(1) (a) If the state board,
pursuant to section 22-11-210, directs a district public school to adopt a turnaround
plan, the local school board, in accordance with time frames specified in state
board rules, shall adopt a school turnaround plan, as described in subsection (3) of
this section, for the district public school. Each district public school turnaround
plan is subject to evaluation by the state review panel and may be subject to
revisions requested by the commissioner as provided in this subsection (1). When a
district public school creates a pathway plan, the state board, by rule, may reduce
some of the obligations described in subsection (3) of this section.
(b) The school accountability committee for the district public school shall
hold a public meeting as required in section 22-32-142 (2) to receive input
concerning possible strategies to be included in the school turnaround plan, advise
the local school board concerning preparation of the school turnaround plan, and
make recommendations to the local school board concerning the contents of the
school turnaround plan, taking into account recommendations received at the
public meeting. The local school board shall create and adopt the school
turnaround plan, taking into account the advice and recommendations of the school
accountability committee. Before adopting the school turnaround plan, the local
school board shall hold a public hearing to review the written plan as required in
section 22-32-142 (2). The department may require a school district to provide proof
of compliance with the requirements of section 22-32-142 (2).
(c) Within the time frames specified in state board rule, the local school
board shall submit the adopted school turnaround plan to the commissioner for
evaluation by the state review panel. The state review panel shall critically evaluate
the adopted school turnaround plan and make recommendations to the
commissioner and the state board concerning the issues specified in section 22-11-210 (4). The commissioner may suggest modifications to the plan, taking into
consideration any recommendations of the state review panel and may require that
those plan modifications be made prior to the date when the state board enters into
an accreditation contract with the district pursuant to section 22-11-206. The local
school board shall revise the school turnaround plan, if necessary, and resubmit the
plan for approval within the time frames specified in state board rule. The local
school board shall ensure that the final, approved school turnaround plan is in
effect for the district public school within the time frames specified in state board
rule.
(d) The school district accountability committee shall include the final,
approved school turnaround plan in the compilation prepared pursuant to section
22-11-302 (1), and the local school board shall consider the final, approved school
turnaround plan in developing the budget required by section 22-44-108.
(e) The local school board shall submit the final, approved school turnaround
plan to the department for publication on the data portal. The district public school
shall make copies of the final, approved school turnaround plan available to
members of the public upon request.
(2) (a) If the state board, pursuant to section 22-11-210, directs an institute
charter school to adopt a turnaround plan, the institute, in accordance with time
frames specified in state board rules, shall adopt a school turnaround plan, as
described in subsection (3) of this section, for the institute charter school. Each
institute charter school turnaround plan is subject to evaluation by the state review
panel and may be subject to revisions requested by the commissioner as provided in
this subsection (2). When an institute charter school creates a pathway plan, the
state board, by rule, may reduce some of the obligations described in subsection (3)
of this section.
(b) The school accountability committee for the institute charter school shall
hold a public meeting as required in section 22-30.5-520 (2) to receive input
concerning possible strategies to be included in the school turnaround plan, advise
the institute concerning preparation of the school turnaround plan, and make
recommendations to the institute concerning the contents of the school turnaround
plan, taking into account recommendations received at the public meeting. The
institute shall create and adopt the school turnaround plan, taking into account the
advice and recommendations of the school accountability committee. Before
adopting the school turnaround plan, the institute shall ensure that the institute
charter school holds a public hearing to review the written plan as required in
section 22-30.5-520 (2). The department may require the institute to provide proof
of compliance with the requirements of section 22-30.5-520 (2).
(c) Within the time frames specified in state board rule, the institute shall
submit the adopted school turnaround plan to the commissioner for evaluation by
the state review panel. The state review panel shall critically evaluate the adopted
school turnaround plan and make recommendations to the commissioner and the
state board concerning the issues specified in section 22-11-210 (4). The
commissioner may suggest modifications to the plan, taking into consideration any
recommendations of the state review panel and may require that those plan
modifications be made prior to the date when the state board enters into an
accreditation contract with the institute pursuant to section 22-11-206. The institute
shall revise the school turnaround plan, if necessary, and resubmit the plan for
approval within the time frames specified in state board rule. The institute shall
ensure that the final, approved school turnaround plan is in effect for the institute
charter school within the time frames specified in state board rule.
(d) The institute shall include the final, approved school turnaround plan in
the compilation prepared pursuant to section 22-11-303 (2)(b). The institute shall
submit the final, approved school turnaround plan to the department for publication
on the data portal. The institute charter school shall make copies of the final,
approved school turnaround plan available to members of the public upon request.
(3) A school turnaround plan must be designed to ensure that the public
school improves its performance to the extent that, following completion of the
public school's next annual performance review, the public school attains a higher
accreditation category. At a minimum, a school turnaround plan must:
(a) Set or revise, as appropriate, ambitious but attainable targets that the
public school 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) If the public school serves students in kindergarten and first, second,
and third grades, 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 public
school 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 public school 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 in the levels of attainment by the
public school on the performance indicators;
(b.5) Identify budget allocations to support the needs of the public schools
and create a financial sustainability plan, which must include, but is not limited to,
salaries, facility costs, curriculum costs, and operational costs;
(c) Assess and prioritize the issues and needs at the public school that must
be addressed to raise the levels of attainment on the performance indicators by the
public school and to improve school readiness, if the public school serves students
in preschool or kindergarten. The needs assessment for a public school that enrolls
students in kindergarten or any of grades one through three shall include, but shall
not be limited to, the early childhood learning needs assessment described in
section 22-11-405 (4.5).
(d) Identify specific, research-based strategies that are appropriate in scope,
intensity, and type to address the needs and issues identified pursuant to
subsection (3)(c) of this section, which strategies shall, at a minimum, include one or
more of the following:
(I) Employing a lead turnaround partner that uses research-based strategies
and has a proven record of success working with schools under similar
circumstances, which turnaround partner shall be immersed in all aspects of
developing and collaboratively executing the turnaround plan and shall serve as a
liaison to other school partners;
(II) Reorganizing the oversight and management structure within the public
school to provide greater, more effective support;
(III) For a district public school, seeking recognition as an innovation school
or clustering with other district public schools that have similar governance or
management structures to form an innovation school zone pursuant to article 32.5
of this title;
(IV) Hiring a public or private entity that uses research-based strategies and
has a proven record of success working with schools under similar circumstances to
manage the public school pursuant to a contract with the local school board or the
institute;
(V) For a district public school that is not a charter school, converting to a
charter school;
(VI) For a district charter school or an institute charter school, renegotiating
and significantly restructuring the charter school's charter contract;
(VI.5) For a public school that serves students enrolled in kindergarten or
any of grades one through three, that the public school invest in research-based
strategies focused on early learning and development to address any deficiencies
identified in the early childhood learning needs assessment completed for the
public school pursuant to subsection (3)(c) of this section if the cause of the public
school's low performance is directly related to lack of school readiness and access
to quality early learning opportunities, as demonstrated by student achievement
data for the early elementary grades, and the public school has not successfully
implemented these strategies in the preceding school years. Research-based early
learning and development strategies include increasing the quality and availability
of early learning and development programs for students who reside within the
neighborhood of the public school and increasing the resources available in
kindergarten through third grade to improve school readiness and early learning. A
public school may implement strategies focused on early learning and development
as described in this subsection (3)(d)(VI.5) only in combination with at least one
other research-based strategy specified in this subsection (3)(d).
(VII) Other actions of comparable or greater significance or effect;
(e) Identify the local, state, and federal resources that the public school will
use to implement the identified strategies with fidelity;
(e.5) Incorporate strategies to increase parent engagement in the public
school; and
(f) Address any other issues required by rule of the state board or raised by
the department through the performance review pursuant to section 22-11-210.
(4) The general assembly may appropriate such money as is available to
assist school districts and the institute in improving the academic growth of
students in public schools that are required to adopt school turnaround plans. In
addition, the department may allocate any money received pursuant to the federal
Every Student Succeeds Act, 20 U.S.C. sec. 6301 et seq., for such purpose.