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A Colorado program that permits college students to remain in highschool for a fifth 12 months to take free faculty courses needs to be realigned to concentrate on low-income, at-risk college students.
That’s simply certainly one of a number of suggestions in a brand new report meant to deal with issues with the state’s fragmented workforce readiness packages.
State lawmakers commissioned the report from the Denver-based Slalom Consulting agency, which can current its suggestions Wednesday to the Colorado State Board of Schooling.
The report requires modifications to the state system so it’s simpler for districts to supply college students profession schooling alternatives. For instance, the report says the state can consolidate packages into one workplace and create a devoted fund for counselors.
The proposed modifications would help extra districts in creating workforce packages with the purpose of exposing college students to profession schooling that results in faculty credit score, courses that may result in an business certification, or on-the-job coaching. The suggestions additionally name for a brand new fund that might assist districts rent extra faculty counselors, together with profession coaches that help college students’ aspirations.
Lawmakers commissioned the examine after a bigger report on the state of Colorado’s profession schooling system — referred to as the 1215 report — revealed a necessity for modifications if the state needs to graduate extra college students with the talents for faculty and a profession.
The 1215 report additionally outlined the necessity for additional reviews on particular workforce and faculty packages. Totally different packages are overseen by completely different departments regardless of having related targets.
The Slalom report’s first advice requires consolidating grants and packages into one overarching Postsecondary and Workforce Readiness fund. The change would deliver numerous packages beneath one roof and make accessing them simpler for districts.
The second advice says lawmakers ought to then create a categorical fund inside the finances, or a line merchandise particularly for sure packages or college students, that might particularly pay for counselors, at a value of $300.8 million a 12 months. The cash would help college students as they discover profession fields and faculty choices.
Creating the explicit fund could be a problem as a result of traditionally these have been underfunded. Within the short-term, lawmakers this 12 months should additionally discover finances cuts.
The report additionally recommends the state standardize tuition agreements to make it simpler to account for program prices, and create reimbursement fashions for sure bills like books and charges.
One notable aspect of Slalom’s report is a name for the state to reassess the Accelerating College students by means of Concurrent Enrollment program, usually referred to as ASCENT.
ASCENT is likely one of the state’s first profession teaching programs and grew in recent times after lawmakers lifted a pupil enrollment cap. This system offers college students a fifth 12 months of highschool enrollment whereas they attend faculty, however doesn’t spell out what college students will be taught.
Newer packages have related constructions however clear workforce targets, equivalent to one referred to as TREP that helps college students get into educating, and one other referred to as P-Tech that’s designed to get college students into science, expertise, engineering, or math careers.
Along with questions on its necessities, ASCENT’s prices have additionally elevated. The state has projected it can spend about $18 million on ASCENT within the 2024-25 finances 12 months, greater than quadruple what this system price in 2022. Lawmakers additionally selected to position a cap again on this system.
Lawmakers might shift the $18 million for ASCENT to different packages, the report says.
Some faculty leaders say this system is essential to maintain college students who’ve a extra sophisticated academic journey on observe to varsity and a profession with good pay.
If lawmakers resolve to maintain ASCENT, districts needs to be reimbursed for prices, slightly than receiving a per-pupil allocation, the report says. This system must also be realigned to concentrate on low-income, at-risk college students with 15 or fewer credit score hours to assist them full a university credential.
Jason Gonzales is a reporter protecting larger schooling and the Colorado legislature. Chalkbeat Colorado companions with Open Campus on larger schooling protection. Contact Jason at jgonzales@chalkbeat.org.