Preschool to
Postsecondary Education Alignment Act
Colorado Achievement Plan for Kids (CAP4K)
Signed into law in May 2008, Senate Bill 08-212, also known as “Colorado’s Achievement Plan for Kids” or CAP4K, is a landmark education reform initiative that creates for the first time in Colorado a truly aligned preschool to postsecondary educational system.
With the purpose to improve Colorado’s public education through alignment of preschool through postsecondary expectations, it will establish new standards and new assessments that enable all students to graduate high school with the skills and the knowledge to succeed in today’s 21st century, ultra-competitive global economy.
As Senate Bill 08-212 implementation progresses, this Web site will be updated to reflect current information, plans and communication materials. If you don’t see something you’d like to see, or something you do see raises a question, please contact Samantha Long at the contact information listed below.
General Documents
- Timeline and responsibilities
Postsecondary and Workforce Readiness
CDE and the Colorado Department of Higher Education have been working
together to develop a “postsecondary and workforce readiness” (PWR)
description that includes the knowledge, skills and behaviors essential
for high school graduates to be prepared to enter college and the
workforce and to compete in the global economy.
To accomplish this, the two departments jointly convened 13 regional
meetings around the state [click link for complete
meeting schedule]
between November 2008 and June 2009. The purpose of these meetings was
to engage local communities in conversations about the skills and
competencies students need to succeed after high school. To this end, we
engaged over 1,000 P-12, higher education, community college, business,
parents, board members and other local stakeholders in conversations
about:
-What skills and competencies do students need to be workforce ready?
-What skills and competencies do students need to be postsecondary ready?
-Are there special considerations for the workforce or higher education in your region?
Additionally, CDE partnered with Colorado Succeeds and a number of
prominent business and community college leaders to in online surveys
targeted toward the specific needs and interests of these groups. A
report of survey findings is in development and will be available in
summer 2009.
Based on local input, CDE and DHE jointly drafted a PWR description for
review and feedback by the State Board of Education and Colorado
Commission on Higher Education. PWR
is a milestone for P-12 and higher education in Colorado, representing
joint agreement about what a prepared graduate looks like.
Members of the public were invited to provide comment at the State Board
meeting on June 10 [click link for
press release]. Those who were unable to attend can email feedback
to long_s@cde.state.co.us.
The final PWR definition was
adopted by the State Board of Education and Colorado Commission on
Higher Education for joint adoption at a meeting on June 30.
Feedback captured at each regional meeting can be accessed below:
PWR regional meeting documents include:
- PPT
CDE/CEA CAP4K Teacher Tour
In collaboration with the Colorado Education Association (CEA), CDE conducted a 13-stop tour across the state to identify teacher understanding of CAP4K, its relevance to practice, its impact on teaching and learning and the kind of help that teachers would find useful for classroom implementation.
Following this tour, CDE and CEA released a report that captures findings from all 13 stops. Titled "CAP4K Teacher Tour, Aligning State-Level Support with Classroom-Level Needs," the report contains four main conclusions:
1. Teachers want to be engaged in Colorado's education reform.
2. Successful design and implementation of CAP4K will result in a true competency-based system where relevance and motivation have new meaning, for both teachers and students.
3. The impact of the next generation of standards and assessments on teaching and learning will be aligned systems, clear expectations and greater transparency around what it takes for all students to succeed after high school.
4. To implement the next generation of standards and assessments, education professionals must partner in news ways that deliver 21st century support for 21st century teaching and learning.
The 75-page report also highlights discussion, regional themes, next steps and contains meeting notes for each of the 13 locations. Feedback from the tour is being used to help CDE organize professional development and other support for teachers related to CAP4K over the coming year. Specifically, it will guide and inform revised standards rollout and implementation, revised assessment design, the CAP4K cost study, design and implementation of a statewide system of accountability and support and Colorado's Race to the Top proposal.
CAP4K teacher tour documents include:
- PPT
Media Coverage
- Denver Post, "Input sought on high school standards," Jan. 27, 2009
- Education News Colorado, "Postsecondary, workforce readiness debated," Jan. 28, 2009
- Montrose Daily Press, "Two CTMS teachers trying to improve education," Feb. 21, 2009
Other CAP4K/P-20 Resources
- CDE SB 212 legislative update report - Jan. 2009
- Virginia's workplace readiness skills
- ECS Policy Brief: Landmines P-16/P-20 Councils Encounter
- Colorado in a Global Market, Benchmarking for Tomorrow's Students
- CDE Update on CAP4K, Feb. 19, 2009
- Revising Standards PPT, Dec. 4, 2008
- P-20 Council PPT, Oct. 16, 2008
Standards Revision
For additional information about the standards revision process, please visit: http://www.cde.state.co.us/cdeassess/UAS/standardsreview.html
Assessment Revision
For additional information about the assessment revision process, please visit:
http://www.cde.state.co.us/cdeassess/index_assess.html
To ask questions or provide input, please contact:
Samantha Long, Principal Consultant: P-20 Reform, 303-866-3801 or 303-503-1271 or Long_s@cde.state.co.us