Announcement
Application for 2012 Colorado Teacher of the Year Is Now Available
Attn: Superintendents, District Personnel, Principals, Teachers
The application for the 2012 Colorado Teacher of the Year is now available. Each year, the Colorado Teacher of the Year Program honors an exceptionally dedicated, knowledgeable and skilled teacher to represent the entire profession in Colorado. The Colorado Teacher of the Year will automatically become Colorado's nominee for the National Teacher of the Year competition.
The role of the Colorado Teacher of the Year is to act as:
. a liaison between the teaching community and the legislature, the Department of Education, districts and communities;
. an education ambassador to businesses, parents, service organizations and media;
. a resource on the state of the profession to be available for workshops and conferences around the state; and
. an education leader involved in teacher forums and education reform.
Applications for this honor will be due no later than 4 p.m. on Monday, August 1. To access the application and additional program information for the 2012 Colorado Teacher of the Year, please visit the link below.
Click Here for Additional Information
For More Information, Contact:
Lynn Bamberry
Competitive Grants and Awards
Phone: 303-866-6813
Email: bamberry_l@cde.state.co.us
Nominate Outstanding Youth and Youth Groups
Attn: Principals
The National Philanthropy Day in Colorado Steering Committee is seeking nominations for Outstanding Youth and Outstanding Youth Groups. National Philanthropy Day is a day set aside to recognize and pay tribute to the great contributions that philanthropy - and those people active in the philanthropic community - have made to our lives, our communities and our world. Celebrations are held annually in many states across the nation.
Nominations must be postmarked, faxed or submitted electronically by Friday, July 29. Nominations are requested before school ends in May.
Click Here for Additional Information
For More Information, Contact:
Mark Skinner
Governor's Commission on Community Service, Office of the Lt. Governor
Phone: 303 866-2565
Email: mark.skinner@state.co.us
Safety Accreditation Report
Attn: Superintendents, BOCES Directors
The district Safety Accreditation Report is available for completion as part of the Safety and Discipline Indicators annual automated data exchange collection.
School districts are requested to complete and submit the form by Thursday, June 30. As indicated on the Safety Accreditation Report, please print and fax the completed report to DeLinda Rose at 303-830-0793. The form can also be scanned and e-mailed to rose_d@cde.state.co.us.
If there is any way the Colorado Department of Education can assist you in the SDI submission process or with completing this form, please contact Annette Severson.
For More Information, Contact:
Annette Severson
Data Services
Phone: 303-866-6824
Email: severson_a@cde.state.co.us
Four-Day School Week Application
Attn: Superintendents
School districts in Colorado that operate on a four-day school week with less than 160 scheduled days per school year are required to submit a request for approval annually.
Colorado statute requires school districts to conduct a minimum of 160 days of school, unless prior approval is obtained from the Commissioner -- C.R.S. 22-32-109 (n) (I).
In order to be considered for approval for the school year 2011-2012, please complete the application now available via the Automated Data Exchange (ADE) by June 30. Districts requesting approval are not obligated to follow their proposed calendar if their local planning is not finalized.
If you do not know who in your district is responsible for updating the ADE Directory please go to: https://cdeapps.cde.state.co.us/respondents.htm#directory
The district respondent has a user id and password to enter the ADE Directory and fill out the application.
If there is any way the Colorado Department of Education can assist you in the ADE application process for the four-day school week, the appropriate contact information is provided below.
For More Information, Contact:
Dennis St. Hilaire
Information Management Services
Phone: 303-866-6840
Email: st.hilaire_d@cde.state.co.us
Now Seeking Nominations for Colorado Talent Pool
Attn: Superintendents, District Personnel
The Colorado Department of Education maintains a file of emerging classroom leaders that consists of a cadre of distinguished teachers and principals. These educators may be considered for membership on advisory boards and task forces, as well as candidates for special recognition programs. Your recommendations will identify educators who will be of great value to your community and state and who may also ultimately receive prestigious recognition.
We are very fortunate to have a rich base of veteran educators represented in our current talent pool. They have been and continue to be a valuable resource in our state efforts. What is particularly lacking at this time is representation from educators relatively new to the profession who demonstrate unusual instructional and leadership ability. Such persons exhibit strong potential for professional leadership and inspiring presence that impacts students, colleagues, and community.
Nominations for 2011 additions to the talent pool are due by Friday, April 15. For more information on the nomination process, please the link below.
Click Here for Additional Information
For More Information, Contact:
Lynn Bamberry
Competitive Grants and Awards
Phone: 303-866-6813
Email: bamberry_l@cde.state.co.us
Expelled and At-Risk Student Services (EARSS) RFP Now Available
Attn: Superintendents, District/BOCES Personnel, Facility Schools
The Expelled and At-Risk Student Services (EARSS) Grant Program Request for Proposal (RFP) is now available. The EARSS program assists in providing educational and supportive services to expelled students and students at-risk for expulsion. Funded programs will focus on providing educational services to expelled students and preventing future suspensions and expulsions through a comprehensive range of strategies that are proven to be effective.
This RFP is being released for a new 4-year grant cycle. Awards are contingent upon funding appropriated to the EARSS program in the FY12 state budget. It is anticipated that grant awards will be based on $1,000 to $4,000 per student served, depending on the intensity and length of services.
An application training webinar will be held on Monday, April 11, from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Applications are due on Wednesday, May 18. For more information on the application webinar and to access the RFP, please visit the Web site below.
Click Here for Additional Information
For More Information, Contact:
Janelle Krueger
krueger_j@cde.state.co.us
Phone: Dropout Prevention and Student Engagement Unit
Email: 303-866-6750
Unified Improvement Planning: Upcoming Submission Deadlines
Attn:
January Submissions (Re-Submitters)
CDE has reviewed all of the plans submitted in January 2011 and the feedback is now available in Tracker: http://schoolview.org/documents/ToAccessFeedbackWithinTracker.pdf.
District Plans. By Wednesday, March 30, the following districts will need to submit a revised district plan to CDE:
(1) districts on turnaround under state accountability;
(2) districts on high priority graduation designation under state accountability;
(3) districts that did not meet all NCLB accountability requirements.
CDE’s expectation is that districts will consider the UIP Quality Criteria feedback in their revisions, particularly the feedback regarding (1) an explicit selection of one of the turnaround strategies required by S.B. 09-163, (2) corresponding budget amounts or resources, and (3) alignment with federal requirements (as appropriate). CDE staff will re-review these plans for content and completeness prior to public posting on SchoolView.
By Friday, April 15, all districts, including those on priority improvement and turnaround plans, will need to submit a final district plan via Tracker in the April “UIP for SchoolView – April.” This is the plan that will be posted publicly on SchoolView.
School Plans. By Friday, April 15, districts will need to submit final school plans to CDE. CDE’s expectation is that districts will consider the UIP Quality Criteria feedback in their revisions, particularly the feedback referenced under District Plans (above). The department encourages district staff to re-review these plans for content and completeness prior to public posting on SchoolView. This is the plan that will be posted publicly on SchoolView.
April Submissions (First-time Submitters)
By Friday, April 15, all districts, including those on performance and improvement plans, will need to submit final district and school plans to CDE. In 2010-11, the UIP template is required for districts with an initial January deadline and recommended for districts with an initial April deadline. This is the plan that will be posted publicly on SchoolView.
Submission details for all of the above deadlines are here: http://schoolview.org/documents/UIPsubmissionsummary.pdf.
Click Here for Additional Information
For More Information, Contact:
Somoh Supharukchinda
Office of Performance and Policy
Phone: 303-866-6778
Email: supharukchinda_s@cde.state.co.us
Event
Unified Improvement Planning: Support/Training Sessions
Attn: Unified Improvement Planning (UIP): Support/Training Sessions
CDE is pleased to announce UIP support opportunities for district staff. The timeline is tight, but sessions have been organized to support districts in meeting upcoming state accountability deadlines.
(1) UIP Feedback Sessions (districts on priority improvement or turnaround plans, high priority graduation designation, or identified under NCLB accountability)
March 21 (Pueblo), or March 24 (Glenwood Springs), 8:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
This optional session is intended for district teams that submitted a district or school UIP for review in January. The session will provide an opportunity to get support for interpreting CDE feedback on previously submitted plans and to identify strategies for revision. The afternoon will include time for teams to work on revisions with CDE staff present to provide technical assistance regarding program expectations (e.g., NCLB accountability). Participants should bring their (1) Unified Improvement Plan and (2) CDE UIP Quality Criteria Feedback Form.
To register: http://www.cde.state.co.us/scripts/UnifiedImpPlan-FeedbackSupport-Reg11/registration.asp
(2) UIP Review for District Level Staff (districts on performance or improvement plans, or districts with schools on performance or improvement plans)
March 28 (Lamar), April 1 (Sterling), or April 6 (San Juan BOCES), 8:30 a.m. – 4 p.m.
This optional session is intended for districts that did not participate in UIP training during the fall-winter of 2010. This will be a session for district staff to focus on reviewing UIPs prior to the April 15 submission deadline, with support provided as teams apply state-developed Quality Criteria to their UIPs. Participants should bring their current version of: (1) the district’s UIP and (2) the schools’ UIPs.
To register: http://www.cde.state.co.us/scripts/UnifiedImpPlan-OverviewSupport-Reg11/registration.asp
(3) Tracker UIP Submission Process (all districts)
Thursday, April 7, 1 p.m. to 2 p.m.
CDE will host an optional webinar for UIP Tracker respondents to cover the Tracker submission process in detail. The link to the webinar is: http://connect.cboces.org/r12321117/
To register: Contact Katy Jackson at (303)866-6858.
Click Here for Additional Information
For More Information, Contact:
Erin Loften
Office of School Improvement and Turnaround
Phone: 303-866-6642
Email: loften_e@cde.state.co.us
Getting Started with PBIS Implementation – Mountain Region – April 7, 2011
Attn: Superintendents, Principals, Special Ed Directors, District-level Administrators
Please join members of the Colorado Statewide PBIS Initiative for an interactive and informative session to learn how to become a part of the Colorado Statewide PBIS Initiative.
When: Thursday, April 7
Time: 9:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
Location: Battle Mountain High School, 750 Eagle Rd., Avon
The session will cover exploration tools and readiness checklists (these documents can be found at http://www.cde.state.co.us/pbis/Implementation.htm
Attendees are also encouraged to watch the following video prior to attending: http://www.pbis.org/swpbs_videos/pbs_video-creating_the_culture.aspx.
Click Here for Additional Information
For More Information, Contact:
Jessica Daily
RtI/PBIS
Phone: 303-866-6732
Email: daily_j@cde.state.co.us
PBIS Implementation Seminar for District and Building Administrators - Multiple Regions
Attn: Superintendents, Building Principals, Special Ed Directors, District-level administrators
Please join members of the Colorado Statewide PBIS Initiative for an interactive and informative session to discuss the role of an administrator within PBIS implementation. This seminar is for those administrators who are currently or are interested in implementing PBIS within their site.
Thursday, April 7 – Mountain Region (12:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.)
Thursday, April 14 – South Central Region (1 p.m. – 3 p.m.)
Tuesday, April 19 – Denver Metro Region (8:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.) and Pikes Peak Region (8:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.)
Wednesday, April 27 – Southwest Region (1 p.m. – 3 p.m.)
Click Here for Additional Information
For More Information, Contact:
Jessica Daily
RtI/PBIS
Phone: 303-866-6732
Email: daily_j@cde.state.co.us
Federal Programs
MSP Grant Competition - Due Date Extension
Attn: Superintendents, Federal Program Contacts, Math and Science Directors
The new deadline for submitting a Mathematics and Science Partnerships proposal is Thursday, March 31. The RFP that was initially posted online had a mistake in the language on partnership requirements (p. 3 had an “and/or” instead of an “and”). Although the mistake was corrected prior to the Feb. 9 training webinar, we have had questions regarding the partnership requirements based on this mistake. To clarify:
Partnerships applying for a Mathematics and Science Partnership grant must include
1. A high-need local education agency;
AND
2. The engineering, Mathematics, or Science department of an institution of higher education .
Five hard copies of the MSP Standard Template Form must be received at CDE by Thursday, March 31, at 4 pm. In addition to the five hard copies, an electronic copy of the MSP Standard Template Form and electronic budget must be submitted to: CompetitiveGrants@cde.state.co.us. All materials are available at the Web site below.
Click Here for Additional Information
For More Information, Contact:
Mariah Aldinger
Office of Federal Program Administration
Phone: 303-866-6250
Email: aldinger_m@cde.state.co.us
C-FIRS Tracker Instrument due April 15
Attn: Superintendents, Federal Program Contacts, Technology Directors, and Business Directors
The Office of Federal Programs has opened the final desk review Instrument for the 2010-11 school year. The April Instrument, "(5) April 15--Cycle 2" is due April 15. The instrument can be accessed through the C-FIRS Tracker System, available at https://tracker.cde.state.co.us.
The instrument includes the following four indicators: (1) Nonpublic School Consultation for Consolidated Application; (2) Title I, Part A School Improvement Choice Letter; (3) Title I, Part D Facility Monitoring; and (4) Title II, Part D Eighth Grade Literacy. Your district may not be required to respond to all indicators (determined by the district's answers to the Criteria Questions). However all districts are required to address, at a minimum, the Title II, Part D indicator related to Eighth Grade Literacy. Therefore, all districts must login to the system, answer the criteria questions, complete the required indicators and submit the instrument to the state.
As a reminder, to access Tracker, you will need a password. If you do not already have one, please contact cotrackerhelp@cde.state.co.us. If you already have a password, but do not remember it, please use the “Reset Password” feature on the log on page. CDE does not have access to passwords.
District federal program directors should have received a detailed memo regarding the April 2011 Tracker Instrument on Tuesday, March 15. If your district did not receive this memo, please contact Laura Hamrick at hamrick_l@cde.state.co.us. The memo is also posted on at: http://www.cde.state.co.us/FedPrograms/monit/index.asp.
Click Here for Additional Information
For More Information, Contact:
Jennifer Morgan
Office of Federal Program Administration
Phone: 303.866.6108
Email: morgan_j@cde.state.co.us
Request from Senator Murray’s Office for NCLB Stories
Attn: Superintendents, Principals, Federal Program Contacts
The House and Senate are currently working to update and fix the No Child Left Behind law. U.S. Senator Patty Murray (from Washington State) is collecting state-specific stories of how specific students, teachers, classrooms, schools or districts were affected by NCLB, for better or worse.
If you’d like to submit something, you can do so at the link below.
Click Here for Additional Information
For More Information, Contact:
Mariah Aldinger
Office of Federal Program Administration
Phone: 303-866-6250
Email: aldinger_m@cde.state.co.us
Reminder
Unified Improvement Planning: Additional Resources
Attn:
Pre-Populated Section I of UIP
You may access your pre-populated Section I of the UIP by logging into CEDAR: https://cedar2.cde.state.co.us/.
Click Cognos Content>District and School Performance Framework>School Unified Planning Report. Click on the icon of the stack of papers on the right-hand side to access all of your schools (clicking on the link only pulls up some schools.)
Formatting UIPs for Submission
To merge the pre-populated Section I PDF document with your completed Word document, you can:
1)Transfer the data from your pre-populated PDF document into your Word document cell-by-cell. This may be time-consuming, but several districts find this to be the easiest solution.
2)If you have Adobe Acrobat Professional: Complete your plan in the Word document, using the PDF document side-by-side. When the Word document is completed, convert it to a PDF file. Then, insert the pre-populated Section I PDF document into your completed document.
3)Complete your plan as a Word document, using the PDF document side-by-side. When the Word document is completed, submit it via Tracker as a Word document or PDF file. CDE has access to your pre-populated Section I and will work to merge it with your completed plan.
Quality Criteria for UIPs
The Quality Criteria for Schools and Districts is a resource that should be useful to any school or district using the UIP template. The criteria provides guidance on the elements that would be expected in a quality plan, as well as meet all state and federal requirements.
The criteria, as well as training materials, may be found at the link below.
Technical Assistance
We invite you to contact the CDE District Lead for your district if you have questions or would like technical assistance. For questions about Tracker, contact Katy Jackson at 303-866-6778, uiphelp@cde.state.co.us. For other questions, contact Jhon Penn at 303-866-6632, penn_j@cde.state.co.us or Somoh Supharukchinda at 303-866-6778, supharukchinda_s@cde.state.co.us.
Click Here for Additional Information
For More Information, Contact:
Somoh Supharukchinda
Office of Performance and Policy
Phone: 303-866-6778
Email: supharukchinda_s@cde.state.co.us
CSAP Security Procedures
Attn: District Assessment Coordinators, State Assessment Administrators, etc.
Last week we reminded all of you to please safeguard the security of all testing materials before, during and after administration. We would like to add to our reminder that discussing test content is considered a security breach. Please remind your staff to refrain from sharing test content in conversation or through computer-based social networking sites, such as Facebook and Twitter. Again, your assistance in preventing security breaches is most appreciated. In case you missed it, below is last week’s message.
We are currently in the early window of CSAP testing. Next week, the regular window opens. Please remember to maintain all test materials securely. This includes before, during and after testing.
Test security procedures prohibit the sharing of test booklets or test items with any outside entity, including the media. In addition, under no conditions should reporters, photographers or videographers be allowed in the classrooms during testing.
Lastly, we appreciate some of the truly creative ways schools and districts motivate their students for testing; however, please be sure that these efforts do not involve compromising the security of test booklets and/or test items. Test booklets and/or items should never be photographed or used as props in teacher or student created productions. We appreciate your ongoing commitment in ensuring that test materials are not compromised.
Click Here for Additional Information
For More Information, Contact:
Joyce Zurkowski, Director of Student Assessments
Office of Standards and Assessments
Phone: 303-866-6760
Email: zurkowski_j@cde.state.co.us
Update
Comments and Responses on Implementation of S.B. 09-163
Attn: Superintendents, District Assessment Coordinators and Accountability Contacts
The department continues to review and respond to comments from the field concerning implementation of the Education Accountability Act of 2009 (S.B. 09-163). We have posted a summary of our responses to feedback, as well as a concept paper on the department's approach to incorporating graduation rates, at the link below. Comments on these materials, particularly on the graduation rate concept paper, would be appreciated by Friday, March 25.
Click Here for Additional Information
For More Information, Contact:
Rich Wenning
Office of Performance and Policy
Phone: 303-866-6764
Email: Wenning_R@cde.state.co.us
Webinars
School to Work Alliance Program Contract Training Webinars
Attn: SWAP sites: Fiscal Managers, accounting staff, Special Education Directors/Designees
Due to the findings of a federal audit of School to Work Alliance Program contracts, clarification and potential adjustments will be required in accounting procedures for SWAP expenditures and income beginning with the new contracts effective July 1, 2011.
Two webinar sessions will be offered by a team representing the CDE Public School Finance Unit, Exceptional Student Leadership Unit, and the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation. The webinar will provide specific training and instruction for both program and fiscal managers.
Webinars are scheduled for Wednesday, March 23, at 2 p.m. and on Thursday, March 24, at 10 a.m.
For More Information, Contact:
Barbara Palmer
ESLU
Phone: 303-866-6721
Email: palmer_b@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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