Announcement
Energy Hog School Program Now Available to All Colorado Elementary Schools – Accepting Reservations Now
Attn: Superintendents, Principals
The Energy Hog makes learning about energy fun! The Energy Hog School Program makes it easy for teachers to introduce energy education into their classrooms to teach students the importance of saving energy. The program, which begins with classroom lessons and ends with a memorable visit from a “real, live” Energy Hog (a mascot), teaches students where energy comes from, how we use energy and the importance of energy efficiency and conservation.
Thanks to funding provided by the Colorado Governor’s Energy Office, the program is now available to elementary schools across Colorado free of charge during the 2008-2009 school year, or as long as funding lasts.
Participating educators receive everything they need in a box. Included are a CD of classroom material, a professional mascot costume for the Energy Hog and a script for a ready-made skit. Following the classroom lessons, teachers can bring to life the importance of saving energy by wearing the Energy Hog mascot costume and performing the ready-made game-show format skit.
For schools with a free and reduced lunch program in the Denver Metro area, a special school assembly program is available through Energy Outreach Colorado by calling Heather Gullen at 303-226-5051. To learn how your school can participate in Colorado Energy Hog programs, contact Maria Ellingson, 303-333-4570.
Click Here for Additional Information
For More Information, Contact:
Kathleen Loa
Alliance to Save Energy
Phone: 202-530-2225
Email: KLoa@ase.org
April issue of The Buzz is available
Attn: Superintendents
The Buzz, the Consolidated Federal Programs newsletter is available at the link below.
Click Here for Additional Information
For More Information, Contact:
Laura Hensinger
Consolidated Federal Programs
Phone: 303-866-6675
Email: hensinger_l@cde.state.co.us
Conference
2008 ELA Academy/ELAU Teacher of the Year
Attn: ELA Directors, Superintendents
April 17-18, 2008
7:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
The demographics of the state are changing—sometimes at such a rapid pace that it is a challenge to keep up. The presentations at this year's ELA Academy are diverse and relevant to the needs of Colorado educators and will undoubtedly contribute to enhancing the quality of education for students.
Featured speakers include:
-Margarita Pinkos, Assistant Deputy Secretary of Education and Director of the Office of English Language Acquisition (OELA)
-Maria Guajardo, Executive Director of the Mayor's Office of Education and Children in Denver
-Ambassador Carlos Garcia del Alba Zepeda, General Director of International Relations for the Department of Education of Mexico
-Barbara Flores, professor at California State University-San Bernadino
-Jamal Abedi, professor at University of California-Davis
-Lorrie Shepard, Dean of the College of Education at the Univerisity of Colorado-Boulder
Five different strands are integrated into the Academy this year: critical transitions for ELLs, assessment and accommodations, leadership, law/accountability and best practices.
The English Language Acquisition Unit is proud to announce the 2008 ELAU Teacher of the Year, Judith Morales from Bella Romero Elementary School in Greeley Evans District 6. She will be honored at the 2008 ELA Academy on Thursday, April 17, 2008 at noon.
The Academy will be held at the Double Tree Hotel on 3203 Quebec St., in Denver.
Click Here for Additional Information
For More Information, Contact:
Joanna Bruno
ELAU
Phone: 303-866-6870
Email: bruno_j@cde.state.co.us
News
Colorado Teachers Provide the Models for Scoring CSAPs
Attn: Superintendents
A special thanks to the 40 highly-qualified Colorado teachers who worked with CTB/McGraw-Hill's scoring leaders last week. They selected the "anchor papers" that are used to train CTB's scoring teams for the reading, writing, mathematics and science constructed response items. Colorado teachers are essential for CSAP item selection, scoring and standard setting.
For More Information, Contact:
Holly Baker
Unit of Student Assessment
Phone: 303-866-6709
Email: baker_h@cde.state.co.us
2006-07 School-by-School Truancy Rates Posted on the Web site
Attn: Superindents, Principals, School Attendance Officers
The 2006-07 school-by-school truancy rates are posted on the CDE Web site. The rates are based on unexcused absences and include the total number of days unexcused in addition to the rates.
A worksheet compares the 2006-07 data to the 2005-06 data. The public release of the rates is required by the Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act.
Truancy is one of the risk behaviors that can be taken under consideration in a needs assessment for prevention efforts.
Click Here for Additional Information
For More Information, Contact:
Janelle Krueger
Prevention Initiatives
Phone: 303-866-6660
Email: Krueger_J@cde.state.co.us
Reminder
Grade 3 CSAP Reading and Lectura Preliminary and Unofficial Release
Attn: Superintendents, DACs
The annual, preliminary and unoffical release of data for the grade 3 CSAP reading test and lectura test will be Thursday, May 1, 2008.
Detailed information about the processes and procedures was sent to superintendents and district assessment coordinators on Monday, April 14, 2008.
For More Information, Contact:
Jim McIntosh: Data Operations Supervisor
Unit of Student Assessment
Phone: 303-866-6979
Email: mcintosh_j@cde.state.co.us
Update
SB07-123 – Elevator and Escalator Certification Act
Attn: Superintendents, Business Officers, Operations Officers, Facility Managers
The enactment of SB07-123 last year impacts school districts that have elevators, wheel chair lifts, stairway wheel chair lifts and similar conveyance equipment.
The Division of Oil and Public Safety (OPS) will oversee a new Conveyance Program for all elevators in the state including those in schools. What follows is a brief summary of what is known at this time:
* The Colorado Division Oil & Public Safety (OPS) has enacted emergency rules;
* The rules require registration of elevators by August 1, 2008 and a registration fee of $200 for each elevator;
* This includes, but isn't limited to, elevators, wheel chair ramps, dumb waiters and stairway wheel chair lifts;
* The state may enter into a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the local jurisdictions that have been doing the inspections and testing in the past, but very few MOUs are currently in place. This means that the local jurisdiction that has been conducting inspections and certifications may no longer be able to and school districts will have to go through OPS. The registration with OPS is required regardless of who ends up with jurisdiction;
* The school district staff or vendor that currently conducts inspections / maintenance / testing won't be allowed to do the state inspections / testing for for annual licensing to operate an elevator;
* The link below provides OPS contact information, the legislation, the emergency rules, the registration forms and more.
Click Here for Additional Information
For More Information, Contact:
Ted Hughes
School Finance
Phone: 303-866-6948
Email: hughes_t@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.
|
