NOTE: The governor signed this measure on 3/22/2013.
      
      
      HOUSE BILL 13-1023
      
      
      BY REPRESENTATIVE(S) Murray and Fields, Conti, Everett, Exum,
      Fischer, Gardner, Gerou, Ginal, Holbert, Hullinghorst, Humphrey, Lee,
      McLachlan, Pettersen, Priola, Rankin, Rosenthal, Saine, Salazar, Schafer,
      Scott, Stephens, Williams, Wilson, Court, Hamner, Moreno, Young;
      also SENATOR(S) Balmer and Kerr, Carroll, Guzman, Heath, Kefalas,
      Newell, Nicholson, Todd.
      
      
      Concerning policies relating to academic acceleration in
           preschool through twelfth grade.
      
      
      Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Colorado:
      
           SECTION 1.  Legislative declaration. (1)  The general assembly
      finds that:
      
           (a)  High-ability students who are above grade level in one or more
      subjects or who meet academic content standards at an accelerated rate
      should be challenged and supported to reach their full potential;
      
           (b)  School districts that have transparent, systemwide academic
      acceleration procedures for referring students, evaluating the academic
      needs of the students, and implementing appropriate acceleration
      interventions are more likely to provide these high-ability students with a
      challenging education;
      
           (c)  School district acceleration procedures may include, but need not
      be limited to, academic interventions such as accelerating a student in a
      single subject, compacting curriculum, concurrent enrollment, credit by
      examination, advanced placement or international baccalaureate programs,
      specialized advanced academic programs, independent academic studies,
      grade acceleration, grade telescoping, and early entrance to college; and
      
           (d)  Participation in academic acceleration interventions should not
      be limited to only those students who have been identified as gifted and
      talented, but to all students who demonstrate high ability and who may
      benefit from content acceleration or other acceleration interventions in their
      area or areas of strength.
      
           (2)  Therefore, the general assembly declares that each school district
      and each institute charter school shall review the systemwide academic
      acceleration procedures for referral, evaluation, and academic intervention
      for high-ability students enrolled in the school district or in the institute
      charter school.
      
           SECTION 2.  In Colorado Revised Statutes, 22-7-1013, add (2.5)
      as follows:
      
           22-7-1013.  Local education provider - preschool through
      elementary and secondary education standards - adoption - academic
      acceleration. (2.5) (a)  Each local education provider shall review
      its procedures concerning academic acceleration for students.
      Academic acceleration allows a student to progress through an
      education program at a rate faster or at ages younger than the
      student's peers. The local education provider shall consider
      procedures that may include, but need not be limited to, the
      following:
      
           (I)  The process for referral for academic acceleration and
      procedures that ensure the fair, objective, and systematic
      evaluation of the students referred;
      
           (II)  A decision-making process for accelerated placement
      that involves multiple persons, including a student's parents,
      rather than a sole decision-maker;
      
           (III)  Guidelines for the practice of academic acceleration,
      including the categories, forms, and types of academic
      acceleration and the award of credit;
      
           (IV)  Guidelines for preventing nonacademic barriers to the
      use of acceleration as an educational intervention; and
      
           (V)  An appeals process for decisions related to academic
      acceleration, as well as a process for evaluating the academic
      acceleration procedures and its effectiveness in successfully
      accelerating students.
      
           (b)  In designing and implementing the academic acceleration
      procedures, a school district may utilize any resources made
      available through the department of education and any national
      research containing recommendations for developing successful
      academic acceleration procedures.
      
           SECTION 3.  Act subject to petition - effective date. This act
      takes effect at 12:01 a.m. on the day following the expiration of the
      ninety-day period after final adjournment of the general assembly (August
      7, 2013, if adjournment sine die is on May 8, 2013); except that, if a
      referendum petition is filed pursuant to section 1 (3) of article V of the state
      constitution against this act or an item, section, or part of this act within
      such period, then the act, item, section, or part will not take effect unless
      approved by the people at the general election to be held in November 2014
      and, in such case, will take effect on the date of the official declaration of
      the vote thereon by the governor.
      
      
      
      
      ________________________________________________________
      Mark Ferrandino                         John P. Morse
      SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE                     PRESIDENT OF
      OF REPRESENTATIVES                         THE SENATE
      
      
      
      
      
      
      ____________________________  ____________________________
      Marilyn Eddins                      Cindi L. Markwell
      CHIEF CLERK OF THE HOUSE                 SECRETARY OF
      OF REPRESENTATIVES                         THE SENATE
      
      
      
      
                  APPROVED________________________________________
      
      
      
      
      
                                    _________________________________________
                                    John W. Hickenlooper
                                    GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF COLORADO