COLORADO

A flurry of legislative activity around dropouts has occurred in Colorado over the past two years. These new policies expand the state's dropout strategy to include a range of approaches, from systemic restructuring to programmatic interventions, and from prevention to actual recovery. Central to this batch of policies is the Innovative School Act of 2008, which allows schools in struggling areas to break free from rules and regulations that are thought to interfere with their ability to innovate and succeed. Also in 2008, HB 08-1370 created the School Corps Grant Program, the state's high school graduation coach program. 

In 2009, HB 09-1243 established and funded the Office of Dropout Prevention and Student Re-engagement. The office is staffed by a director and assistant director whose primary responsibility is to foster collaboration across multiple departments and agencies.  Coinciding with the creation of the Office of Dropout Prevention and Student Re-engagement is the creation of the Student Re-engagement Grant Program to support local districts in their efforts to recoup former dropouts.

Prior to 2008, Colorado's efforts at curbing the dropout problem included amending the state dropout recovery programs, the Colorado Second Chance programs, created in 1985. These programs are for dropout students between the ages of 17 and 21 (Colorado Statute and Rules 22-52-101). In 2005, the state created the Dropout Prevention Grant Program funded through voluntary state tax contributions, as established in HB 05-1024.

By the end of 2010, Colorado is expected to report the National Governors Association cohort graduation rate.