2016 Colorado Revised Statutes
Title 22 - Education
General and Administrative
Article 11 - Accreditation
Part 2 - State Accountability
§ 22-11-203. Student longitudinal academic growth - calculation - data - research

(1) (a) Each school year by a date established in state board rules, the department shall calculate, to the extent practicable, what will constitute adequate longitudinal academic growth for each student for that school year in each subject that is included in the statewide assessments. The department shall formulate the calculation in such a way that adequate longitudinal academic growth means:

(I) Catch-up growth for a student who scored at the unsatisfactory or partially proficient achievement level on the statewide assessments in the previous academic year, which is the amount of academic growth necessary to score at the proficient achievement level within three years or by the tenth grade, whichever comes sooner; and

(II) Keep-up growth for a student who scored at the proficient or advanced achievement level on the statewide assessments in the previous academic year, which is the amount of academic growth necessary to score at the proficient achievement level or higher for the succeeding three years or until the tenth grade, whichever is sooner.

(b) The department shall use data available for longitudinal analysis to review and revise the calculation of adequate longitudinal academic growth as necessary.

(c) By the same date established for purposes of paragraph (a) of this subsection (1), the department shall calculate, to the extent practicable, for each student who scored at the proficient achievement level on the statewide assessments in the previous academic year, what will constitute move-up growth for the coming school year in each subject that is included in statewide assessments.

(d) Notwithstanding the provisions of paragraph (a) of this subsection (1), the department may revise, as necessary, the definition of adequate longitudinal growth to incorporate the concept of move-up growth or to meet the requirements of federal law.

(2) (a) For each school year, the department shall provide to each school district in the state academic growth information for each student enrolled in the district public schools, based on the statewide assessment results for the preceding school years. Within ten days after the information is provided to each school district, the department shall also provide the academic growth information to each district public school for the students enrolled in the district public school. Upon receipt of the academic growth information, the principal of each district public school shall ensure that appropriate educators in the school who work directly with a student have access to the necessary academic growth information concerning that student.

(b) For each school year, the department shall provide to the institute academic growth information for each student enrolled in the institute charter schools, based on the statewide assessment results for the preceding school years. Within ten days after the information is provided to the institute, the department shall also provide the academic growth information to each institute charter school for the students enrolled in the institute charter school. Upon receipt of the academic growth information, the principal of each institute charter school shall ensure that appropriate educators in the school who work directly with a student have access to the necessary academic growth information concerning that student.

(3) The academic growth information required by subsection (2) of this section shall include, but need not be limited to:

(a) Information on whether each student made at least one year's academic growth in one year's time in the preceding school year;

(b) Whether the student made adequate academic growth for the preceding school year as calculated for the student pursuant to subsection (1) of this section;

(c) The longitudinal academic growth calculated for each student to attain catch-up, keep-up, or move-up growth, as described in subsection (1) of this section;

(d) The amount of growth for each student that would result in the student scoring at the partially proficient, proficient, and advanced achievement levels within one, two, and three years; and

(e) School performance indicators as calculated pursuant to section 22-11-204.

(4) The department, school districts, the institute, and public schools shall maintain the confidentiality of each student's statewide assessment scores consistent with the federal "Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974", 20 U.S.C. sec. 1232g, and all federal regulations and applicable guidelines adopted in accordance therewith.

(5) The school district or the district charter school or institute charter school in which a student is enrolled shall maintain the academic growth information received from the department pursuant to subsection (2) of this section in the student's individual student record maintained by the school district or by the district charter school or institute charter school.

(6) The department shall provide technical assistance and training to school districts, the institute, and public schools to assist school district, institute, and public school personnel in interpreting, using, and communicating to parents the academic growth information provided pursuant to subsection (2) of this section. The department shall pay the costs of providing technical assistance and training pursuant to this subsection (6) within existing appropriations or from any gifts, grants, or donations received for implementing this section.

(7) The department, upon request, shall make available to qualified researchers the entire longitudinally linked dataset created pursuant to section 22-11-202 and used for generating academic growth information pursuant to this section and for awarding the governor's distinguished improvement awards. For purposes of this subsection (7), qualified researchers shall include, but need not be limited to, institutions of higher education, school districts, and public policy research and advocacy organizations. The department shall provide the data in a format that allows the data to be linked with other publicly available data in the state and shall include all available data regarding student demographics, the state's school identification numbers, and student-level performance data, while protecting the privacy of individual students in a manner consistent with the federal "Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974", 20 U.S.C. sec. 1232g, and all federal regulations and applicable guidelines adopted in accordance therewith.