Date: 03/25/2013

Final
BILL SUMMARY for SB13-139

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION

Votes: View--> Action Taken:
Refer Senate Bill 13-139 to the Committee of the WPASS



03:17 PM -- Senate Bill 13-139

Representative Hamner, Chair, called the meeting to order and welcomed the committee members and audience to the meeting. She invited Representative Coram, prime sponsor, to the table to present Senate Bill 13-139 which concerns supplemental online education services. The reengrossed bill designates the authority to contract for supplemental online education programs to a Board of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES). The Colorado Department of Education (CDE) must select a BOCES following consultation with a statewide association of BOCES. Under current law, the authority to contract for supplemental online education programs resides with the Mountain BOCES. Once designated, the bill requires that the BOCES consult with CDE to develop a triennial request for proposal process (RFP) beginning February 15, 2015. The RFP will solicit one or more nonprofit providers of supplemental online course offerings, professional development for educators, and consulting assistance for schools wanting to use online and blended learning with their students. The designated BOCES must collect data related to completion and passage rates of students participating in online and blended learning programs, and report this data to CDE.

The following persons testified:

03:19 PM -- Reilly Pharo, representing the Colorado Children's Campaign, testified in support of the bill. Ms. Pharo provided background information on her organization. She stated that supplemental online and blended learning courses ensure that all children have access to quality education, and that the bill supports professional development for online educators.

03:23 PM -- Moira Cullen, representing Democrats for Education Reform in Colorado, joined Ms. Pharo at the table and testified in support of the bill. She stated that the bill is important because it provides access to high quality education for all children.

Committee discussion ensued about the need for the bill's provisions to be part of statute, rather than part of rules issued by CDE. Ms. Pharo responded to a question about the contract entered into by the designated BOCES. She said that the bill will allow the BOCES to contract for one or more providers and that the BOCES will make the final decision as to what organization will receive the contract. Committee discussion ensued about limiting the contract to nonprofit providers.

03:35 PM -- Dr. Dale McCall, representing the Colorado BOCES Association, testified in support of the bill. He discussed the provisions of the bill and why they are beneficial to Colorado. He responded to questions from the committee about the bill's requirement that the online education providers be nonprofit organizations. He discussed the professional development piece of the bill, and how the quality of the online courses will be measured.

Jane Ritter, Office of Legislative Legal Services, came to the table to respond to committee questions about the nonprofit provider requirement in the bill.
BILL:SB13-139
TIME: 03:51:49 PM
MOVED:Court
MOTION:Refer Senate Bill 13-139 to the Committee of the Whole. The motion passed on a vote of 13-0.
SECONDED:Young
VOTE
Buckner
Yes
Court
Yes
Everett
Yes
Fields
Yes
Holbert
Yes
Landgraf
Yes
Murray
Yes
Pettersen
Yes
Priola
Yes
Wilson
Yes
Young
Yes
Peniston
Yes
Hamner
Yes
Final YES: 13 NO: 0 EXC: 0 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: PASS