Announcement
Second Edition Colorado Accommodations Manual & ELL Accommodations Manual
Attn: Superintendents, DACs, Special Ed Directors, ELA Directors/Coordinators, Principals & Teachers
The Colorado Accommodations Manual and the English Language Learners Accommodations Manual are now posted on our Web site at the link below.
The second edition manuals include important updates regarding The Colorado Student Assessment Program Standard and ELL Accommodations for CSAP, CSAPA and CELApro.
Click Here for Additional Information
For More Information, Contact:
Dena Coggins
Unit of Student Assessment
Phone: 303-866-6709
Email: coggins_d@cde.state.co.us
The Innovation Schools Act of 2008
Attn: Supterintendents, Principals, Board Members, Accountability Committees, Teachers
The Innovation Schools Act of 2008 is designed to enhance local flexibility by granting each school district board of education the authority to grant public schools of the school district additional flexibility to meet the needs of students and the needs of the communities in which they live.
To implement the Act, CDE has developed draft guidance that includes the purpose of the Act; the application, review, waiver, approval and denial processes; collective bargaining agreements; evaluation and reporting requirements. CDE is seeking stakeholder input on these documents before they are made final.
Click Here for Additional Information
For More Information, Contact:
William Windler
Phone: 303-866-6631
Email: windler_w@cde.state.co.us
E-rate and ET-IL Planning
Attn: Superintendents, Technology Directors
Many district Education Technology and Information Literacy Planning Resources (ET-IL) plans will expire on June 30, 2009. It is important that districts that receive E-rate funding begin to draft new plans. FCC rule states that technology plans need to be created prior to the submission of form 470. USAC defines the creation date as "the date your plan contains the five required elements in sufficient detail to support the services requested on your Form 470."
CDE is working on the new ET-IL planning guide and will have an online system for submission of the plan. The ET-IL Planning Guide provided by CDE has multiple purposes to ensure districts and qualifying schools meet the necessary requirements to be qualified to receive Title IID Competitive and Formula funds, E-rate funds, and/or state accreditation.
To meet the minimum requirements for any or all of these three areas, a district needs to only complete and submit (online) the specific "plan elements" (Sections A-H) that address the appropriate planning indicators (Title IID, E-rate, Accreditation) that the district wishes to be qualified to receive. The plan elements are outlined in the ET-IL Plan Scoring Guide attached.
Districts and qualifying schools will have the opportunity to inform CDE which program review is needed. Until the online system is available, districts and qualifying schools are encouraged to begin writing their technology plan based on the plan elements needed. Once the online system is available, your planning elements will need to be transferred into the online system and a creation date will need to be provided.
The new system will provide approval letters and document creation dates. The deadline for submission of the new plan is April 30, 2009.
CDE plans to have the new system available by the end of October. Stay tuned for more information.
Click Here for Additional Information
For More Information, Contact:
DeLilah Collins
Education Technology and Innovation
Phone: 303-866-6850
Email: collins_d@cde.state.co.us
Event
Better Library Instruction Series
Attn: Superintendents, Librarians, teachers
The series includes “Standards for the 21st Century Learner” and
"Collaboration & Leadership Skills While Using Technology To Build Advocacy In Your School!"
Twelve workshops will be held in twelve cities across Colorado beginning Thursday, Oct. 23 and wrapping up Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2009. You must register at least one week in advance.
WHO SHOULD ATTEND? Teacher librarians, classroom teachers, specialists, and others interested in learning about these topics and how to strategically integrate them into lessons taught collaboratively.
WHY ATTEND? You’ll learn collaboration and leadership skills to work with teachers and to build advocacy in your library program.
WHAT WILL YOU GET? Leave the session with an action plan collaboratively designed to develop advocacy while using technology in your school.
REGISTRATION FEE: All-day program, $25 per person.
REGISTRATION: To register, or for more information, visit the link below.
Click Here for Additional Information
For More Information, Contact:
Michelle Gebhart
Colorado State Library
Phone: 303-866-6894
Email: gebhart_m@cde.state.co.us
Does your District offer any type of Online Program?
Attn: Superintendents, Principals, Online Program Directors
All districts offering an online program are required to submit an annual report by Monday, Dec. 1. The Unit of Online Learning will be providing guidance for multi-district and single-district online programs seeking help with the annual report for online programs, as well as those schools seeking information about the certification application.
Two workshops and a webinar have been scheduled. The dates for the workshops are:
Tuesday, Oct. 21
Ruth Holley Branch Library
685 North Murray Blvd., Colorado Springs
Time: 1-4 p.m.
Monday, Nov. 3
Main Branch Library (Robert Hoag Rawlings)
100 E Abriendo Ave., Pueblo
Time: 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
The first half of each workshop will be dedicated to the annual report and the second half for the application for certification. Technical assistance will also be provided. Any district that is anticipating applying for certification in January or April as a multi-district online program should plan to attend.
The webinar, devoted solely to the annual report process, is scheduled for Wednesday, Oct. 29, from 10:30-11:30 a.m.
Please register in advance for the workshops and/or the webinar by contacting Della Shorman at the contact information below by Wednesday, Oct. 15.
Log-in for the webinar will be provided at a later date for those who have registered.
Click Here for Additional Information
For More Information, Contact:
Della R. Shorman, Principal Consultant
Unit of Online Learning
Phone: 303-866-3295
Email: shorman_d@cde.state.co.us
FYI
Closing the Achievement Gap Provider List
Attn: Superintendents, District Personnel
Closing achievement gaps associated with race and income play a prominent role in CDE's "Forward Thinking Plan." As a service to the field, CDE has developed a list of Closing the Achievement Gap Providers. This list has been recently updated and includes providers with a proven record of assisting schools and districts in closing race and income achievement gaps.
To be included on the Closing the Achievement Gap Provider List, each provider demonstrated implementation of effective services in schools and/or districts in one or more of the following areas: Curriculum; Assessment; Instruction; Leadership; Comprehensive and Effective Planning; School/District Culture; Student, Family and Community Support; Professional Growth and Staff Evaluation.
The list reflects only those providers who 1) chose to apply and 2) met the review criteria. CDE acknowledges that there may be effective providers not listed here. Additional information about the Closing the Achievement Gap Providers is posted on the CDE Web site.
To access the list of 2008-09 providers, please visit the link below.
Click Here for Additional Information
For More Information, Contact:
Lynn Bamberry
Competitive Grants & Awards
Phone: 303-866-6813
Email: bamberry_l@cde.state.co.us
Position Statement Issued on SB08-181 - Coordinated Response to School Emergencies
Attn: Superintendents, Principals, Emergency Managers and Safety Teams
CDE staff and the Colorado School District Self Insurance Pool recently engaged representatives of three other state-level entities to develop a position statement on SB08-181.
The bill requires a coordinated community response to school-based emergencies and compliance with the National Incident Management System (NIMS). The three additional entities were the Colorado Association of School Boards, the Division of Emergency Management at the Colorado Department of Local Affairs, and the Division of Fire Safety at the Colorado Department of Public Safety.
These five entities are responsible for either guiding policy direction, verifying compliance with the law, or are critical to the statewide training infrastructure involving first responders and school personnel. The individuals reached a consensus on what would be recommended for minimal compliance with NIMS and training for the Incident Command System.
The statement's purpose is to send a consistent message. Respect for "local control" was inherent to the conversations. The statement is not intended to be a legally binding directive but as guidance only. The Position Statement may be found at the URL provided.
Click Here for Additional Information
For More Information, Contact:
Janelle Krueger
Office of Federal Programs Administration
Phone: 303-866-6660
Email: Krueger_J@cde.state.co.us
Important Due Date
Accreditation Contract Due October 15
Attn: Superintendents
New accreditation contracts are due to CDE regional managers on or before October 15, 2008.
A model accreditation contract sample, titled Model Accreditation Contract, is available on the CDE Web site at the link below. The model contract is posted as a Word document to allow districts to more quickly and easily adapt the document for their submission. If you have questions about the new accreditation contract, please contact your regional manager.
Click Here for Additional Information
For More Information, Contact:
Jhon Penn
Accreditation/Regional Services
Phone: 303-866-6632
Email: penn_j@cde.state.co.us
Early Testing Window Survey Available is Live on CTB's Navigator
Attn: Superintendents, DACs
The Early Test Window Survey for the 2008-2009 CSAP Administration is now available through CTB's Navigator Web site.
With the Early Test Window Survey you can request to administer 2009 CSAP tests earlier than the regular testing windows due to special scheduling needs (i.e. year-round, 4-track, or special calendars). Some districts may need to adjust the CSAP schedule for the entire district; other districts may only need to test early at specific schools. Which ever the case, we have created this application to streamline the request process.
To access the Early Test Window Survey application, visit the link below and log in to Navigator with your user ID and password. This is the same user ID and password used to access your CSAP data. On the My Programs-Overview page under Forms & Registrations, click on the CSAP Early Test Window Option link to fill out your request and submit. CDE will review your request. Should there be a question about your request, you will be contacted by CDE. CTB will send you an email acknowledging your request.
Please submit your requests by Friday, Dec. 19. For help with the Early Test Window Survey, please contact the CSAP Help Desk at (800) 994-8557.
Click Here for Additional Information
For More Information, Contact:
Jim McIntosh
Unit of Student Assessment
Phone: 303-866-6979
Email: mcintosh_j@cde.state.co.us
CELApro Online Enrollments to open October 6 - 17, 2008
Attn: District Assessment Coordinators (DACs)
The online enrollment process for the 2008-09 CELApro assessment will be available through CTB's Navigator Web site beginning October 6, and will close Friday, Oct. 17.
For online enrollment, submit an estimate of the projected enrollment of students who will take the 2008-09 CELApro assessment in grades K-12. The projected enrollment figures will provide CTB with a baseline estimate for the quantity of tests that must be printed and sent to all districts no later than Friday, Dec. 5.
For instructions on how to submit enrollment counts, please refer to the CELApro OE User Guide at the link below and select Enrollments or contact the CTB Help Desk at 800-994-8557.
Please note: More information about these online enrollment processes will be coming soon:
CSAP-A October 13 - 24, 2008
CSAP (Special Populations) November 3-26, 2008
Click Here for Additional Information
For More Information, Contact:
Julie Banuelos
Unit of Student Assessment
Phone: 303-866-6929
Email: banuelos_j@cde.state.co.us
Student Wellness Grants
Attn: Superintendents, BOCES Directors, Principals
A grant opportunity for Student Wellness Programs using the coordinated school health model is now available. Applicants may request up to $50,000 per year for the Student Wellness Program and will be funded for three years contingent on available state funding and satisfactory progress toward implementation of the Student Wellness program. We anticipate five school districts or BOCES will be funded. This is a great opportunity to implement the district Wellness Policy in buildings and to promote student wellness slogan, "Healthy students are better learners."
To receive funding for this program, school districts and BOCES must have:
-A K-12 Comprehensive Health Education program and local health advisory council
-A Wellness Policy
-PE teachers who are licensed or endorsed in physical education unless the school district or BOCES is smaller than 1500 students
To apply, click on the link below. Applications are due by Friday, Nov. 7, 2008 at 4 p.m.
Click Here for Additional Information
For More Information, Contact:
Karen Connell
Prevention Initiatives
Phone: 303-866-6903
Email: connell_k@cde.state.co.us
To Do
Restorative Justice Survey
Attn: Superintendents
Please take the time to complete a survey on restorative justice programming/practices by the Colorado Restorative Justice (RJ) Council.
The RJ Council is sending this survey to begin identifying who is DIRECTLY PROVIDING restorative justice programming/practices in Colorado. This survey will take approximately 10 minutes and is completely voluntary. By completing this survey your organization's information may be listed in a Restorative Justice Repository database that will be posted online.
This survey will close Wednesday, Oct. 15 at 3 p.m.
Click Here for Additional Information
For More Information, Contact:
Michael Ramirez
Exceptional Student Leadership
Phone: 303-866-6991
Email: ramirez_m@cde.state.co.us
Colorado Department of Education
201 East Colfax Avenue
Denver, Colorado
80203-1799
Phone: 303-866-6822 or 303-866-2334
Do you know somebody in your school district who needs to read The Scoop each week? Send an e-mail to: CDE_Communications_Office@cde.state.co.us with "Sign Me Up For The Scoop" in the subject line. If you are having trouble signing up, please call the communications office at the telephone numbers above.
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