2023 Colorado Revised Statutes › Title 22 - EDUCATION (§§ 22-1-101 — 22-108-109) › GENERAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE (§§ 22-1-101 — 22-16-112) › Article 2 - DEPARTMENT - COMMISSIONER (§§ 22-2-101 — 22-2-505) › Part 1 - DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION - COMMISSIONER (§§ 22-2-101 — 22-2-150) › Section 22-2-146.6 - [Effective 8/7/2024] Colorado academic accelerator grant program - report - rules - definitions

(1)
As used in this section, unless the context otherwise requires:
(a)
"Colorado academic accelerator grant program" or "grant program" means the Colorado academic accelerator grant program created in subsection (2) of this section.
(b)
"Community-based organization" means a public or private nonprofit organization of demonstrated effectiveness that is representative of a community or significant segments of a community and provides educational or related services to individuals in the community.
(c)
"Community learning center" means an entity that assists students to meet the rigorous state academic standards by providing students with free academic enrichment and support activities and a broad array of other activities during nonschool hours, periods when school is not in session, or during extended learning hours.
(d)
"Eligible entity" means a local education provider, a community-based organization, an Indian tribe or tribal organization, another public or private entity, or a consortium of two or more agencies, organizations, or entities.
(e)
"Evidence-informed" means a program or practice in mathematics that relies on peer-reviewed evidence to establish a basis for accelerating learning. "Evidence-informed" includes evidence-informed curricula, interventions, and assessment options.
(f)
"Local education provider" means a school district, a charter school authorized by a school district pursuant to part 1 of article
30.5
of this title 22, a charter school authorized by the state charter school institute pursuant to part 5 of article 30.5 this title 22, or a board of cooperative services created and operated pursuant to article
5
of this title 22 that operates more than one public school.
(g)
"STEM" means the combination of the disciplines of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.
(2)
(a)
There is created in the department the Colorado academic accelerator grant program. The purpose of the grant program is to create community learning centers that:
(I)
Provide opportunities for free academic enrichment and support activities, which must include providing tutorial services to help students, particularly students who attend high-needs schools, as determined by the department, to meet rigorous state academic standards, specifically in STEM and mathematics, and to increase proficiencies in mathematics outcomes; and
(II)
Offer families of students opportunities for active and meaningful engagement in students' education, including opportunities for mathematics literacy and related educational development.
(b)
The department shall administer the grant program. An eligible entity that receives grant money pursuant to this section shall use the grant money toward meeting the purposes set forth in subsection (2)(a) of this section. Eligible entities are selected for a grant that runs for a period of three years. If a community-based organization applies, the community-based organization must be experienced in out-of-school supports and shall partner with a local education provider as an eligible entity.
(c)
The department shall implement a timeline for the grant program, which must include the following:
(I)
The date the department shall announce the grant program and begin accepting applications from eligible entities;
(II)
The date by which an eligible entity must submit an application;
(III)
The date the department shall begin distributing grant money to the grantees; and
(IV)
The dates an eligible entity shall submit a report to the department summarizing the use of funds pursuant to this section, including data on the academic improvement of students in mathematics disaggregated by race, ethnicity, gender, grade level, disability, socioeconomic status, geographic location, and English language learner status.
(3)
(a)
The department shall prioritize eligible entities that:
(I)
Adopt intervention strategies described in section
22-32-118.6
or
22-30.5-526.5
;
(II)
Use evidence-informed programs that build student skills in STEM and mathematics;
(III)
Use digital math accelerator programs;
(IV)
Serve high-needs students, as determined by the department;
(V)
Target students who transition from elementary school to middle school and middle school to high school;
(VI)
Have an established presence and relationship in the community; and
(VII)
Have demonstrated in the application how the eligible entity will meet the needs of diverse student populations.
(b)
The department shall review the applications submitted pursuant to subsection (2)(c)(II) of this section.
(c)
The department shall not use more than five percent of state funds to administer the grant program, including, but not limited to:
(I)
Monitoring and evaluating grant program activities; and
(II)
Providing training and technical assistance.
(d)
The department shall ensure eligible entities use evidence-informed curricula and interventions in mathematics as identified by the department pursuant to section
22-2-146.5
, including any state-purchased curricula or digital software focused on mathematics.
(4)
(a)
Eligible entities shall use grant funds for free academic enrichment and support activities and tutoring programs with a focus on STEM and mathematics, particularly for students who are below grade level or struggling in mathematics; children with disabilities, as defined in section
22-20-103
; and students who are English language learners.
(b)
Eligible entities may use grant funds to:
(I)
Facilitate programs to engage communities to support high-needs schools, as determined by the department;
(II)
Create mentorship programs; and
(III)
Provide other academic or social enrichment opportunities, including experiential mathematics activities, to help ensure students can meet the state's rigorous academic standards.
(c)
If a local education provider receives a grant to become a community learning center, the local education provider shall provide free academic enrichment and support programs, mentorship programs, remedial education programs, and tutoring services that align with the state's rigorous academic standards.
(d)
(I)
If a local education provider in partnership with a community-based organization receives a grant to become a community learning center, the local education provider shall provide free academic enrichment and support programs, mentorship programs, remedial education programs, and tutoring services that align with the state's rigorous academic standards. The local education provider shall coordinate with the community-based organization to share data on student performance that is relevant to each student's performance in school in accordance with the federal "Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974",
20 U.S.C. sec. 1232g
, as amended, and the "Student Data Transparency and Security Act", created in article
16
of this title 22.
(II)
The local education provider shall coordinate with community-based organization instructors to:
(A)
Offer access to relevant district or state training focused on STEM and mathematics instruction, including training created pursuant to section 22-2-146.5 (2); and
(B)
Provide access to district or statewide software licenses for digital math accelerator programs.
(5)
The state board may promulgate rules for the implementation of this section.
(6)
(a)
On or before July 1, 2024, the department shall contract with a third-party evaluator, in accordance with the "Procurement Code", articles
101
to
112
of title
24
, to review, evaluate, and draft a report summarizing the following:
(I)
The impact of the grant program on financial savings for parents;
(II)
Data on student engagement, dropout rates, graduation rates, chronic absenteeism, and mobility rates;
(III)
Student academic improvement in mathematics, including data disaggregated by race, ethnicity, gender, grade level, disability, socioeconomic status, geographic location, and English language learner status; and
(IV)
The disaggregated data of eligible entities submitted to the department pursuant to subsection (2)(c)(IV) of this section.
(b)
The department shall collect the data reported to the department by eligible entities pursuant to subsection (2)(c)(IV) of this section and by the third-party evaluator pursuant to this subsection (6).
(7)
(a)
Notwithstanding section
24-1-136 (11)(a)(I)
, on or before January 1, 2025, and each January 1 thereafter, the department shall submit the report described in subsection (6) of this section to the education committees of the house of representatives and the senate, or their successor committees, the governor, and the state board.
(b)
Beginning January 2025, the department shall report on the information collected pursuant to subsection (7)(a) of this section at the department's annual hearing held pursuant to the "SMART Act", part 2 of article
7
of title
2
.
(8)
The department and eligible entities shall report data pursuant to this section in compliance with the federal "Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974",
20 U.S.C. sec. 1232g
, as amended, and the "Student Data Transparency and Security Act", created in article
16
of this title 22.
(9)
For the 2023-24 budget year, the general assembly shall appropriate twenty-four million five hundred thousand dollars to the department. The department shall have the authority to spend funds continuously through the 2026-27 budget year for the purposes of this section. Any unexpended funds that remain at the end of the 2026-27 budget year revert back to the general fund.
Amended by 2024 Ch. 490,§ 33, eff. 8/7/2024.
Added by 2023 Ch. 190,§ 4, eff. 5/15/2023.
2024 Ch. 490, was passed without a safety clause. See Colo. Const. art. V, § 1(3).
This section is set out more than once due to postponed, multiple, or conflicting amendments.