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February 2, 2022 SB 22-004
Legislative Council Staff
Nonpartisan Services for Colorado’s Legislature
Fiscal Note
Drafting Number:
Prime Sponsors:
LLS 22-0568
Sen. Rankin; Bridges
Rep. McCluskie
Date:
Bill Status:
Fiscal Analyst:
February 2, 2022
Senate Education
Josh Abram | 303-866-3561
Josh.Abram@state.co.us
Bill Topic: EVIDENCE-BASED TRAINING IN SCIENCE OF READING
Summary of
Fiscal Impact:
☐ State Revenue
☒ State Expenditure
☐ State Transfer
☐ TABOR Refund
☒ Local Government
☒ School District
The bill requires that elementary school administrators and certain librarians be trained
in scientifically and evidence-based reading instruction. The bill increases state and
local expenditures beginning FY 2022-23.
Appropriation
Summary:
For FY 2022-23, the bill requires an appropriation of $251,139 to the Colorado
Department of Education.
Fiscal Note
Status:
The fiscal note reflects the introduced bill.
Table 1
State Fiscal Impacts Under SB 22-004
Budget Year
FY 2022-23
Out Year
FY 2023-24
Revenue
- -
Expenditures Cash Fund $251,139 $88,165
Centrally Appropriated $13,621 $8,372
Total Expenditures $264,760 $96,537
Total FTE 0.8 FTE 0.5 FTE
Transfers - -
Other Budget Impacts - -
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February 2, 2022 SB 22-004
Summary of Legislation
Under current law, local education providers (LEPs) that receive per-pupil intervention money or
grants under the Early Literacy Grant Program (READ Act) must ensure that all early grade teachers
successfully complete evidence-based training in the science of reading instruction. If requested, the
Colorado Department of Education (CDE) must provide the training at no cost. Beginning with the
2023-24 school year, this bill extends the training requirement to each principal in schools serving
kindergarten through third grade, and any administrator with responsibility for early grade
programs. Beginning in FY 2023-24, LEPs must submit evidence they are in compliance with the
principal and administrator training requirement to receive per-pupil intervention money.
By January 2023, the board of trustees for any public library must adopt policies to support parents
and children to improve reading and ensure that each librarian successfully completes evidence-based
training in the science of reading instruction. Librarians have until September 1, 2024, to complete the
training and pass the end of course test. If requested, the CDE must provide the training at no cost.
Public libraries must also make evidence-based materials and activities available to improve reading.
Background
The Colorado READ Act currently requires all K-3 teachers to be trained in scientifically and
evidence-based reading instruction by the 2022-23 school year. School districts are required to submit
evidence that its teachers fulfilled the requirement to receive Early Literacy Grant or READ Act
per-pupil intervention funds. The CDE has an annual vendor contract to develop the training content.
The contract also includes an online delivery platform, allowing a self-paced learning experience for
teachers. The platform tracks teachers’ progress through the training and includes testing
components. The completed module for teachers takes about 45 hours to complete.
State Expenditures
The bill increases state expenditures in the CDE by about $264,760 in FY 2022-23, and by $96,537 in
FY 2023-24. Appropriations are from the Early Literacy Cash Fund and are ongoing. New costs are
displayed in Table 2 and described below.
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February 2, 2022 SB 22-004
Table 2
Expenditures Under SB 22-004
Cost Components FY 2022-23 FY 2023-24
Department of Education
Personal Services $62,484 $37,490
Operating Expenses $1,080 $675
Capital Outlay Costs $6,200 -
Course Development $160,000 -
Platform Maintenance - $50,000
READ Act Data Reporting $21,375 -
Centrally Appropriated Costs
1
$13,621 $8,372
FTE – Personal Services 0.8 FTE 0.5 FTE
Total $264,760 $96,537
Total FTE 0.8 FTE 0.5 FTE
1
Centrally appropriated costs are not included in the bill's appropriation.
Personal services. Under current law, CDE devotes 6.5 FTE to manage the 23,000 teachers who are
required to meet the current training requirement. The department will add 0.8 FTE (Senior
Consultant) in FY 2022-23, which reduces to 0.5 FTE in FY 2023-24 and ongoing to manage the
additional administrators and librarians. This work includes rulemaking to determine course criteria,
managing the vendor contract for new course development, approving standards for successful
completion and verification, and developing a system to track and report ongoing need and
completions. Personal service costs are prorated in FY 2022-23 to account for the presumed
September 1 effective date.
Online course development and platform. The existing READ Act training was created for delivery
to early grade elementary teachers. This platform will be modified to create two additional trainings,
one for early grade administrators, and one for children’s librarians, customized with content,
knowledge and skills relevant to those populations. Based on the existing vendor contract, it is
estimated that $160,000 is required in FY 2022-23 to develop separate training courses for
administrators and librarians. The annual contract maintenance cost for these online platforms is
estimated at $50,000 beginning in FY 2023-24.
Data collection. In order to collect the necessary information on training for principals and
administrators, the current READ Act data collection system must be modified to include additional
fields. A one-time cost of $21,375 in FY 2022-23 is required.
Centrally appropriated costs. Pursuant to a Joint Budget Committee policy, certain costs associated
with this bill are addressed through the annual budget process and centrally appropriated in the Long
Bill or supplemental appropriations bills, rather than in this bill. These costs, which include employee
insurance and supplemental employee retirement payments, are shown in Table 2.
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February 2, 2022 SB 22-004
School Districts and Local Governments
The bill requires that administrators and librarians in public schools, and librarians in other public
libraries complete evidence-based training in the science of reading and pass the end of course test.
Assuming all these professionals avail themselves of the free course provided by CDE, local costs are
mostly the paid time to obtain the additional professional development, verification of completion,
and reporting to the CDE.
For example, there are over 3,500 school administrators and the average salary is about $93,838. If
60 percent are elementary school administrators, 2,133 could require the new training at an average
salary cost of $45 an hour. The precise number and location of school district professionals who
require additional training is unknown.
Municipalities and other library districts will also have similar wage costs to train all required persons.
It is estimated that public libraries employ about 940 librarians, at an average rate of $30 per hour.
Effective Date
The bill takes effect 90 days following adjournment of the General Assembly sine die, assuming no
referendum petition is filed.
State Appropriations
For FY 2022-23, the bill requires an appropriation of $251,139 from the Early Literacy Cash Fund to
the Colorado Department of Education, and 0.8 FTE.
State and Local Government Contacts
Counties Education Higher Education
Municipalities School Districts
The revenue and expenditure impacts in this fiscal note represent changes from current law under the bill for each
fiscal year. For additional information about fiscal notes, please visit: leg.colorado.gov/fiscalnotes.