Second Regular Session Seventieth General Assembly STATE OF COLORADO INTRODUCED LLS NO. 16-0316.01 Julie Pelegrin x2700 HOUSE BILL 16-1116 HOUSE SPONSORSHIP Fields, SENATE SPONSORSHIP (None), House Committees Senate Committees Education A BILL FOR AN ACT Concerning a public forum to discuss a model for micro-credentialing. 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 directs the executive officer of the state board for community colleges and occupational education, or his or her designee, to hold a public forum on or before September 1, 2016, to discuss a model for micro-credentialing. The bill specifies the minimum topics for discussion, including how micro-credentials would be used, the types of skills and knowledge the micro-credentials would document, the platform for hosting micro-credentials, and protocols for protecting the security of micro-credentials. The executive officer or designee must prepare a summary of the findings and recommendations that arise from the public forum, submit it to several entities, and post it on the community college system website. The executive officer or designee must also present the findings and recommendations to a joint meeting of the education committees of the general assembly held no later than February 1, 2017. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Colorado: SECTION 1. In Colorado Revised Statutes, add 23-60-110 as follows: 23-60-110. Micro-credentialing - model - public forum - report - legislative declaration. (1) (a) The general assembly finds that: (I) Within and outside of the classroom, students often engage in project-based and experiential learning by which they attain knowledge and skills, such as critical thinking, communication, and collaboration, that are essential for productive employment and effective citizenship, but are not recognized or identified through an assessment score or a course grade; (II) Students often attain the mastery of valuable skills but lack the ability to demonstrate this mastery in a manner that is meaningful or credible for school districts, charter schools, institutions of higher education, or employers; (III) Some school districts, museums, nonprofit organizations, and institutions of higher education in various areas of the country have created micro-credentialing systems. In these systems, an entity that provides educational opportunities for students and adults establishes the criteria, including curriculum and competencies, and assessments for determining whether a person has acquired the necessary skills for the micro-credential. Individuals who earn the micro-credential can then share the credential with formal or informal education providers or employers or other groups that have a need for persons with the skills represented by the micro-credential. (IV) A micro-credentialing system enables individuals to earn micro-credentials from a variety of issuers and use the micro-credentials to provide a much more complete picture of the range of knowledge and skills that the individual has developed. The individual can then combine the micro-credentials with the individual's resume and formal education transcripts when applying for entrance into postsecondary education or for a job. (b) The general assembly concludes that consideration of a system of micro-credentialing to document student learning and mastery of distinct skills is useful to enable students to demonstrate specific skills attained either within or outside of the classroom in a manner that is credible and useful for school districts, charter schools, institutions of higher education, and employers. The general assembly further finds that a standardized, credible system of micro-credentialing is a valuable component of workforce development in Colorado. (2) On or before September 1, 2016, the executive officer of the board, or his or her designee, shall convene a public forum to discuss developing a model for the creation and use of micro-credentials as evidence of student learning. The executive officer, or the designee, shall invite, at a minimum, students, parents, and representatives of school districts, charter schools, community colleges, area vocational schools, public libraries, museums, and business and industry to attend the public forum. Discussion at the public forum must, at a minimum, include the following topics: (a) The use of micro-credentials by school districts, charter schools, community colleges, area vocational schools, and employers, including the manner in which micro-credentials may support access to and completion of career pathways created pursuant to section 24-46.3-104, C.R.S., and other college and career readiness initiatives; (b) The appropriate subjects and skills for micro-credentialing and the manner in which a traditional or nontraditional student may demonstrate the level of mastery necessary to obtain a micro-credential; (c) The design of micro-credentials, including how the micro-credentials are validated, stored, accessed, and maintained; (d) The platform for creating, maintaining, accessing, and sharing micro-credentials; and (e) The entity or entities that may host the micro-credentials and protocols to protect the security of micro-credentials and to help ensure that a student who obtains a micro-credential controls access to the micro-credential. (3) Following completion of the public forum, the executive officer, or the designee, shall summarize the findings and recommendations that arise from the public forum. The executive officer, or designee, shall submit the findings and recommendations to the Colorado commission on higher education, the state board of education, the state work force development council created in section 24-46.3-101, C.R.S., and the governor. No later than February 1, 2017, the executive officer, or designee, shall present the findings and recommendations in a meeting of the joint education committee of the senate and the house of representatives, or any successor committee. The executive officer, or designee, shall also ensure that the findings and recommendations are posted on the Colorado community college system website. SECTION 2. 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.