Apr
26
Filtered by author: Bryce Reedy Clear Filter
For Teacher Appreciation Week 2023, CDE has partnered with The Colorado Rockies and TEACH Colorado to invite all teachers, support staff, administrators and volunteers to the ballpark Friday, May 12, through Wednesday, May 17. Discounted tickets are available through the Rockies Teacher Appreciation Homestand webpage. For every ticket purchased through the homestand, $2 will be donated to TEACH Colorado.
Do you know an exceptionally dedicated, knowledgeable and skilled K-12 teacher? Nominate them to apply for the 2024 Colorado Teacher of the Year award by Monday, May 15.
Each year the Colorado Teacher of the Year Program honors an outstanding K-12 classroom teacher. The selected teacher will automatically become Colorado’s nominee for the National Teacher of the Year Program.
To nominate a teacher, visit the Colorado Teacher of the Year webpage. Once nominated, the nominee is invited to submit their application by Thursday, June 2.
Below is a message from McPherson & Jacobson regarding a survey as part of the Colorado Commissioner of Education search.
"Dear Colorado Education Partners and Stakeholders:
I'm writing to enlist your assistance in distributing access and encouraging your membership's participation in a survey as part of the Colorado Commissioner of Education search we are leading for the State Board of Education. I would greatly appreciate it if you would distribute the brief text/invitation I've included below to your full membership. If you prefer to include only the link I've provided in a different message you craft specifically, that's absolutely fine as well...whatever is easiest for you! When you send your message, please highlight that the survey will close at the end of the day April 28. I thank you in advance for your help in this important work, and encourage you to either email or contact me directly if you have any questions whatsoever.
As the Colorado State Board of Education continues their search for the next Colorado Commissioner of Education, an important component of the search process is an anonymous survey of diverse stakeholders. All responses to this survey will be directly collected and compiled by consultants with McPherson & Jacobson, the firm assisting the State Board in this search. Please take a few minutes to respond to the survey by April 28, 2023. The survey can be accessed here: Colorado Commissioner of Education Search Stakeholder Survey."
The Colorado Department of Higher Education is partnering with Hanover Research to conduct a study to better understand individuals’ awareness of higher education opportunities, perceptions of institutions and interests in pursuing higher education. High school students, parents/guardians of a high school student and high school counselors are invited to complete the 10-15 minute survey.
This research aims to understand current barriers and challenges preventing individuals from pursuing postsecondary education. This study is for research purposes only. All information will be maintained on a confidential basis by Hanover Research. Names and identifying information such as race and gender will not be shared with CDHE or tied to responses.
Feel free to share the survey with students, families and educators.
The deadline to complete the survey is Sunday, April 30.
The Unified Improvement Planning template will roll over on Friday, April 14, changing from the 2022-23 template to the 2023-24 template. Once the template rolls over, school users will only have edit access to the UIP template for 2023-24. Previous years' UIPs and feedback will be view-only. District users can still access, edit and post 2022-23 UIPs if needed.
View the UIP Online System webpage for additional information.
Registration is open for the Spring 2023 Parents Encouraging Parents conference. This year's conference will be held in Grand Junction Thursday, April 27, through Saturday, April 29.
PEP conferences are designed to promote family and school partnerships to support students with disabilities and their families in schools and the community. PEP brings families and professionals together by sharing ideas, discussing concerns, celebrating successes and obtaining information related to parenting, educating and partnering to support student learning.
To learn more about PEP visit the Parents Encouraging Parents webpage.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service's Healthy Meals Incentives Initiative, Action for Healthy Kids, is offering competitive grants up to $150,000 per school food authority for small and/or rural school food authorities to help improve the nutritional quality of school meals.
The deadline for submitting a grant application is 3 p.m. on Friday, May 26.
To apply for the grant visit the USDA's Healthy Meals Incentives webpage.
Applications for the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment Clean Air for Schools program are due by Sunday, April 30.
The program is open to all public, private, charter, parochial, facility and Tribal K-12 schools.
CDPHE is partnering with Carrier West to distribute free HEPA filter portable air cleaners and associated supplies to improve schools’ indoor air quality to lessen exposure to respiratory viruses as well as other pollutants and pathogens that contribute to asthma, allergies and other respiratory illnesses. The model of air cleaner used in the program was chosen because it is quiet and won't disrupt learning, uses about as much energy as a small lamp and requires only one filter change a year. The program is open to all public, private, charter, parochial, facility, and Tribal K-12 schools and early childhood education facilities.
To learn more or to apply for the program, visit Carrier West’s webpage about the program.
View CDPHE's Clear Air for Schools FAQ webpage.
As a part of Colorado’s statewide investment in math learning acceleration, Colorado educators can receive free access to Zearn Math for the 2023–24 school year. Zearn Math is a top-rated K–8 math learning platform that educators can use to catch kids up and move them forward in math.
All Colorado districts that opt in will have free access to instructional materials, training for educators, materials to support families and caregivers, and resources to flexibly implement Zearn Math during core math, intervention blocks, after-school and summer learning. To learn more about Zearn Math, sign up for an upcoming live webinar.
Local education agencies are eligible to apply for the new Targeted Violence and Terrorism Prevention Grant Program, which aims to provide financial assistance for violence prevention programs.
The grant, a joint effort by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Center for Prevention Programs and Partnerships and the Federal Emergency Management Agency, will provide up to $20 million for the development of innovative prevention approaches with the goal of identifying prevention best practices that can be replicated in across the country.
Applications are due by Tuesday, April 25, with program awards expected to be announced in September.
For more information or to apply, visit the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s TVTP Grant Program webpage.
The Colorado Department of Higher Education is hosting a webinar, "Completing the CASFA: An Interactive Training," at 2 p.m. on Friday, April 21. This virtual meeting is a professional development opportunity for anyone who’d like to learn more about the Colorado Application for State Financial Aid.
The CASFA is the State Financial Aid application for undocumented, Colorado ASSET students. The CASFA bridges equity gaps and creates access to postsecondary education for Colorado ASSET students.
To register for the training, fill out this form.
For more information about CAFSA, visit CDHE's Colorado Application for State Financial Aid webpage.
The next virtual co-literacy conversation for leaders, teachers and other classroom practitioners who support literacy in grades four through 12 will be at 3:30 p.m. on Thursday, April 17.
The conversations include a problem of practice, a presentation, breakout sessions with guided questions and additional resources to help educators and leaders implement evidence-based practices in their schools and districts.
Recordings from previous conversations and future topics can be found on the Reading, Writing and Communicating webpage.
Applications from both new and renewal applicants for the 2023-24 Early Literacy Assessment Tool Project are due Friday, April 28.
The intent of the ELAT Project is to support state purchase of software that would provide individualized assessments with immediate results, store and analyze those results and recommend activities based on those results.
By participating in the ELAT Project, applicants will be supplied with the online tool mCLASS to support DIBELS 8th Edition and Lectura, approved interim assessments for the READ Act. All approved applicants will receive software licenses to use the assessments.
Application materials and information, including a recording of the application information webinar, are available on the ELAT webpage.
The Early Childhood Leadership Commission will host a virtual town hall at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, April 11, to provide updates about the Department of Early Childhood and Universal Preschool Program implementation and opportunities to get involved. Join via Zoom to hear from the Colorado Department of Early Childhood and the Governor's Early Childhood Transition Team. Spanish language interpretation will be available.
Beginning in mid-April, the Educator Effectiveness Office will offer 60 minute information sessions to provide an overview of the updates to the 2023-24 educator evaluations.
To register for an upcoming session, complete this form. The virtual sessions will be open to all interested participants. Note that space will be limited so to accommodate as many attendees as possible only register for one session.
Contact [email protected] with any questions.
CDE and the Colorado Department of Higher Education have partnered with the Regional Educational Laboratory, or REL Central, to conduct virtual focus groups in spring 2023 in an effort to improve teacher retention. Focus groups will discuss why teachers chose the profession, what encourages them to continue teaching and what prompts them to change careers.
All teachers are invited to join the focus groups, especially our BIPOC educators. Feel free to forward this invitation to those interested.
Complete this form to express interest in participation.
The Teacher Recruitment Education and Preparation Program Intent to Participate is due Monday, May 1. The submission is a two-step process. Once the ITP is submitted, a Syncplicity folder with a spreadsheet to collect student-level data will be shared with the submitter.
Click Here for Additional Information.
The Office of Postsecondary and Workforce Readiness is hosting a symposium in Byers, Colo., on Monday, April 24.
Panel discussions and small group conversations will cover career development, individual career and academic planning and graduation guidelines that help students build postsecondary and workforce readiness.
RSVP for the symposium using this Google form.
Apr
26
Each year the Colorado Teacher of the Year Program honors an outstanding K-12 classroom teacher. The selected teacher will automatically become Colorado’s nominee for the National Teacher of the Year Program.
To nominate a teacher, visit the Colorado Teacher of the Year webpage. Once nominated, the nominee is invited to submit their application by Thursday, June 2.
Apr
19
"Dear Colorado Education Partners and Stakeholders:
I'm writing to enlist your assistance in distributing access and encouraging your membership's participation in a survey as part of the Colorado Commissioner of Education search we are leading for the State Board of Education. I would greatly appreciate it if you would distribute the brief text/invitation I've included below to your full membership. If you prefer to include only the link I've provided in a different message you craft specifically, that's absolutely fine as well...whatever is easiest for you! When you send your message, please highlight that the survey will close at the end of the day April 28. I thank you in advance for your help in this important work, and encourage you to either email or contact me directly if you have any questions whatsoever.
As the Colorado State Board of Education continues their search for the next Colorado Commissioner of Education, an important component of the search process is an anonymous survey of diverse stakeholders. All responses to this survey will be directly collected and compiled by consultants with McPherson & Jacobson, the firm assisting the State Board in this search. Please take a few minutes to respond to the survey by April 28, 2023. The survey can be accessed here: Colorado Commissioner of Education Search Stakeholder Survey."
Higher education perception survey
Category: Newsletter
Apr
12
This research aims to understand current barriers and challenges preventing individuals from pursuing postsecondary education. This study is for research purposes only. All information will be maintained on a confidential basis by Hanover Research. Names and identifying information such as race and gender will not be shared with CDHE or tied to responses.
Feel free to share the survey with students, families and educators.
The deadline to complete the survey is Sunday, April 30.
Apr
12
View the UIP Online System webpage for additional information.
Apr
12
PEP conferences are designed to promote family and school partnerships to support students with disabilities and their families in schools and the community. PEP brings families and professionals together by sharing ideas, discussing concerns, celebrating successes and obtaining information related to parenting, educating and partnering to support student learning.
To learn more about PEP visit the Parents Encouraging Parents webpage.
Apr
12
The deadline for submitting a grant application is 3 p.m. on Friday, May 26.
To apply for the grant visit the USDA's Healthy Meals Incentives webpage.
Clean Air for Schools program
Category: News article
Apr
12
The program is open to all public, private, charter, parochial, facility and Tribal K-12 schools.
CDPHE is partnering with Carrier West to distribute free HEPA filter portable air cleaners and associated supplies to improve schools’ indoor air quality to lessen exposure to respiratory viruses as well as other pollutants and pathogens that contribute to asthma, allergies and other respiratory illnesses. The model of air cleaner used in the program was chosen because it is quiet and won't disrupt learning, uses about as much energy as a small lamp and requires only one filter change a year. The program is open to all public, private, charter, parochial, facility, and Tribal K-12 schools and early childhood education facilities.
To learn more or to apply for the program, visit Carrier West’s webpage about the program.
View CDPHE's Clear Air for Schools FAQ webpage.
Apr
12
All Colorado districts that opt in will have free access to instructional materials, training for educators, materials to support families and caregivers, and resources to flexibly implement Zearn Math during core math, intervention blocks, after-school and summer learning. To learn more about Zearn Math, sign up for an upcoming live webinar.
Apr
12
The grant, a joint effort by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Center for Prevention Programs and Partnerships and the Federal Emergency Management Agency, will provide up to $20 million for the development of innovative prevention approaches with the goal of identifying prevention best practices that can be replicated in across the country.
Applications are due by Tuesday, April 25, with program awards expected to be announced in September.
For more information or to apply, visit the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s TVTP Grant Program webpage.
Apr
12
The CASFA is the State Financial Aid application for undocumented, Colorado ASSET students. The CASFA bridges equity gaps and creates access to postsecondary education for Colorado ASSET students.
To register for the training, fill out this form.
For more information about CAFSA, visit CDHE's Colorado Application for State Financial Aid webpage.
Senate Bill 22-197
Category: Newsletter
Apr
12
The Schools of Choice Unit, as directed by recent legislation Senate Bill 22-197, is seeking neutral third-party arbitrators who can assist with mediation when an innovation zone with alternative governance, a school within a zone or a district are looking to resolve disagreements regarding the administration of an innovation plan. CDE's Schools of Choice Unit will maintain the list for schools, zones and districts to refer to when seeking a neutral third party to help resolve disagreements.
In order to be eligible to be on this list, statute requires that arbitrators meet the following two conditions:
- Arbitrator is either a member of the American Arbitration Association or is registered with Colorado’s Office of Dispute Resolution.
- Arbitrator has experience with or knowledge of Innovation Schools.
Arbitrators interested in being added to the list should complete this Google form.
Apr
12
The conversations include a problem of practice, a presentation, breakout sessions with guided questions and additional resources to help educators and leaders implement evidence-based practices in their schools and districts.
Recordings from previous conversations and future topics can be found on the Reading, Writing and Communicating webpage.
2023-24 Early Literacy Assessment Tool Project application due Friday, April 28.
Category: Newsletter
Apr
05
The intent of the ELAT Project is to support state purchase of software that would provide individualized assessments with immediate results, store and analyze those results and recommend activities based on those results.
By participating in the ELAT Project, applicants will be supplied with the online tool mCLASS to support DIBELS 8th Edition and Lectura, approved interim assessments for the READ Act. All approved applicants will receive software licenses to use the assessments.
Application materials and information, including a recording of the application information webinar, are available on the ELAT webpage.
Apr
05
CDE will host the following grant-funded learning cohorts for the 2023-24 school year:
- Unfinished Math Instruction Learning Cohort (Elementary Math)
- Chronic Absenteeism Learning Cohort (Secondary)
Learning cohorts meet for three to six sessions for participants to share and observe practices and discuss strategies for implementation. Grant funding, up to $20,000, is available. Depending on the cohort, sessions will be on Zoom and/or in-person and include additional opportunities for professional learning.
Applications for grant-funded cohorts are due Friday, April 14.
View the Learning Cohort webpage to apply and access specific information on each cohort.
Apr
05
Upcoming Information Sessions: Educator Evaluations for the 2023-24 school year
Category: Newsletter
Apr
05
To register for an upcoming session, complete this form. The virtual sessions will be open to all interested participants. Note that space will be limited so to accommodate as many attendees as possible only register for one session.
Contact [email protected] with any questions.
Teacher Retention focus groups
Category: Newsletter
Apr
05
All teachers are invited to join the focus groups, especially our BIPOC educators. Feel free to forward this invitation to those interested.
Complete this form to express interest in participation.
2023-24 Teacher Recruitment Education and Preparation Program Intent to Participate due Monday, May 1
Category: Newsletter
Apr
05
Click Here for Additional Information.
Postsecondary and Workforce Readiness Symposium in eastern Colorado on Monday, April 24
Category: Newsletter
Apr
05
Panel discussions and small group conversations will cover career development, individual career and academic planning and graduation guidelines that help students build postsecondary and workforce readiness.
RSVP for the symposium using this Google form.