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March 28, 2022 SB 22-004
Legislative Council Staff
Nonpartisan Services for Colorado’s Legislature
Revised Fiscal Note
(replaces fiscal note dated February 2, 2022 )
Drafting Number:
Prime Sponsors:
LLS 22-0568
Sen. Rankin; Bridges
Rep. McCluskie
Date:
Bill Status:
Fiscal Analyst:
March 28, 2022
Senate Appropriations
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 reading specialists be
trained in scientifically and evidence-based reading instruction. The bill increases
state and local expenditures beginning in FY 2023-24.
Appropriation
Summary:
No appropriation is required.
Fiscal Note
Status:
The revised fiscal note reflects the introduced bill, as amended by the Senate
Education Committee.
Table 1
State Fiscal Impacts Under SB 22-004
Budget Year
FY 2022-23
Out Year
FY 2023-24
Out Year
FY 2024-25
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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March 28, 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 2024-25 school year, this bill requires that reading specialists and principals in
schools serving kindergarten through third grade, and any administrator with responsibility for early
grade programs, also receive similar training. Beginning in FY 2024-25, LEPs that receive READ Act
funding must submit verification that they are in compliance with the new training requirements. If
requested, the CDE must provide the training to LEPs at no cost.
The bill encourages the directors of public libraries to work with the CDE to offer evidence-based
training in the science of reading instruction to librarians working with early grade readers. If
requested, the CDE must provide the training at no cost. Public libraries may 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 2023-24, and by $96,537 in
FY 2024-25. 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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March 28, 2022 SB 22-004
Table 2
Expenditures Under SB 22-004
Cost Components FY 2022-23 FY 2023-24 FY 2024-25
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
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 2023-24, which reduces to 0.5 FTE in FY 2024-25 and ongoing to manage the
additional administrators and librarians who may complete the training. 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.
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 principals and other early grade administrators, and one for reading intervention specialists,
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 2023-24 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 2024-25.
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 2023-24 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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March 28, 2022 SB 22-004
School Districts and Local Governments
The bill requires that administrators and reading specialists in public schools 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 include 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 would complete 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.
Effective Date
The bill takes effect 90 days following adjournment of the General Assembly sine die, assuming no
referendum petition is filed.
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.