The bill aims to clear up confusion between the justice and education systems by clarifying processes and support system needs for K-12 students involved in any capacity with the juvenile or criminal justice system. It outlines processes and resources to ensure justice-engaged students receive needed educational support and access to opportunities toward ensuring educational attainment.

Justice-engaged students are entitled to a range of rights, including a graduation and promotion plan, appropriate credit for completed coursework, timely enrollment or re-enrollment, and participation in school activities or career readiness pathways as per state board of education rules. The bill requests guidance be created around several of these provisions to ensure safety.

Local education providers, including school districts, cooperative services, charter schools, and institute charter schools along with law enforcement are included in the bill's provisions. Educational providers must appoint a designated contact person, follow legal requirements and offer the necessary support outlined in the bill.

When notified that a student is justice-engaged, the contact person (designated on the website) shall schedule a meeting with the justice-engaged student and the multi-tiered systems of support team (MTSS) at the local education provider. If an MTSS is not available, the contact person shall schedule a meeting with an intervention team as justice system engagement often presents itself as a signal that additional support is needed at the student/family level to maintain school engagement. The MTSS or intervention team shall, in collaboration with the justice-engaged student and the justice-engaged student's family, develop a customized support plan related to the justice-engaged student's education needs.

Starting in the 2025-26 academic year, guidance will be provided by the Colorado Department of Education (CDE) on either how to use the current codes for justice-engaged students or will provide access to new codes that monitor attendance, dropout rates, and graduation rates for justice-engaged students.

The bill mandates that the Colorado Department of Education through conversation with local stakeholders, will provide guidance to allow for justice-engaged student participation in activities like graduation ceremonies, sporting events, and college or career readiness pathways.

An entity will establish and maintain a statewide hotline to provide support and information for justice-engaged students, families, caregivers, education and justice personnel. This hotline aims to offer assistance and referrals for various needs including educational options and community support.

The entity contracted with CDE to operate the hotline is required to submit regular reports detailing call statistics, types of support provided, and geographic distribution of calls. These reports will help identify service gaps and improve support systems.

A support position will be created within the Colorado Department of Education to assist students from frontier and rural school districts who face re-entry and resource challenges.

Yes, the bill allows courts to extend preliminary investigations by six months to make additional findings regarding the interests of the child or youth and the community under court jurisdiction and encourages non-violent sentences to be served during the summer or timeframe that is least disruptive to educational attainment.

Generation Schools Network (GSN) and partners across the State of CO in education, government and community have worked together over several years to identify the challenges addressed in this legislation. The collaborative intention was to end confusion between the justice and education systems, clearing the way to educational attainment for justice-engaged students. GSN will continue to offer support for those working to implement the bill provisions.

K-12 Education’s Role:

1. Establish Communication Protocols for liaising with juvenile justice agencies and ensuring timely exchange of information regarding justice-involved students. Appoint a designated contact person, post contact’s information on the website in an easily accessible place and ensure that person has received any required training. CDE provided training on the provisions of the bill and how to effectively support justice-engaged students may cover topics such as trauma-informed practices, restorative justice approaches, and strategies for building positive relationships with justice-involved youth.

2. Develop Support Plans for justice-engaged students to make sure they stay on track to educational acquisition. This includes creation of a graduation plan, support from the intervention team and the ability to participate in activities (based on guidance to be provided by CDE). These plans should outline academic, social, and emotional support strategies tailored to the needs of each student with information about the hotline.

CO Department of Education Role:

1. Implement a justice-engaged student hotline to provide guidance on supporting justice-engaged students available to families, students, education and justice personnel.

2. Update tracking for justice-engaged students related to graduation rate.

3. Provide guidance in partnership with the Department of Youth Services on how to apply credits earned while in a justice setting.

4. Provide guidance on allowing justice-engaged students to participate in school activities and college/career readiness experiences and training.

5. Create training for designated educational contact.