A Brief Homeschool History in Colorado

• In 1973 Colorado was listed among the Top Ten Most Dangerous Places to Homeschool
• 1985 Colorado holds its first Homeschool Conference with just under 100 attendees.
• May 10, 1988 – (CRS 22-33-104.5(2)(a)) passed. The Colorado Homeschool law made it possible for families to safely homeschool their children in Colorado.

Homeschool Demographics

• Based on School Age population of ~900,000 in Colorado, we estimate there are currently at least 54,000 Homeschool Students in Colorado.
• Black, Hispanic, Asian, and other minorities make up 41% of homeschool families
• Homeschoolers represent a wide range of political ideologies and religious lifestyles. 44% percent of homeschooling parents identify as Republican (43% as politically conservative) while 29% identify with the Democratic party (25% politically liberal). Similarly, 44% of homeschooling parents report attending religious services at least weekly, though 31% say they never attend at all.

Homeschool Outcomes

• Homeschoolers outperform public school students on K-12 standardized tests
• Homeschool graduates  have a higher GPA in college than their counterparts from traditional schools. Home-educated students (3.37) earned a significantly higher fall semester GPA when compared to the overall cohort (3.08). Further, homeschooled students (3.41) earned a higher first-year GPA compared to the overall group (3.12). Finally, the home educated (3.46) earned a significantly higher fourth-year GPA when compared to the freshman cohort (3.16).
• It is a myth that homeschoolers are unsocialized. Compared to children attending conventional schools, research suggests that they have higher quality friendships and better relationships with their parents and other adults. They are happy, optimistic, and satisfied with their lives.

Reasons to Homeschool

• According to the National Center for Education Studies Over 80% of parents cite a concern about school environment, such as safety, drugs, and negative peer pressure as their reason to homeschool. 72% of parents are dissatisfied with the academic instruction at the public school. 74% of homeschool parents are seeking to provide moral instruction.