COVID-19 Charter Resources

COVID-19 Charter School Resources

The Schools of Choice Unit acknowledges that there is a need for charter specific guidance during this time and therefore have compiled resources below from various organizations that have offered support. This list of resources will continue to grow. .

*Please note that resources below are not endorsed or produced by the Colorado Department of Education.

View guidance published by CDE

Charter School Institute Resources

The Charter School Institute has released guidance for schools, parents, business managers and many other groups impacted during this time.

Colorado League of Charter School Resources

The Colorado League of Charter school is hosting several support groups for a variety of charter school audiences including business managers, special education providers, new school developers and more.

Charter Authorizer Resources

Colorado Association of Charter School Authorizers (CACSA): CACSA is hosting a variety of events, including topical webinars based on authorizing topics that have come up, as well as other networking opportunities.
National Association of Charter School Authorizers (NACSA): NACSA has created a page which is continually being updated to respond to questions and issues emerging from authorizers across the country.

Special Education Resources

Special Education Leader Fellow (SELF) Modules & Toolkits to Support Planning
- Learning Modules
CU Denver and Schools of Choice Equity Convening Resource Tool Kit (6/12/2020)
- Federal and State Guidance, Resources and Promising Practices
Collaboration for Exceptional Education Webinars with Kaci Coats
- Special Education & COVID-19: What This Means for Colorado Educators (3/25/2020)
  - Recorded Webinar: SpEd & COVID-19 Guidance
  - Resource Folder for SpEd & COVID-19 Guidance
- Utilizing Online Platforms for Providing SpEd Support & Services 1.0: Introduction to Zoom for Online Services (3/27/2020)
  - Recorded Webinar: Online Supports
  - Resource Folder for Online Supports
- Providing Students with Mild Disabilities Accommodations on Online Platforms (3/30/2020)
  - Recorded Webinar: Accommodations
  - Resource Folder for Accommodations
- How Do I Know if I'm Being Effective? The Art of Monitoring Goal Progress Online (5/4/2020)
  - Recorded Webinar: Art of Monitoring Goal Progress
  - Resource Folder for Monitoring Goal Progress
National Center for Special Education in Charter Schools Resource Page: See this larger list of resources to help support educators in developing comprehensive plans for students with disabilities and creating high-quality learning environments.
Assistive Technology Google Chrome Extensions: Technology can be a powerful tool to assist students with special needs. This blog post looks at over 30 different chrome web extensions that can assist students in five categories: Text to Speech, Readability, Reading Comprehension, Focus and Navigation.

Mental Health Resources

Collaboration for Exceptional Education Webinars with Kaci Coats
- Developing a Universal Approach to Mental Health on Online Platforms with Morgan Beidleman (4/1/2020)
  - Recorded Webinar: Mental Health Online Platforms
  - Resource Folder for Mental Health Online Platforms
- Instructional Approaches that Support Executive Functioning: Building Awareness of Student Needs with Morgan Beidleman (4/8/2020)
  - Recorded Webinar: Supporting Executive Functioning
  - Resource Folder for S upporting Executive Functioning

Re-Opening Resources

Instructional Time & Attendance Policy for 2020-21: What Charters Need to Know: Presented at a Townhall hosted by The Colorado League of Charter Schools in June of 2020, information relevant to the charter sector regarding instructional time and attendance is included in this Powerpoint.
Bellwether Education Partners: Strategic Planning Reopening Toolkit - Download an easy to use practical resource that aims to help leaders make decisions and actionable plans amid the many complicated questions around reopening.
Returning to School: A Guidebook for Principals - Created by the Comprehensive Center Network, this toolkit is for the principal and the team the principal assembles to help everyone return to school, whatever that may look like. Suggested actions, recommended resources, quick tip sheets—the toolkit is a handy computer desktop companion for helping people with Change, Communication, Collaboration, and Care in the time of COVID. Click on the links below to view a short vlog that describes each section.

Online Teaching Resources

National Charter School Institute: Critical Components of Remote Education Plans: Targeted towards charter school authorizers, this resource seeks to provide critical components, descriptions, and examples to ensure remote learning plans are effective for all students.
TNTP (The New Teacher Project) Resource Hub: Download multiple guides on at home learning, including supporting English Language Learners and students with disabilities.
Achievement First Remote Learning Resources Site: After registering, anyone has access to Achievement First open source resources, including supports specific to how to transition to online learning.
Instruction Partners COVID-19 Resource Hub: The COVID-19 Resource Hub provides school and system leaders a starting point to support student care and continued learning during extended school closures. You'll find nine categories of tools and resources, which is updated daily.
Instructional Design for Online Learning: A coalition of education organizations has curated free tools, strategies, tips and best practices fro teaching online. Site includes webinars for educators, tips for parents and other resources collected from organizations known for online learning.
National Standards for Quality: Quality of Online Teaching: The National Standards for Quality Online Teaching provide a framework for schools, districts and other educational organizations to improve online teaching and learning.
iLearn Collaborative Free Webinars
- Teacher Training: This PD series will focus on basics of online learning, ESL/ELL supports and best practices of online instruction. Click here to register for all events.

Other Resources

Colorado Broadband Office: Connecting Colorado Students Webpage: See helpful tips on broadband basics, how to pick the right internet services, and other helpful resources for districts and schools.
TNTP - How to Catch Students Up When Schools Reopen: Researchers predict students will experience significant learning loss as a result of the COVID-19 crisis. Schools need to be ready on the first day back with a strategy for diagnosing lost learning and putting every student on a fast track back to grade level. To help students catch up, TNTP has released a new Learning Acceleration Guide, linked in the title.
National Alliance for Public Charter Schools : This site contains a variety of resources for charter schools during COVID-19 including official guidance from education and health agencies, resources for remote and distance learning, sample letters and communications materials as well as resources from state associations, schools, and other education-related organizations from around the country.
SBA Funding Program Information: The CARES Act, the third and most recent federal relief package, makes two low- or no-cost lending programs available through the Small Business Administration (SBA); these funds are designed to help organizations continue paying employees, utilities, rent, mortgages, and similar operational expenses. Charter schools that have a 501(c)3 status with the IRS, and for- or non-profit education management companies with fewer than 500 employees may be eligible to apply for SBA 7(a) Paycheck Protection Program or SBA Economic Injury Disaster Loans. See more information on this web page.