Colorado is a leader in public school choice offerings, including the following:

• Open enrollment — The Public Schools of Choice Act of 1990 opened the door for students to choose to attend a school outside of their neighborhood school attendance boundaries, either in their school district of residence or another Colorado public school district.
• Charter schools — The Charter Schools Act was enacted in 1993. Public charter schools may be authorized by local school districts or by the state-run Charter School Institute. With greater autonomy to set personnel policies and to determine curriculum and program, Colorado’s more than 160 charter schools provide a range of options.
• Public Online Education — The Colorado legislature first authorized school districts and charter schools to create online educational programs in 1998. There are currently 22 multi-district programs, open to all Colorado students, and 23 single-district programs, open to students only residing in the district’s boundaries.
• Innovation schools — Passed in 2008, the Innovation Schools Act is intended to improve student outcomes by supporting greater school autonomy and flexibility in academic and operational decision-making. The Act provides a means for existing public schools and districts to gain waivers from state laws and collective bargaining agreements. More than 20 Colorado schools — mostly in Denver — have secured innovation status from the State Board of Education.
• Magnet, option, and focus schools — Some districts offer schools with special programs, designed for students with particular needs or interests.
• Contract schools — In some cases, school districts will contract with non-public entities to provide a complete educational program. See below for more details.

Check here for the latest on charter schools and online education

Education Policy Center Resources:

• SchoolChoiceForKids.org
• School choice options for parents
• On the Road of Innovation: Colorado’s Charter School Law Turns 20 (Issue Paper 4-2013)
• Choosing a Colorado Online School for Your Child (Issue Paper 9-2011)
• Open Enrollment and the Internet: An Evaluation of Colorado School District Web Sites (Issue Paper 6-2007)
• Contract Schools Bring Innovative New Choices to Denver Public Schools (Issue Paper 6-2005)
• Delta County School District Has VISION for School Choice (Issue Paper 5-2005)

Other Resources:

Charter Schools

• Colorado Department of Education — Charter Schools
• Colorado League of Charter Schools
• Colorado Charter School Institute

Public Online Education

• Colorado Department of Education — Online Learning
• Colorado Coalition of Cyberschool Families
• Colorado Cyberschools Association

Innovation Schools

• Colorado Department of Education — Innovation Schools

Other School Choice Resources

• Colorado Department of Education — School View (including the Colorado Growth Model)
• Colorado School Grades: presented by a coalition of 18 groups, a system for rating Colorado schools