s_sa_2016a_2016-05-05t10:09:00z5 Hearing Summary

Date: 05/05/2016

11:07 AM -- HB16-1429



Senator Kerr presented House Bill 16-1429 to the committee. Under current law, the State Board of Education may designate a public school as an alternative education campus (AEC). An AEC is a public school with greater than ninety-five percent of its students meeting high-risk criteria. This bill, as amended by the House Education Committee, modifies the criteria for the designation of AECs by:



• lowering the threshold for AEC designation from 95 percent high-risk students to 90 percent high-risk students;

• substituting four absences in any one month, or ten absences in any given year, for the current high-risk criteria of failing to remain continuously enrolled and regularly attending school in the previous semester;

• expanding high-risk criteria to include students who are wards of the courts, are in foster care, or have experienced the loss of a parent or sibling; and

• redefining the meaning of behavioral health issues related to high-risk students in AECs.



The CDE is required to continue working with the interested stakeholders and interested AECs to find and develop effective methods to accurately measure qualitative aspects of an AEC's performance. This specific authority is repealed July 1, 2017.



11:10 AM -- Jennifer Turnbull, representing The New America School, testified in support of the bill.



11:13 AM -- Jody Ernst, representing Momentum Policy & Research, testified in support of the bill.

11:16 AM



Senator Kerr wrapped up his presentation to the committee. The bill was laid over for action later in the meeting.