(1) (a) The commission shall establish and the governing boards shall implement academic admission standards for first-time freshmen and transfer students at all state-supported baccalaureate and graduate institutions of higher education in the state. The commission shall establish and may subsequently review and amend the standards afterconsultation with the governing boards of institutions. The academic admission standards for students who do not have in-state status, as determined pursuant to section 23-7-103, shall equal or exceed those established for determining admission of in-state students.

(b) The standards established for first-time admitted freshman students shall use a combination of high school academic performance indicators and national assessment test scores for eligibility criteria. The academic performance indicators may include, but are not limited to, grade point average, class rank, and content standard performance level assessments. The criteria established and the specified performance levels shall be consistent with the role and mission established for each state-supported institution of higher education. In considering the high school academic performance indicators, the commission and the governing boards may take into account the rigor of a student's high school academic preparation and the academic content of the courses taken. In lieu of the established statewide criteria, each governing board may use additional criteria for up to twenty percent of the freshmen students annually admitted to each institution under the governing board's control. Students who meet the minimum criteria for admission are not guaranteed admission to the institution to which they have applied, but they are eligible for consideration.

(c) The standards established for transfer students shall use college academic performance indicators as the eligibility criteria for admitted transfer students. The academic performance indicators may include, but are not limited to, grade point average, credit hours completed, and successful completion of basic skills courses, if required and as appropriate considering the role and mission of the receiving institution. In lieu of such criteria, additional criteria may be used for up to twenty percent of the admitted transfer students. The academic admission standards and policies established for transfer students shall be consistent with the student transfer agreements established by the commission pursuant to section 23-1-108 (7)(f). Students who meet the minimum criteria for admission shall not be guaranteed admission to the institution to which they have applied, but they shall be eligible for consideration.

(d) Repealed.

(1.5) (a) (I) The commission shall establish and the governing boards shall implement a policy pursuant to section 23-1-113.3 to identify matriculated students who need basic skills courses in English and mathematics and standards and procedures whereby state institutions of higher education may offer basic skills courses as provided in section 23-1-113.3. The commission, in consultation with the governing boards, shall ensure that the policy aligns with the admission policy adopted pursuant to subsection (1) of this section. In identifying the standards for basic skills, the commission may differentiate requirements for mathematics based on the prerequisite skills needed for required courses within a student's declared program of study.

(II) As part of the policy established pursuant to this paragraph (a), the commission may authorize a state institution of higher education to provide supplemental academic instruction even though the institution is not authorized to provide basic skills courses pursuant to section 23-1-113.3. The institution may receive stipend payments from the state pursuant to section 23-18-202 on behalf of an eligible undergraduate student, as defined in section 23-18-102 (5), who is enrolled in a college-level course that includes supplemental academic instruction.

(b) Each governing board shall adopt policies and procedures that are aligned with the policy established by the commission pursuant to paragraph (a) of this subsection (1.5) and that ensure that, to the extent required by the commission policy, each matriculated student takes or has taken basic skills placement or assessment tests in English and mathematics. The institution that enrolls the student shall select which tests to use from among those that meet the standards established in the commission policy and shall administer the tests. The commission, in consultation with the governing boards, shall ensure the comparability of the placement or assessment tests for the purpose of providing consistent reporting data as such data are required by section 23-1-113.3 (4).

(c) Students identified by institutions as needing basic skills courses based on their test scores shall complete the appropriate basic skills courses by the time the student completes thirty college-level credit hours. The commission, in consultation with the governing boards, shall ensure that each student identified as needing basic skills courses receives written notification identifying which state institutions offer basic skills courses and the approximate cost and relative availability of the basic skills courses, including any online courses.

(2) Repealed.

(3) (a) (Deleted by amendment, L. 2004, p. 201, § 16, effective August 4, 2004.)

(b) (Deleted by amendment, L. 96, p. 1236, § 78, effective August 7, 1996.)

(4) The commission shall work with the state board of education to align the academic admission standards established pursuant to this section with the guidelines for high school graduation requirements developed pursuant to section 22-2-106 (1)(a.5), C.R.S. Any revised academic admission standards shall be implemented no later than the selection of the freshman class of fall 2012.

(5) (a) On or before December 15, 2009, pursuant to section 22-7-1008, C.R.S., the commission shall consult with the state board of education, and the commission and the state board of education shall negotiate a consensus and adopt the description of postsecondary and workforce readiness.

(b) On or before July 1, 2015, and on or before July 1 every six years thereafter, the commission and the state board of education may adopt revisions to the postsecondary and workforce readiness description.

(6) Repealed.

(7) Notwithstanding any provision of this section to the contrary, a student who graduates with a high school diploma that includes a postsecondary and workforce readiness endorsement based on criteria adopted by the state board and approved by the commission and the governing boards of the state institutions of higher education pursuant to section 22-7-1009, C.R.S., shall be guaranteed:

(a) To meet minimum academic qualifications for admission to, and to be eligible, subject to additional institutional review of other admission and placement qualifications, for placement into credit-bearing courses at, all open, modified open, or moderately selective public institutions of higher education in Colorado; and

(b) To receive priority consideration, in conjunction with additional admissions criteria, and to be eligible, subject to additional institutional review of other admission and placement qualifications, for placement into credit-bearing courses, at all other public institutions of higher education in Colorado. The additional admissions criteria shall be determined by each institution of higher education.

(8) (a) On or before December 15, 2013, based on adoption of the description of postsecondary and workforce readiness, the commission shall, if necessary, revise the minimum academic admission standards for first-time freshmen at all state-supported baccalaureate and graduate institutions of higher education in the state to ensure that the minimum academic admission standards are aligned with the description of postsecondary and workforce readiness adopted by the commission and the state board of education.

(b) On or before December 15, 2013, the commission shall review the policy established pursuant to paragraph (a) of subsection (1.5) of this section and the basic skills placement or assessment tests administered pursuant to subsection (1.5) of this section to ensure that the policy and tests are aligned with the postsecondary and workforce readiness description.

(c) Consistent with any revisions adopted pursuant to this section to the description of postsecondary and workforce readiness, the commission shall, if necessary, adopt revisions to the minimum academic admission standards, the policy established pursuant to paragraph (a) of subsection (1.5) of this section, and the basic skills placement or assessment tests to ensure continued alignment with the postsecondary and workforce readiness description.

(d) In revising the minimum academic admission standards, the policy established pursuant to paragraph (a) of subsection (1.5) of this section, and the basic skills placement or assessment tests pursuant to this subsection (8), the commission shall consult with the governing boards of the state institutions of higher education.

(9) Notwithstanding section 24-1-136 (11)(a)(I), on or before February 15, 2012, and on or before February 15 each year thereafter, the department of higher education shall submit to the state board of education, the department of education, and the education committees of the house of representatives and the senate, or any successor committees, a report, subject to available data, concerning the enrollment, placement and completion of basic skills courses, first-year college grades, and types of academic certificates and degrees attained at all postsecondary institutions in Colorado and the United States for the high school graduating classes of the preceding six academic years. The department of higher education shall report the information disaggregated by high school and school district of graduation, to the extent practicable, and by ethnicity, gender, financial aid status, and any other characteristic deemed relevant by the commission. The department of higher education and the department of education shall also make the report available on their respective websites.

(10) On or before February 15, 2009, and on or before February 15 each year thereafter, the department of higher education shall submit to the department of education the unit records used for its reporting purposes under this section to enable the department of education to evaluate the effectiveness of the alignment of the preschool through postsecondary education systems in preparing students who demonstrate postsecondary and workforce readiness and subsequently succeed in postsecondary education and to enable the department of higher education to disseminate the unit records to the appropriate school districts.

(11) As used in this section, unless the context otherwise requires:

(a) "Academic skills courses" means courses that teach the basic academic skills necessary to succeed at a postsecondary institution.

(b) "Basic skills courses" means courses that are prerequisites to the level of work expected at a postsecondary institution and include academic skills courses and preparatory courses.

(c) "National assessment test scores" include, but are not limited to, ACT test scores and SAT test scores.

(d) "Preparatory courses" means courses designed for students who demonstrate a deficient skill level in the general competencies necessary to succeed in a standard postsecondary curriculum and include but are not limited to reading courses that focus on nontechnical vocabulary, word identification, and reading of everyday material; writing courses that focus primarily on grammar, usage, punctuation, and effective sentences and paragraphs; and mathematics courses primarily covering concepts introduced in elementary and intermediate algebra and geometry.

(e) "Supplemental academic instruction" means co-requisite instruction in reading, writing, or mathematics for students with limited academic deficiencies who are placed into college-level course work that is approved for statewide transfer pursuant to section 23-1-125 (3). "Supplemental academic instruction" does not include prerequisite basic skills courses.