Announcement
FAPE for Special Education Preschool Students
Attn: Special Education Directors
On December 3, 2008, the department issued a guidance memorandum entitled “FAPE for Special Education Preschool Students.”
The guidance memorandum differentiates the Public School Finance Per Pupil Operating Revenue count requirements for special education preschool students from the substantive entitlement that special education preschool students have to a free appropriate public education under federal and state special education laws. The guidance memorandum reiterates and clarifies the department’s longstanding position on these topics. This guidance memorandum contains important information for superintendents, special education directors, BOCES executive directors and charter school administrators.
Click Here for Additional Information
For More Information, Contact:
Laura Freppel
Exceptional Student Leadership
Phone: 303-866-6668
Email: freppel_l@cde.state.co.us
Student Wellness Grants Awarded
Attn: Superintendents, BOCES Directors, Principals
Five student wellness grants have been awarded through state funding in House Bill 08-1224 to create the healthiest schools in Colorado through coordinated school health programs.
Congratulations to the funded programs: Englewood School District, Lamar RE-2 School District, Las Animas RE-1 School District, the Northeast BOCES and Poudre R-1 School District.
All of the funded programs met the criteria set forth by the state legislature to have all physical education teachers licensed or endorsed to teach physical education if they are larger than 1500 students. The sucessful applicants will receive $50,000 per year for the next three years to address their highest need areas and emphasize physical education and nutrition improvements.
For More Information, Contact:
Karen Connell
Prevention Initiatives
Phone: 303-866-6903
Email: connell_k@cde.state.co.us
Provide Your Input on Literacy Course Review Checklist
Attn: Principals, Teachers
CDE invites you to submit your suggestions for the 2008 revision of the Colorado Teacher Preparation Program Approval Rubric and Review Checklist for Literacy Courses, also known as the Literacy Rubric & Checklist.
CDE is committed to ensuring that the literacy content review process of educator preparation programs is of the highest quality and fully aligned with the requirements set forth by the Colorado State Board of Education. To this end, CDE has been advised by an external evaluator at the Leadership and Learning Center and the Colorado Literacy Council to implement a continuous improvement process, including the revision of the Literacy Rubric and Checklist.
Suggestions for the revisions will be discussed at the next Colorado Literacy Council (CLC) meeting on Thursday, Dec. 18, 2008. CLC members will consider input and make suggestions for revisions to CDE. CDE will decide on final revisions and complete the revised Literacy Rubric and Checklist in January 2009.
This revision process includes gathering suggestions from:
(1) higher education faculty members,
(2) deans and district administrators,
(3) teachers and practitioners, and
(4) other designated professional organizations.
To submit your comments:
1. Visit CDE's Educator Preparation Program Web page at:
http://www.cde.state.co.us/edprepprogram/EPP_Index.htm
2. Review posted documents including:
-the current version of the literacy rubric and checklist
-the literacy rubric and checklist with Dr. Timothy Shanahan's suggestions for revision
-the evaluation report from the Leadership and Learning Center
-the link to the Colorado Literacy Council Web page
3. After reviewing documents, click on the link titled, "Submit Your Suggestions for the 2008 Revision."
4. Enter your contact information in full.
5. Enter comments and suggestions in the corresponding fields and click the "Submit Comments" button.
The online submission process will close on Sunday, Dec. 14, 2008.
Your opinion counts. Please share your voice.
Click Here for Additional Information
For More Information, Contact:
Pam Hitt
Office of Teaching and Learning
Phone: 303-866-6243
Email: hitt_p@cde.state.co.us
Important Due Date
Collection of Precoded Labels
Attn: DACs, Precoded Label Respondents
The precoded labels collection opened Monday, Dec. 8, 2008 and will close Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2009 at noon.
The precoded labels collection for 2008-2009 will be for all student records, grades three through 11. This Automated Data Exchange collection will be used to generate precoded labels for the CSAP, CSAPA and Colorado ACT assessments.
Please note: CELApro precoded labels are generated solely from the Student October data already submitted by your district. CELApro precoded labels data will not be updated through this precoded labels collection.
Precoded Labels is an optional collection -- if you do not choose to participate as a district in this collection, the data submitted for the Student October collection by your district will be used to create labels for CSAP, CSAPA, and COACT test takers in grades three through 11.
If you need to change the respondent information for your district, please return this completed form with the new information: https://ade.cde.state.co.us/lb_respform.htm.
The "File Layout and Definitions" document can be found at: https://ade.cde.state.co.us/labels_file_layout.htm.
The "Edit/Errors" document can be found at: https://ade.cde.state.co.us/labels_edits.htm.
In order to access the appropriate precoded labels collection, login to the ADE system at https://ade.cde.state.co.us/ using your district ID and password information on the initial password protected screen. On the following screen you will enter your personal ID and password, as well as the following information:
System = “Precoded Labels”
Collection = “October”
School Year =2008-2009
For More Information, Contact:
Jim McIntosh
Student Assessment
Phone: 303-866-6979
Email: mcintosh_j@cde.state.co.us
Non-standard Accommodation Requests
Attn: DACs
The deadline for the non-standard accommodation requests are due to CDE no later than Monday, Dec. 15, 2008. Non-standard accommodation requests must be submitted each year. There is no blanket approval year to year. All approval letters are sent through e-mail with conditions for the use of the accommodation.
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For More Information, Contact:
Dena Coggins
Student Assessment
Phone: 303-866-6709
Email: coggins_d@cde.state.co.us
News
Special Education: Data Collection Mandates
Attn: All
As the U.S. Department of Education increases its data collection mandates for states regarding students with disabilities, there is increasing concern by state directors of special education that these requirements are in fact diverting state and local resources away from important educational outcomes.
Below is the link to an article from Education Week, Nov. 19, 2008, highlighting these concerns.
Click Here for Additional Information
For More Information, Contact:
Dr. Ed Steinberg
Exceptional Student Leadership Unit
Phone: 303-866-6059
Email: steinberg_e@cde.state.co.us
Reminder
Product Endorsement Requests or Queries for Products Outside of the State's Procurment Processes for Assessments
Attn: Superintendents, DACs, ELL, SPED Directors
CDE's Unit of Student Assessment does not offer advice or provide approval or endorsements for proposed product sales to districts or schools. The unit does not advise districts or schools on purchasing products outside of the procurement processes for the state’s assessments.
The requirements stated in our procedures and accommodations manuals provide the general information that should be sufficient for districts to determine what is allowable for use on the state’s assessments. For example, a simple, four-function calculator is sufficient for grades ninth and tenth graders who take the mathematics CSAP. Non-standard accommodations are requested on a student-by-student need per the General Accommodations Manual and Colorado Accommodations Manual for ELLs.
For More Information, Contact:
Julie Banuelos
Student Assessment
Phone: 303-866-6929
Email: banuelos_j@cde.state.co.us
To Do
8th Grade Literacy Portal
Attn: Superintendents, Technology Directors
The online data reporting portal for reporting eighth grade literacy data is now open. Districts must verify/report data to CDE no later than Saturday, Jan. 31, 2009.
In addition to the eighth grade literacy information, CDE also needs to collect information regarding connectivity speed. Therefore, two additional questions have been added to the reporting portal.
The system requires a username and passcode to enter. You will use the same username and passcode provided for the ET-IL Online Reporting Portal. Please send a request via e-mail to DeLilah Collins, collins_d@cde.state.co.us to retreive the username and passcode.
To access the eighth Grade Literacy Portal, click on this link: http://www.cde.state.co.us/scripts/8thgradelit08/start.asp
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
Update
Model Content Standards Review Update
Attn: Superintendents, Principals (please distribute)
The Colorado Department of Education's review of the Model Content Standards is progressing. This is a brief update:
CONTENT SUBCOMMITTEES:
We are pleased to announce the members of each of the content subcommittees on our Web site: http://www.cde.state.co.us/cdeassess/documents/OSA/stand_rev.html
The subcommittee selection process was conducted using a blind review. Candidates were selected based on their professional experience, geographic region, experience with gifted and talented students, students with disabilities and English Language Learners and approach to changing standards.
Subcommittees will also include a small set of experts in each content area, invited by Commissioner of Education Dwight D. Jones and state board members, to ensure alignment from early childhood education through postsecondary and workforce and representation from the military sector.
CONTENT REVIEW PHASES:
Content review is divided into three phases.
Phase I: Reading and Writing, Mathematics, Music and Science
Phase II: Civics, History, Economics, Financial Literacy and Geography
Phase III: Physical Education, World Language, Visual Arts, Theatre and Dance
Training for the co-chairs and content specialists for Phase I will be held at the Antlers Hilton in Colorado Springs on Tuesday, Dec. 16.
STAKEHOLDERS MEETING:
Our sixth stakeholder meeting will be held at the Antlers Hilton in Colorado Springs on Monday, Dec. 15. Our discussion will include structural decisions about the Colorado Model Content Standards.
Please visit our Web site for more information regarding these events and continuous updates on the standards review process. You may also send questions or concerns to standards_review_com@cde.state.co.us.
Click Here for Additional Information
For More Information, Contact:
Angela Norlander
Office of Standards and Assessments
Phone: 303-866-6931
Email: standards_review_com@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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