News Release

$15 million in one-time funding will help schools struggling to reopen

DENVER – The Colorado Department of Education today announced a new $15 million grant opportunity for school districts and BOCES that are struggling to return to in-person learning and need additional resources to safely reopen when possible.

Applications for the Safe Schools Reopening Grant may be submitted by districts and BOCES that operate public schools on behalf of any school, including charter schools. Applications are due Nov. 30 and funds must be spent by Dec. 30.

News Release

Board grants DSST Public Schools appeal of DPS board's requirements

DENVER – The State Board of Education agreed today to provide educators an additional six months to complete the teacher training required by the READ Act. Kindergarten through third-grade teachers will now have until Jan. 31, 2022 to complete their training requirements on evidence-based reading instruction. 

The board directed districts to communicate the requirement to all K-3 teachers by Dec. 1, 2020, and ensure teachers meet the new January 2022 deadline. Districts, BOCES and charters that do not meet the requirements will be ineligible for READ Act funds for the 2022-23 school year.

Only 40% of Colorado's third graders are meeting expectations on the Colorado Measures of Academic Success tests in English language arts, yet research shows that students need to learn to read at grade level by the end of third grade so they can read to learn in fourth grade and beyond.

The Colorado Reading to Ensure Academic Development Act was passed in 2012 with the goal of dramatically improving reading for our youngest learners. Since then, however, Colorado has seen only a 2% increase in third graders meeting or exceeding expectations on the Colorado Measures of Academic Success tests in English language arts. In addition, statewide data shows only a 1% reduction in the number of students identified with a significant reading deficiency.

The READ Act aims to ensure all students can read at grade level by the end of third grade. In 2019, the legislature made several changes to the READ Act to help educators support reading success among our state's youngest learners. Not all of Colorado's educators have had the opportunity to learn the science of teaching reading in their teacher training programs, so one of the changes to the READ Act required training on the latest evidence-based reading instruction strategies for all K-3 teachers. 

Teachers have a variety of avenues to complete the training, including no-cost options provided by the Colorado Department of Education. 
 
Board grants DSST Public Schools appeal
Following a formal hearing, the state board found the Denver Public Schools Board of Education's decision to delay the opening of DSST’s Noel High School from the 2021-22 school year to the 2022-23 school year is contrary to the best interests of students. The state board remanded the matter back to the DPS board with instructions to allow Noel High School to open in the 2021-22 school year and include Noel High School in the enrollment process opening Jan. 15, 2021.

The state board also found that it was not in students’ best interest for DPS to require improvement plans for Cole High School, Cole Middle School and Henry Middle School as a condition for Noel High School’s opening. The state board remanded this condition back to the DPS board with instruction to remove the improvement plan requirement.