| Summary |
The bill requires the department of education (department), by
January 2024, to make available free optional trainings in evidence-based
practices in mathematics, including a training specifically designed for
elementary school educators and a training specifically designed for
secondary school mathematics educators. Each training must include
interventions to help students who are below grade level or struggling in
mathematics, children with disabilities, and students who are English
language learners. The training is available to relevant staff of school
districts, related administrative units, district charter schools, institute
charter schools, boards of cooperative services, and community-based
organizations.
School district boards of education and institute charter schools are
strongly encouraged to adopt procedures for schools to provide support
to students in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade and students'
families to improve mathematics outcomes. Procedures may include:
•
Identifying students who are below grade level or
struggling in mathematics based on academic assessments;
•
Notifying the parents, guardians, or legal custodians if a
student is below grade level or struggling in mathematics;
•
Providing parents, guardians, or legal custodians with a list
of interventions to assist with mathematics at home,
including any state-approved curriculum options, referrals
for mathematics tutoring, or other intervention
opportunities, when applicable;
•
Publishing mathematics curricula annually, including
supplemental curricula or interventions; and
•
Implementing train-the-trainer or train-the-parent
framework plans to improve mathematics achievements for
students.
The bill creates the Colorado academic accelerator grant program
(grant program). The purpose of the grant program is to create community
learning centers that:
•
Provide opportunities for academic enrichment and support
activities during nonschool hours, periods when school is
not in session, or during extended learning hours, including
tutorial services; and
•
Offer families of students opportunities for engagement in
students' education, including opportunities for
mathematics literacy and related educational development.
Eligible entities that apply to the grant program are selected for a
grant that runs for a period of 3 years. The department shall prioritize
eligible entities that:
•
Adopt intervention strategies;
•
Use evidence-informed and evidence-based programs that
build student skills in STEM and mathematics;
•
Use digital math accelerator programs;
•
Serve high-needs students, as determined by the
department; or
•
Have an established presence and relationship in the
community.
The bill requires school districts, public schools, the state charter
school institute, and institute charter schools that are on an improvement
plan, priority improvement plan, or a turnaround plan to identify
strategies to address the needs of students who are below grade level or
struggling in mathematics and set or revise, as appropriate, ambitious but
attainable targets that the public school shall attain in reducing the
number of students who are below grade level or struggling in
mathematics to increase the number of students who achieve grade-level
expectations in mathematics.
The bill amends the ninth-grade success grant program and
requires the department to prioritize applicants that propose programming
focused on evidence-based mathematics skills and intervention strategies,
including a focus on students who are below grade level or struggling in
mathematics and have academic achievement levels in mathematics that
are consistently ranked the lowest for public high schools in the state, as
determined by the department.
The bill includes a requirement that elementary and secondary
school mathematics teacher candidates of educator preparation programs
be trained in evidence-based practices in mathematics, including
interventions to help students who are below grade level or struggling in
mathematics, children with disabilities, and students who are English
language learners.
The bill includes early numeracy as part of the continuing
professional development requirements for teachers employed by a
preschool provider. The department of early childhood shall include early
numeracy as a subject matter area in the resource bank of preschool
curricula for use by preschool providers.
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