§ 23-76-101 — Legislative declaration

Colorado § 23-76-101

• Jurisdiction: Colorado
• Title 23: Postsecondary Education
• Art.: Teachers in Rural Colorado

Text

(1) The general assembly finds that:

(a) Teachers have a great impact on student achievement. Evidence shows
that the quality of teachers can account for the majority of variances in student
learning and test scores.

(b) The teaching and learning conditions under which teachers practice their
profession, though often overlooked, are essential elements to student
achievement and retention. These conditions must be systematically studied and
addressed for Colorado to develop a critical mass of teachers who are well
prepared to teach and who will remain in hardest-to-staff schools long enough to
make a significant difference for students and their families.

(c) Research demonstrates that the negative effects of shortages of
teachers and special services providers, as well as distribution challenges, have a
disproportionate impact on geographic areas of the state that are classified as
rural. As a result, children in rural areas are more likely to be taught by fewer
teachers who must cover an increasingly larger number of subjects and have
limited access to critical support services offered by special services providers.

(d) Approved alternative teacher preparation programs are critical for filling
teacher shortages in rural schools and school districts across Colorado. Rural
school leaders are able to place qualified teacher candidates, including members of
their own communities, in classrooms through these alternative teacher preparation
programs. Such programs provide the necessary support and coaching to an
individual during his or her year-long training and allow alternative teacher
candidates to earn initial teacher licensure while serving in classrooms. By helping
to fill immediate needs in hard-to-staff rural schools and school districts, and by
receiving the necessary training, alternative teacher candidates are able to create a
positive, longitudinal impact on students and their families.

(e) Since the beginning of alternative teacher preparation pathways in
Colorado, the number of alternative teacher candidates has increased steadily, with
one out of every four alternative teacher candidates now completing an alternative
teacher preparation program.

(2) The general assembly further finds and declares that, for purposes of
section 17 of article IX of the state constitution, implementation of measures
designed to improve the quality, recruitment, and retention of teachers and special
services providers in the rural areas of Colorado through this article 76 is a critical
element of accountable education reform, accountable programs to meet state
academic standards, and performance incentives for teachers and special services
providers and, therefore, may receive funding from the state education fund
created in section 17 (4) of article IX of the state constitution.

Legislative History

Source: L. 2016: Entire article added, (SB 16-104), ch. 234, p. 944, � 1, effective June 6. L. 2018: Entire section amended, (SB 18-085), ch. 233, p. 1454, � 1, effective August 8.