The Colorado Department of Education

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Fact Sheets

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These short documents provide a high level understanding on many hot topics around Colorado’s education system. You may download the PDFs, save them to your computer or print them off and share with colleagues.
 

Accountability

  • Overview of Colorado’s Accountability System (PDF)

    The Education Accountability Act of 2009 (Senate Bill 09-163) holds the state, districts, and individual public schools accountable for performance on the same set of indicators and related measures. This fact sheet provides an overview on the district and school performance frameworks, and the Unified Improvement Planning process.
  • Overview of the 2013-14 ESEA Consolidated Application (PDF)

    Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) funds are intended to assist districts achieve accelerated growth in those students most at-risk of not meeting academic standards. The improved consolidated application provides local education associations (LEAs) with an enhanced tool designed to identify and coordinate grant strategies leading to a greater impact on student achievement.

Assessment

  • Assessment Overview (PDF)

    Meaningful, timely and precise measures of student learning – assessments - provide critical data and feedback to determine whether educational goals are being met. Colorado assessments are changing in order to accurately assess student mastery relative to the Colorado Academic Standards. Learn more in this fact sheet.
  • Overview of the Content Collaboratives (PDF)

    The Colorado Content Collaboratives are a group of P-12 educators from around the state coming together to identify and create high-quality assessments, which are aligned to the new Colorado Academic Standards and may be used in the context of educator evaluations. This fact sheet provides an overview on their work and timeline.
  • Assessment Update Jan. 2013 (PDF)
  • Assessment Technology Readiness - Frequently Asked Questions (PDF)
    Science and social studies assessments are scheduled to be administered via computer starting in 2014. The mathematics and English language arts assessments developed by PARCC, the multi-state assessment consortium of which Colorado is a governing member, are scheduled to be administered via computer in 2015. Download this fact sheet to read more about the technology requirements and transition to this online testing environment.

Educator Effectiveness

  • What is Senate Bill 10-191? (PDF)

    This fact sheet provides a high level overview of the bill that was passed in 2010 with the idea that every child in every community deserves excellent classroom teachers and building leaders who are supported in their professional growth. This provides great foundational information on educator effectiveness and Senate Bill 10-191.
  • What is the Colorado State Model Evaluation System? (PDF)

    Senate Bill 10-191 is improving the way Colorado principals and teachers are evaluated and supported in their professional growth. To support school districts in the implementing the new law, CDE is developing a model evaluation system that districts may choose to use for their teacher and/or principal evaluations. This fact sheet provides an overview on the model system and the Quality Standards that educators will be evaluated on.
  • Evaluator Training Requirements for Educator Evaluations (PDF)

    Any person who conducts an evaluation of school licensed personnel must hold an administrator's license or go through a state approved training program. This fact sheet outlines the available evaluator training programs.
  • Overview of Evaluation Requirements and Timeline for Specialized Service Professionals (PDF)

    To ensure every child in Colorado has access to great educators who are supported in their professional growth; new evaluation requirements under Senate Bill 10-191 are intended to provide meaningful, annual evaluations for all licensed personnel including principals, teachers and other education professionals who are licensed by the state. This fact sheet explains the work that is being done to provide evaluation tools for licensed personnel that don't fall under the teacher or principal category.
  • Feedback and Survey Data from the 2011-12 Principal Colorado State Model Evaluation System Pilot   (PDF)
  • S.B. 10-191 Implementation Strategies Brief: January 2013 (PDF)

    The Educator Effectiveness team is continuing to use pilot experiences and feedback to inform strategies for statewide implementation of Senate Bill 10-191. To begin sharing pilot experiences and strategies, CDE brought together a panel of early implementers in January to discuss their preliminary experiences with the new evaluation requirements and the Colorado State Model Evaluation System. This implementation brief highlights key strategies and insights from the panel discussion
  • Overview of S.B. 10-191 Requirements for Early Childhood Educators (PDF)

    High quality early childhood education plays a crucial role in the foundation for school readiness for Colorado’s young children. A key component of quality programming is the assurance that every child in Colorado has access to great educators who are supported in their professional growth. The new evaluation requirements under Senate Bill 10-191 are intended to provide meaningful evaluations for all education professionals who are licensed by the state. The Colorado Department of Education (CDE) is incorporating early childhood educators into the scope and intent of S.B. 10-191 to ensure that they, too, benefit from opportunities for meaningful feedback and professional development.
  • S.B. 10-191 FAQ: April 2013 (PDF)

Access a basic, high-level frequently asked questions handout. This is a great tool when introducing your audience to S.B. 10-191. To access a more detailed frequently asked questions, visit the Educator Effectiveness FAQ page.

To support a fair and consistent educator evaluation system, the Colorado Department of Education is developing tools to promote common interpretations of teacher quality and help evaluators provide useful and actionable feedback to educators. One such tool is an online inter-rater agreement training system that is being developed in partnership with My Learning Plan.

Education Improvement Efforts

  • Colorado’s Education Improvement Efforts “101” (PDF)

    Colorado has a comprehensive education improvement agenda which over the past few years has been encoded into state law. This fact sheet provides an overview, implementation progress and next steps for Colorado's Achievement Plan for Kids (Senate Bill 08-212), the Education Accountability Act (Senate Bill 09-163) and the Great Teachers and Leaders Act (Senate Bill 10-191).
     

Educator Licensure

Innovation and Choice

Remediation

  • Remedial Rate Changes Communications Toolkit (see tools below)

    The Colorado Department of Higher Education's Remedial Rates annual report includes new calculations for school rates. The Department of Higher Education has put together a set of resources to explain the new calculations and assist districts in communications around the release of this report.

Research

Social Media

Teaching and Learning

  • Introduction to the Colorado Academic Standards (PDF)

    The Colorado Academic Standards (CAS) are the expectations of what students need to know and be able to do at the end of each grade. They also stand as the values and content organizers of what Colorado sees as the future skills and essential knowledge for our next generation to be more successful. Read this fact sheet for an introduction to the CAS.
  • Race to the Top- Early Challenge Fund (PDF)

    Students need a high-quality preschool through 12th grade (P-12) education that prepares them to succeed in college and the workforce. Kindergarten readiness is not only a major milestone in a child’s path to success but it is also one of Colorado’s top education priorities. Read more about the Race To the Top Early Learning Challenge Fund and what resources and supports it will provide for districts.
  • Overview of the READ Act and Implementation Timeline (PDF)

     The READ Act focuses on early literacy development for all students and especially students at risk for not achieving third grade reading proficiency. This fact sheet provides a high-level overview of the READ Act and its requirements.
     
  • School Readiness – Building a Foundation for Success (PDF)

    Senate Bill 08-212, Colorado’s Achievement Plan for Kids (CAP4K), passed in 2008 with the goal of aligning Colorado’s preschool through postsecondary education system. The act included provisions related to school readiness for both the State Board of Education and local education providers. Read more about school readiness and get answers to your frequently asked questions.
  • School Readiness - Frequently Asked Questions, March 2013 (PDF)
  • Colorado Academic Standards and Common Core Communications Toolkit

    These tools are helpful when responding to questions or concerns regarding the Colorado Academic Standards and Common Core State Standards. Please note that  districts are required by law to meet the state’s standards (22-7-1013, C.R.S); parents cannot opt their children out of meeting the state’s standards or ask to be placed in classes that do not adhere to the state standards; and every student enrolled in a public school is required to take the state assessment. The law does not allow students to “opt out” of the state assessments (22-7-409 (1.2)(d)(I)(A), C.R.S.).
     
    • Colorado Academic Standards Key Messaging - These high-level messages were developed to support implementation of the Colorado Academic Standards.
    • Colorado Academic Standards: Tips and Messaging for Communicating with Parents and Businesses -These tips and messages were developed to help districts communicate with parents, families and business leaders about the Colorado Academic Standards. The messages in this resource are meant to be used in addition to the general messaging found in the Colorado Academic Standards Key Messages resource (above).
    • Common Core Key Messaging - These key messages provide a framework you can use in your communication to ensure your points are accurate and deliver the right message. These can be used for communication pieces with any audience (principals, teachers, parents, community members). They can aid in drafting emails to staff, prepare for a presentation or act as a quick reference.
    • Frequently Asked Questions: Colorado Academic Standards and Common Core State Standards - These are frequently asked questions and answers regarding the transition to the revised Colorado Academic Standards which include the Common Core State Standards. These could be discussed at a staff meeting or used as a tool when responding to e-mail or phone call questions from staff, parents or community members about the changes to new standards.
    • Standards Events and Activities Ideas - Attached are a number of potential events or activities that your district/BOCES may consider hosting to help parents better understand standards. CDE is providing these ideas to help support districts/BOCES in this transitional phase, but these are simply optional ideas for consideration.
    • Colorado Academic Standards Drop-in Article - This letter was prepared as a tool for school leaders to use to communicate with parents and families in their communities. School leaders are welcome to use the content of the letter in full or in part and may edit the letter as needed.
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    Competitive Grants and Awards

    • 2013 Award Opportunities (PDF)
      Download this fact sheet to learn about the award opportunities available for districts, schools, teachers and students during 2013. The nomination and/or selection process for each award are included along with important dates and links with more information.        

     

    For general assistance: CDE_Communications_Office@cde.state.co.us