Colorado

Colorado gives families three ways to homeschool. Most families use the home education statute. Under it, you send a notice of intent to a school district 14 days before you start, and then every year. You can also enroll in an independent school that supervises home learning. Or your child can be taught by a Colorado-certified teacher. School is required for children who are 6 by August 1 and under 17.

Day to day, the statute calls for 172 days a year, averaging 4 hours a day. You teach reading, writing, speaking, math, history, civics, literature, science, and the U.S. Constitution. You also keep attendance, test or evaluation results, and immunization records. In grades 3, 5, 7, 9, and 11, your child takes a standardized test or has an evaluation by a qualified person. In addition, homeschoolers may join public school activities on an equal basis. For full details on each topic, use the links below.