Second Regular Session
               Seventieth General Assembly
                    STATE OF COLORADO
                                                 INTRODUCED
                                                           
                                                           
 LLS NO. 16-0670.01 Julie Pelegrin x2700 SENATE BILL 16-005
                   SENATE SPONSORSHIP
 Marble, Merrifield, Neville T., Woods
 
                    HOUSE SPONSORSHIP
 Saine, Ransom
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Senate Committees
 House Committees
 
 
 Education
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                         A BILL FOR AN ACT
       Concerning prohibiting the administration of statewide
            assessments to students enrolled in ninth grade.
       
       
                           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.)
       
            Under current law, the department of education (department)
       administers state assessments in English language arts and mathematics
       to students enrolled in grades 3 through 9. The bill eliminates the ninth
       grade assessments in English language arts and mathematics.
            Under current law, the department must administer a state
       assessment in science and social studies once to students enrolled in high
       school, but it cannot administer the assessment to students enrolled in
       twelfth grade. The bill prohibits the department from administering the
       state assessments in these subjects to students enrolled in ninth grade.
       
       
       
       Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Colorado:
            SECTION 1.  In Colorado Revised Statutes, 22-7-1006.3, amend
       (1) (a); and repeal (1) (b) as follows:
            22-7-1006.3.  State assessments - administration - rules.
       (1) (a)  Beginning in the 2015-16 school year, the department of
       education, in collaboration with local education providers, shall
       administer the state assessments in the instructional areas of English
       language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies, as adopted by the
       state board pursuant to section 22-7-1006, as follows:
            (I)  The department shall administer a state assessment in English
       language arts and a state assessment in mathematics to all students
       enrolled in grades three through nine eight in public schools throughout
       the state.
            (II)  The department shall administer a state assessment in science
       to students enrolled in public elementary, middle, and high schools
       throughout the state. The department shall select the specific grades in
       which to administer the state science assessment, ensuring that students
       take the state science assessment once in elementary school, once in
       middle school, and once in high school; except that the department shall
       not administer the state science assessment to students enrolled in ninth
       or twelfth grade.
            (III)  The department shall administer a state assessment in social
       studies to students enrolled in public elementary, middle, and high
       schools throughout the state. The department shall select the specific
       grades in which to administer the state social studies assessment, ensuring
       that students take the state social studies assessment once in elementary
       school, once in middle school, and once in high school; except that the
       department shall not administer the state social studies assessment to
       students enrolled in ninth or twelfth grade. The department shall
       administer the social studies assessment in a representative sample of
       public schools each school year, ensuring that it administers the social
       studies assessment in each public school at least once every three years.
       A school district, for one or more of the schools of the school district that
       are not included in the representative sample, or a charter school that is
       not included in the representative sample, may request that the department
       administer the assessment in the district school or charter school. The
       department shall administer the social studies assessment in the requested
       school in the school year following the school year in which it receives
       the request.
            (b)  As soon as practicable after May 20, 2015, the department of
       education shall apply to the federal department of education for a waiver
       of federal statutory and regulatory requirements as may be necessary to
       allow the department to satisfy the federal high school assessment
       requirements by administering assessments in English language arts and
       mathematics to students enrolled in ninth grade.
            SECTION 2.  In Colorado Revised Statutes, 22-7-1016, amend
       (4) (b) as follows:
            22-7-1016.  Assessments in high school - transcripts. (4) (b)  A
       student who demonstrates attainment of postsecondary and workforce
       readiness while enrolled in any of grades nine through twelve shall be
       high school is eligible to participate in a program through which the
       student may earn postsecondary or career and technical education course
       credits while enrolled in high school.
            SECTION 3.  Safety clause. The general assembly hereby finds,
       determines, and declares that this act is necessary for the immediate
       preservation of the public peace, health, and safety.