Second Regular Session Sixty-fifth General Assembly STATE OF COLORADO INTRODUCED LLS NO. 06-0181.01 Jane Ritter SENATE BILL 06-026 SENATE SPONSORSHIP Brophy, HOUSE SPONSORSHIP Merrifield, Senate Committees House Committees Education A BILL FOR AN ACT Concerning prohibitions on admission standards adopted by the Colorado commission on higher education. Bill Summary (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced and does not necessarily reflect any amendments that may be subsequently adopted.) Prohibits the Colorado commission on higher education from establishing prerequisite high school courses as part of the academic admission standards for state-supported institutions of higher education. Removes language in statute referring to "higher education admission guidelines" and replaces those references with "academic admission standards". Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Colorado: SECTION 1. 23-1-113 (1) (b) (I) (A) and (1) (b) (II) (A), Colorado Revised Statutes, are amended to read: 23-1-113. Commission directive - admission standards for baccalaureate and graduate institutions of higher education. (1) (b) (I) (A) The standards established for first-time admitted freshman students shall use a combination of high school academic performance indicators and national assessment test scores for eligibility criteria. The commission shall not establish prerequisite high school courses as part of the admission standards. The criteria established and the specified performance levels shall be consistent with the role and mission established for each state-supported institution of higher education. (II) For purposes of this paragraph (b): (A) "Academic performance indicators" may include, but shall not be limited to, grade point average, class rank, and content standard performance level assessments; except that "academic performance indicators" may not include specific prerequisite high school course requirements. SECTION 2. 23-1-119.1 (1) (a), (1) (b), and (1) (c), Colorado Revised Statutes, are amended to read: 23-1-119.1. Commission directive - notice of postsecondary educational opportunities and academic admission standards. (1) Annually, beginning in the spring of 2006, upon receipt of the names and mailing addresses of students enrolled in the eighth grade from the board of education of each school district in Colorado and the state charter school institute, the Colorado commission on higher education shall provide notice of postsecondary educational opportunities to the parents or legal guardians of all eighth-grade students enrolled in public schools in the state. At a minimum, the notice shall specify: (a) The Colorado commission on higher education's higher education admission guidelines academic admission standards and an explanation that compliance with the higher education admission guidelines academic admission standards is necessary for acceptance, but is not a guarantee of admission, to a state-supported institute of higher education; (b) A student's potential need for remedial education and any related financial obligations that may fall to the student's parent or legal guardian if the student desires to apply to a state-supported, four-year college or university in Colorado but does not meet the higher education admission guidelines academic admission standards; (c) A student who fails to pass a course listed in the higher education admission guidelines may enroll in a remedial course, successful completion of which will satisfy the requirements of the higher education admission guidelines; SECTION 3. 23-1-119.2 (1) (b), Colorado Revised Statutes, is amended to read: 23-1-119.2. Commission directive - notice of college preparatory courses for high school students. (1) The commission shall adopt a policy on or before October 1, 2005, to: (b) Beginning in the spring of 2006, send an annual notice concerning college preparatory courses to the parent or legal guardian of each student who takes the standardized, curriculum-based, achievement, college entrance exam administered pursuant to section 22-7-409 (1.5) (a), C.R.S., or the precollegiate exam. The notice shall be sent to the parent or legal guardian prior to the start of a student's twelfth-grade year if the student took the standardized, curriculum-based, achievement, college entrance exam, or prior to the start of a student's eleventh-grade year if the student took the precollegiate exam. At a minimum, the notice shall include: (I) A detailed description of what constitutes an inadequate score in mathematics, writing, or reading, based on the higher education admission guidelines academic admission standards established by the commission; (II) Information regarding a student's ability to take basic, precollegiate skills courses while enrolled in a public high school; and (III) Notice that a student's parent or legal guardian may contact the school in which the student is enrolled if he or she desires to develop a plan for the student to address the course work needed to meet the higher education admission guidelines academic admission standards adopted by the commission. SECTION 4. The introductory portion to 23-3.1-206.9 (1) and 23-3.1-206.9 (3), Colorado Revised Statutes, are amended to read: 23-3.1-206.9. Colorado achievement scholarship program - administration - fund - policies. (1) There is hereby created the Colorado achievement scholarship program for the purposes of promoting precollegiate curriculum as established by the board of education of each school district consistent with the guidelines academic admission standards adopted by the department of higher education and increasing access to postsecondary education. The Colorado achievement scholarship program shall be implemented and administered by the authority. A scholarship under the Colorado achievement scholarship program may be awarded only to an undergraduate student who, each year: (3) The board shall adopt any policies necessary for the implementation and administration of the Colorado achievement scholarship program, which shall include but need not be limited to implementing the program for the high school graduating class of 2008, providing awards to both part-time and full-time students, and specifying that a scholarship under the program shall only be paid to a student for up to five academic years. The board shall develop an application for the Colorado achievement scholarship program that shall be signed by the parent or legal guardian and the eligible student and shall be returned as specified by the board. The application shall include the requirements for and the disqualifications from the Colorado achievement scholarship program. When the board adopts policies requiring a student to complete a precollegiate curriculum as established by the board of education of each school district, the board shall also include requirements for schools that do not utilize the a precollegiate curriculum. The board shall also establish criteria for students to be disqualified from the Colorado achievement scholarship program only for expulsion. The policies adopted by the board for the implementation and administration of the Colorado achievement scholarship program shall be approved by the executive director of the commission. SECTION 5. 22-30.5-516 (1) (a), Colorado Revised Statutes, is amended to read: 22-30.5-516. Notice of academic admission standards - report to Colorado commission on higher education. (1) The state charter school institute board shall adopt a policy on or before October 1, 2005, to: (a) Provide on or before December 31 of each school year the names and mailing addresses of students enrolled in the eighth grade in institute charter schools to the Colorado commission on higher education for use in mailing the notice of postsecondary educational opportunities and higher education admission guidelines academic admission standards as required in section 23-1-119.1, C.R.S. SECTION 6. 22-32-109 (1) (ff), Colorado Revised Statutes, is amended to read: 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: (ff) To adopt a policy on or before October 1, 2005, to: (I) Provide on or before December 31 of each school year, the names and mailing addresses of students enrolled in the eighth grade to the Colorado commission on higher education for use in mailing the notice of postsecondary educational opportunities and higher education admission guidelines academic admission standards as required in section 23-1-119.1, C.R.S.; and (II) Provide to the parent of a student enrolled in the eighth grade, prior to the student's enrollment in his or her ninth grade courses, a list of courses the school district has available that satisfy the Colorado commission on higher education's higher education admission guidelines; SECTION 7. Effective date. This act shall take effect at 12:01 a.m. on the day following the expiration of the ninety-day period after final adjournment of the general assembly that is allowed for submitting a referendum petition pursuant to article V, section 1 (3) of the state constitution (August 9, 2006, if adjournment sine die is on May 10, 2006); except that, if a referendum petition is filed against this act or an item, section, or part of this act within such period, then the act, item, section, or part, if approved by the people, shall take effect on the date of the official declaration of the vote thereon by proclamation of the governor.