Announcement
EDX Meeting Thursday, March 10 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. (Open to All)
Attn: Chief Information Officers, District Technology Leaders, System Architects, Data Experts
CDE is partnering with districts to host an Education Data eXchange Council. Share solutions, discuss best practices and advise the state on strategies to more efficiently and effectively exchange education data.
Help guide the vision of a next-generation data exchange system and collaborate with your technology peers across the state. This meeting is open to everyone throughout the state.
Items to be discussed at this meeting are statewide longitudinal data system project, educator ID - educator of record, and teacher-student data link.
The meeting will be held on Thursday, March 10 from 2 to 4 p.m. at Colorado Springs 11 School District, 1033 North Franklin St., in Colorado Springs.
You may also call in to participate. The dial up number to listen and participate is 1-866-764-6750. If you are interested in any of the topics please join us, this discussion is open to all.
For More Information, Contact:
Dennis St. Hilaire
IMS
Phone: 303-866-6840
Email: st.hilaire_d@cde.state.co.us
CAP4K Annual Progress Report Released
Attn: All
The CAP4K 2010 Progress Report to the legislature was submitted on Feb. 15, and is available on the CDE Web site at the link below. Required by S.B. 08-212, the annual report outlines the actions taken to implement CAP4K in 2010 and the goals accomplished throughout the year.
Click Here for Additional Information
For More Information, Contact:
Emmy Glancy, Program Manager CAP4K
Standards and Assessment
Phone: 303-866-6118
Email: glancy_e@cde.state.co.us
District Improvement Grant RFP Now Available
Attn: Superintendents, District Personnel
The District Improvement Grant Request For Proposal (RFP) is now available. The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 requires that states allocate resources for intensive and sustained support to districts designated as in need of improvement. Priority will be given as follows to:
• Districts that are on Corrective Action and rated “low”;
• Districts that have a District Performance Framework Plan rating of Turnaround or Priority Improvement; and
• Any other eligible districts.
Funding varies by district size, up to $100,000 per site. Proposals are due Thursday, April 7. For more information and to access the RFP, please visit the Web site below.
Click Here for Additional Information
For More Information, Contact:
Precious Broadnax
Office of School and District Improvement
Phone: 303-866-6788
Email: broadnax_p@cde.state.co.us
School Improvement Grant RFP Now Available
Attn: Superintendents, District Personnel
The School Improvement Grant Request For Proposal (RFP) is now available. The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 requires that states allocate recourses for intensive and sustained support to schools designated as in need of improvement. Priority will be given as follows to:
• Schools that have not received a School Support Team visit in the last 4 years;
• Schools that have a School Performance Framework Plan rating of Turnaround or Priority Improvement; and
• Schools that are furthest along in Title I Improvement.
Funding is available of up to $50,000 for Phase I Planning and $100,000 for Phase II Implementation. Proposals are due Wednesday, March 30. For more information, and access to the RFP visit the link below.
Click Here for Additional Information
For More Information, Contact:
Precious Broadnax
Office of School and District Improvement
Phone: 303-866-6788
Email: broadnax_p@cde.state.co.us
Graduation Rate Targets in AYP Determinations
Attn: Superintendents, Federal Program Contacts, Title I Directors, AYP Respondents
On Feb. 15, CDE submitted an amendment request to the U.S. Department of Education to enable the use of five-year and six-year graduation rates, in addition to the four-year on-time rate for the 2010-11 AYP determinations. Specifically, CDE requested the following targets for AYP calculations:
1. Districts, schools and disaggregated groups will be accountable for meeting the four-year on-time target of 63 percent or increasing their graduation rate by 2 percentage points from the prior year’s four-year on-time rate. The four-year on-time goal for Colorado is 80 percent.
2. Any districts, schools or disaggregated groups not able to meet the above target can meet the five-year target of 65 percent, in order to make AYP.
3. If districts, schools or disaggregated groups are not able to meet the four-year or five-year targets, they will need to meet the six-year target of 67 percent in order to make AYP.
The U.S. Department of Education plans to have responses back to states by May 31. When CDE has approval of the graduation rate targets, the final targets will be announced in the Scoop.
To read the full amendment request, please go to the link below.
Click Here for Additional Information
For More Information, Contact:
Alyssa Pearson
Office of Federal Programs Administration
Phone: 303-866-6855
Email: pearson_a@cde.state.co.us
Western Slope Facilitated Discussion: Curriculum and the Transition to the New Colorado Standards
Attn: Superintendents, Curriculum Directors
You are invited to participate in a facilitated discussion regarding curriculum development and the transition to the new Colorado Standards.
Date: Friday, Feb. 25 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Location: Basil T. Knight Building, 2523 Patterson Road - off of Northgate, in Grand Junction. Phone number: 970-254-5480. Register online at the link below to guarantee your participation. Space is limited. Registration closes Thursday, Feb. 24.
Click Here for Additional Information
For More Information, Contact:
Barry Cartwright
Academic and instructional support
Phone: 303-866-6187
Email: cartwright_b@cde.state.co.us
IEP-Related Form Revisions
Attn: Special Education Directors, Administrators, Service Providers, Transition Team Leaders
Recent revisions have been made to individualized education plan-related forms and are posted on the Exceptional Student Leadership Unit’s Web page. The revisions include:
• Changes to the race/ethnicity reporting to reflect the new federal requirements;
• Language changes to the three initial prompts on the eligibility forms to avoid a double negative but where the essence of the meaning has not changed;
• Minor corrections to grammar or spacing where needed;
• Corrections of legal citations where needed.
Soon to be distributed through administrative unit transition team leaders and posted to the ESLU Web page are revisions to the following forms:
• Prior written Notice of Graduation/Maximum Age – removal of reference to GEDs;
• Consent to Invite Agencies Related to Transition- added reference to obtaining written consent.
Click Here for Additional Information
For More Information, Contact:
Cindy Millikin
Exceptional Student Leadership Unit
Phone: 303-866-6619
Email: millikin_c@cde.state.co.us
Concurrent Enrollment Advisory Board Meeting on Thursday is CANCELLED
Attn: Principals, Superintendents, District Finance Office, School Counselors
The meeting of the Concurrent Enrollment Advisory Board scheduled for Thursday, Feb. 24 has been cancelled.
The next meeting will be Thursday, March 24 from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. at the Community College System Lowry campus, 1061 Akron Way, Bldg. 697 in Denver.
Click Here for Additional Information
For More Information, Contact:
Charles E. Dukes
Phone: 303-866-6142
Email: dukes_c@cde.state.co.us
Federal Programs
2011-2012 Waiver for 14-Day Public School Choice Notification
Attn: Superintendents and Title I Directors
The Colorado Department of Education is requesting a waiver from the U.S. Department of Education for the 14-day Public School Choice notification requirement for the 2011-2012 school year. CDE is requesting this waiver because of testing timelines and contractual obligations.
All Colorado’s districts with schools currently identified for Improvement will be required to provide the 14-day notice to parents. This waiver would benefit only those schools that are unable to comply with the 14-day Public School Choice notification requirement because AYP testing data will not be available in advance of school start dates.
In accordance with 20 U.S.C 5891b(a)(8), all interested parties may send comments to miller_c@cde.state.co.us. All comments must be received by 5 p.m. on Wednesday, March 2. All comments are public record.
Click Here for Additional Information
For More Information, Contact:
Cheryl Miller
Office of Federal Program Administration
Phone: 303-866-6214
Email: miller_c@cde.state.co.us
Supplemental Summer School Grant RFP Now Available
Attn: Superintendents, District Personnel
The new Supplemental Summer School Grant Request For Proposal (RFP) is now available. This RFP is designed to solicit applications from local education agencies on behalf of Title I Schools (or a consortium of schools) on Improvement or those with the potential to be on Improvement to provide funding for the operation of intensive and sustained supplemental summer school programs.
Approximately $3.5 million is available for the operation of summer school programs, extended year programs, Jump Start programs for the 2011-12 school year or credit recovery programs at the secondary level. Proposals are due on Wednesday, March 23.
An application training webinar will be held on Tuesday, March 1, from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. To register for this technical assistance opportunity, please e-mail Nicole Dake at dake_n@cde.state.co.us. For more information and to access the RFP, please visit the link below.
Click Here for Additional Information
For More Information, Contact:
Trish Boland
Office of Federal Program Administration
Phone: 303-866-6998
Email: boland_t@cde.state.co.us
Reminder
School Counselor Corps Grant RFP Now Available
Attn: Superintendents, District Personnel, School Counselors
The School Counselor Corps Grant Request for Proposal (RFP) is now available. The School Counselor Corps seeks to increase the availability of effective school-based counseling within secondary schools to increase the graduation rate within the state and increase the percentage of students who appropriately prepare for, apply to, and continue into postsecondary education.
Education providers (Districts, BOCES, Charter School and Institute Charter Schools) may apply for School Counselor Corps Grant funds. Please note: Priority will be given to applicants that will serve secondary schools at which the dropout rate exceeds the statewide average; and/or secondary schools with a high percentage of students who are eligible for free and reduced lunch exceeding the statewide average.
This RFP is being released prior to the approval of an additional three-year grant cycle and is contingent upon any funding appropriated to the School Counselor Corps program in May 2011. By rule, a grant competition must take place by January 30, 2011. In order for this program to continue, funds must be appropriated for the program during the 2011 Colorado Legislative Session. This RFP is being released early to provide adequate time for planning quality proposals. If interested in this opportunity, please complete the Letter of Intent (Attachment A of the RFP) to be informed of any funding updates and technical assistance for this program. If funding is approved for the 2011 – 2012 school year, grants will be due on Wednesday, June 1. For more information and to access the RFP, please visit the link below.
Click Here for Additional Information
For More Information, Contact:
Charles Dukes
Dropout Prevention and Student Engagement Unit
Phone: 303-866-6142
Email: dukes_c@cde.state.co.us
To Do
Integrated Pest Management in Schools Survey
Attn: Principals, Superintendents, Facility Managers, Teachers
The Colorado School IPM Team wants to know how your school manages pests – insects, mice and other critters. Please take this survey to help us expand and improve our program. Responses will be collected March 31, 2011.
Is your school interested in working with the IPM team to reduce human exposure to pesticides and to reduce the costs of pest control? Do you want to reduce losses from pest damage and reduce environmental pollution? If so, contact Deborah Young (deborah.young@colostate.edu) to get involved.
Click Here for Additional Information
For More Information, Contact:
Deborah Young
Colorado State University
Phone: 970-491-1377
Email: deborah.young@colostate.edu
Your Speed Tests and National Broadband Map
Attn: Superintendents, CIOs, IT Directors
The National Broadband Map was released last week and included data from school broadband speed test survey results (the data cut off was October 2010). You can do a great service for your community by completing a speed test survey for each of your schools. Just e-mail this url (http://tinyurl.com/myschoolbroadband) to a responsible party at each school. For a sample from the National Broadband Map, see http://www.broadbandmap.gov/summarize/state/colorado/county/elpaso-
Note: The Broadband Speed Tests data is toward the bottom of the page as a percentage of total number of schools (El Paso County is a state leader as of October 2010). The more rural your district, the more important this data is in terms of attracting investment in your broadband infrastructure.
Click Here for Additional Information
For More Information, Contact:
Frank Ohrtman
Governor's Office of Information Technology
Phone: 303-910-5968
Email: frank.ohrtman@state.co.us
Update
Last Week for Educators to TELL!
Attn: Superintendents, Principals, District Administrators, Teachers
Don’t delay! The TELL Colorado survey is only open for one more week. The window closes on Monday, Feb. 28. We have already heard from close to 20,000 educators (more than 30 percent) and we would like to hear from more. If staff are having trouble accessing their survey codes, direct them to the TELL Colorado Help Desk right away (instant messaging: www.tellcolorado.org; e-mail: helpdesk@tellcolorado.org; Phone: 888-280-7903 M-F 7:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.). Remember that only schools and districts that get at least a 50 percent response rate will be able to access their own data later this spring.
Congratulations to the following districts that have already had a majority of their educators complete the survey: Haxtun, Campo, Durango, Mancos, Rocky Ford, Keenesburg, Ignacio, Meeker, Trinidad, Valley Re-1, Mc Clave, North Conejos, St. Vrain, Kim, Del Norte, Widefield, Aspen, Jefferson County, Montezuma-Cortez, Thompson, Wray, Brighton and Plainview. There are a significant number of districts that are very close to hitting the 50 percent threshold. Make a push over the next few days to make the target! See your district’s progress at: http://www.tellcolorado.org/response_rate/
Of the more than 425 schools that have already generated more than 50 percent participation, CEA has drawn the following two schools for a $500 cash incentive: West Jefferson Middle School in Jefferson County (100 percent participation) and Irish Elementary School in Poudre R-1 (65 percent participation). CEA and the League of Charter Schools will both be offering drawings for cash prizes at the end of the window. See the TELL Colorado website for further details.
Click Here for Additional Information
For More Information, Contact:
Lisa Medler
Phone: 303-866-6993
Email: medler_l@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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