(1) (a) In accordance with the time frames specified in state board rule, each school district that is accredited with priority improvement plan shall annually adopt and implement a district priority improvement plan as described in subsection (3) of this section. (b) The school district accountability committee for the school district shall advise the local school board concerning preparation of the district priority improvement plan and make recommendations to the local school board concerning the contents of the district priority improvement plan. In advising and making its recommendations, the school district accountability committee shall take into account and incorporate any district public school performance, improvement, priority improvement, or turnaround plans received pursuant to sections 22-11-403 to 22-11-406. The local school board shall create and adopt the district priority improvement plan, taking into account the advice and recommendations of the school district accountability committee. (c) The commissioner, subject to available appropriations, may assign the state review panel to critically evaluate the district priority improvement plan and recommend to the commissioner modifications to the plan. The commissioner may recommend to the local school board modifications to the district priority improvement plan, taking into consideration any recommendations of the state review panel. (d) The local school board shall submit the adopted district priority improvement plan to the department for publication on the data portal and shall ensure that the district priority improvement plan is in effect for the school district and the district public schools within the time frames specified in state board rule. The local school board shall also make copies of the district priority improvement plan available to members of the public upon request. (2) (a) If the institute is accredited with priority improvement plan, the institute board shall, in accordance with the time frames specified in state board rule, adopt and implement an institute priority improvement plan as described in subsection (3) of this section. In preparing the institute priority improvement plan, the institute board shall take into account and incorporate any institute charter school performance, improvement, priority improvement, and turnaround plans received pursuant to sections 22-11-403 to 22-11-406. (b) The commissioner, subject to available appropriations, may assign the state review panel to critically evaluate the institute priority improvement plan and recommend to the commissioner modifications to the plan. The commissioner may recommend to the institute modifications to the institute priority improvement plan, taking into consideration any recommendations of the state review panel. (c) The institute shall submit the adopted institute priority improvement plan to the department for publication on the data portal and shall ensure that the institute priority improvement plan is in effect for the institute and the institute charter schools within the time frames specified by state board rule. The institute shall also make copies of the institute priority improvement plan available to members of the public upon request. (3) A district priority improvement plan or an institute priority improvement plan must be designed to ensure that the school district or the institute improves its performance to the extent that, following completion of its next annual accreditation review, the school district or the institute attains a higher accreditation category. At a minimum, a district priority improvement plan or an institute priority improvement plan must: (a) Set or revise, as appropriate, ambitious but attainable targets that the school district, including the district public schools, or the institute, including the institute charter schools, shall attain on the performance indicators. The local school board or the institute shall ensure that the targets are aligned with the statewide targets set by the state board pursuant to section 22-11- 201. (a.5) Identify the strategies to be used in addressing the needs of students enrolled in kindergarten and first, second, and third grade who are identified pursuant to section 22-7-1205 as having significant reading deficiencies and set or revise, as appropriate, ambitious but attainable targets that the school district, including the district public schools, or the institute, including the institute charter schools, shall attain in reducing the number of students who have significant reading deficiencies and in ensuring that each student achieves grade level expectations in reading; (a.7) Identify strategies to address the needs of students who are below grade level or struggling in mathematics and set or revise, as appropriate, ambitious but attainable targets that the school district or the institute shall attain in reducing the number of students who are below grade level or struggling in mathematics and to increase the number of students who achieve grade-level expectations in mathematics. Strategies may include tutoring, including peer tutoring; additional educator training; personalized learning models, which may include a combination of in-person instruction, online modules, and self-paced learning techniques; or supplemental supports or curricula in mathematics, including digital mathematics accelerator programs. (b) Identify positive and negative trends for district public schools as a group and individually or for institute charter schools as a group and individually in the levels of attainment by the public schools as a group and individually on the performance indicators; (c) Assess and prioritize the issues and needs of the district or institute and of the district public schools or institute charter schools that must be addressed to raise the levels of attainment on the performance indicators by the district public schools or institute charter schools and to improve school readiness in district public schools or institute charter schools that serve students in preschool and kindergarten. If a school district includes a district public school that is operating under a priority improvement or turnaround plan and enrolls students in kindergarten or any of grades one through three, the needs assessment for the school district shall include, but shall not be limited to, the early childhood learning needs assessment described in subsection (4) of this section. (d) Identify specific, research-based strategies that are appropriate in scope, intensity, and type to address the needs and issues identified pursuant to paragraph (c) of this subsection (3); (e) Identify the local, state, and federal resources that the school district or the institute will use to implement the identified strategies with fidelity; and (f) Address any other issues required by rule of the state board or raised by the department through the accreditation process pursuant to part 2 of this article. (4) An early childhood learning needs assessment must determine the extent to which: (a) There are quality early childhood programs existing within the geographic boundaries of the school district; (b) Children are enrolled in publicly funded early learning and development programs within the school district or in private early learning and development programs that participate in the Colorado shines quality rating and improvement system established in section 26.5-5-101; (c) The school district and the district public schools work with an early childhood council established pursuant to part 2 of article 2 of title 26.5 or early childhood community agencies existing within the school district; (d) The school district and the district public schools collaborate with early childhood providers and programs regarding students' transition from preschool to kindergarten; (e) Teachers employed by the school district or the district public schools to teach kindergarten or one of grades one through three have early childhood teaching credentials; (f) Joint professional development opportunities, including opportunities for educator collaboration, are available within the school district for early childhood providers, teachers, and principals; (g) The school district and the district public schools have a current parent engagement plan and provide ample opportunities for parent and family engagement in preschool through third grade; and (h) Other early childhood resources, such as home visitation, early intervention services, library programs for young children, and family resource centers, are available to families who reside within the school district.
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