Education-Based Workforce Readiness

The bill authorizes the department of education (department) to commission a financial study (study) with an independent contractor to analyze the costs to the state and school districts, district charter schools, institute charter schools, and boards of cooperative services (local education providers) and potential cost savings to provide students the opportunity to obtain college credits, industry credentials, and work-based learning experiences. The study must also include an analysis of the effects of consolidating certain postsecondary and workforce readiness programs. including costs and opportunities for savings to the state and school districts, district charter schools, institute charter schools, and boards of cooperative services (local education providers).

The bill requires the office of information technology (office) to build, or contract with a third-party vendor to build, the Colorado statewide longitudinal data system (data system) to establish a consistent, appropriate, secure, and legal means of data sharing and connecting multiple data sets into the data system to support effective state investments, inform policy research, and assist Colorado citizens in making choices related to their education and training pathways. The office shall work with contributing state agencies, local education providers, institutions of higher education, partner entities, and policymakers.

The bill creates the Colorado state longitudinal data system governing board (governing board) to support the office with the development and implementation of the data system. The governing board is required to convene the systems build and implementation interagency advisory group and the sustainability interagency advisory group to support and advise the governing board on the technical development, implementation, use, and function of the data system.

The bill requires the office to submit an interim report on or before January 15, 2025, on the progress of the data system and an annual report on education and workforce readiness beginning April 15, 2026, and each April 15 thereafter, to the general assembly, the state board of education, and the governor summarizing the education and workforce outcomes and postsecondary and workforce programs using the data system.

The bill creates the statewide longitudinal data system cash fund (cash fund). On July 1, 2024, the state treasurer shall transfer $5 million to the cash fund for purposes of the data system. Subject to annual appropriation by the general assembly for the 2024-25, 2025-26, and 2026-27 state fiscal years, the office and the department may expend money from the cash fund for purposes of the data system. The state treasurer shall transfer all unexpended and unencumbered money in the cash fund to the general fund on September 1, 2027. The bill appropriates $4,432,419 from the cash fund to the office for purposes of the data system.

The bill appropriates $800,005 from the general fund to the department for purposes of the study.

The bill appropriates $202,992 from the cash fund to the department for purposes of the data system.

(Note: Italicized words indicate new material added to the original summary; dashes through words indicate deletions from the original summary.)

(Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)