HB 21-1259 Summary

• Adds Colorado Revised Statute 22-2-122.5 to establish a streamlined process for local education providers to access funding for extended learning opportunities addressing COVID-19 learning disruptions.

• Authorizes the Department of Education to create a single combined application for grants and funding from multiple sources, eliminating the need for separate applications with different deadlines.

• Requires local education providers to establish internal progress-monitoring systems using family and community-informed practices to measure student educational gains and track program effectiveness by demographic groups.

• Mandates the Department submit annual reports to the General Assembly by January 2023 summarizing extended learning opportunities' implementation, student outcomes, and overall effectiveness, with combined reporting deadlines.

• Reserves a proportionate share of state-funded grants for rural local education providers and sunsets the statute on July 1, 2026.