Colorado § 22-1-139 - Accessible district profile reports - school climate reports and surveys - reporting - definition.

§ 22-1-139. Accessible district profile reports - school climate reports and surveys - reporting - definition.

(1) (a) On or before August 31, 2024, the department of education shall work to develop easily accessible, user-friendly profile reports for each school district and the charter school institute. The reports must be made easily accessible to the general public through a link on the department of education's website; updated annually; and disaggregated by gender, grade level, ethnicity, disability, English language learner status, free and reduced-price lunch status, and homeless status to the maximum extent possible in compliance with the "Colorado Privacy Act", established pursuant to part 13 of article 1 of title 6, the federal "Family Educational Rights and Privacy Rights Act of 1974", 20 U.S.C. sec. 1232g, and the "Student Data Transparency and Security Act" created pursuant to article 16 of this title 22. To prepare the profile reports, the department of education shall collect the individual student data described in subsection (1)(b) of this section. The department of education shall maintain strict standards for student data privacy, comply with standards for reporting data for a student with an accommodation pursuant to section 504 of the federal "Rehabilitation Act of 1973", 29 U.S.C. sec. 701 et seq., as amended, and its implementing regulations, or a student with an individualized education plan, and shall not publicly report individual student data for any purpose, including as part of the district profile reports.

(b) The profile reports must include, but are not limited to:

(I) Chronic absenteeism rates;

(II) The number of in-school and out-of-school suspensions;

(III) The number of expulsions;

(IV) The number of students handcuffed;

(V) The number of referrals to law enforcement. As used in this section, "referrals to law enforcement" means when a school employee proactively calls, summons, or requests a law enforcement official, including a school resource officer, to:

(A) Respond to an incident on school grounds involving a possible violation of local, state, or federal law;

(B) Engage with a student or third party on school grounds who is creating a potentially dangerous situation; or

(C) Enforce a local, state, or federal rule, regulation, or law on school grounds, in a school vehicle, or at a school activity or school-sanctioned event;

(VI) The number of school-related arrests, including an arrest that occurs on school grounds, in a school vehicle, or at a school activity or school-sanctioned event;

(VII) The number of students restrained; and

(VIII) The number of students placed in seclusion.

(2) (a) The district profiles must include data collected pursuant to section 22-2-112 (1)(u)(I) and any other existing district-level measures that the department of education determines relevant and related to school climate. In developing the profiles, the department of education shall consult with stakeholders, including members of the state advisory council for parent involvement in education, created in section 22-7-303; members of the Colorado special education advisory committee appointed pursuant to section 22-20-104 (2)(a); stakeholders who represent the disability community; K-12 advocates and students; and representatives of associations representing school executives, school boards, special education directors, charter schools, and teachers.

(b) The department of education may consult with state and national organizations or other states with expertise in measuring and improving students' experiences at school. By December 31, 2023, the department of education may make recommendations to the state board of education and the general assembly for additional indicators to consider for inclusion in the district profile report, including, but not limited to, measures of student engagement, students' emotional and physical safety and sense of belonging, and teachers' perspectives of learning conditions. Recommendations may also leverage information learned from pilot and grant programs related to improving students' experiences in school.

(3) Beginning in the 2023-24 school year, the department of education shall annually collect information concerning school climate surveys administered to students or families, or school climate tools utilized by schools and school districts, including which survey or tool is used, if any, and how the results of such surveys are made publicly accessible, if at all. The department of education shall include this information in the district profile reports.

Source: L. 2022: Entire section added, (HB 22-1376), ch. 243, p. 1798, § 1, effective May 26. L. 2025: (1)(b)(VII) amended, (HB 25-1248), ch. 251, p. 1259, § 2, effective May 24.