Homeschool

Parents/legal guardians are required to notify the school district each school year of their intent to homeschool their students who are at least 6 years of age and less than 16 years of age.

Notification must be received by PSD at least 14 days prior to the establishment of a home-based program.

Click to submit a Notice of Intent to Homeschool form for your student.

• If the parent/legal guardian does not have an existing account for the Community Portal, they will need to create a new account by registering as a new user.
   
• Please fill out one form per student.
   
• Once the form is submitted and received by PSD, confirmation emails will be sent to the parent email address.
   
• Parents/legal guardians can upload test evaluations/results anytime for their student.

The selection of curriculum is at the discretion of the parent/legal guardian who is overseeing the homeschool program.

Homeschool programs must include, but are not limited to, the subjects of communication skills of:

• Reading
• Writing
• Speaking
• Mathematics
• History
• Civics
• Literature
• Science
• Regular courses of instruction in the constitution of the United States

Homeschool programs must have no less than 172 days of instruction, averaging 4 contact hours per day.  

• Should a homeschool program begin during a current school year, you may prorate the 172 days of instruction requirement against the attendance already completed.

Homeschooled students may:

• Enroll in the PSD Options School to enrich the child’s home-based program.

• Enroll in classes at a PSD school on a space-available basis if the child’s hours of attendance are at least half-time.  Work directly with the school to determine the schedule.
  • Homeschooled students wishing to attend a school that is not their designated neighborhood school must follow the School Choice process.

Homeschooled students do not receive a District diploma from the school district.

• District diplomas are presented only to students who have attended a public high school in the district.
•  A part-time student cannot walk with their graduating class since they are not receiving a Poudre School District diploma.

The parent/legal guardian who oversees a home school program is responsible for selecting books, supplies, tests, curriculum selection, and any costs associated.

• PSD does not provide any curriculum, textbooks, tests, etc. for any homeschool courses.

The parent/legal guardian is responsible for all record keeping associated with the home-based educational program. Such records shall include:

• Attendance data
• Immunization records
• Test and evaluation results
• Samples of student course work

Please refer to PSD Policy IHBG – Home-Based Education for more information.
 

Records for each student participating in a home school program must be kept on a permanent basis by the parent/legal guardian who is overseeing the homeschool program.

The records must be produced and provided to the school district at the school district’s request, within 14 days of receiving the notice.

Record verification requests (including transcripts and diplomas) must go to the parent/legal guardian who oversees the homeschool program, or to the school district the parent/legal guardian filed the letter of intent with.

Homeschooled students must submit a homeschool transcript to the school when re-enrolling.

Students wishing to enroll in PSD after participating in a homeschool program may be assessed by the school district.

• High school (9-12) students may be required to complete subject specific district summative assessments for the purpose of accepting non-accredited homeschool credits.
• Non-accredited graduation courses taught in middle school (6-8) will not be accepted.  
• Grades for accepted non-accredited courses shall be recorded as “S” (satisfactory) and “U” (unsatisfactory) for transfer of credit.

Each student participating in a homeschool program shall be evaluated when they reach grades:

• Three
• Five
• Seven
• Nine
• Eleven

Parent/legal guardian is not required to follow the Colorado Academic Standards or have their child take the Colorado State Assessments, but:

• Can take a nationally standardized achievement test to evaluate the student’s academic progress.
•  Have a “qualified person”, as defined by law, evaluate the student’s academic progress.
  • A qualified person is someone who has a Colorado teacher license, is a teacher in an independent or parochial school, is a licensed psychologist, or has a master’s degree in education. 
  • The parent/legal guardian of the homeschool program works with the qualified person to determine what the evaluation of academic progress would be.

No nationally standardized achievement testing is available from PSD.

Parents/legal guardians may elect to have their student tested by the Colorado Measures of Academic Success (CMAS) at their designated neighborhood school but must notify the school principal no later than December in the school year they wished to be tested.

• Students will also need to complete the nationally recognized assessment requirement.

Parents/legal guardians can also use a standardized assessment on-line or have their child tested by a certified examiner they hire.

The test or evaluation results, as required under C.R.S. 22-33-104.5, must be filed with the school district that received the letter of intent, unless filed with an independent or parochial school in which the school district must be notified of the location of the results.

Please refer to PSD policy IHBG – Home-Based Education for more information regarding testing requirements.

Homeschooled students are not permitted to take the state sponsored PSAT or SAT with a local school district.

• They can take the PSAT or SAT on a national test date at their own expense.

Students with an Individual Education Plan (IEP) must be enrolled in school on at least a part-time basis to be eligible to receive services from the school district.

A student in a non-public home-based education program may participate in District extracurricular and interscholastic activities as provided by law and District policy.

Homeschooled students shall be subject to Colorado High School Activities Association (CHSAA) rules to qualify for athletics and activities.

A student who is habitually truant at any time during the last 6 months that the student attended school before proposed enrollment in a non-public home-based educational program may not be enrolled in the program unless the student’s parent/legal guardian submits a required written notification.

• PSD Policy IHBG - Home-Based Education
• PSD Schools and Academic Options
• Colorado Department of Education’s (CDE) Home School in Colorado Guidance
• CDE Homeschool FAQs
• Laws Pertaining to Home School
• Home School Options and Resources