula based on your values and on how your child learns best. Click here to read about popular homeschooling methods, styles, and philosophies.
  • Some families choose to purchase all of their curricula from the same publisher or company. Other families pick and choose from different sources for each subject.
  • Another option is an independent, correspondence, or distance learning school where a student enrolls in the school but does his work at home. These types of schools provide a wide variety of services such as testing, curriculum design, record keeping, diplomas, graduation ceremonies, and more.
  • Talk with homeschooling parents and ask what curricula have worked for their children.
  • See below for links to homeschooling resources and bookstores that sell homeschooling materials.

Resources

According to Colorado law, a nationally standardized test must be administered to home-educated students in grades 3, 5, 7, 9, and 11. The Colorado Department of Education does not give guidance on what assessment company to use.

National testing companies may have specific qualifications that individuals administering assessments must meet. There are others, but one company often used by homeschooling families is Stetson. Families are responsible for the cost of the assessment.

You can learn more about what the law requires regarding assessments on the Colorado Department of Education’s homeschool webpages.

General Resources

Independent School Serving Homeschool Families (There are others.)

Homeschooling Children with Special Needs

Public School Programs for Home Education

  • Some public school districts, charter schools, and Boards of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES) offer homeschool enrichment programs.
  • Find home-based public online programs (Note: students who enroll in a home-based public online school are considered public school students, subject to public school requirements, and not subject to the homeschool law.)

History of Homeschooling in Colorado

Numerous Colorado public school districts, charter schools, and some Boards of Cooperative Educational Services provide homeschool enrichment programs. Homeschooled students may also attend part-time in many neighborhood public schools. In 2026, the Colorado legislature passed new laws pertaining to these programs. Consequently, the Colorado State Board of Education will adopt new regulations in December 2026 to more strictly oversee part-time programs. More information can be found on the Colorado Department of Education’s part-time public homeschool programs webpages.