The bill creates the Colorado individualized combined degree pilot program (pilot program) that the department of higher education must administer, working with the department of education. The pilot program is designed to assist school districts and charter schools in providing individualized degree programs that enable a participating student to design and complete an educational program that is unique to the student and results in the simultaneous completion of a high school diploma and a baccalaureate degree during the 4 years in which the student is enrolled in high school. A school district or charter school may apply to participate in the pilot program by submitting an application to the department of higher education, which shall select up to 10 participants. Each participating school district and charter school must establish a local individualized combined degree program (local program), which must meet specified requirements. Each participating school district or charter school must transfer a specified percentage of per pupil revenue to the individualized degree account created for each participating student that is enrolled in the school district or charter school. The bill specifies that each student who participates in a local program must, with the student's parents, select individuals to serve as an advisory board to help the student design and complete the student's individualized degree program. The student's individualized degree program may be an existing baccalaureate degree program at an institution of higher education or may be designed specifically to meet the student's unique educational and career goals. A uniquely designed degree program must meet specified requirements and is subject to approval by the Colorado commission on higher education. Each participating student must apply for federal and state student financial assistance. A portion of the money annually appropriated for state student financial assistance must be distributed to students participating in local programs based on each student's demonstrated financial need. Each participating student must create an individual degree account with collegeinvest. The money that the student receives from the school district or charter school and the state and federal financial assistance that the student receives must be credited to the account. The student, with the approval of the student's parent and advisory board, must use the money in the student's account only to pay for the costs incurred in obtaining the student's baccalaureate degree. On or before January 15, 2024, and annually thereafter through 2030, the department of higher education, working with the department of education, shall prepare a report concerning the effectiveness of the pilot program and submit the report to the governor, the Colorado commission on higher education, the state board of education, and the education committees of the general assembly. The pilot program is repealed, July 1, 2030. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)
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The bill defines parental rights as the right to direct the upbringing, education, and care of a parent's child and establishes parental rights as a fundamental right in Colorado that is subject to strict scrutiny. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)
The bill authorizes the parents of children enrolled in a low-performing school, or the parents of children enrolled in schools that matriculate to the low-performing school, (petitioners) to petition the school district board of education for the low-performing school, or the state charter school institute board if the low-performing school is an institute charter school, (oversight board) to implement specified reforms. A school is considered low-performing if it is required to adopt a priority improvement or turnaround plan for 2 consecutive school years. The bill specifies the types of reforms that petitioners may request and the requirements for petitions. A petition must be signed by at least 50% of the parents of students enrolled in the low-performing school or in schools that matriculate to the low-performing school. If an oversight board receives a valid petition, the oversight board must hold a hearing at which the petitioners may present the requested reforms. The oversight board may propose alternative reforms, and the petitioners may amend the requested reforms or withdraw the petition. At the conclusion of the meeting, if the petitioners have not withdrawn the petition, the oversight board must vote whether to implement the reforms, as originally presented or as amended, and adopt a plan to implement the reforms by the following school year. If the oversight board chooses not to approve and adopt a plan to implement the reforms, the petitioners may submit the petition to the state board of education (state board) and may consider recall procedures against the oversight board if it is a school district board of education. If the state board receives a petition, it must hold a public hearing at which it takes testimony from the petitioners, other eligible parents, and the oversight board concerning the requested reforms. At the conclusion of the meeting, the state board must decide whether to require the school district or state charter school institute, whichever is applicable, to implement the reforms or require other specified actions. If the state board requires the school district or the institute to take actions, the low-performing school is subject to the same oversight and requirements that apply to public schools that have been on priority improvement or turnaround plans for 5 school years. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)
Concurrent enrollment - transfer of credits - website - concurrent enrollment expansion and innovation grant program - appropriations. The act clarifies the differences between concurrent enrollment, dual enrollment, and other programs that enable a student to earn postsecondary credits while the student is enrolled in high school. Beginning in the 2020-21 school year, each school district, charter school, and public school operated by a board of cooperative services (local education provider) that enrolls students in grades 9 through 12 is required to provide the opportunity for concurrent enrollment. A local education provider cannot unreasonably deny approval for concurrent enrollment or limit the number of postsecondary courses in which a qualified student may enroll unless the local education provider is unable to provide access due to technological capacity. A local education provider may determine the manner in which it provides opportunities for concurrent enrollment. The act clarifies the information that a local education provider must provide to qualified students and their parents concerning concurrent enrollment, the transferability of postsecondary course credits, and the costs that a qualified student or the student's parent may incur by enrolling in a postsecondary course through concurrent enrollment. The act clarifies that a qualified student and the student's parent are not required to pay tuition for concurrent enrollment. The act requires the department of education and the department of higher education to create a concurrent enrollment website to provide information to the public concerning the various types of programs available to enable students to earn postsecondary credits while enrolled in high school. The act creates the concurrent enrollment expansion and innovation grant program (grant program) to provide grants to local education providers to use in starting to offer concurrent enrollment or expanding the availability of concurrent enrollment. The department of education shall administer the grant program, including providing an annual report that explains how the grant money is used, who is enrolling in concurrent enrollment and the types of courses they are enrolling in, and the number and transferability of postsecondary credits earned through concurrent enrollment. The department shall submit the report to the state board of education, the department of higher education, the Colorado commission on higher education, and the education committees of the general assembly. The department shall also post the report to the concurrent enrollment website. The act directs the state board for community colleges and occupational education to provide management and coordination of efforts to implement efforts to maximize participation in concurrent enrollment through the community college system. For the 2019-20 fiscal year, the act appropriates $44,916 from the general fund to the department of education for college and career readiness, $1,500,000 from the marijuana tax cash fund to the department of education for the concurrent enrollment expansion and innovation grant program, and $105,000 from the general fund to the department of higher education for a limited purpose fee-for-service contract with the state board of community colleges and occupational education. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.) Read More
The bill requires the council created and existing pursuant to section 23-1-108.5 (council) to implement a plan for determining and awarding academic credit for postsecondary education based on past and present work-related experience. As a part of the plan, the council must also determine how academic credit for postsecondary education will transfer to the extent possible from career and technical education programs and technical certificate programs to state public 2-year and 4-year institutions of higher education. The council must consult with representatives from state institutions of higher education, representatives of the Colorado work force development council, and representatives from growing industries in implementing the plan. The bill requires state institutions of higher education to develop plans to evaluate whether postsecondary education was acquired by work experience and to accept and transfer academic credit awarded for work-related experience as courses with guaranteed-transfer designation or as a part of a statewide articulation agreement. The bill supplements Colorado's student bill of rights to include a provision declaring that the council shall implement a plan to award academic credit for past and present work-related experience. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.) Read More
The resolution makes the following changes regarding the operations of the general assembly: Decreases the maximum length of regular sessions of the general assembly from 120 calendar days to 90 calendar days in even-numbered years and 60 calendar days in odd-numbered years; Requires a biennial budget session to be held in every even-numbered year; Limits the number of bills that a member of the general assembly may introduce to 2 bills in any regular session of the general assembly, excluding bills for appropriations and bills recommended by legislative committees; Limits the number of resolutions that a member of the general assembly may introduce to 2 resolutions in any regular session of the general assembly. This includes resolutions, joint resolutions, and concurrent resolutions, but excludes resolutions on the question of adjournment or relating solely to the transaction of business between the 2 houses. Allows both houses of the general assembly to create a restrictive process to authorize an exemption from the specified bill and resolution limits; Beginning with the fiscal year commencing on July 1, 2022, implements a biennial state budget cycle and specifies how the general assembly will apply existing constitutional requirements to the biennial budget process; and Establishes the process for consideration of a general appropriation bill.(Note: This summary applies to this concurrent resolution as introduced.) Read More
Current law prohibits cruelty to certain animals, including a certified police working horse. However, there is no certification process for police working horses. The bill clarifies this by removing the term "certified" from the definition of police working horse and revises the definition accordingly. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) Read More
School district board of education - specific powers - sale and conveyance of district property - use restrictions. A board of education of a school district may include a use restriction on the sale, conveyance, lease, or rental of any district property that restricts the property from being used as a public or nonpublic school for any grade from preschool through the 12th grade only after providing public notice of its intent to include such restriction and after discussing the issue in public at a regularly scheduled meeting of the board of education of the school district.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.) Read More