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Office of Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) Programs
COVID-19 and ESEA
CDE's Office of ESEA Programs has gathered resources to help answer questions around the COVID-19 pandemic as it relates to the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, reauthorized as the Every Student Succeeds Act.
Our Office
The ESEA Programs Office is a part of the the Federal Programs Unit and consists of three teams:
- Data, Accountability, Reporting, and Evaluation;
- ESEA Programs; and
- Competitive Grants and Awards.
The work of this office is to administer federally-funded programs, define program and systems quality for supporting historically underserved students, and establish standards, indicators, and protocols with which to assess local programs and systems. The goal is to help build the capacity of the field to implement higher quality programs and systems which are supported and funded under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), reauthorized as the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). Our office seeks to ensure that program applications, review protocols and approval criteria reflect high quality program standards and maximize efficiency, improve program design and implementation, and impact student outcomes.
Our Mission
The purpose of our work is ensure that the ESEA programs in Colorado provide all children significant opportunity to receive a fair, equitable, and high-quality education and close educational achievement gaps.
Our Stakeholders
The Every Student Succeeds Act Committee of Practitioners serves to advise the CDE in carrying out its responsibilities under the Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015. It operates to identify issues across regions of the state and facilitate two-way communication between CDE and the preK-12 education community throughout Colorado.
At this time, CDE is accepting applications for the following representation on the committee:
- Paraprofessional(s)
- Parent(s)
- Teacher(s) - Public School, Charter School, and Career and Tech
- Non-public School Representative(s)
- Other District Administrator(s)
- Neglected & Delinquent Representative(s)
- Early Childhood Practitioner(s)
- Geographic representation from the Southeast, Southwest, and West Central areas of the State
To apply for a position, fill out the 2022-23 Application (PDF) and submit to Emily Owen.
Tools & Resources
Are you new to ESEA programs or want to learn more?
Visit The Launchpad for an introduction to ESEA Unit programs.
Tools & Resources
- ESEA Regional Contacts
- Year at a Glance
- Overview of ESEA Programs Administered by the ESEA Unit
- Colorado ESSA State Plan
- Federal Teacher Loan Forgiveness Program
- Regional Networking Meetings
- Every Student Succeeds Act Committee of Practitioners
- Federal Programs Monitoring
- ESEA Complaint Process | Proceso de Quejas del ESEA
- ESSA Identification
- Evidence-Based Interventions (EBI)
- Equity and Excellence Conference
- ESEA and ESSER Office Hours Recordings
- Direct and Indirect Cost Rate Guidance
Our Teams
Executive Director: Nazanin Mohajeri-Nelson, Ph.D.
ESEA Programs
Administrative Lead: Emily Owen
Email: owen_e@cde.state.co.us
Phone Number: 720-661-9065 (c)
The work of the ESEA Programs Team is to define program and systems quality and to establish standards, indicators, and protocols with which to assess local programs and systems quality. The goal is to help build the capacity of the field to implement higher quality programs and systems. This office seeks to ensure that program applications, review protocols and approval criteria reflect high quality program standards and maximizes efficiency and impact.
Data, Accountability, Reporting and Evaluation (DARE)
Administrative Lead: Yazmine Patino
Email: patino_y@cde.state.co.us
Phone Number: 720-456-9686 (c)
The Data, Accountability, Reporting and Evaluation (DARE) team under the Federal Programs and Supports Unit is responsible for evaluating the effectiveness of ESEA programs, as reauthorized under ESSA, and fulfilling federal accountability and data reporting requirements. Our team collects, manages, and analyzes data to inform the development of applications for funding and standards for program quality, by going beyond accountability measures and evaluating the impact of programs and identifying best practices in program implementation.
Federal Programs and Supports Unit
Nazanin (Nazie) Mohajeri-Nelson
Executive Director
720-626-3895 (c)
mohajeri-nelson_n@cde.state.co.us
Emily Owen
Program Support II
720-661-9065 (c)
owen_e@cde.state.co.us
Yazmine Patino
Program Assistant
720-456-9686 (c)
patino_y@cde.state.co.us
Tammy Giessinger
Supervisor of Program Monitoring
720-827-5291 (c)
giessinger_t@cde.state.co.us
Laura Meushaw
Supervisor of Program Implementation
720-728-9023 (c)
meushaw_l@cde.state.co.us
Tina Negley
Supervisor of Program Effectiveness
720-766-2793 (c)
negley_t@cde.state.co.us
ESEA Programs Team
Evita Byrd
ESEA Title I Specialist
720-347-5667 (c)
byrd_e@cde.state.co.us
Laura Meushaw
Title I Coordinator and Program Implementation Supervisor
720-728-9023 (c)
meushaw_l@cde.state.co.us
Nathan Hickman
ESEA Titles I, Part D and IV Specialist
720-833-8194 (c)
hickman_n@cde.state.co.us
Rachel Echsner
ESEA Title I and II Specialist
303-681-6486 (c)
echsner_r@cde.state.co.us
Karen Bixler
ESEA Title II Specialist
720-357-4864 (c)
bixler_k@cde.state.co.us
Rachel Temple
ESEA Title III Specialist
720-202-6135 (c)
temple_r@cde.state.co.us
Tammy Giessinger
Title IV Coordinator and Program Monitoring Supervisor
720-827-5291 (c)
giessinger_t@cde.state.co.us
Vacant
ESEA/ESSER Grants Administration Coordinator
tbd@cde.state.co.us
Christina Adeboye-Sullivan
Program Implementation Coordinator
720-498-2252 (c)
adeboye-sullivan_c@cde.state.co.us
ESSER Programs Team
Kim Boylan
ESSER Monitoring Specialist
720-354-7031 (c)
boylan_k@cde.state.co.us
Kristin Crumley
ESEA/ESSER Monitoring Coordinator
720-660-1369 (c)
crumley_k@cde.state.co.us
Mackenzie Owens
ESSER Monitoring and Report Specialist
720-601-7112 (c)
owens_m@cde.state.co.us
Jonathan Schelke
ESSER Monitoring Specialist
720-388-0842 (c)
schelke_j@cde.state.co.us
Vacant
ESEA/ESSER Grants Administration Coordinator
tbd@cde.state.co.us
Data, Accountability, Reporting and Evaluation Team
Data, Accountability, Reporting and Evaluation
Tina Negley
DARE Coordinator
720-766-2793 (c)
negley_t@cde.state.co.us
Mackenzie Owens
ESSER Monitoring and Report Specialist
720-601-7112 (c)
owens_m@cde.state.co.us
Mary Shen
ESEA Program Evaluator and Lead Research Analyst
720-766-8723 (c)
shen_m@cde.state.co.us
Melissa Chaffin
ESEA Reporting Specialist
720-908-1379 (c)
chaffin_m@cde.state.co.us
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