2023 Colorado Revised Statutes › Title 22 - EDUCATION (§§ 22-1-101 — 22-108-109) › SCHOOL DISTRICTS (§§ 22-30-101 — 22-38-115) › Article 32.5 - INNOVATION SCHOOLS AND INNOVATION SCHOOL ZONES WITHIN SCHOOL DISTRICTS (§§ 22-32.5-101 — 22-32.5-111) › Section 22-32.5-103 - Definitions

As used in this article 32.5, unless the context otherwise requires:
(1)
"Commissioner" means the commissioner of education appointed by the state board of education pursuant to section
22-2-110
.
(1.5)
"Community school" means a public school that implements the following:
(a)
An annual asset and needs assessment of and by both the school and the community that engages at least seventy-five percent of families, students, and educators in the community;
(b)
A strategic plan that includes the creation of problem-solving teams who are dedicated to continuous school improvement and define how educators and community partners use all available assets to meet specific student needs and achieve better results and utilize key tools and lessons from improvement science in the continuous improvement process;
(c)
A process to engage partners who bring assets and expertise to implement the school's goals; and
(d)
A community school coordinator who is a school staff member at the community school site and who:
(I)
Has the primary responsibility to facilitate the problem-solving teams implemented pursuant to subsection (1.5)(b) of this section; and
(II)
In consultation with school leadership, shall assemble relevant stakeholders to solve problems identified by the assessment performed pursuant to subsection (1.5)(a) of this section.
(1.7)
"Department" means the department of education created in section
24-1-115
.
(2)
"District of innovation" means a school district that is designated as a district of innovation pursuant to section
22-32.5-107
.
(3)
"Innovation school" means a school in which a local school board implements an innovation plan pursuant to section
22-32.5-104
.
(4)
"Innovation school zone" means a group of schools of a school district that share common interests, such as geographical location or educational focus, or that sequentially serve classes of students as they progress through elementary and secondary education and in which a local school board implements a plan for creating an innovation school zone pursuant to section
22-32.5-104
.
(4.5)
"Innovation school zone with alternative governance" means an innovation school zone that either operates as an innovation school zone with alternative governance on or before August 10, 2022, or submits to its local school board an innovation plan, which the local school board approves, that authorizes alternative governance and delegates management activities to another organization pursuant to section
22-32.5-104(5)
, including but not limited to a nonprofit organization. An organization does not include a for-profit organization.
(5)
"Local school board" means the board of education of a school district.
(5.5)
"Neutral third party" means a trained individual who assists disputants in reaching a mutually acceptable resolution of their disputes by identifying and evaluating alternatives, and is on an approved list by the office of dispute resolution established in section
13-22-303
or the American arbitration association, or its successor.
(6)
"State board" means the state board of education created pursuant to section 1 of article IX of the state constitution.
Amended by 2022 Ch. 307,§2, eff. 8/10/2022.
Amended by 2019 Ch. 82,§1, eff. 8/2/2019.
L. 2008: Entire article added, p. 1422, § 1, effective May 28.
2022 Ch. 307, was passed without a safety clause. See Colo. Const. art. V, § 1(3).