SB 17-101

Senate Bill 17-101, which has been signed into law, changes how Colorado public schools test ninth and tenth-grade students. Instead of being required to use specific standardized tests chosen by the state for these grades, local school districts now have the freedom to pick either the state’s ninth-grade math and English assessments or one of two options provided by the Department of Education for tenth-graders. The bill also requires schools to discuss test results with students and their parents to help plan for future education and career paths. This means that Colorado schools will have more flexibility in choosing tests, but they must still provide guidance based on those test results.

Official Summary

The bill repeals the requirement that Colorado participate in a consortium of states that develops a set of assessments and the requirement that the state use the assessments that the consortium develops. Under existing law, each local education provider must administer the state assessments in math and English language arts to ninth-grade students and must administer a state-selected assessment to tenth-grade students. Under the bill, each local education provider decides whether to administer to ninth-grade students the state assessments in English language arts and math for ninth-grade students or one of the 2 assessments selected by the department of education (department) for tenth-grade students. Under existing law, the department must select an assessment for students enrolled in tenth grade that is aligned with the standardized, curriculum-based, achievement college entrance exam (exam) that the department must select for students enrolled in eleventh grade. The bill requires the department to select 2 tenth-grade assessments and 2 exams. Each local education provider must decide which assessment and which exam to administer. The state will pay the costs of administering the assessments and exams. The bill directs the department and the state board of education to provide the greatest flexibility possible under federal law to local education providers in selecting and administering state assessments. The bill requires each local education provider to review with each student and his or her parent the results of the ninth-grade and tenth-grade assessments and the eleventh-grade exam and the effect the results may have on the student's individual career and academic plan. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)

Votes