Announcement
Funding Opportunity: School Safety and Substance Abuse Prevention
Attn: Superintendents, principals, and other school safety-related personnel
The Colorado School Safety Resource Center has announced a one-time funding opportunity for the Promotion of School Safety or Substance Abuse Prevention Project Grants. These grants are being made available to Colorado school districts and/or BOCES from the Colorado School Safety Resource Center in conjunction with the Colorado Department of Human Services, Division of Behavioral Health.
Purpose:
• To assist in making systematic and sustainable changes to improve school safety planning and preparedness, improve school climate or enhance prevention efforts for students.
• Supports school safety planning and training of crisis response, threat assessment and/or suicide assessment teams, including work over the summer.
• Supports the implementation of evidence-based prevention programs to address identified district needs.
• Grants range from $10,000 to $18,000 depending upon the number of students served.
Timeline:
• Applications are due by 5 p.m. on Friday, May 13, to the offices of the Colorado School Safety Resource Center.
• Awards will be announced by Friday, May 27.
• All funds must be spent and projects completed by September 30, 2011.
A request for proposal can be downloaded at the link below.
Click Here for Additional Information
For More Information, Contact:
Linda M. Kanan
Colorado School Safety Resource Center
Phone: 303-239-4435
Email: schoolsafetycenter@cdps.state.co.us
Event
CDE Summer Symposia
Attn: Superintendents, curriculum directors, RtI coordinators, special education directors, content specialists, HR directors, and other district instructional leaders, ELA directors
This series of two-day Summer Learning Symposia, facilitated by CDE, will assist schools and districts in unifying their work around Colorado’s reform agenda.
Participants are encouraged to share current practices and opportunities for improvement. All schools and districts are working hard on the implementation of new standards, assessments, educator effectiveness and the new accountability system. We must see these as connected and integrated strategies that build capacity to serve our students and support their readiness for postsecondary and workforce options.
Each symposia will present up-to-date information on components of Colorado’s reform agenda as well as powerful ideas regarding how to leverage these opportunities to maximize the results for our students.
Target Group: District leadership teams, comprised of district, school, and classroom representatives who are responsible for implementation. The intent is to enhance the capacity of all schools and districts to implement these important initiatives.
Key outcomes of the two days:
•Create collaboration between and among districts and CDE
•Develop a coherent vision around Colorado’s reform agenda
•Share ideas about leveraging opportunities to maximize results for students
•Develop district plans for moving forward with Colorado’s education reform agenda
Dates and Locations:
•Monday and Tuesday, June 6 & 7 at the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley
•Wednesday and Thursday, June 15 & 16 at Otero Junior College in La Junta
•Wednesday and Thursday, June 22 & 23 at the University of Colorado – Colorado Springs
•Monday and Tuesday, June 27 & June 28 at the Double Tree Hotel in Grand Junction
•Wednesday and Thursday, August 3 & 4 at a Denver location to be determined
Registration for all dates and locations will open on Monday, May 2 on the CDE Web site. Registration for each symposium date will close one week prior to that date and participants will be capped at 200.
Click Here for Additional Information
For More Information, Contact:
Vanessa Roman
Office of Learning and Results
Phone: (303) 866-6678
Email: roman_v@cde.state.co.us
Concurrent Enrollment Advisory Board Will Meet Thursday, April 28
Attn: Principals, Superintendents, District Finance Office and School Counselors
The Concurrent Enrollment Advisory Board will meet on Thursday, April 28 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. The public meeting will be held in the conference center at the Community College System Lowry campus, 1061 Akron Way, Bldg. 697 in Denver.
The combined work session and formal meeting agenda includes:
Work Session
• Welcome
• Update on ASCENT in School Finance Act
• Prioritization of funds formula decision
• Communications committee
• Feasibility of a sixth year waiver
• Discussion of online issues
• Appeals process
• Action items for 2012
Formal Meeting
• Welcome, roll call, approval of agenda, approval of minutes
• Public input
• Approval of action items from work session
• Action plan and next steps
Click Here for Additional Information
For More Information, Contact:
Charles E. Dukes
Phone: 303-866-6142
Email: dukes_c@cde.state.co.us
National Physical Education and Sport Week
Attn: Colorado Principals
The week of May 1-7 is National Physical Education and Sport Week. Please support your physical education teacher as they bring to light the importance of movement for your students and staff. They are encouraged to sign up for the Let’s Move in School program and to offer a special movement component to the week. Please read below for more details.
"Let’s Move" is First Lady Michelle Obama's push to help children be more active and eat healthy to fight obesity. ‘Let’s Move in School’ is a public awareness and action initiative with the goal of ensuring that every school provides a comprehensive school physical activity program-- with quality physical education as the foundation “so that youth will develop the knowledge, skills, and confidence to be physically active for a lifetime.
During National Physical Education and Sport Week, May 1-7, the Colorado Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance is providing information to encourage everyone to help get kids moving. All schools are encouraged to sign up to be a part of the free program.
Click Here for Additional Information
For More Information, Contact:
Donna K. Carey
Phone: 303-941-4482
Email: dkcarey@aps.k12.co.us
Federal Programs
Title IA Annual Report to the Public
Attn: Superintendents; Title I Directors; and Communication Contacts
Under NCLB, districts are required to report specific performance information to parents and the community on an annual basis through the Title IA Annual Report to the Public. As a reminder -- districts are required to notify families when their NCLB annual report is available and how to access it.
The report can direct parents to district and school level data available through the CDE Web site at http://www.schoolview.org/performance.asp
1. Click on "SchoolVIEW Data Center,"
2. Go to the "Accountability" tab under "Federal"
3. Click on the triangle next to "Colorado" on the right (this will bring up a list of districts)
4. Click on any district to bring up a list of their schools
Please consult the annual report requirements, as well as options for distributing annual reports, at the link below.
Additionally, CDE is creating support documents to orient users to information that will be available through the SchoolVIEW Data Center. When the data are available, CDE will announce it in the Scoop and schedule webinars to provide walk-throughs of the system.
CDE will not conduct a desk monitoring of annual reports this school year. However, reporting to the public remains a requirement for accepting Title IA funds and will be a part of any Title IA on-site monitoring visit.
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
Update on NCLB Allocations and the Consolidated Application
Attn: Superintendents, Federal Programs Contacts
Due to the delays in determining the federal budget by U.S. Congress, the USDE has not yet released state allocations for NCLB funds. This has the unfortunate effect of delaying Colorado’s ability to open the 2011-12 Consolidated Application to districts and BOCES.
It is still unclear when NCLB allocations will be ready. Once CDE receives preliminary allocations from the USDE, CDE’s Grants Fiscal Office will run the calculations to determine allocations for each NCLB program in every eligible school district. This process typically takes from two to four weeks. The application will opened when that work is complete.
CDE is committed to doing everything possible to ensure that subgrantees will be able to obligate funds by July 1, 2011. If by mid-May CDE has not received necessary allocation information, an alternative application method will be presented to districts and BOCES in order to provide a smooth transition for the release of 2011-12 funds. More details will be shared if an alternate process is needed.
The 2011-12 online application is very similar to that of last year. CDE encourages districts and BOCES to complete as much work as possible in anticipation of the release of the application. This includes collecting necessary data and conducting preliminary meetings with stakeholders to plan activities. Grantees are also encouraged to generate a draft narrative for all programs. A checklist of recommended activities to prepare for the Consolidated Application is available at: http://www.cde.state.co.us/FedPrograms/consapp/index.asp.
CDE will continue to send out updates to keep district and BOCES leadership abreast of any developments. Thanks for your patience.
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
2010-11 Annual Measurable Achievement Objectives 1 and 2 Notification
Attn: Title III Contacts, ELA Coordinators
CDE will release preliminary 2010-2011 determinations for AMAOs 1 and 2 in early May. Annual Measurable Achievement Objectives (AMAOs) are the Title III accountability measures under NCLB. E-mails will be sent to Title III recipients at the beginning of May, with the LEA/grantee’s preliminary AMAO 1 and 2 results. Student-level data should also be available in CEDAR at this time.
Requests to review AMAO 1 or AMAO 2 determinations are due to CDE by Friday, May 20.
Training webinars covering how AMAOs 1 and 2 were determined and the appeal process will be held on Monday, May 2 at 3 p.m., Tuesday, May 3 at 10 a.m., and Thursday, May 12 at 1 p.m. To register for a webinar, contact Donna Morganstern (morganstern_d@cde.state.co.us).
AMAO 3, which is based on AYP determinations for English language learners will not be available until other AYP preliminary determinations are disseminated in early August. Any appeals of AMAO 3 must be made as part of the AYP appeal process. Final AMAO 3 and district-level Title III Improvement Status will be available in October.
Click Here for Additional Information
For More Information, Contact:
Alyssa Pearson
Office of Federal Program Administration
Phone: 303-866-6855
Email: pearson_a@cde.state.co.us
Reminder
Feedback on Unified Improvement Planning
Attn: Superintendents, Accountability Contacts, Tracker Contacts, Federal Programs Contacts
As the department closes out the first year of the implementation of the Education Accountability Act (SB-163) and Unified Improvement Planning, CDE is looking for district feedback on how to improve the process and support you in the coming year.
Thank you to those districts that have already completed the feedback survey. For those that have not, the survey is still open until Friday, April 29. You may access it at the link below.
Participation in this survey is optional and all responses will be confidential. Your response will help to shape the adjustments that the state makes in the Unified Improvement Plan process for the 2011-12 school year. The main parts of the survey are: (1) the UIP Template (for districts who used the template this year) (2) UIP feedback from CDE (for districts that received feedback), and (3) Training and support. The survey takes 10-15 minutes to complete.
CDE e-mailed the initial request for feedback to superintendents, accountability contacts, Tracker contacts and Federal Programs contacts, but all district and school staff who completed a significant portion of an entire planning cycle (i.e., submitted a school plan) are invited to respond. Please feel free to share the URL for this survey with other appropriate respondents in your district or school(s).
Thank you for your participation. Your feedback is important.
Click Here for Additional Information
For More Information, Contact:
Katy Jackson
Unified Improvement Planning Team
Phone: 303-866-6858
Email: uiphelp@cde.state.co.us
Fire Maintenance Inspections - We Hear from the Inspectors
Attn: Principals, Superintendants
When asked what they look for when conducting a fire maintenance inspection, Division of Fire Safety inspectors said the following:
Brian Cheek: “I ask to see the annual inspection reports for fire alarm testing with the annual fire suppression system inspection reports if a sprinkler system is present. I also ask to see the fire drill log sheets to ensure that monthly fire drills are being conducted.”
David Chadwell: “When I am at a maintenance inspection I provide the DFS safety checklist. It outlines things to check during the year between inspections and covers what systems need to be inspected on an annual basis by a certified person or company.”
Les Lallo: “Emergency lighting, exit sign illumination tests and the hazards of combustible loading within the classrooms, specifically suspended material from ceilings and fixtures.”
Click Here for Additional Information
For More Information, Contact:
Joseph Montoya
Phone: 303-239-5862
Email: joseph.montoya@cdps.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.
|
