SENATE 3rd Reading Unamended February 22, 2016 SENATE Amended 2nd Reading February 19, 2016Second Regular Session Seventieth General Assembly STATE OF COLORADO REENGROSSED This Version Includes All Amendments Adopted in the House of Introduction LLS NO. 16-0732.02 Julie Pelegrin x2700 SENATE BILL 16-079 SENATE SPONSORSHIP Todd, Carroll, Kerr, Martinez Humenik, Merrifield HOUSE SPONSORSHIP Young, Senate Committees House Committees Education A BILL FOR AN ACT Concerning increasing the alignment of postsecondary and workforce readiness initiatives at the secondary education level with postsecondary career and technical education. Bill Summary (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced and does not reflect any amendments that may be subsequently adopted. If this bill passes third reading in the house of introduction, a bill summary that applies to the reengrossed version of this bill will be available at http://www.leg.state.co.us/billsummaries.) The bill requires that, if a student chooses to follow a career pathway, the student's individual career and academic plan must be aligned with the plan of study, if any, that is appropriate to the student's career goal. The bill directs the commissioner of education to ensure that the department of education (department) aligns the postsecondary and workforce readiness programs and initiatives that it implements with the model plans of study created by the community college system. The bill requires the department, in collaboration with the community college system, to create and make available informational materials that explain the alignment of the state academic standards, the state high school graduation guidelines, and the postsecondary and workforce initiatives and programs that the department implements with the model plans of study and the career pathways. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Colorado: SECTION 1. Legislative declaration. (1) The general assembly finds that: (a) Student and parent access to career education information is important at each step of a student's educational experience as the student plans and prepares for a productive career following graduation; (b) Greater alignment between the secondary and postsecondary public education systems, especially in regard to course expectations and requirements for achieving postsecondary, industry-approved credentials and degrees, is essential to enable students and their parents to plan and direct their academic careers; (c) Greater alignment of the expectations of the secondary and postsecondary public education systems also strengthens the ability of teachers, principals, and counselors to help students adequately prepare to achieve postsecondary and career success in each student's chosen pathway; (d) Greater alignment between these systems also promotes smoother student transitions, less course duplication, and a reduced need for developmental course work when students enter college; and (e) Aligning the secondary and postsecondary public education systems supports students as they plan and prepare to follow the career pathways that are aligned with the needs of industry and businesses within the state and ultimately supports continued economic development within the state. (2) The general assembly finds, therefore, that it is in the best interests of the state and of students and their families to direct the department of education to collaborate with the community college system to create the greatest possible alignment of the postecondary and workforce readiness initiatives that are implemented at the secondary public education level with the career and technical education plans of study and career pathways created at the postsecondary level. SECTION 2. In Colorado Revised Statutes, 22-2-136, amend (2) (b) and (2) (c); and add (2) (d) and (3) as follows: 22-2-136. Additional duty - state board - individual career and academic plans - standards - rules. (2) In establishing the standards for individual career and academic plans, the state board shall ensure, at a minimum, that: (b) Each individual career and academic plan is accessible to educators, students, and parents; and (c) Each public school, in assisting students and parents in creating and maintaining the individual career and academic plans, is in compliance with the requirements of the federal "Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974", 20 U.S.C. sec. 1232g; and (d) If a student chooses to follow a career pathway created pursuant to section 24-46.3-104, C.R.S., the student's individual career and academic plan is aligned with the plan of study as defined in section 22-2-112 (1) (s), if any, that is appropriate to the student's career goals. (3) (a) (I) A school district or public school, including a charter school, shall not, without the specific written consent of the parent or legal guardian of the affected student, release or otherwise provide a student's individual career and academic plan, or any personally identifiable data, as defined in 34 CFR 99.3, as amended, included in the student's individual career and academic plan, to a person who is not an employee of the school district or public school or to an entity that is not a part of the school district or public school, including but not limited to a state or federal agency or an entity with which the school district or public school contracts. (II) Notwithstanding the provisions of subparagraph (I) of this paragraph (a) to the contrary, a school district or public school may provide personally identifiable data that is included in a student's individual career and academic plan to the department to the extent specifically authorized by statute. (b) Each school district and public school shall provide to the department assurances that it has prepared and is maintaining an individual career and education plan for each student enrolled in one of grades nine through twelve in compliance with sections 22-30.5-525 and 22-32-109 (1) (oo). The assurances must not include personally identifiable data. SECTION 3. In Colorado Revised Statutes, 22-30.5-525, add (3) as follows: 22-30.5-525. Individual career and academic plans. (3) (a) (I) An institute charter school shall not, without the specific written consent of the parent or legal guardian of the affected student, release or otherwise provide a student's individual career and academic plan, or any personally identifiable data, as defined in 34 CFR 99.3, as amended, included in the student's individual career and academic plan, to a person who is not an employee of the institute charter school or to an entity that is not a part of the institute charter school, including but not limited to a state or federal agency or an entity with which the institute charter school contracts. (II) Notwithstanding the provisions of subparagraph (I) of this paragraph (a) to the contrary, an institute charter school may provide personally identifiable data that is included in a student's individual career and academic plan to the department to the extent specifically authorized by statute. (b) Each institute charter school shall provide to the department assurances that it has prepared and is maintaining an individual career and education plan for each student enrolled in one of grades nine through twelve in compliance with this section. The assurances must not include personally identifiable data. SECTION 4. In Colorado Revised Statutes, 22-32-109, add (1) (oo) (IV) and (1) (oo) (V) as follows: 22-32-109. Board of education - specific duties. (1) In addition to any other duty required to be performed by law, each board of education shall have and perform the following specific duties: (oo) (IV) (A) A school district or a public school of a school district, including a charter school, shall not, without the specific written consent of the parent or legal guardian of the affected student, release or otherwise provide a student's individual career and academic plan, or any personally identifiable data, as defined in 34 CFR 99.3, as amended, included in the student's individual career and academic plan, to a person who is not an employee of the school district or the public school or to an entity that is not a part of the school district or public school, including but not limited to a state or federal agency or an entity with which the school district or public school contracts. (B) Notwithstanding the provisions of sub-subparagraph (A) of this subparagraph (IV) to the contrary, a school district or public school may provide personally identifiable data that is included in a student's individual career and academic plan to the state department of education to the extent specifically authorized by statute. (V) Each school district and public school shall provide to the state department of education assurances that it has prepared and is maintaining an individual career and education plan for each student enrolled in one of grades nine through twelve in compliance with this paragraph (oo). The assurances must not include personally identifiable data. SECTION 5. In Colorado Revised Statutes, 22-2-112, add (1) (s) as follows: 22-2-112. Commissioner - duties. (1) Subject to the supervision of the state board, the commissioner has the following duties: (s) (I) To ensure that the department aligns the postsecondary and workforce readiness programs and initiatives that it implements with the model plans of study created by the community college system. (II) For purposes of this paragraph (s), "plan of study" means a description of the program and sequence of courses that a student intends to complete to satisfy his or her remaining requirements for high school graduation and selected pathway for academic and career and technical education. SECTION 6. In Colorado Revised Statutes, 22-7-1008, add (4) as follows: 22-7-1008. Postsecondary and workforce readiness description - adoption - revision. (4) The department of education shall collaborate with the community college system to create and make available informational materials explaining the alignment of the state academic standards, the state high school graduation guidelines adopted pursuant to section 22-2-106 (1) (a.5), and the postsecondary and workforce initiatives and programs that the department implements with the model plans of study, as defined in section 22-2-112 (1) (s), and the career pathways developed pursuant to section 24-46.3-104, C.R.S. SECTION 7. 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 10, 2016, if adjournment sine die is on May 11, 2016); 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 2016 and, in such case, will take effect on the date of the official declaration of the vote thereon by the governor.