Grand Junction Homeschoolers

Here is a summary of Colorado homeschool law.  Please check with Christian Home Educators of Colorado http://www.chec.org/Legislative/  for the complete document.

Compulsory Attendance Ages:
From ages 7 to 16

1. Home school statute CRS - 22-33-104.5 Requires notice of intent 14 days before homeschooling and annually thereafter. Notice must include names, ages, residence, and hours of attendance of children taught.
2. Enrolled under Colorado "independent school" but teaching occurs in the home. A list of satellite schools is available on the CHEC website. This usually requires a fee of $30-$200 per year paid to the independent school.
3. A parent may teach children at home as a licensed teacher in the state of Colorado.

1. Home School Definition
   Sequential program which takes place in a home, provided by the child's parent or by an adult relative of the child designated by the parent.
2. Contact Hours
   172 days minimum, averaging 4 hours per day.
3. Curriculum
   Must include reading, writing, speaking, mathematics, history, civics, literature, science, and regular courses of instruction in the constitution of the United States.
4. Notification
   Notification to Colorado school district 14 days before beginning program, as well as each year home schooling continues. Notification shall include only name, age, place of residence, and number of hours of attendance of each child enrolled in home school. Addendum: If child has been habitually truant any time during last six months before home school enrollment, written description of curricula is to be submitted. Reference (3)(b). Addendum: If evaluation results are filed with an independent or parochial school, the name of such school shall be provided to local school district.
5. Evaluations or Standardized Testing
   Required when child reaches grades 3, 5, 7, 9, 11. Type of evaluation required: national standardized achievement test or Qualified Person evaluates child's academic progress. Test or Evaluation results to be submitted to: School district where registered, or an independent or parochial school within the state of Colorado.
6. Test Score Requirements
   Composite score must be above 13th percentile to continue home school program. Child can be re-tested using alternate version of same test or different nationally Standardized Achievement Test. If child does not meet standard, school district of registry must be notified by independent/parochial school; and child's parents will be required to place child in public or independent or parochial school.
7. Records
   To be maintained by "parent in charge." Records shall include (at minimum): Attendance Data, Test and Evaluation Results, Immunization Records. Must be produced to school district of registry on 14 days written notice if the superintendent of school district has probable cause to believe that said program is not in compliance with guidelines in law.

Recent Changes

The 2000 Education Omnibus bill (Senate Bill 186) passed the House with provisions that affect homeschoolers in the state.

1. Re-entry into public school.* The school MAY provide the student with a placement test. The grade placement must meet the consent of the parent, and the school district is bound to accept the homeschool transcripts.
2. Private and homeschooled students may take the C-SAP test at their own cost, although it is not mandatory. Even if the homeschooled student is taking some classes at his or her local public school, he or she is not required to take the C-SAP test.
3. Homeschool students can file their notice of intent in any school district in Colorado. This represents a change from the previous situation where homeschooling parents were required to file their notice of intent to homeschool with the school district in which they reside.
4. Homeschool students who wish to participate in extracurricular activities in public school who have moved within the last year have to wait out one year before participating. The same rule applies to students attending public schools.

GOD LOVES YOU!  "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life." (John 3:16)

MAN IS SEPARATED FROM GOD BY SIN. "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23)"For the wages of sin is death"(Romans 6:23)

THE DEATH OF JESUS CHRIST IN OUR PLACE IS GOD'S ONLY PROVISION FOR MAN'S SIN. "He (Jesus Christ) was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification." (Romans 4:25)

WE MUST PERSONALLY RECEIVE JESUS CHRIST AS OUR SAVIOR AND LORD. "But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name" (John 1:12) "For by grace you have been saved through faith; and not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, that no one should boast" (Ephesians 2:8, 9)