The Innovation Schools Act of 2008, (§ 22-32.5-102, C.R.S. et.seq) was created in response to district and school leaders' interest in finding a way for districts to develop and implement innovative practices in a wide variety of areas for the purpose of improving student outcomes. The Act provides a formal process that allows schools to petition their local school boards for waivers from district-level policies and for school boards to petition to the Colorado State Board of Education for waivers from certain state-level laws and regulations that would otherwise apply to the schools and their districts. The Act furthers the belief that educational services must be tailored to meet the needs of the student populations it intends to serve. It also supports the belief that by providing flexibilities to school personnel, such as principals and teachers, they can determine the most effective and efficient manner in which to meet their students' needs, (§22-32.5.102, C.R.S., Legislative Declaration). A major purpose of innovation status is to break down policy barriers in order to implement innovative practices to increase student outcomes. Innovation status requires schools and districts to create a vision around the autonomies they are seeking, as well as gain support from a variety of stakeholders, including teachers, administrators and School Accountability Committee members, before receiving approval. The innovation plan requires schools to think through the processes and documents that will need to change when these innovations are implemented, as well as what common goal and vision will be made possible by receiving these flexibilities. In compliance with the reporting requirements provided in §22-32.5-111, C.R.S., the Colorado Department of Education (CDE) has prepared the following report. This annual report draws from multiple sources including: (1) The CDE Innovation webpage (http://www.cde.state.co.us/choice/innovationschools); (2) CDE's "2015 Annual Innovation Report" released March 2015; and (3) The handbook, "Options for Autonomous Schools in Colorado: A Handbook for School and District Leaders" released in 2009. This handbook was a result of conversations among multiple education reform and business organizations interested in encouraging the development of autonomous schools in Colorado. Appended to the report are: (1) Required Components of an Innovation Plan, (2) Innovation Schools Approved by the State Board of Education, (3) State Waivers by Innovation School, and (4) Innovation Schools Mean Scale Score Percentiles Report. [For the "2015 Annual Innovation Report," see ED572282.]