HB26-1291 • 2026

Educator Performance Evaluations

Under current law, a local board of education's (local board) or board of cooperative services' (BOCES) licensed personnel employment performance system must ensure that nonprobationary teachers recei

Education

Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor: Rep. L. Goldstein, Rep. E. Hamrick, Sen. C. Kolker
Last action: 2026-03-12
Official status: House Committee on Education Postpone Indefinitely
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official text notes this summary applies to the bill 'as introduced' and does not reflect potential amendments.

Changes to How Often Teachers Are Evaluated

This bill changes Colorado law so that experienced teachers must receive a formal written evaluation at least once every three years instead of every year, unless they get a low rating.

What This Bill Does

Requires nonprobationary teachers to receive one written evaluation report at least once every three academic years.
Allows school boards or BOCES to require an annual written evaluation if a teacher receives a less than effective rating.
States that the formal evaluation must be given to the teacher at least two weeks before the last day of class in the year it happens.
Clarifies that schools can still use informal observations, coaching, or feedback outside of these required formal evaluations.

Who It Names or Affects

Nonprobationary teachers (experienced teachers who have completed their probation period).
Local boards of education in Colorado school districts.
Boards of cooperative services (BOCES).

Terms To Know

Nonprobationary teacher: A licensed teacher who has finished their initial probation period.
Less than effective rating: An evaluation score that shows the teacher is not meeting performance standards, which triggers more frequent reviews.
Board of cooperative services (BOCES): A group formed by multiple school districts to share resources and provide educational services together.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill text does not specify how schools must handle teachers who receive ratings other than 'less than effective' during the years they are not formally evaluated.
This summary reflects the version of the bill as introduced and may change if amendments are added later.

Amendments

These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.

L.001

HOU Education

Passed [*]

Plain English: This amendment changes how experienced teachers are evaluated by creating a special growth-focused rubric for top performers, allowing other nonprobationary teachers to request annual evaluations if they want them, and setting strict rules on when schools must schedule these reviews.

The state department must create a new evaluation tool specifically for licensed staff who have been rated 'highly effective' for at least three years in a row, focusing their review on professional growth instead of standard performance checks.
Nonprobationary teachers can ask to receive a documented observation and a full written evaluation every year starting the next school year if they choose to do so.
Schools must create an equal schedule for formal evaluations that uses fair, objective rules applied to all similar teachers, though schools may still require extra reviews if there is proof of performance problems or when a teacher transfers from another district.
If a nonprobationary teacher does not get a new evaluation in a specific year because they did not request one and no issues were found, the school must report their most recent past rating to the state instead.

The amendment text uses legal terms like 'nonprobationary' without defining exactly how many years of experience a teacher needs before they reach this status.
It is unclear what specific steps schools must take if a teacher requests an evaluation but the school says it is not practical to do so immediately.

Bill History

2026-03-12 House
House Committee on Education Postpone Indefinitely
2026-02-23 House
Introduced In House - Assigned to Education

Official Summary Text

Under current law, a local board of education's (local board) or board of cooperative services' (BOCES) licensed personnel employment performance system must ensure that nonprobationary teachers receive one evaluation resulting in a written evaluation report in each academic year.
The bill requires that nonprobationary teachers receive one evaluation resulting in a written evaluation report at least once every 3 academic years; except that, if a nonprobationary teacher receives a less than effective rating, the local board or BOCES may require that the nonprobationary teacher receive one evaluation that results in a written evaluation report in the next academic year.
(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

Second Regular Session
Seventy-fifth General Assembly
STATE OF COLORADO
INTRODUCED

LLS NO. 26-0165.04 Jacob Baus x2173 HOUSE BILL 26-1291
House Committees Senate Committees
Education
A BILL FOR AN ACT
CONCERNING MODIFICATIONS TO THE EXECUTION OF LICENSED101
PERSONNEL PERFORMANCE EVALUATIONS.102
Bill Summary
(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced and does
not reflect any amendments that may be subsequently adopted. If this bill
passes third reading in the house of introduction, a bill summary that
applies to the reengrossed version of this bill will be available at
http://leg.colorado.gov.)
Under current law, a local board of education's (local board) or
board of cooperative services' (BOCES) licensed personnel employment
performance system must ensure that nonprobationary teachers receive
one evaluation resulting in a written evaluation report in each academic
year.
The bill requires that nonprobationary teachers receive one
HOUSE SPONSORSHIP
Hamrick and Goldstein,
SENATE SPONSORSHIP
Kolker,
Shading denotes HOUSE amendment. Double underlining denotes SENATE amendment.
Capital letters or bold & italic numbers indicate new material to be added to existing law.
Dashes through the words or numbers indicate deletions from existing law.
evaluation resulting in a written evaluation report at least once every 3
academic years; except that, if a nonprobationary teacher receives a less
than effective rating, the local board or BOCES may require that the
nonprobationary teacher receive one evaluation that results in a written
evaluation report in the next academic year.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Colorado:1
SECTION 1. In Colorado Revised Statutes, amend 22-9-102 as2
follows:3
22-9-102. Legislative declaration.4
(1) The general assembly hereby declares that:5
(a) A system to evaluate E VALUATING the effectiveness of6
licensed personnel is crucial ESSENTIAL to improving the quality of7
education in this state and declares that such a system shall be applicable8
to all licensed personnel in the school districts and boards of cooperative9
services throughout the state; and INSTRUCTION AND STUDENT OUTCOMES10
IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS;11
(b) The purposes of the evaluation shall be to: LOCAL BOARDS OF12
EDUCATION AND BOARDS OF COOPERATIVE SERVICES ARE BEST13
POSITIONED TO DESIGN AND IMPLEMENT EVALUATION SYSTEMS THAT14
REFLECT LOCAL NEEDS AND STAFFING REALITIES , CONSISTENT WITH15
GUIDING STATE STANDARDS;16
(I) Serve as a basis for the improvement of instruction;17
(II) Enhance the implementation of programs of curriculum;18
(III) Serve as a measurement of the professional growth and19
development of licensed personnel;20
(IV) Evaluate the level of performance based on the effectiveness21
of licensed personnel; and22
(V) Provide a basis for making decisions in the areas of hiring,23
HB26-1291-2-
compensation, promotion, assignment, professional development, earning1
and retaining nonprobationary status, dismissal, and nonrenewal of2
contract.3
(c) R EQUIRING ANNUAL FORMAL EVALUATIONS FOR ALL4
NONPROBATIONARY TEACHERS CAN STRAIN LIMITED ADMINISTRATIVE5
CAPACITY WITHOUT NECESSARILY IMPROVING INSTRUCTIONAL PRACTICE;6
AND7
(d) ALLOWING DISTRICTS TO CONDUCT FORMAL EVALUATIONS OF8
NONPROBATIONARY TEACHERS ON A PERIODIC BASIS, WHILE MAINTAINING9
ANNUAL EVALUATIONS FOR PROBATIONARY AND LESS T HAN EFFECTIVE10
TEACHERS , SUPPORTS MEANINGFUL FEEDBACK , INSTRUCTIONAL11
IMPROVEMENT, AND ADMINISTRATIVE EFFICIENCY.12
(2) The general assembly further declares that a professionally13
sound and credible system to evaluate the effectiveness of licensed14
personnel shall be designed with the involvement of licensed personnel15
and citizens of the school district or board of cooperative services16
THEREFORE, IT IS THE INTENT OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY TO GRANT17
LOCAL SCHOOL BOARDS OR BOARDS OF COOPERATIVE SERVICES18
FLEXIBILITY REGARDING EVALUATION FREQUENCY AND THE DESIGNATION19
OF QUALIFIED EVALUATORS WITHIN THEIR LICENSED PERSONNEL20
EVALUATION SYSTEMS.21
(3) The general assembly further declares that the involvement22
and support of parents of children in public schools, acting as partners23
with teachers and public school administrators, are key to the educational24
progress of their children.25
SECTION 2. In Colorado Revised Statutes, 22-9-106, amend (1)26
introductory portion, (1)(c) introductory portion, and (1)(c)(II); and add27
HB26-1291-3-
(10) as follows:1
22-9-106. Local boards of education - duties - performance2
evaluation system - compliance - rules.3
(1) All school districts and boards A LOCAL BOARD OR A BOARD4
of cooperative services that employ EMPLOYS licensed personnel shall5
adopt a written system to evaluate the employment performance of school6
district and OR board of cooperative services licensed personnel,7
including all teachers, principals, and administrators, with the exception8
of licensed personnel employed by a board of cooperative services for a9
period of six weeks or less. In developing the licensed personnel10
performance evaluation system and any amendments, thereto the local11
board and board of cooperative services shall comply with subsection12
(1.5) of this section and shall consult with administrators, principals, and13
teachers employed within the district or participating districts in a board14
of cooperative services, parents, and the school district licensed personnel15
performance evaluation council or the board of cooperative services16
personnel performance evaluation council created pursuant to section17
22-9-107. The performance evaluation system must address all of the18
performance standards established by rule of the state board and adopted19
by the general assembly pursuant to section 22-9-105.5, and must contain,20
but need not be limited to, the following information:21
(c) The frequency and duration of the evaluations, which must be22
on a regular basis and of such A frequency and duration as to ensure THAT23
ENSURES the collection of a sufficient amount of data from which reliable24
conclusions and findings may be drawn. At a minimum, the performance25
LICENSED PERSONNEL evaluation system must ensure that:26
(II) (A ) Nonprobationary teacher s receive at least one27
HB26-1291-4-
DOCUMENTED observation each academic year and one evaluation that1
results in a written evaluation report pursuant to subsection (3) of this2
section each academic year according to the performance standards3
established by rule of the state board and adopted by the general assembly4
pursuant to section 22-9-105.5. Nonprobationary teachers AT LEAST ONCE5
EVERY THREE ACADEMIC YEARS . A NONPROBATIONARY TEACHER must6
receive the written evaluation report at least two weeks before the last7
class day of the school year IN WHICH THE EVALUATION IS CONDUCTED.8
(B) F OR A NONPROBATIONARY TEACHER WHO RECEIVES A LESS9
THAN EFFECTIVE RATING, THE LOCAL BOARD OR BOARD OF COOPERATIVE10
SERVICES SHALL REQUIRE THAT THE NONPROBATIONARY TEACHER11
RECEIVES AT LEAST ONE DOCUMENTED OBSERVATION IN THE NEXT12
ACADEMIC YEAR AND ONE EVALUATION THAT RESULTS IN A WRITTEN13
EVALUATION REPORT PURSUANT TO SUBSECTION (3) OF THIS SECTION IN14
THE NEXT ACADEMIC YEAR.15
(10) THIS SECTION, INCLUDING SUBSECTION (1)(c) OF THIS SECTION16
CONCERNING THE FREQUENCY OF FORMAL EVALUATIONS , DOES NOT17
PROHIBIT A LOCAL BOARD OR BOARD OF COOPERATIVE SERVICES FROM18
ADOPTING, OR A SCHOOL DISTRICT OR BOARD OF COOPERATIVE SERVICES19
FROM IMPLEMENTING AND MAINTAINING , A LICENSED PERSONNEL20
EVALUATION POLICY OR LICENSED PERSONNEL EVALUATION SYSTEM THAT21
INCLUDES INFORMAL EVALUATIONS , OBSERVATIONS , COACHING , OR22
FEEDBACK THAT IS UNRELATED TO THE EVALUATION DESCRIBED IN THIS23
SECTION BUT THAT IS FOR THE PURPOSE OF SUPPORTING A LICENSED24
PERSONNEL AND THEIR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT.25
SECTION 3. Safety clause. The general assembly finds,26
determines, and declares that this act is necessary for the immediate27
HB26-1291-5-
preservation of the public peace, health, or safety or for appropriations for1
the support and maintenance of the departments of the state and state2
institutions.3
HB26-1291-6-