HB14-1039: Linking Student Data from Early Childhood Programs to Public Schools

• Department of Education must work with the State Department of Human Services and Office of Information Technology to establish procedures linking student data from publicly funded early childhood programs with public school district data by October 1, 2014.

• Publicly funded early childhood education programs covered include Head Start, Part C early intervention services, Colorado Child Care Assistance Program, and School-Readiness Quality Improvement Program.

• State boards of education and human services may promulgate rules to implement the data linking procedures and must collaborate to ensure rules do not conflict with each other.

• General Assembly declares that linking early childhood and public school student data is necessary to analyze program effectiveness, measure return on state investments, and track academic growth from preschool through high school graduation.

• Early Childhood and School Readiness Legislative Commission must annually meet with Department of Education and State Department of Human Services beginning in 2014 to receive briefings on progress implementing the data linking process.