Participation Opportunities for Colorado's District Sample Curriculum Project

Colorado Educator Participation

This fall, the Colorado Department of Education (CDE) will convene a group of educators to participate in the creation of sample curricula based on the new Colorado Academic Standards. The CDE plan for facilitating sample curriculum depends on the participation of dedicated teachers throughout Colorado who are responsible for the instructional delivery of standards-based curricula. The Standards and Instructional Support office will work alongside Colorado teachers and district leaders to develop the samples produced over the course of the project. Colorado educators in this initial phase will develop unit overviews and course-at-a-glance curriculum blueprints that will incorporate standards, grade level expectations, 21st century skills, and evidence outcomes.

To facilitate Colorado educators’ creation of the samples, the content specialist team within CDE’s Office of Standards and Instructional Support will conduct four workshop sessions, each focusing on a particular grade-level band for each content area (see Calendar below).

Colorado educators will attend one two-day workshop to work on the creation of materials specific to a given grade-level and content area. Participants in Session One, for example, will develop K-2 materials, but will be part of a work group that will concentrate on curriculum specific either to math, science, reading, writing, and communicating, or social studies at grade-level.

Please note that the workshop sessions for the arts, world languages, and comprehensive health and physical education will follow this schedule but not necessarily the same grade-level and/or work group configurations. Content specialists in these areas will provide details on the content specific web sites dedicated to curriculum samples.

Application survey currently closed.

Application timeline:

August 15, 2012: Application opens

September 10, 2012: Application closes (Extended from September 5)

September 21, 2012: Due to the extended application deadline and the number of applicants this date has also been extended

Workshop Calendar

Note: Specific grade level work groups are created for Math, Science, Reading, Writing, and Communicating, and Social Studies at this time. The structure for World Languages, the Arts and Comprehensive Health and Physical Education will be determined soon. This will be posted here and on content specific subwebs.

Session One

October 12-13, 2012
Kindergarten - 2nd Grade Development

Session Two

October 26-27, 2012
3rd Grade - 5th Grade Development

Session Three

November 2-3, 2012
6th Grade - 8th Grade Development

Session Four

November 9-10, 2012
9th Grade - 12th Grade Development

Participant Requirements

Applicants must agree to the following participation guidelines to be eligible.

Pre-workshop Requirements:

• Obtain support and approval for participation from building and/or district administrator (contact information will be requested in the application)
• Complete pre-workshop reading related to concept-based curriculum and CDE's curriculum framework
• Read "Understanding the Colorado Academic Standards in..." on content specific subwebs
• Read the Colorado Academic Standards for assigned content area and grade level

Reimbursement Guidelines for Participants

With a limited budget, CDE will provide support to all participants in the following pre-approved ways:

1. Lunch will be provided on all workshop days
2. Reimbursement for mileage
3. Reimbursement for one night of hotel accommodations

More details will be provided after participants are selected.

Workshop Location:

Workshops will be held on the front range at a location that is yet to be determined.