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Accountability 2022 Overview Webinar

This webinar will provide a description of accountability for 2022, with an emphasis on state accountability and will include an overview of high-level results and considerations for plan types, accountability actions, improvement planning and a question and answer session.

The presentation will be recorded and made available for later viewing.

Register for the webinar via Zoom.

2022-2023 Kindergarten School Readiness Assessment Review

CDE seeks assessment vendors to be included on the Kindergarten School Readiness Colorado State Board of Education Approved List of Assessments.

Part I of the review process, Letter of Intent to Apply, is open until Thursday, Sept. 15. A full description and timeline of the review process can be located on the 2022-23 Kindergarten School Readiness Assessment Review Process webapge.

Upcoming changes in state funded preschool administration

The passage of House Bill 22-1295 established the Department of Early Childhood and the Universal Preschool Program. This new statewide preschool program will launch July 1, 2023. CDE will continue to administer preschool special education in accordance with the Individuals with Disabilities Act and Exceptional Children’s Educational Act for children ages 3 through 5.

Questions about implementing the Colorado Preschool Program during the 2022-23 school year, or ongoing implementation of IDEA requirements for preschoolers, should be directed to the CDE Preschool Special Education staff or Preschool Regional Specialists.

For information about CDEC preschool implementation effective on or after July 1, 2023, visit the CDEC website.

Fall Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer Program

The fall issuance of P-EBT benefits from School Year 2021-22 are being issued. For information on student eligibility, view this flow chart.

Sponsors can use the outreach materials available on the Colorado Department of Human Services website to reach families.

For questions, email [email protected].

Masks and sanitizing wipes for schools available upon request

The Colorado Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management will distribute masks and sanitizing wipes to schools this fall. DHSEM will supply KN95 respirators, surgical/procedural masks, child-sized masks and sanitizing wipes to schools that opt into the program.

This is an opt-in program, so schools must contact Jeff Lundin at [email protected] to opt in.

Apply to operate an Afterschool Snack Program

School districts operating the National School Lunch Program and who operate an afterschool program may qualify for the U.S. Department of Agriculture Afterschool Snack Program. This program provides a snack to children in a supervised setting that is safe, fun and filled with learning opportunities.

Interested schools can contact their CDE Point Person for information about eligibility requirements and how to apply to operate the ASP.

For more information, visit the ASP webpage. For questions, contact Vivien Skrupskis at [email protected] or 720-672-4243.

Innovative Learning Opportunities Pilot Program Webinar

Learn about the Innovative Learning Opportunities Pilot Program and the benefits of this program in a webinar at 2 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 11.
This webinar will provide information on the ILOP Program, as well as walk you through the application steps.

Register in advance via Zoom.

Teacher Recruitment Education and Preparation Webinar

The Teacher Recruitment Education and Preparation program allows for students on an educator pathway to concurrently enroll in postsecondary coursework for a fifth and sixth year.

Join CDE for a webinar at 2 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 20, to plan for student success in the TREP program for the 2023-24 school year.

Register for the webinar via Zoom.

The recording will be made available on the TREP website for those who are unable to attend.

Standards and Instructional Support Professional Development Needs survey

The Office of Standards and Instructional Support invites all Colorado educators to participate in a voluntary survey on the needs of educators currently in the field. Share this survey with others who can contribute. The Professional Development Needs Survey will be open through mid-September.

2022-23 Computer Science Education Grant Applications

The Computer Science Education Grant Program application window is open for the 2022-23 school year. The application process has been extended through Tuesday, Sept. 13, and awards will be distributed for use during the 2022-23 school year. This includes the Computer Science Teacher Education Grant, which provides funds for K-12 computer science teacher professional development, and the Computer Science Education Grant, which provides funding with the purpose of increasing enrollment and participation of traditionally underrepresented students in computer science education activities.

For more information, and to check for updates, visit the Computer Science webpage.

Registration Open: Creating Safe Learning Environments for All Students Within Colorado Multi-Tiered System of Supports

The Office of Learning Supports is providing a four-part training series designed to support the creation of systems and structures necessary to build positive learning environments at Tier 1 within the Colorado Multi-Tiered System of Supports. Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports will act as the foundation and catalyst for transforming social culture.

It is encouraged that school-level teams attend including an administrator, a team lead, representatives from general and special education, a family liaison and someone with expertise in behavior. There is an expectation that attendees will need the capacity and skill to convey information gained from the learning opportunities to team members to encourage application and effective implementation. Those in district level support positions are also encouraged to attend.

Part one of the four-part series will be held at 8:30 a.m. on Thursday, Oct. 6. The focus of part one will be on the importance of implementation teams leading these efforts, installing schoolwide expectations and creating rules and routines both within instructional settings and in other common areas of the school.

Visit the CDE Online Academy and Trainings webpage for additional information.

CDE seeks examples of Essential Skills implementation

In an effort to develop a Colorado Essential Skills implementation guide, CDE is looking for examples of integrating skills into instruction.

CDE will reach out to educators to collect examples of lesson plans, videos, display materials, activities, coaching strategies and any other instructional materials. Resources are needed for all grade levels and content areas.

Educators can submit their resources through Tuesday, Nov. 1, using this form.

Expelled and At-Risk Student Services Grant Application is due Friday, Sept. 2

The deadline to apply for the Expelled and At-Risk Student services grant program is Friday, Sept. 2.

The EARSS grant program Request for Application is available on the EARRS RFA webpage. The EARSS Grant awards will be for a six-month planning period followed by up to four years of implementation funding.

This grant will provide educational services to expelled students, students who are identified as at-risk expulsion or at-risk of dropping out of school due to chronic absenteeism.

Eligible applicants include school districts, charter schools, alternative schools within school districts, nonpublic schools, Boards of Cooperative Educational Services and facility schools. Nonpublic schools may apply for a grant only to fund educational services that have been approved by the state board pursuant to section 22-2-107.

An informational webinar is available on the EARSS RFA webpage.

State Review Panelists needed for 2022-23

Recruitment is ongoing to find experienced educators for the State Review Panel, which is assigned to evaluate schools and districts at the end of the Accountability Clock and provide recommendations to the State Board of Education on required actions when schools and districts fail to make progress.

Applicants with experience as a superintendent, those who have expertise in school or district turnaround, alternative education, English language learning and those who are biliterate in both Spanish and English are encouraged to apply. All applications are due by Monday, Aug. 29.

Visit the School Works website for more details and to apply.

CDE Accepting Feedback on Rule Amendments to the READ Act

Public comment is being accepted on the proposed changes for the rules of the Colorado READ Act, 1 CCR 301-92, which were noticed in July.

The rulemaking hearing is scheduled for the September State Board of Education meeting to incorporate statutory changes to the READ Act as a result of the passage of Senate Bill 22-004 and changes to the assessment advisory list.

Public comment can be provided by emailing [email protected].

View the Colorado State Board of Education website for more information on the public comment process.

2022 Edition of Promising Partnership Practices

The 2022 collection of Promising Partnership Practices is available online. The purpose of this publication is for schools, districts and other educational organizations in Colorado to highlight how they partner with families and the community for student success.

Visit the Family Engagement webpage to view the publication and gain new ideas about how to partner with families and the community.

Sign up to attend the 2022-23 SAC/DAC networking series

Starting Thursday, Aug. 25, CDE will offer a series of monthly virtual networking meetings for members of school accountability committees and district accountability committees. The meetings will include content from CDE, promising practices and an opportunity to network and learn from other committee members.

The meetings will be held from August through April at 5:30 p.m. on the fourth Thursday of each month. Spanish translation will be available upon request.

To sign up and learn more visit the School and District Accountability Committee Networking series webpage.

I-Matter Mental Health Support Extended to June 2023

I Matter, funded by the Colorado Department of Human Services Office of Behavioral Health, provides up to six free behavioral health sessions for youth in Colorado.

Free materials are available for districts and schools to promote the behavioral health resource, including posters, rack cards, stickers, banners and lawn signs. All materials can be shipped at no charge. An expanded digital toolkit that includes sample social media posts is also available on the I Matter website.

The I Matter program has a statewide public awareness and outreach campaign that includes digital ads on platforms such as TikTok and Snapchat, and on-the-ground outreach to schools and youth organizations. Both the awareness campaign and the IMatterColorado.org website were informed by youth feedback.

Additional supply chain assistance funds

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has allocated $12,480,738 in additional supply chain assistance funding to be distributed to interested school food authority sponsors in Colorado. CDE's School Nutrition Unit will follow up with each program's main contact and business contact listed in the most recent approved portal application with more details on next steps.

As a reminder, the guidance for sponsors document contains more information on allowable uses, coding and other frequently asked questions about these funds.

Applications for final round of the RISE Turnaround Grant are available

Gov. Polis recently announced that the final round of applications for the Response, Innovation, and Student Equity Fund is available for schools. This round is targeted toward serving students attending schools and districts in turnaround status. Previous rounds of RISE grants have supported innovation in high-needs school districts, charter schools, mobile education programs, and collaboration with higher education to improve student learning, close equity gaps and enhance operational efficiency for pre-K-12 through higher education.

The RISE fund was launched in 2020 to provide support to schools addressing the learning challenges related to the economic, social and health impacts of COVID-19. Gov. Polis announced the first two rounds of RISE grant recipients in November 2020 and January 2021 respectively. To learn more and apply, visit the Colorado RISE Turnaround Education Fund webpage.