As a Colorado parent, you can develop your child's education in the way you see fit. If you are a parent who plans to home-school, you must give the school district 14 days' written notice. At that point, you have the right to choose what and when you would like to teach. Your program must include at least 172 days (per school year) when you will teach for at least four hours. Subjects that must be covered include communication (through reading, writing and speaking), math, history, literature, understanding of the U.S. Constitution and civics. A nationally recognized standardized test must be given at the end of all odd educational years, starting in the third grade and ending in the 11th grade. At the end of the child's education, you are allowed to make a diploma for your child; some curriculum programs provide a diploma.
If the intention is for your child to earn a GED, then the requirements of home schooling are the same as for parent-developed diploma programs. To take the GED test, one must be aged 17 or older and not enrolled in a certified high school program. A picture identification must be shown at the time of the test.
Online learning is an option that allows your child to stay at home and learn. Instead of the parent teaching, an outside source will provide a teacher and the curriculum. Students attend classes via the Internet and submit assignments in the same way. Programs and costs vary. In some cases, online schools are available for specific districts, which allows participation in sports and other activities at the school that your child would have attended.