DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

Colorado State Board of Education

RULES FOR THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE CONCURRENT ENROLLMENT EXPANSION AND INNOVATION GRANT PROGRAM 

1.00	Statement of Basis and Purpose.

The statutory authority for these rules is found in section 22-35-114, C.R.S.  The Concurrent Enrollment Expansion and Innovation Grant Program provides grants, subject to available appropriations, to partnering local education providers and institutions of higher education that seek to begin offering or to expand their capacity to offer concurrent enrollment opportunities to qualified students.  An applicant that seeks a grant must submit an application to the Colorado Department of Education in accordance with rules of the Colorado State Board of Education.  

2.00	Definitions.

2.01	“Concurrent enrollment” means the simultaneous enrollment of a qualified student in a local education provider and in one or more postsecondary courses, including academic or career and technical education courses, which may include course work related to apprenticeship programs or internship programs, at an institution of higher education pursuant to the provisions of article 35 of title 22, at no tuition cost to the qualified student or the qualified student's parent or legal guardian, except as provided in section 22-35-105(4)(c), C.R.S.  As provided in section 22-35-104 (5) and (6)(b)(ii), C.R.S., upon successfully completing a concurrent enrollment postsecondary course, the qualified student must receive credit that applies to completion of high school graduation requirements and postsecondary credit that applies toward completion of developmental education courses, applies toward earning a certificate or degree awarded through an approved postsecondary career and technical education program, is approved by the Colorado Department of Higher Education for transfer from a two-year institution to a four-year institution in satisfaction of prerequisite courses for a specific major, is approved for statewide transfer pursuant to section 23-1-125, C.R.S., or is part of a statewide degree transfer agreement pursuant to section 23-1-108(7)(a), C.R.S. 

"Concurrent enrollment" does not include a student's simultaneous enrollment in:

(1)	A local education provider and in one or more secondary career and technical education courses, advanced placement courses, or international baccalaureate courses;

(2)	An early college, as defined in section 22-35-103(10), C.R.S., and a postsecondary course, which enrollment is not subject to the provisions of article 35 of title 22, C.R.S.;

(3)	A p-tech school, as defined in section 22-35.3-102, C.R.S., and a postsecondary course, which enrollment is subject to the provisions of article 35.3 of title 22; or

(4)	A local education provider and a postsecondary course that does not meet the requirements specified above.

2.02	“Department” means the department of education created and existing pursuant to section 24-1-115, C.R.S.

2.03	“District charter school” means a charter school authorized by a school district pursuant to part 1 of article 30.5 of title 22 that serves any of grades nine through twelve.

2.04	“Institute charter school” means a charter school authorized by the State Charter School Institute pursuant to part 5 of article 30.5 of title 22, C.R.S. that serves any of grades nine through twelve.

2.05	“Institution of higher education” means either:

(1)	A state university or college, community college, local district college or area technical college described in title 23, C.R.S.;

(2)	A postsecondary career and technical education program; or

(3)	An educational institution operating in Colorado that:

(i)	Does not receive state general fund moneys in support of its operating costs;
(ii)	Admits as regular students only persons having a high school diploma or the recognized equivalent of such a certificate;
(iii)	Is accredited by a regional accrediting agency or association;
(iv)	Provides an educational program for which it awards a bachelor’s degree or a graduate degree;
(v)	Is authorized by the Colorado Department of Higher Education to do business in Colorado pursuant to section 23-2-103.3, C.R.S.;
(vi)	Maintains a physical campus or instructional facility in Colorado; and
(vii)	Has been determined by the United States Department of Education to be eligible to administer federal financial aid programs pursuant to title IV of the federal “Higher Education Act of 1965”, as amended.

2.06	“Local education provider” means a school district, Board of Cooperative Services, a district 
charter school, or an Institute charter school.

2.07	“Partnership” means one or more Local Education Providers and one or more 
Institutions of Higher Education.

2.08	“Postsecondary career and technical education program” means a career and 
technical education program that offers postsecondary courses and is approved by the State Board for Community Colleges and Occupational Education pursuant to section 23-8-103, C.R.S.

2.09	“Qualified student” means a person who is less than twenty-one years of age and is 
enrolled in the ninth grade or a higher grade level in a local education provider.

2.10	“State Board” means the state board of education created pursuant to Section 1 of 
Article IX of the State Constitution.

2.11	“Student group” has the same meaning as provided in section 22-11-103, C.R.S.

3.00	Application Submissions

3.01	The Department will develop a grant application form for interested applicants.

3.02	Each application must specify the following:

3.02(1)	The number of qualified students, in total and disaggregated by student group, participating in concurrent enrollment in each of the preceding five school years, including the types of postsecondary courses in which qualified students enrolled, including academic and career and technical education courses, which may have included course work related to apprenticeship programs and internship programs; the number of postsecondary credits  earned; and whether the postsecondary credits were generally transferable to institutions of higher education throughout the state;

3.02(2)	The number of qualified students, in total and disaggregated by student group, who applied for Concurrent Enrollment in each of the preceding five school years but were denied and the reasons for the denials;

3.02(3)	The financial terms of the cooperative agreement between the members of the Partnership;

3.02(4)	The manner in which the local education provider and the partnering Institution of Higher Education publicize the availability of Concurrent Enrollment to its students and the amount of counseling provided to students and their parents or legal guardians concerning the costs and benefits of concurrent enrollment and the transferability of credits obtained through concurrent enrollment;

3.02(5) 	The description of the manner in which the partnership plans to use the grant money to expand the number of qualified students concurrently enrolled in postsecondary courses, which may include:

3.02(5)(i) Assisting one or more teachers with the cost of obtaining a graduate degree in a specific subject so that the teacher may be certified to teach a postsecondary course at a high school;

3.02(5)(ii) Removing barriers to concurrent enrollment for qualified students, which may include paying the costs of books, supplies, fees, or transportation;

3.02(5)(iii) Sharing data between the members of the partnership, which may include purchasing technology software and equipment to assist in the student enrollment process; and

3.02(5)(iv) Providing services, support, and coordination resources for concurrent enrollment for either or both members of the Partnership; and

3.02(6)	Information that demonstrates the applicant's need for financial support for concurrent enrollment and the likelihood that the applicant's use of the grant will increase the participation of low-income or first-generation qualified students in concurrent enrollment.
	
4.00	Application Reviews

4.01	The Department shall review applications in cooperation with the Colorado Department of Higher Education.  The Departments, in making recommendations for grant awards, and the State Board, in selecting grant recipients, shall consider the following criteria:  

4.01(1)	Whether the applicant either does not already provide concurrent enrollment or concurrently enrolls few qualified students at the time of application;

4.01(2)	Whether the applicant demonstrates the greatest degree of need for financial support to expand concurrent enrollment, including need that may arise as a result of a higher-than-anticipated participation rate;

4.01(3)	Whether the applicant demonstrates the most effective use of the grant money to provide the greatest expansion of concurrent enrollment, which may include expanding by using technological strategies or partnering with the statewide supplemental online and blended learning program described in section 22-5-119, C.R.S., and must include expanding the participation of low-income or first-generation qualified students in concurrent enrollment;

4.01(4)	Whether the applicant has demonstrated success in providing concurrent enrollment to a large percentage of the qualified students enrolled by the local education providers and is seeking to implement innovations to expand the number of qualified students concurrently enrolled; or

4.01(5)	Whether the applicant has a plan in place to ensure that course work related to apprenticeship programs and internship programs is eligible to receive transferable postsecondary course credits.

5.00	Reporting Requirements 

5.01	Each grant recipient shall report to the Department and the Colorado Department of Higher Education:

5.01(1)	The manner in which the grant recipient used the grant money received;

5.01(2)	The number and demographics of the qualified students concurrently enrolled in postsecondary courses in the school years before, during and after the grant recipient received the grant;

5.01(3)	The number of teachers who received a credential using assistance received from a grant;

5.01(4)	The types of postsecondary courses, including career and technical education courses and any course work related to apprenticeship programs and internship programs, in which qualified students enrolled in the school years before, during and after the grant recipient received the grant;

5.01(5)	The number and transferability of the postsecondary credits earned through concurrent enrollment in the school years before, during and after the grant recipient received the grant; and

5.01(6)	The number of students who participated in concurrent enrollment who completed an associate degree or a certificate from a postsecondary career and technical education program, in total and disaggregated by student group.