(1) The general assembly finds that, after studying the teacher shortage issue in Colorado, the department of higher education and the department of education concluded that one strategy for addressing the issue is to promote collaboration among educator preparation programs, alternative teacher programs, school districts, boards of cooperative services, and public schools to facilitate more effective preparation, placement, and retention of educators. The general assembly finds, therefore, that it is appropriate to create a grant program to support educator preparation partnerships involving educator preparation programs, alternative teacher programs, school districts, boards of cooperative services, and public schools to provide targeted educator preparation initiatives that improve the quality and applicability of educator preparation and the intentional placement of newly trained educators with school districts and public schools.

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

(a) "Board of cooperative services" means a board of cooperative services created and existing pursuant to article 5 of title 22.

(b) "Educator preparation program" means an approved educator preparation program as defined in section 23-1-121 or an alternative teacher program as defined in section 22-60.5-102.

(c) "Local education provider" means a school district, board of cooperative services, or public school.

(d) "Public school" means a school that derives its support, in whole or in part, from money raised by a general state or school district tax and includes a school of a school district, a public school operated by a board of cooperative services, and an institute charter school authorized by the state charter school institute pursuant to part 5 of article 30.5 of title 22.

(e) "School district" means a school district organized and existing pursuant to law but does not include a local college district.

(3) There is created in the department the collaborative educator preparation grant program to support development and implementation of targeted educator preparation initiatives by partnerships of educator preparation programs and local education providers to prepare educators specifically for employment by the partnering local education providers. Subject to available appropriations, the department shall award grants to partnerships of local education providers and educator preparation programs to fund educator preparation initiatives developed as provided in subsection (4) of this section.

(4) Beginning in August of 2018, the department, working with the rural education coordinator established pursuant to section 23-76-103, shall convene meetings between local education providers and educator preparation programs to assist them in developing joint, targeted educator preparation initiatives to submit for grant funding. The department may contract with one or more other entities to assist local education providers and educator preparation programs in developing initiatives. An educator preparation initiative may include but need not be limited to the following strategies:

(a) Teacher residency programs developed and operated jointly by an educator preparation program and a partnering local education provider;

(b) Programs to provide educator preparation for paraprofessionals already employed by the partnering local education provider or for students enrolled by or graduating from the partnering local education provider;

(c) Programs to support educator preparation specifically for local education providers in rural areas of the state;

(d) The use of technology to support long-distance supervision and support for educator candidates and newly licensed educators;

(e) Creation of a dual licensure preparation program to prepare an individual to meet multiple needs of a partnering local education provider; and

(f) Other activities or initiatives to align educator preparation programs and activities with the specific needs of the partnering local education providers.

(5) The department shall review the grant initiatives submitted by partnering educator preparation programs and local education providers, and developed as provided in subsection (4) of this section, and, subject to available appropriations, award one-time grants to the partnering educator preparation programs and local education providers. In awarding grants, the department shall consider the quality ofthe initiative, the level of difficulty demonstrated by the local education provider in attracting and retaining educators, the likelihood that the initiative will assist the local education provider in attracting and retaining educators to address particular educator shortages, the likelihood that the initiative will contribute to better student outcomes, and the provisions included for continuing the initiative after the grant money is no longer available.

(6) (a) Each partnership that receives a grant shall submit a report to the department concerning implementation of the grant initiative, which must include at a minimum:

(I) A description of the strategies implemented using the grant money;

(II) The number of educator candidates and newly licensed educators served; and

(III) An evaluation of the success of the strategies in improving the quality of preparation, meeting the needs of the partnering local education provider, and improving the retention of educators by the partnering local education provider, to the extent such information is available.

(b) On or before November 1, 2020, the department shall prepare and submit to the joint budget committee and the education committees of the house of representatives and the senate, or any successor committees, a report concerning the implementation of the collaborative educator preparation grant program. The report must include a summary of the information received from grant recipients pursuant to subsection (6)(a) of this section and an evaluation of the effect of the grant program in increasing educator quality and educator retention and in reducing the educator shortage in the state.

(7) The general assembly shall appropriate money for the 2018-19 fiscal year to implement this section. Any unexpended and unencumbered money from the appropriation made for the purposes of this section remains available for expenditure by the department for the purposes of this section in the 2019-20 fiscal year without further appropriation.

(8) This section is repealed, effective July 1, 2021.