Merit Institute Merit

The Colorado Merit-Based Education & Workforce Reform Act (CO-MEWRA)

Colorado state companion to MEWRA. Uses the Colorado Charter Schools Act (C.R.S. 22-30.5) and the Colorado Concurrent Enrollment Act (C.R.S. 22-35). Colorado does not operate an ESA or tax-credit scholarship.

THE COLORADO MERIT-BASED EDUCATION & WORKFORCE REFORM ACT (CO-MEWRA)

Vehicle: State passage. Colorado General Assembly, regular session. Primary referral to House / Senate Education.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE

This Act may be cited as the “Colorado Merit-Based Education & Workforce Reform Act (CO-MEWRA).”

SECTION 2. LEGISLATIVE FINDINGS AND INTENT

The General Assembly finds that Colorado authorizes public charter schools under the Colorado Charter Schools Act (C.R.S. 22-30.5); that the Colorado Concurrent Enrollment Programs Act operates under C.R.S. 22-35; that the Department of Education publishes the School Performance Framework under C.R.S. 22-11; that the Colorado Workforce Development Council operates under C.R.S. 24-46.3; and that Colorado does not operate an ESA or tax-credit scholarship. This Act extends these frameworks consistent with Colorado’s public-school framework.

TITLE I — DEFINITIONS & COORDINATION WITH COLORADO LAW

Sec. 101. Definitions

  1. (a) “Colorado outcome-based school” means a public charter school authorized under Title II by the Colorado Outcome-Based School Authorizer (“CO-OBSA”) under C.R.S. 22-30.5.
  2. (b) “CWDC” means the Colorado Workforce Development Council.
  3. (c) “Concurrent-enrollment pathway” has the meaning given in C.R.S. 22-35.

Sec. 102. Coordination with Existing Colorado Law

  1. (a) Consistent with:
  • C.R.S. 22-30.5 (Charter Schools).
  • C.R.S. 22-35 (Concurrent Enrollment).
  • C.R.S. 24-46.3 (CWDC).

TITLE II — COLORADO OUTCOME-BASED SCHOOL AUTHORIZER

Sec. 201. Establishment of CO-OBSA

  1. (a) The Colorado State Board of Education, in coordination with the Charter School Institute (C.R.S. 22-30.5-501 et seq.), shall designate a Colorado Outcome-Based School Authorizer (“CO-OBSA”) under C.R.S. 22-30.5.
  2. (b) CO-OBSA shall authorize provisional public charter schools without requiring regional-accreditor accreditation.

Sec. 202. Outcome-Based Authorization Standard

  1. (a) Authorization requires publication of outcome metrics under Sec. 401.
  2. (b) Facilities, safety, and background-check standards applicable under C.R.S. Title 22.
  3. (c) Four-year term, renewable on thresholds.

TITLE III — EDUCATION-FUND PORTABILITY (Charter & Concurrent-Enrollment Rewire)

Sec. 301. Charter and Concurrent-Enrollment Funding

  1. (a) A Title II-authorized school operating as a public charter under C.R.S. 22-30.5 is entitled to per-pupil School Finance Act funding under C.R.S. 22-54 on the same terms as other public charters.
  2. (b) CO-OBSA schools may participate in Concurrent Enrollment under C.R.S. 22-35.

Sec. 302. Workforce Disbursements

  1. (a) CWDC shall ensure that within 24 months, at least 50 percent of WIOA-aligned workforce-program disbursements flow to providers publishing outcome data in the CO-OBSA Registry or Federal NLMF.

TITLE IV — PUBLISHED OUTCOME METRICS

Sec. 401. Colorado Outcome-Metrics Registry

  1. (a) CO-OBSA shall publish completion rate; one- and three-year earnings medians; licensure/CORMC/FRAC attainment.
  2. (b) Data sources: CDLE wage records and CDE longitudinal data.

Sec. 402. Coordination with the Federal NLMF

  1. (a) Crosswalked to the Federal NLMF.
  2. (b) Nothing authorizes disclosure of PII except as permitted under the Colorado Open Records Act (C.R.S. 24-72) and FERPA.

TITLE V — ENFORCEMENT & REMEDIES

Sec. 501. Non-Compliant Provider Remedies

  1. (a) Suspension of CO-OBSA authorization; Registry suspension; administrative penalty up to $500,000 per willful violation.
  2. (b) No private right of action.

TITLE VI — IMPLEMENTATION & GENERAL PROVISIONS

Sec. 601. Severability

If any provision is held invalid, the invalidity shall not affect the remainder.

Sec. 602. Effective Date

This Act shall take effect on the July 1 following enactment.

Canonical federal version: MEWRA. Other Colorado bills: CO-ACSA, CO-GT&P, CO-AI-Workforce.