Committee advances bill to let school districts submit improvement plans in flexible formats

The Colorado Senate Education Committee on Oct. 12 advanced House Bill 12-10 to the Committee of the Whole, endorsing a narrowed bill that gives school districts flexibility in how they submit Unified Improvement Plans (UIPs) to the Colorado Department of Education (CDE).

Sponsor Senator Pelton described the bill as a targeted step to reduce paperwork and administrative burden on districts, especially in rural areas, citing recommendations from a 2017–18 Education Data Advisory Committee data-burden survey. “When I was first approached about this bill, I was told that it is a way to reduce burdens on our schools,” Pelton told the committee, noting the audit report is in members’ materials.

The bill does not revive a broader, more expensive data audit that had been considered earlier; Pelton said the audit was removed in the House because of cost concerns. Pelton told the committee the audit had been expected to cost about $400,000 and the current bill is a narrower measure focused on permitting districts to submit UIPs in formats that work for them rather than forcing a single statewide template.

Several witnesses representing school groups testified in support. Pratik Dutta, vice president of policy for the Colorado League of Charter Schools, said the bill “takes a necessary first step towards untangling” an “overwhelming and inefficient web of data reporting requirements” and “grants school districts long overdue flexibility in how they submit their unified improvement plans.” Rachel Lee, testifying for the Colorado Rural Schools Alliance, said some reports have grown into “behemoths” that now include data on coursework, bullying, climate surveys and other collections.

Committee debate emphasized balancing transparency with reduced administrative work. Senator Marchman, speaking from classroom experience, said educators need time to “read the data to see what the kids need… and then we need to teach them.” The committee recorded a unanimous vote to move the bill to the Committee of the Whole.

Key elements discussed include provisions that allow districts to submit UIP information in district-preferred formats and the bill’s narrower scope compared with earlier proposals that would have directed a full data audit. Witnesses and sponsors repeatedly said the measure aims to preserve public transparency while eliminating duplicative and onerous reporting requirements.

The bill will next be considered by the full Senate in the Committee of the Whole.