15-707. College and career readiness program for at-risk students; requirements; annual report; program termination; definition

A. A school district or charter school that provides high school instruction may establish a college and career readiness program for at-risk students. A program established pursuant to this section shall meet the following requirements:

1. Consist of at least nine consecutive months of academic support, including tutoring and remediation, to ensure that participating students meet the academic standards adopted by the state board of education.

2. Consist of comprehensive instruction on workplace skills as adopted by the state board of education.

3. Consist of instruction on leadership and civic duty.

4. Require students who participate in the program to earn credits toward graduation from high school.

5. Require students who participate in the program to perform volunteer activities or community service.

6. Require students who participate in the program to continue to participate in the program for twelve months after graduation from high school, during which time the school district or charter school shall provide follow-up assistance that is designed to assist the student's transition to postsecondary education, vocational or job training, military service or employment. A participating school district or charter school may develop a dual enrollment course program in order to meet the requirements of this paragraph.

7. Be administered through a private entity selected by the department of education.

B. School districts and charter schools that participate in the program shall annually report the following information to the department of education:

1. The percentage of students who participate in the program and who graduate from high school or obtain a general equivalency degree on or within twelve months after the scheduled graduation date for that student's classmates.

2. The percentage of students who participate in the program, who graduate from high school or obtain a general equivalency degree and who begin participation in postsecondary education, employment, vocational or job training or military service within twelve months after the scheduled graduation date for that student's classmates.

3. The percentage of students who participate in the program and who are either enrolled full time at a postsecondary education institution, employed full time, enrolled in a full-time vocational or job training program or on active duty in the armed forces of the United States, or any combination of these activities that in totality amounts to full-time activity, within twelve months after the scheduled graduation date for that student's classmates.

4. The percentage of students who participate in the program and their achievement scores on the statewide assessment adopted by the state board of education prescribed in section 15-741.

C. On or before September 15 of each year, the department of education shall submit an annual report to the governor, the president of the senate and the speaker of the house of representatives that summarizes the information submitted pursuant to subsection B of this section. The department of education shall provide a copy of the annual report to the secretary of state.

D. The program established by this section ends on July 1, 2027 pursuant to section 41-3102.

E. For the purposes of this section, " at-risk student" means a pupil in grade eleven or twelve who either:

1. Is likely to drop out of high school without graduating.

2. Has documented academic, personal or vocational barriers to success in high school and the workplace including having been subject to discipline, suspension or expulsion pursuant to 15-843.