Announcement
Pest Tip for April - Cockroaches
Attn: Teachers, facility managers
In Colorado, there are three species of cockroaches – German, American and Oriental. The most common here is the German cockroach. It is commonly found in kitchens and in general, daytime sightings of cockroaches indicate a significant infestation.
The single most critical step in cockroach management is careful monitoring using a sticky trap. German cockroaches do not move extensive distances; nymphs will only move a few feet from where their egg case hatched. Finding nymphs in a monitoring trap indicates that you are exactly where the cockroaches are infesting; this is the location that needs to be cleaned, uncluttered and possibly treated with bait.
Poor sanitation may help sustain cockroaches, but even clean environments can harbor roaches. Steps for good sanitation include:
• placing (metal) baskets in all floor drains to keep drains clean;
• eliminating the use of cardboard boxes to store things; German cockroaches thrive in cardboard boxes;
• placing all food in air-tight containers;
• keeping food consumption to designated areas;
• maintaining clean kitchen floors, especially in corners and under appliances.
Click Here for Additional Information
For More Information, Contact:
Deborah Young
Colorado State University
Phone: 970-491-1377
Email: deborah.young@colostate.edu
Statewide Needs Assessment on Bullying Prevention
Attn: Principals and Assistant Principals
The Colorado Bullying Prevention Working Group and the Colorado Legacy Foundation are conducting a statewide needs assessment to identify statewide and regional needs for training and resources to support effective bullying prevention. The short 13-question survey takes less than 10 minutes to complete and will be used to inform the development of a statewide strategic plan for addressing bullying prevention. We are asking schools to complete the survey by Monday, April 11. Thank you!
Click Here for Additional Information
For More Information, Contact:
Carol Mehesy
Colorado Legacy Foundation
Phone: 303-736-6477 x209
Email: cmehesy@colegacy.org
CDE’s Human Capital Funding Matrix Helps Districts Identify Funding Sources
Attn: District Leadership, Accountability Contacts, Human Resource Directors, and Grant Writers
Improving and supporting educator effectiveness is a Colorado priority. Acting on this priority requires focused attention to all of the elements of a district’s human capital system from recruitment, hiring and placement to evaluation, professional development and retention. In order to assist districts in maximizing and aligning funds to support their human capital activities, the Educator Effectiveness Unit of the Colorado Department of Education has developed the Human Capital Funding Matrix which identifies potential sources of state and federal funding that may be used for various activities related to recruiting, training, evaluating, and retaining effective teachers and leaders.
The funding matrix is designed as an initial tool to begin conversations about the creative use of available funds. It is intended to help districts match areas of need related to human capital management with available funding sources. The matrix and an accompanying guidance document can be accessed on CDE’s Educator Effectiveness Resource Bank at the link below.
Click Here for Additional Information
For More Information, Contact:
Kady Dodds
Performance and Policy
Phone: 303-866-6274
Email: Dodds_K@cde.state.co.us
Opportunity For Public Feedback on Mathematics Assessment
Attn: Superintendents, Curriculum Directors
The Colorado State Board of Education adopted the attributes for the new Colorado Assessment System in December 2010. Additional decisions regarding the mathematics assessments at the high school level were needed. CDE has been researching multiple options that will appropriately assess the Colorado Academic Standards.
Opportunity to give feedback on the assessment options are available at the following times and locations:
Monday, April 18 – Fort Collins
5 – 6 p.m.
Front Range Community College – Larimer Campus
Longs Peak Student Center, West Conference Room
4616 S. Shields Street
Fort Collins, CO 80526
Tuesday, April 19 – Grand Junction
5 – 6 p.m.
Mesa State College
College Center Room 221
1100 North Avenue
Grand Junction, CO 81501
Wednesday, April 20 – Colorado Springs
5 – 6 p.m.
Pikes Peak BOCES
Large Conference Room
4825 Lorna Place
Colorado Springs, CO 80915
For More Information, Contact:
Joyce Zurkowski, Director of Assessments
Standards & Assessment
Phone: 303-866-6760
Email: zurkowski_j@cde.state.co.us
April Is Autism Awareness Month
Attn: All Educators
The Autism Society of America has established April as Autism Awareness Month. We encourage you to take this opportunity to increase the level of understanding of our students with autism spectrum disorders within your districts and schools. The Colorado Autism Task Force has developed a brochure of activities and resources on autism awareness that we hope you will find helpful. We would also like to hear what you are doing in your schools for Autism Awareness Month.
Click Here for Additional Information
For More Information, Contact:
Melinda Graham and Brooke Young
Exceptional Student Leadership Unit
Phone: 303.866.6707 and 303.866.6691
Email: graham_m@cde.state.us.co and young_b@cde.state.co.us
Conference
Registration for Spring Regional Intensive Supports Trainings
Attn: Special Education Directors and Coordinators, District Intensive Support Teams, PBIS District Coaches, and PBIS Building Level Coach/Facilitators, PBIS Teams, Mental Health Professionals, Special Education Personnel, Related Service Providers
The Exceptional Student Leadership Unit in partnership with the Response to Intervention and Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports Unit would like to announce the Spring Intensive Behavior Supports Training: Looking at Behavior through the “Eyes” of Autism with Melinda Graham, CDE’s autism consultant.
The purpose of this training is to offer resources, strategies and interventions for special educators teaching students with Autism Spectrum Disorders. Additional information will be provided on completing Functional Behavior Assessments to effectively design Behavior Intervention Plans that meet the unique needs of each student. To benefit most from the training, participants should have a basic level of knowledge about ASD.
The dates are as follows:
• Tuesday, May 10 in Grand Junction
• Thursday, May 12 in Colorado Springs
• Friday, May 13 in Westminster
Click Here for Additional Information
For More Information, Contact:
Becky Steensen, Intensive Supports Coordinator
Exceptional Student Leadership
Phone: 303-898-9623
Email: steensen_b@cde.state.co.us
Autism Level I Training: Autism Presentation for School Nurses
Attn: Special Education Directors, School Nurses
This half day for school nurses will present an overview of autism spectrum disorders, their neurological differences and the biomedical issues that students often experience. There are common co-morbid disorders that increase the challenges of this population of students. Medical, dietary, supplements and other common (and not so common) treatments will be discussed.
Friday, April 22
Registration: 7:30 a.m. to 8 a.m.
Training Session: 8 a.m. to noon
*Bring a lunch for an informal question and answer session that will last until 1 p.m.
Glenwood Springs Community Center
100 Wulfsohn Road
Glenwood Springs, CO 81601
970.384.6310
www.glenwoodrec.com
This training is offered at no charge by the Exceptional Student Leadership Unit / Autism Team.
Click Here for Additional Information
For More Information, Contact:
Tara Rolfe
Exceptional Student Leadership Unit
Phone: 303.866.6969
Email: rolfe_t@cde.state.co.us
Autism Level I Training: Screening, Evaluation & Educational Identification
Attn: Special Ed Directors, Child Find Coordinators, Psychologists, SLPs, OTs, Early Childhood Special Education Teachers
The training will detail Level 1 and 2 screenings and the recommended evaluation process using best practices for the educational identification of students 3 to 21 suspected of having an autism spectrum disorder. Screening children birth to 3 and recommendations when autism is suspected will also be covered. This presentation will benefit teams that participate in the Educational Identification of Autism and for those teams who choose not to educationally identify but are addressing the needs of student suspected of an ASD.
Thursday, April 21
Registration: 8:30 a.m. to 9 a.m.
Training Session: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Glenwood Springs Community Center
100 Wulfsohn Road
Glenwood Springs, CO 81601
This training is offered at no charge by the Exceptional Student Leadership Unit / Autism Team.
Click Here for Additional Information
For More Information, Contact:
Tara Rolfe
Exceptional Student Leadership Unit
Phone: 303.866.6969
Email: rolfe_t@cde.state.co.us
Autism Level II Training: Preschool
Attn: Special Ed Directors, Special Education Teachers, Principals, Occupational Therapists, School Psychologists, Speech and Language Pathologists, Paraeducators
This one day workshop on Friday, April 29 will be for practitioners working with young students with autism in the school setting. The topics will include classroom setup, scheduling, and curriculum, use of peers, communication strategies, as well as an examination of evidence based program models and their components.
The Level II Autism Training is open to participants who have previously attended the three-day Autism Introduction training. If others feel they have similar content background they can inquire below regarding individual decisions.
Click Here for Additional Information
For More Information, Contact:
Tara Rolfe
Exceptional Student Leadership Unit
Phone: 303.866.6969
Email: rolfe_t@cde.state.co.us
Event
“On the Team and at the Table” Training
Attn: All
Colorado's RtI framework includes family and community partnering as one of its six components. Family, School and Community Partnering: “On the Team and at the Table” focuses on how families, schools and community resources can partner together for student success within the tiered RtI process.
The training will be held Friday, May 6, in Wheat Ridge from 9:30 a.m. - 3 p.m. Check-in begins at 9 a.m.
This training is targeted for family and community stakeholders as well as school/district administrators, who work to ensure effective family-school partnering.
Click Here for Additional Information
For More Information, Contact:
Carolyn Horstman
Response to Intervention/Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports
Phone: 303-866-6622
Email: horstman_c@cde.state.co.us
Federal Programs
C-FIRS Tracker Instrument due Friday, April 15
Attn: Superintendents, Federal Program Contacts, Title I Directors, and Technology Directors
Reminder: The April Tracker Instrument, "(5) April 15--Cycle 2" is due Friday, April 15. The instrument can be accessed through the C-FIRS Tracker System, available online 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 Cross-Cutting indicator related to Nonpublic School Consultation and the Title II, Part D indicator related to 8th-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. Please note: This collection is in addition to the (6) UIP for SchoolView-Ap, also due on April 15, 2011.
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 the CDE Web site 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
ARRA and FY 2009-10 NCLB Funds Availability
Attn: Federal Program Contacts, Consolidated Application Coordinators, Business Managers
The last day to spend ARRA and fiscal year 2009-2010 NCLB funds is Friday, September 30, 2011. Many districts still have ARRA funds and 09-10 NCLB funds remaining that must be obligated and drawn down in the next six months. Distribution reports, showing the remaining funds for each district by program, are available online at http://www.cde.state.co.us/cdefisgrant/Grant_Distribution_Reports.htm.
Click Here for Additional Information
For More Information, Contact:
Debbie Wolfe
Grants Fiscal Management Services Unit
Phone: 303-866-6724
Email: wolfe_d@cde.state.co.us
Public School Choice Webinars
Attn: Title I Directors, Federal Program Contacts
Title I schools that are on Title I Improvement must notify parents of public school choice options. Any school on improvement, or with the potential to be on improvement, must submit a draft parent notification letter for approval by Friday, April 15. These letters will be collected through the C-FIRS Tracker system. All letters will be reviewed to ensure that the required components are included.
Additional assistance to districts will take place through a 30-minute webinar on:
• Thursday, April 7, 2:30 p.m.
• Tuesday, April 12, 1 p.m.
To register, contact Leslie Baca.
Click Here for Additional Information
For More Information, Contact:
Leslie Baca
Office of Federal Program Administration
Phone: 303.866.6700
Email: baca_l@cde.state.co.us
News
Final Recommendations from State Council for Educator Effectiveness to be Presented April 13
Attn: Educators, School Board Members
After 13 months of work, the State Council for Educator Effectiveness will present final recommendations for a new statewide teacher and principal evaluation system to the state board of education at 10 a.m. Wednesday, April 13. The report will be available on the Council’s Web site that day.
The Council’s recommendations were driven by best practices and proven research as well as feedback from people in the field.
Thanks to those of you who reviewed the draft recommendations in recent weeks to share best hopes, worst fears, advice and resources needed to implement a new educator evaluation system.
More than 1,750 people responded to the online survey alone! Since presenting draft recommendations in February, Council members met with more than 500 people to gather input.
Over the last year, the Council’s work has focused on four major areas:
• Define teacher effectiveness and principal effectiveness.
• Establish levels of effectiveness and performance standards.
• Develop guidelines for a fair, rigorous and transparent system to evaluate teachers and principals.
• Recommend state policy changes to prepare, evaluate and support teachers and principals.
What’s next? The Colorado State Board of Education will review the Council’s recommendations. The board is slated to adopt rules for a new statewide evaluation system by October 2011.
Click Here for Additional Information
For More Information, Contact:
Vanessa R. Roman
Office of Learning & Results
Phone: 303-866-6678
Email: roman_v@cde.state.co.us
Reminder
Fire Maintenance Inspections
Attn: Principals, Superintendants
The Division of Fire Safety’s mission is to protect those that live, work and play in Colorado, by reducing threats to lives, property and the environment. It does this by preventing threats through code enforcement and strengthening emergency response capabilities to those incidents that cannot be prevented.
DFS is responsible for conducting fire inspections at all of Colorado’s public schools. DFS checks for compliance with adopted fire prevention codes These inspections are called maintenance inspections and they are done to ensure that exits, fire sprinklers, fire alarm systems, exit signs/lighting are being maintained in good working order.
Due to our limited resources, DFS relies on local fire departments to help conduct school inspections. Jurisdictions with qualified inspectors can perform the necessary inspections. To see a list of Certified Public school fire inspectors and the jurisdictions they represent, visit the link below.
A Division of Fire Safety inspector starts by contacting the school to schedule a time to perform the inspection. This provides the school with adequate notice to schedule someone to walk with the inspector and gather pertinent paperwork the inspector is required to review per regulation and the Adopted 2006 International Fire Code.
Next week: Specific items required for a maintenance inspection.
Click Here for Additional Information
For More Information, Contact:
Joseph Montoya
Phone: 303-239-5862
Email: joseph.montoya@cdps.state.co.us
Reminder to Submit Unified Improvement Plan
Attn: Superintendents, Accountability Contacts, Tracker Respondents, District Assessment Coordinators and Federal Programs Contacts
This is a reminder that the deadline to submit Unified Improvement Plans (UIPs) to CDE is on Friday, April 15. Plans due to CDE by this date are summarized below:
Under State Accountability
Schools: Turnaround Plans, Priority Improvement Plans, Improvement Plans or Performance Plans
Districts: Turnaround Plans, Priority Improvement Plans, Improvement Plans or Performance Plans
Under ESEA Accountability
None
By April 15, all districts, including those on performance and improvement plans, will need to submit final district and school plans to CDE. In 2010 – 2011, the Unified Improvement Plan template is required for districts with an initial January deadline and recommended, but not required, for districts with an initial April deadline. Final district and school plans should be submitted via Tracker in the April “UIP for SchoolView – April” Instrument, as outlined in the “Unified Improvement Plan Submission Process Summary” document. This is the plan that will be posted publicly on SchoolView.
For submission details, please refer to “Unified Improvement Plan Submission Process Summary” on SchoolView. For assistance with Tracker, please contact Katy Jackson at 303-866-6858, uiphelp@cde.state.co.us or Jennifer Morgan at 303-866-6108, Morgan_j@cde.state.co.us.
CDE will host a training webinar on the submission process: http://connect.cboces.org/r12321117/
Thursday, April 7 from 1 p.m. – 2 p.m. - "Tracker UIP Submission Process"
The webinar will cover the tracker submission process in detail. UIP submitters may log in to the webinar to ask UIP submission-specific questions. The link to the webinar is provided here:
To register for the webinar, please contact Katy Jackson at uiphelp@cde.state.co.us
Click Here for Additional Information
For More Information, Contact:
Katy Jackson
Phone: (303) 866 - 6858
Email: uiphelp@cde.state.co.us
To Do
U.S. Department of Education Survey
Attn: Superintendents
Soon you will receive information about a survey and study from the U.S. Department of Education, "Charting the Progress of Education Reform: An Evaluation of the Recovery Act’s Role." We have been informed by the department that because Colorado is a recipient of ARRA funds, we are obligated to participate in the survey. At CDE, we have pledged to not add any new reporting requirements to your already overburdened workloads. Unfortunately this request from the federal government is one we are required to support.
Thank you in advance for your cooperation. Your time and effort is appreciated.
Sincerely,
Robert Hammond, Commissioner
(Cover letter from USDOE at link below)
Click Here for Additional Information
For More Information, Contact:
Nancy Hegele
Commissioner's Office
Phone: 303-866-6646
Email: hegele_n@cde.state.co.us
Colorado NWEA-MAP Conference Survey
Attn: District Superintendents and Principals
In collaboration with multiple districts/schools, the Colorado League of Charter Schools is interested in bringing a new level of support around the implementation and use of Northwest Evaluation Association’s MAP Assessment by coordinating the first Colorado NWEA Power User’s Conference.
Please help us gather crucial information on whether or not there is an interest in an event like this for 2011-2012 by completing a short survey at the link below.
Click Here for Additional Information
For More Information, Contact:
Tisha Bouwmeester, Director of Performance Management
Colorado League of Charter Schools
Phone: 303.989.5356 x 106
Email: tbouwmeester@coloradoleague.org
Update
Standards Implementation Update
Attn: Superintendents, Curriculum Directors, Assessment Directors
Mathematics Online Searchable Standards
This week the Office of Standards and Assessments is adding the new Colorado Academic Standards for mathematics to the online searchable tool. The online searchable standards allow users to easily extract specific grade levels from within a desired content area. It also provides an opportunity to extract all grade level expectations related to a particular prepared graduate competency. The online searchable standards can be found at: http://www.cde.state.co.us/cdeassess/UAS/CoAcademicStandards.html
Glossary for the Colorado Academic Standards
An online glossary for the Colorado Academic Standards is now available. The purpose of this glossary is to define discipline specific terminology used in the Colorado Academic Standards. The online glossary can be found at: http://www.cde.state.co.us/cdeassess/UAS/CoAcademicStandards.html
Click Here for Additional Information
For More Information, Contact:
Anna Huffman
Office of Standards and Assessment
Phone: (303) 866-6752
Email: huffman_a@cde.state.co.us
Development of Accountability Measures for Alternative Education Campuses
Attn: Alternative Education Campus Leaders and District Accountability Contacts
Thank you to those of you who participated in the department’s meeting yesterday to discuss accountability measures for AECs. The department’s PowerPoint, with an overview of considerations for the alternative school performance framework, as well as the data analysis related to AEC performance on statewide measures, are available at the link below.
Currently, the department is considering the following criteria for the AEC framework:
• AEC frameworks will use consistent indicator weights for Achievement, Growth, Postsecondary and Workforce Readiness and Student Engagement.
• In order to comply with statutory requirements, AEC frameworks must give the greatest weight to Postsecondary Readiness and Growth.
• AEC frameworks would weigh the indicators as follows:
- Achievement = 10 percent
- Growth = 35 percent
- Postsecondary Readiness= 30 percent
- Student Engagement = 25 percent
• Where available, three years of data will be used (minimum N = 16 or 20).
• Where available, state data must be included in an AEC’s framework.
• When state data is used, AECs will use consistent/common cut-points. To inform cut-points, CDE will provide state data with statewide percentiles and AEC percentiles.
• AEC percentile cuts for state data would be as follows:
- At/above 40th percentile = AEC approaching
- At/above 60th percentile = AEC meets
- At/above 90th percentile = AEC exceeds
• AECs and their districts/authorizers would select supplemental measures to the state data used in the AEC framework, subject to department approval.
• Districts/authorizers could present a case for opting out of any of the requirements above, by submitting a locally-developed AEC framework to the department for approval.
The department welcomes your feedback on these criteria. Please submit any questions, concerns or suggestions to Somoh Supharukchinda by Tuesday, April 12.
Click Here for Additional Information
For More Information, Contact:
Somoh Supharukchinda
Office of Performance and Policy
Phone: 303-866-6274
Email: Supharukchinda_S@cde.state.co.us
Webinars
Standards Implementation and Assessment Transition Update Webinar
Attn: Superintendents, Curriculum Directors, Principals
The Office of Standards and Assessment and the Office of Teaching and Learning will co-host a webinar for district leaders with updates on standards implementation and assessment transition information on Monday, April 18 from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m.
Participants will receive helpful guidance for standards transition planning for the 2011-12 school year and information on the transitional state assessment. The webinar will be recorded for those unable to participate live. To participate, please follow this link: http://connect.cboces.org/officehour.
For More Information, Contact:
Melissa Colsman
Office of Teaching and Learning
Phone: (303) 866-6737
Email: colsman_m@cde.state.co.us
Unpacking TELL Colorado Data Webinar
Attn: Superintendents, Principals, District Administrators, School Leaders
CDE and the New Teacher Center will offer a webinar on Thursday, April 7 from 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. that provides an overview on how to read, interpret and use the TELL Colorado data. Please join us by registering right away (contact Tina Tamayo at tamayo_t@cde.state.co.us).
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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