Colorado State Board of Education
Department of Education
1 Colorado Code of Regulation 301-77
Rules for the Administration of 
The Postsecondary and workforce readiness 
assessments Pilot PRogram

Authority:  Article IX, Section 1, Colorado Constitution.  22-2-106(1)(a) and (c); 22-2-107(1)(c); 22-7-409(1.5); 22-7-1007 of the Colorado Revised Statutes (C.R.S.).

1.00   	Statement of Basis and Purpose.  
The statutory basis for these rules is found in 22-2-106(1)(a) and (c), State Board Duties; 22-2-107(1)(c), State Board Powers; and 22-7-1007, the Postsecondary and Workforce Readiness Assessments Pilot Program, C.R.S.

	The Postsecondary and Workforce Readiness Assessments Pilot Program, 22-7-1007, C.R.S., requires the State Board of Education to promulgate rules pursuant to the “State Administrative Procedure Act”, Article 4 of Title 24, C.R.S., for the implementation of the pilot program, including but not limited to: the procedures and time frames by which a local education provider shall notify the Department of Education of its intent to participate in the pilot program; and a description of the process by which the Department shall distribute the moneys to participating local education providers.

2.00 	Definitions.

2.00 	(1)	Assessment:  The method used to collect evidence of what a student knows and is able to do and to measure a student’s academic progress toward attaining a standard.
 
2.00 	(2)	Board of Cooperative Services or BOCES: A Board of Cooperative Services created and operating pursuant to Article 5 of Title 22 that operates one or more public schools.  

2.00 	(3)	Commission:  The Colorado Commission on Higher Education created pursuant to section 23-1-102, C.R.S.

2.00 	(4)	Department:  The Department of Education created pursuant to section 24-1-115, C.R.S.
2.00 	(5)	Institute Charter School:  A charter school authorized by the State Charter School Institute pursuant to Part 5 of Article 30.5 of Title 22.  An Institute Charter School is an “Institute Charter High School” if it serves any of grades nine through twelve. 
2.00 	(6)	Local Education Provider:  A school district, a board of cooperative services, a district charter school, or an institute charter school. 

2.00 	(7)	Pilot Program:  The pilot program for administration of postsecondary and workforce planning, preparation, and readiness assessments implemented pursuant to 22-7-1007, C.R.S. 

2.00 	(8)	Postsecondary and Workforce Planning Assessment:  An assessment or battery of assessments administered to students in eighth and/or ninth grade that, at a minimum, tests in the areas of reading, mathematics, and science, provides guidance regarding a student’s level of academic preparation for entry into postsecondary education or the workforce, and is relevant to the student for purposes of postsecondary planning.

2.00 	(9)	Postsecondary and Workforce Preparation Assessment:  An assessment or battery of assessments administered to students in tenth grade that, at a minimum, tests in the areas of reading, mathematics, and science, provides guidance regarding a student’s level of academic preparation for entry into postsecondary education or the workforce, and is relevant to college admission determinations. 

 2.00 	(10)	Postsecondary and Workforce Readiness:  The knowledge and skills that a student should have attained prior to or upon attaining a high school diploma, as adopted by the State Board and the Commission pursuant to Section 22-7-1008, C.R.S.

2.00 	(11)	Postsecondary and Workforce Readiness Assessment:  An assessment or battery of assessments administered to students in eleventh grade that, at a minimum, tests in the areas of reading, mathematics, and science and is relevant to college admission determinations by institutions of higher education throughout the United States.

2.00 	(12)	Postsecondary and Workforce Readiness Program:  A program of study that, prior to or beginning in ninth grade and continuing through twelfth grade, is designed to prepare a student to demonstrate postsecondary and workforce readiness prior to or upon attaining a high school diploma.

2.00 	(13)	Postsecondary Education:  All formal public education that requires as a prerequisite the acquisition of a high school diploma or its equivalent.  “Postsecondary Education” includes programs resulting in acquisition of a certificate, an associate degree of applied sciences, an associate degree of general studies, an associate degree of arts, or an associate degree of science and all baccalaureate degree programs.

2.00 	(14)	School District:  A school district, other than a junior college district, organized and existing pursuant to law.

2.00 	(15)	Standard: A clear, measurable, learning target for what a student should know or be able to do relative to a particular instructional area. 

2.00 	(16)	State Board: The State Board of Education created pursuant to Section 1 of Article IX of the State Constitution. 

2.00 	(17)	State Plan: The State Plan required by the federal “No Child Left Behind Act of 2001”, 20 U.S.C. sec. 6301 et seq. 

2.00	(18)	Unit Record Test Scores:  An electronic record of individual student-level scores on standardized assessments.

2.01 	Implementation Procedures.
	Beginning in the 2008-09 academic year, the Department shall implement a pilot program for the purpose of evaluating standards and collecting data regarding student performance on postsecondary and workforce planning, preparation, and readiness assessments from assessment vendors and local education providers that volunteer to participate in the pilot program.  The State Board shall take into account the data that are collected when adopting standards for grades nine through twelve, and the State Board and the Commission shall consider data when creating the description of postsecondary and workforce planning, preparation, and readiness assessments that will be administered statewide following completion of the pilot program. 
As part of the pilot program, the Department shall survey local education providers concerning the postsecondary and workforce planning, preparation, and readiness assessments, if any, administered by the local education providers within the preceding five years.  The Department shall solicit information concerning the local education providers’ determination of the effectiveness and relevance of the assessments administered and shall request any data compiled by the local education providers in making their determination.    
2.01 	(1)	Vendor Participation.  On or before December 15, 2008, the Department shall invite, through a Request for Information process, nationally recognized vendors of postsecondary and workforce planning, preparation, and readiness assessments to participate in the pilot program.  In selecting the vendors that will be invited to participate, the Department shall include, but need not be limited to, at least one vendor that provides a system of postsecondary and workforce planning, preparation, and readiness assessments that are aligned to demonstrate a student’s academic growth through the ninth, tenth, and eleventh grades.
2.01 	(1)	(a)	Each assessment vendor that chooses to participate in the pilot program shall agree in writing to have the vendor provide to the Department data concerning the administration of the vendor’s assessments in other states, including but not limited to unit record test scores.  The Department shall apply the data in preparing amendments to the State Plan, as described in Section 22-7-1012 C.R.S., and in adjusting the Longitudinal Growth Model adopted pursuant to section 22-7-604.3 C.R.S., to ensure that the results of each assessment that is included in the pilot program can be used to measure individual student growth toward attaining postsecondary and workforce readiness.  
2.01 	(2)	Local Education Provider Participation.  The Department shall provide information to local education providers concerning the creation and operation of the pilot program, including, but not limited to a list of the vendors that will be participating and the duties of a local education provider that chooses to participate in the pilot program.
2.01 	(2)	(a)	On or before January 15, 2008 2009 each local education provider choosing to participate in the pilot program shall notify the Department in writing of its intent to participate in the pilot program.
2.01 	(3)	Assessment and Reporting Timeframes.  Each local education provider that chooses to participate in the pilot program shall: 
2.01 	(3)	(a)	During the spring semester of each academic year beginning in 2009, administer a postsecondary and workforce planning assessment, selected by the local education provider from among the assessments provided by the participating vendors, to students enrolled in eight and/or ninth grade.  
2.01 	(3)	(b)	During the spring semester of each academic year beginning in 2009, administer a postsecondary and workforce preparation assessment, selected by the local education provider from among the assessments provided by the participating vendors, to students enrolled in tenth grade;
2.01	(3)	(c)	During the spring semester of each academic year beginning in 2009, administer a postsecondary and workforce readiness assessment, selected by the local education provider from among the assessments provided by the participating vendors, to students enrolled in eleventh grade; 
2.01	(3)	(d)	Develop and implement a process by which the local education provider will share the results received by each student on the postsecondary and workforce planning, preparation, and readiness assessments with the student and the student’s parents as soon as possible following the receipt of the results; and  
2.01	(3)	(e)	Annually, on or before June 15, ensure the vendor will provide to the Department the results achieved by each student on the postsecondary and workforce planning, preparation, or readiness assessment by the State Assigned Student Identification number.  

2.01 	(4)	Distribution of Funding.  The Department shall distribute the moneys to participating local education providers, subject to available appropriations, ensuring to the extent practicable that moneys are distributed to local education providers in areas throughout the state and of varying enrollment size and taking into account the fiscal needs of each participating local education provider and whether the participating local education provider was administering postsecondary and workforce planning, preparation, or readiness assessments prior to implementation of the pilot program.  The Department will administer an application process for distributing the available moneys.  In order for funding to be approved by the Department, education providers must submit, at a minimum, the following documentation:
2.01	(4)	(a)	The number of students who will participate in the pilot program.
2.01	(4)	(b)	Document of assurance from the test vendor including: a) cost per student, b) statement of work and c) delivery of individual student data to the Department by June 1. 
2.01	(4)	(c)	A draft budget in compliance with the Department’s standard fiscal rules including a budget narrative.
2.01	(4)	(d)	Signature page(s).