Colorado § 22-32-142 - Parent engagement - policy - communications - incentives.

§ 22-32-142. Parent engagement - policy - communications - incentives.

(1) (a) Each school district board of education shall adopt a district policy for increasing and supporting parent engagement in the public schools, including charter schools, of the school district. In adopting the policy, the board of education may take into account, but need not be limited to, the best practices and strategies identified pursuant to section 22-7-304 by the Colorado state advisory council for parent involvement in education and the national standards for family-school partnerships, as defined in section 22-7-302 (5). The board of education shall work with the parent members of the district accountability committee in creating, adopting, and implementing the policy.

(b) As part of the district parent engagement policy, a district is encouraged to provide training concerning best practices and skills for district and school personnel in working with parents.

(c) Each school district shall identify an employee of the district to act as the point of contact for parent engagement training and resources. The identified person shall also serve as the liaison between the district, the district accountability committee, the Colorado state advisory council for parent involvement in education, and the department of education and shall facilitate the district's efforts to increase parent involvement within the district. The school district shall submit to the department of education the name of the identified employee.

(d) Notwithstanding any provision of this subsection (1) to the contrary, a school district is not required to comply with the requirements specified in this subsection (1) if the department of education determines that the school district is rural, based on the geographic size of the school district and the distance of the school district from the nearest large, urbanized area, and the school district enrolls fewer than one thousand students in kindergarten through twelfth grade.

(2) (a) If the state board of education, pursuant to section 22-11-210, determines that a school of the school district is required to adopt and implement a school priority improvement plan as described in section 22-11-405 or a school turnaround plan as described in section 22-11-406, the school district, within thirty days after receiving the initial notice of the determination or, if the determination is appealed, the final notice of the determination, shall notify the parents of the students enrolled in the school of the required plan and the issues identified by the department of education as giving rise to the need for the required plan. The notice shall also include the timeline for developing and adopting the required plan and the dates, times, and locations of the public meeting described in paragraph (b) of this subsection (2) and the public hearing described in paragraph (c) of this subsection (2).

(b) The school accountability committee shall hold a public meeting to solicit input from parents concerning the contents of the required plan before the plan is written. At the school accountability committee's public meeting, the school principal shall review the school's progress in implementing its plan for the preceding year and in improving its performance.

(c) The school district board of education shall hold a public hearing after the plan is written to review the required plan prior to final adoption. The date of the public hearing shall be at least thirty days after the date on which the school district provides the written notice. A member of the school accountability committee is encouraged to attend the public hearing.

(3) Each school district board of education may solicit and accept public or private gifts, grants, or donations to implement all or a portion of the parent involvement programs implemented under a policy adopted pursuant to this section.

Source: L. 2011: Entire section added, (HB 11-1126), ch. 118, p. 368, § 1, effective August 10. L. 2013: (1) and (2) amended, (SB 13-193), ch. 355, p. 2075, § 8, effective May 28. L. 2015: (1)(d) added, (HB 15-1321), ch. 217, p. 797, § 1, effective May 22.