HB21-1294: K-12 Education Accountability Systems Performance Audit

• State Auditor shall contract with independent public or private entity by October 1, 2021 to conduct performance audit of Colorado's statewide system of standards, assessments, and education accountability system, with audit completion required by November 15, 2022.

• Audit must evaluate whether current systems meet legislative intent, contain institutional or cultural biases based on protected characteristics (race, ethnicity, religion, sex, sexual orientation, nationality, disability, age, or economic status), and provide accurate and comparable assessment of public education delivery statewide.

• Audit must examine effectiveness of accountability systems in identifying school success and improvement, impact on low-income and minority student populations, resource allocation responses, participation rate effects, and accessibility of information to educators, parents, and families.

• Appropriates $300,000 to State Auditor's office and $52,000 to Department of Education for 2021-22 fiscal year to conduct audit; authorizes auditor and contractor to access nonfinancial records from schools and districts while protecting student privacy under federal law.

• Section repealed effective July 1, 2023; Legislative Audit Committee shall review and release audit report at first hearing held on or after November 15, 2022, and submit to education committees and State Board of Education.