Colorado Preschool Program

COVID-19 and Preschool Through 3rd Grade Education

CDE's Preschool Through 3rd Grade (P-3) Office has gathered resources to help answer questions regarding the COVID-19 pandemic as it relates to our early learners in Preschool Through 3rd Grade.

About the Colorado Preschool Program

The Colorado Preschool Program (CPP) is a state-funded early childhood education program administered by the Colorado Department of Education. Each year the General Assembly provides funding for up to 29,360 children considered to be at-risk for later school failure to attend half- or full-day preschool. CPP is managed by local school districts and their preschool advisory councils. Each participating school district is given a predetermined number of half-day positions to serve eligible children. These positions are used to serve preschoolers in either half- or full-day programs in school district settings, local childcare centers, community preschools or Head Start programs.

State Funded Preschool / Results Matter Spring Assessment Requirements Canceled

CDE is suspending spring Preschool Results Matter assessment requirements for state reporting purposes. If in-person instruction resumes this spring, teachers should exercise their judgment on the feasibility of giving the spring assessments to provide information to parents and to inform their instructional planning.

CDE is reviewing other program requirements for CPP, including the annual spring report, to determine ways to streamline reporting for districts during the challenging time. Information regarding timelines for and adjustments to spring CPP reporting is forthcoming.

We will continue to share additional information with you as we get it. Please send questions to your regional preschool specialist, or other members of our teams, as appropriate.

News

2020 CPP Legislative Report Released

In this year’s report, you can read about the positive impact the Colorado Preschool Program has had on our youngest students throughout the state during the 2018-19 school year.

School District Child Care and Licensing Monitoring

The Colorado Department of Human Services (CDHS) and the Colorado Department of Education (CDE) worked collaboratively with school district representatives to simplify the licensing process and identify areas where onsite monitoring by CDHS licensing staff could be expedited. As a result, school districts have the opportunity to submit district-wide documentation to CDHS regarding compliance with specific health and safety requirements in order to streamline the individual site inspection process conducted by licensing.