DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Colorado State Board of Education
1 CCR 301-110
RULES FOR THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE HIGH SCHOOL INNOVATIVE LEARNING PILOT PROGRAM

1.00	STATEMENT AND BASIS OF PURPOSE
The statutory basis for these rules is found in section 22-35.6-101, et. seq. C.R.S. The High School Innovative Learning Pilot Program is intended to allow selected Local Education Providers (LEP) to offer learning experiences for their students that usually occur outside of the classroom. 
The statute also allows selected LEPs to count their students who are enrolled in grades nine through twelve and are participating in innovative learning opportunities as full-time pupils, regardless of the actual number of teacher-pupil instruction hours and teacher-pupil contact hours for each pupil. Beginning with the 2020-21 school year, participating LEPs will submit a report to the Department by May 15th of each school year which includes information regarding the types of innovative learning opportunities provided for students, the number of students that participated in innovative learning opportunities, and outcomes achieved (see section 6.01).
2.00	DEFINITIONS
2.01	“Department” means the Department of Education created and operating pursuant to Section 24-1-115, C.R.S. 
2.02	“Education Leadership Council” means the council convened by Executive Order B 2017-001 in 2017 to identify the vision and strategic plan for education in Colorado.
2.03	“Innovative Learning Opportunities” means learning experiences that usually occur outside of the classroom. Innovative learning opportunities may include work-based learning, such as apprenticeships, competency-based learning projects, capstone projects, and other learning experiences that are designed to support students in developing and demonstrating personal skills, entrepreneurial skills, civic and interpersonal skills, and professional skills as described by the Department.
2.04	“Innovative Learning Plan” or “Plan” means a Local Education Provider’s plan to provide a variety of innovative learning opportunities to students enrolled in grades nine through twelve. 
2.05	“Local Education Provider” (LEP) means a school district organized pursuant to Article 30 of Title 22, a Board of Cooperative Services created pursuant to Article 5 of Title 22, a charter school authorized by a school district pursuant to Part 1 of Article 30.5 of Title 22, or an institute charter school authorized by the state Charter School Institute pursuant to Part 5 of Article 30.5 of Title 22.
2.06	“Pilot Program” means the High School Innovative Learning Pilot Program created in Section 22-35.6-103.
2.07	“Rural Local Education Provider” means: a school district in Colorado that is determined to be rural based on the size of the district, the distance from the nearest large urban/urbanized area, and having a student enrollment of approximately 6,500 students or fewer. Small rural districts are those districts meeting these same criteria and having a student population of fewer than 1,000 students. 

2.07(1)	A rural local education provider also includes a district charter school authorized by a school district described in Rule 2.08 or an institute charter school that is located within the geographic boundaries of a school district described in Rule 2.07.
2.08	“Small Suburban School District” means a school district that is located in a suburban area, as identified by the Department, and that enrolls fewer than two thousand students.
2.09	“State Board” means the State Board of Education created pursuant to Section 1 Article IX of the State Constitution 
3.00	APPLICATION INFORMATION 
3.01	Application Timeline
3.01(1)	The Department will make the program application available on the Department’s webpage by November 1st of the preceding budget year for each budget year for which program funding is available
3.01(2)	An LEP or a group of LEPs must submit a completed program application to the Department by January 15th for each program year.
3.01(3)	The State Board will select the participating LEP applicants no later than March 1st of each program year.
3.02 	Application  
The department will implement the program and develop an application form. Each application must specify:
3.02(1)	 The number of students enrolled in grades nine through twelve who were counted as full-time pupils and part-time pupils in the preceding three budget years, expressed as numerals and percentages;
3.02(2)	The number of students enrolled in grades nine through twelve who participated in innovative learning opportunities the in preceding four budget years, expressed as numerals and percentages;
3.02(3)	The number of students who are expected to participate in the innovative learning opportunities and the participation capacity of the innovative learning opportunities proposed in the innovative learning plan;
3.02(4)	A description of the innovative learning plan that the applicant expects to implement, including an explanation of how it aligns with at least two principles for student learning and transition specified under 3.02(4)(a) and why those principles were selected; or an explanation of how it meets the research-based design principles under Rule 3.02(4)(b):
3.02(4)(a)	Education Leadership Council principles
i.	Intentionally inclusive and culturally responsive educational opportunities that prepare learners of all backgrounds to thrive at every critical transition from early childhood and through careers;
ii.	Multiple viable postsecondary pathways that are explored and valued by all;
iii.	The opportunity, supported by adults, to direct their own learning experiences to develop essential skills; and
iv.	Robust career and workforce readiness opportunities, in and out of school, including during the summer break, that are informed by industry and community to ensure alignment for transitions beyond high school
3.02(4)(b)	Research-based design principles
i.	Impacts a large percentage of the students enrolled by the LEP in grades nine through twelve and significantly improves student outcomes;
ii.	Builds public trust through transparency, local partnerships, and shared learning as evidenced by:
1.	The number and variety of community partnerships that exist at the time of application and the demonstrated expectation and capacity to create additional partnerships;
2.	The continuing role that community partners, including institutions of higher education, business, industry, and agricultural enterprises, will play in developing the innovative learning opportunity;
3.	The mechanisms that the LEP uses and will use to solicit and share input from teachers, students, parents, and other community members; and
4.	The mechanisms that the LEP uses and will use to share learning with community members;
iii.	Identifies a strong theory of change that justifies why and explains how the proposed innovative learning plan is likely to result in a greater number of students participating in effective, meaningful innovative learning opportunities;
iv.	Describes thoroughly and clearly the plan for collecting the evidence that the LEP will use to evaluate the effectiveness of the theory of change; and
v.	Creates a schedule and mechanism for evaluating the collected evidence and committing to adapt in response to trends in the evidence to improve the innovative learning plan.
3.02(5)	Information that demonstrates that the applicant has capacity and willingness to implement the innovative learning plan with integrity;
3.02(6)	An explanation of the goals of the innovative learning plan and how the applicant intends to measure attainment of the goals, the data the applicant will collect to measure attainment of the goals, and the schedule and method for collecting data and assessing attainment of the goals; and
3.02(7)	If applicable to the innovative learning plan, the partnerships between community, business, or other organizations and the applicant that relate to the innovative learning opportunities included in the plan that are in place at the time of application, or that the applicant expects to enter into in implementing the plan.

3.03	Simplified Application for Small Districts
	The State Board shall ensure that, for LEPs that enroll fewer than 2,000 students and for charter schools, the Department will prepopulate the application using existing Department data for as many elements as possible. In addition, the non-profit contractor selected by the department will provide technical assistance to rural local education providers and small suburban school districts pursuant to section 22-35.6-105(5)(b), C.R.S.

4.00 	Application Review Criteria
4.01	The Department and the State Board shall consider the following in recommending and selecting the LEPs to participate in the pilot program:
4.01(1)	The percentage of students enrolled by the LEP in grades nine through twelve who are reasonably expected to participate in innovative learning opportunities;
4.01(2)	The quality of the innovative learning plan and the likelihood that it will result in meaningful innovative learning opportunities that will significantly support students in their transition from high school to postsecondary education or the workforce; and
4.01(3)	The degree to which the innovative learning plan aligns with at least two principles for student learning and transition specified by the Education Leadership Council, or meets the research-based design principles.

5.00	Number of applicants to be selected
5.01	The State Board shall select applicants to participate in the pilot program as follows: 
5.01(1)	Of those applicants in which any of the students enrolled in grades nine through twelve in the preceding budget year were enrolled as part-time students, the State Board shall select up to five applicants, each of which enrolls fewer than five thousand students in grade nine through twelve; and
	5.01(1)(a)	For each subsequent budget year, until budget year 2025-26, the State Board may select additional applicants based on funding provided by the General Assembly.
5.01(2)	Of those applicants in which all of the students enrolled in grades nine through twelve in the preceding budget year were enrolled as full-time students, the State Board shall select each applicant that adopts an innovative learning plan that the State Board determines:
	5.01(2)(a)	Is likely to result in meaningful innovative learning opportunities that will significantly support students in their transition from high school to postsecondary education or the workforce; and
	5.01(2)(b)	Aligns with at least two of the principles for student learning and transition specified by the Education Leadership Council, or meets the research-based design principles.
6.00	Reports
The Department will prepare and submit the following reports in compliance with Section 22 35.6-106:
6.01	Beginning with the 2020-21 school year, participating LEPs will submit a report to the Department by May 15th of each school year which includes the following information: 
6.01(1) 	The types of innovative learning opportunities provided through implementation of the Plan;
6.01(2) 	The number and percentage of students enrolled in grades nine through twelve who participate in innovative learning opportunities, in total and disaggregated by student group, as defined in Section 22-11-103, where possible;
6.01(3) 	The number and percentage of students enrolled in grades nine through twelve who participate in innovative learning opportunities as compared to the number and percentage who participated before the LEP implemented the Plan, and as compared to the number and percentage who participated in the preceding reporting period if applicable; 
6.01(4) 	A summary description of the outcomes achieved by students who participate in the innovative learning opportunity, that does not contain student personally identifiable Information, as defined in section 22-16-103(13), C.R.S.; and
6.01(5) 	A summary description of the challenges encountered in implementing the innovative learning opportunities and the manner in which the LEP addressed the challenges, including explanation of the strategies and programs that were successful and those that were not.
6.02	The Department, with assistance from the contract entity described in C.R.S. 22-35.6-105(5), shall submit to the State Board no later than July 1, 2022, and no later than July 1 each year thereafter, an annual summary report of the LEP information in Rule 6.01, and an evaluation of the effectiveness and success of the pilot program in increasing the number of students enrolled in grades nine through twelve who participated in meaningful innovative learning opportunities.