Announcement
Public CAP4K meeting in Alamosa and Pueblo on Postsecondary and Workforce Readiness
Attn: Teachers, Principals, Superintendents, Curriculum and Assessment Directors, counselors and all building staff
The Colorado Department of Education and the Colorado Department of Higher Education will jointly host town hall meetings in Alamosa and Pueblo next week as part of the ongoing effort to establish a description of “postsecondary and workforce readiness.”
The meetings will be held in:
• Alamosa on Wednesday, April 15, from 5 – 7 p.m. at the Adams State College Student Union Building, Rooms 308-309, 208 Edgemont Blvd;
• Pueblo on Thursday, April 16, from 5 – 7 p.m. at the Marriot Hotel – Pueblo, 110 W. First St.
Educators, students, parents, business and community members and interested citizens are invited to the meetings, which will be facilitated by Commissioner Dwight Jones and Executive Director David Skaggs.
These gatherings will part of a series of 13 statewide meetings planned to solicit a broad spectrum of community thinking. The work was launched by Senate Bill 08-212, the “Preschool to Postsecondary Education Alignment Act” also known as the Colorado Achievement Plan for Kids (CAP4K).
The town hall forums will focus on such questions as:
- Describe the skills and competencies students need to be workforce ready.
- Describe the skills and competencies students need to be postsecondary ready.
- Are there special considerations for the workforce or higher education in your region of the state?
Please contact Samantha Long, SB 212 project manager, with any questions. Feel free to share this event with others you think might be interested. We hope you will be able to join us in this important conversation.
For More Information, Contact:
Samantha Long
Office of Learning and Results
Phone: 303-866-3801
Email: long_s@cde.state.co.us
Conference
Intel Teach Program National Training Series Comes to Colorado August 3―6
Attn: Principals, Superintendents and Staff Development/Curriculum/Technology Directors
The Intel Teach Thinking with Technology “train-the-trainer” course is coming back to Colorado hosted by Adams 12 Five Star School District in Thornton, Colo.
This outstanding program builds on effective technology integration skills where teachers use free online tools to support the development and assessment of their students' higher-order thinking skills.
This modular course provides face-to-face, hands-on experiences with unique online thinking tools that engage students and help them to communicate their understanding of complex concepts.
Teachers learn instructional strategies for addressing and assessing thinking skills, using technology to support deeper understanding of core content. The goal is for teachers to leave the course with a standards-based unit plan, support materials, and implementation strategies to improve and assess students' higher-order thinking with the use of free online tools.
The cost of this program is a $150 registration fee and any related travel and lodging costs. Individual school districts will need to register directly with the Intel Teach program at the link listed below.
Space is limited to 25 participants, so don’t miss this opportunity to get your teachers and staff developers certified in this outstanding program while it is offered in Colorado.
Click Here for Additional Information
For More Information, Contact:
Dan Morris
Educational Technology and Innovation
Phone: 303-229-8301
Email: morris_d@cde.state.co.us
Intensive Mathematics Planning Workshop July 27―31
Attn: Superintendents, Middle and High School Principals, District Curriculum Directors/Coordinators, TOSAs, Coaches and Mathematics Teachers
CDE’s Office of Teaching and Learning is pleased to announce that applications are now being accepted for the second cohort of the Intensive Math Planning Workshop, a mathematics workshop designed for teams of secondary teachers and leaders from schools and districts.
The training is based on what research shows successful schools and teachers do to improve mathematics instruction for their students.
Phase I of the workshop is an intensive five-day training focused on teams of teachers of secondary mathematics (grades 6-12).
Phase II is a follow-up effectiveness survey 6-8 months after the initial training to determine the extent of changes made and assess any additional support/information needed.
Phase III consists of three one-day follow-up training sessions designed from the feedback received during Phase II, plus research and information on special ed (exceptional students), English-language learners, ethnic students, Response to Intervention (RtI), differentiation, and gifted and talented students.
The Phase I workshop will be held Monday, July 27―Friday, July 31 at Adams State College, Alamosa, Colo. The cost is $175. Adams State credit is available for an additional cost.
Dates and fees have not yet been determined for Phase III training.
Please note: Additional costs such as per diem, hotel, travel and stipends are the responsibility of the district. For more information and to access the enrollment application, click on the link below.
Click Here for Additional Information
For More Information, Contact:
Melissa Colsman
Office of Teaching and Learning, Office of Achievement Gap and Academic Support
Phone: 303-866-6737
Email: colsman_m@cde.state.co.us
Event
3rd Annual Transition Leadership Institute June 10―12
Attn: Special Education Directors and Transition Team Leaders
CDE Exceptional Student Leadership Unit, in conjunction with the National Secondary Transition Technical Assistance Center (NSTTAC) and the University of Northern Colorado Bresnahan-Halstead Foundation, is pleased to announce the 3rd annual Transition Leadership Institute scheduled for Wednesday, June 10―Friday, June 12, 2009 at the Village at Breckenridge in Breckenridge, Colo.
Intended Audience:
Identified transition teams from each Administrative Unit/State Operated Program that will be responsible for developing and implementing strategies to improve transition planning and services for youth with disabilities. AUs with SWAP are encouraged to include the SWAP coordinator as a team member.
Team members may include:
• Special education director, supervisor or coordinator
• Regular education administrator, supervisor or coordinator
• Transition coordinator
• Vocational or career tech coordinator
• Team leader of an 18- to 21-year-old program
• Team leader for psychologists or social workers
• School to Work Alliance Program coordinator (SWAP)
• High school special education teacher
• Parent representative from a local CSEAC or district parent liaison
Please click on the link below for further information and registration forms.
The registration deadline is Saturday, May 9, 2009.
Current Transition Team Leaders will receive registration materials within the next few days via email.
Click Here for Additional Information
For More Information, Contact:
Wendy Ulibarri
Exceptional Student Leadership
Phone: 303-866-6799
Email: ulibarri_w@cde.state.co.us
FYI
Opportunity to Secure Surplus Computer Equipment for Schools and Nonprofits
Attn: Principals, Superintendents and Technology Directors
The Computers for Learning (CFL) program evolved as a guide for implementing Executive Order 12999, Educational Technology: Ensuring Opportunity for all Children in the Next Century.
The executive order encourages agencies, to the extent permitted by law, to transfer computers and related peripheral equipment excess directly to schools and some educational nonprofit organizations.
The CFL program specifically matches the computer needs of schools and educational nonprofit organization with excess equipment in federal agencies.
This equipment is free to schools, though schools may have to arrange for pickup or pay a shipper to receive the equipment.
The CFL program's ambitious goal is to make modern computer technology an integral part of every classroom so that every child has the opportunity to be educated to his or her full potential.
Click on the link below for more information.
Click Here for Additional Information
For More Information, Contact:
Dan Morris
Educational Technology and Innovation
Phone: 303-229-8301
Email: morris_d@cde.state.co.us
Cyber Bullying Webcast April 22
Attn: School Principals and Other School Safety Advocates
The Stop Bullying Now! campaign of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services will host a Webcast focusing on cyber bullying from 1―2:30 p.m. MDT Wednesday, April 22, 2009.
Experts in cyber bullying will provide current information on the use of cyber technologies and best practices in prevention and intervention.
To register for the Webcast, click on the link listed below and access "What Adults Can Do" on the left side of the Stop Bullying Now! homepage.
Click Here for Additional Information
For More Information, Contact:
Janelle Krueger
Federal Programs
Phone: 303-866-6660
Email: krueger_j@cde.state.co.us
School Tips: 10th Anniversary of Tragedy at Columbine High School
Attn: School Principals, Teachers, and Mental Health and Safety Professionals
As local, state and national media concentrate attention on the 10-year anniversary of the tragedy at Columbine High School, our thoughts are with all those whose lives were impacted by the events of April 20, 1999.
We especially remember our colleagues in the Jeffco Public Schools community as this milestone anniversary approaches.
The Colorado School Safety Resource Center (CSSRC) has received permission to reproduce "Tips for Schools" provided by the National Association of School Psychologists.
These tips address the "anniversary effect" and what school staff can do to support the emotional well-being of students and faculty.
To access the tip sheet, click on the link listed below and see the lower right side of CSSRC's home page.
Click Here for Additional Information
For More Information, Contact:
Janelle Krueger
Federal Programs
Phone: 303-866-6660
Email: krueger_j@cde.state.co.us
CDE and Verizon Bring Staff Development that Supports Standards-Based Instruction and 21st Century Skills
Attn: Principals, Superintendents and Staff Development/Curriculum/Technology Directors
CDE is offering professional development opportunities for educators and the literacy community.
Supported by a grant from the Verizon Foundation, CDE is offering online and face-to-face staff development that brings thousands of standards-based lessons to teachers, schools and community centers.
CDE can provide 1-2 hour webinar sessions, a 3-week online class that has graduate credit available and face-to-face training of 2-6 hours. We also are available to give an overview of these resources and opportunities to district administrators, curriculum directors and educational technology directors.
Partners are the Verizon Foundation’s Thinfinity project and the country’s leading literacy and education organizations, including the American Association for the Advancement of Science, The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, National Council on Economic Education, National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, National Geographic Society, International Reading Association, National Center for Family Literacy, National Council of Teachers of English, National Endowment for the Humanities, ProLiteracy Worldwide and the Smithsonian National Museum of American History.
Click Here for Additional Information
For More Information, Contact:
Dan Morris
Educational Technology and Innovation
Phone: 303-229-8301
Email: morris_d@cde.state.co.us
News
TELL Colorado Survey Opens April 13
Attn: Superintendents and Principals
The online TELL Colorado survey opens Monday, April 13 to all teachers and principals in the state.
To access the survey, each participant will need an access code. In partnership with CEA, those codes are being mailed in packets this week to a teacher representative in each school (or the principal, if a teacher representative was not identified).
If you would like to see copies of the information included in these packets, please click on the link listed below and select “Sample Survey Letter” and “Letter Distribution Information.”
Click Here for Additional Information
For More Information, Contact:
Lisa Medler
Federal Programs
Phone: 303-866-6993
Email: medler_l@cde.state.co.us
2009 Grade 3 CSAP Reading and Lectura Preliminary and Unofficial Score Release to School Districts and Media
Attn: District Superintendents, District Assessment Coordinators
The Grade 3 CSAP reading and Lectura data are preliminary and unofficial because the districts have not participated in the final review of their student biographical data (SBD). The SBD review process may affect school and district disaggregated data.
Process:
• Data will be available to DACs only from the secure CTB Navigator Web site on Friday, April 24, 2009. DACs will receive the official instructions from CTB and the Unit of Student Assessment.
• The data will be available to the media on Wednesday, April 29, 2009.
• The data will be embargoed until noon on Friday, May 1, 2009, so districts may have time to review their preliminary data.
• CDE will NOT issue a news release since the data are preliminary and unofficial.
• The unit of Student Assessment will not post summary data on the CDE Web site because the data are preliminary and unofficial.
• Districts may address their preliminary and unofficial results with the media after noon on Friday May 1, 2009, as district officials deem appropriate.
• Districts will receive their paper reports beginning Friday, May 1, 2009.
• The official Grade 3 CSAP Reading and Lectura Score release (post-SBD review) will occur in August at the same time longitudinal growth, scores for the remaining CSAP content area tests, the CSAPA tests and the COACT results are released.
For More Information, Contact:
Jim McIntosh
Student Assessment
Phone: 303-866-6979
Email: mcintosh_j@cde.state.co.us
CELApro GRT Now Available; Paper Reports to Follow
Attn: District Assessment Coordinators and Superintendents
CELApro 2009 GRT data files were made available to districts on Monday, April 6 via the CTB Navigator Web site.
You need your CELApro username and password to access the files. Once you’ve entered CELA Navigator, you’ll find a link to your files under the heading “Secure File Sharing.”
The CELAPro 2009 GRT Layouts are available by clicking the link listed below.
The CELAPro 2009 Guide to Test Interpretation (GTI) will be posted on CTB's Navigator Web site today.
The CELApro 2009 paper reports will be delivered to all districts on or before Friday, April 17, 2009.
If you have any further questions, please contact the CELA Help Desk at (800) 994-8557.
Click Here for Additional Information
For More Information, Contact:
Jim McIntosh
Student Assessment
Phone: 303-866-6979
Email: mcintosh_j@cde.state.co.us
Expelled and At-Risk Student Services Grant Program 2009 Application
Attn: Superintendents and BOCES
Applications for new, four-year grants are now available online. Applications are due by 4 p.m. Tuesday, June 30, 2009.
Applicants may be school districts, BOCES, alternative schools within a school district, charter schools, eligible facilities and nonpublic/non-parochial schools.
The purpose of the funding is to provide educational services to expelled students, and to prevent future suspensions and expulsions. Applicants are encouraged to consider a comprehensive range of instructional and student support services that are proven effective.
Services may include:
• Instruction in math, reading, writing, science and social studies
• Tutoring
• Alternative educational programs
• Vocational education programs
• Support services
• Strategies that address habitually disruptive behavior and/or truancy
This grant program is authorized by CRS 22-33-205 and funded through Amendment 23.
Click Here for Additional Information
For More Information, Contact:
Cindy Wakefield or Judith Martinez
Prevention Initiatives
Phone: 303-866-6750 or 303-866-6127
Email: wakefield_c@cde.state.co.us or martinez_j@cde.state.co.us
Service-Learning Request for Proposals
Attn: Principals, Superintendents, Service-Learning Coordinators, Directors of Expelled and At-Risk Students Services, McKinney-Vento Homeless Education Liaisons, and Directors of Comprehensive School Health Programs
Three-year applications are now available to:
1) Expand high-quality service-learning in grades 7, 8 and 9 ― particularly in schools with large numbers of youth in disadvantaged circumstances ― as a strategy to improve retention and graduation through increased civic and academic engagement
2) Engage young people in service-learning activities that directly address community needs in order to build healthier communities, specifically through a focus on poverty and health issues
School districts, Boards of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES), alternative schools within a district and charter schools are welcome to apply based on the application criteria.
To receive an application, e-mail Paula Gumina at the address listed below.
Applications are due by 4 p.m. Tuesday, June 30, 2009.
Awards will be announced by August 2009.
For More Information, Contact:
Paula Gumina
Prevention Initiatives
Phone: 303-866-8661
Email: gumina_p@cde.state.co.us
Secure Our Schools 2009 Grant Program
Attn: Superintendents, School Security and Safety Personnel, and School Resource Officers
The Community Oriented Policing (COPS) Office is accepting applications for the 2009 COPS Secure Our Schools Program (SOS).
The deadline for applications is Friday, May 8, 2009. Eligible applicants include all local, state and tribal law enforcement agencies that have primary law enforcement authority within a partner primary or secondary school.
This grant program provides funding to local governments to assist with the development of school safety resources.
Grant recipients will be able to establish and enhance a variety of school safety equipment and/or programs in order to promote the development of school safety efforts within their communities.
Funding will be used to help cover the cost of security measures such as the placement and use of metal detectors, locks, lighting and other deterrent measures; security assessments; security training of personnel and students; coordination with local law enforcement; and other measures that could significantly increase a school's security.
Grantees are required to contribute a local cash match of 50 percent toward the total cost of the approved grant project during the two-year grant award period.
Additional information may be provided at: COPS Office Response Center at (800) 421-6770, Department of Justice, or Meg.Williams@cdps.state.co.us at the Colorado Department of Public Safety.
Click Here for Additional Information
For More Information, Contact:
Janelle Krueger
Federal Programs
Phone: 303-866-6660
Email: krueger_j@cde.state.co.us
New Outreach Coordinator - Barbara Allen
Attn: Principals, Superintendents and Human Resource Personnel
In order to support the directives of the “Forward Thinking” plan put in place by Commissioner Dwight Jones and also support the State Board of Education’s goals, CDE’s Office of Professional Services (OPS) is being restructured.
Barbara Allen will now provide greater support and training to school districts as the new OPS Outreach Coordinator. Allen will travel around the state and train human resource personnel on state procedures and ways to eliminate the use of emergency authorizations, which allow individuals not currently eligible for a Colorado teacher’s license to begin teaching.
“This move supports the State Board of Education’s desire to reduce the number of individuals in the classroom without a license. It also enables the districts to discuss their challenges with CDE licensing personnel and supports the Forward Thinking plan to improve educator quality, recruitment, retention and placement,” said Dr. Jami Goetz, Executive Director of OPS.
Allen will also be assisting districts with Title II questions and serving as a direct link between CDE and district personnel.
Licensing evaluators and OPS staff have been reorganized into teams to work on different items and applications, leaving coverage at all times for all types of authorization and license processing.
“In this manner, we are achieving greater flexibility and are able to provide a more user-friendly environment,” said Goetz.
For More Information, Contact:
Anne Marie Roberts
Professional Services
Phone: 303-866-6648
Email: roberts_a@cde.state.co.us
Reminder
Division of Public School Capital Construction Assistance Accepts Applications for Building Excellent Schools Today Grants (BEST)
Attn: Superintendents, Business Managers, Facility Managers, and Grant Writers
Please contact Ted Hughes if you are considering applying for a grant, and please consider submitting your application before the deadline of 4 p.m. Friday, June 5, 2009.
Today wouldn’t be too soon. If you can submit it early, the Division of Public School Capital Construction will have more time to review it and provide assistance and feedback to ensure a strong application.
Eligible projects will be addressed in the following order:
1) Projects addressing health and safety issues
2) Projects to relieve overcrowding
3) Projects addressing technology
4) All other projects
The schedule will be as follows:
• The CC-03 capital construction grant application will be available on the capital construction Web site by Thursday, March 16, 2009.
• Completed grant applications are due no later than 4 p.m. Friday, June 5, 2009.
• CDE staff will read and summarize the grant applications for the Capital Construction Assistance Board and the State Board of Education.
• The Capital Construction Assistance Board will meet as necessary to review applications and select applications to recommend to the state board for award.
• The recommended projects will be submitted to the state board before its Thursday, August 13, 2009, meeting for action and approval.
• Projects approved by the state board for award will be awarded after Thursday, August 13, 2009.
The CC-03 grant application is similar to the last one and will again be Web-based.
Click Here for Additional Information
For More Information, Contact:
Ted Hughes
Public School Capital Construction Assistance
Phone: 303-866-6948
Email: hughes_t@cde.state.co.us
Update
Education Data eXchange Council – Communication Web Site
Attn: Chief Information Officers, District Technology Leaders, System Architects and Data Experts
Help guide the vision of a next-generation data exchange system, and collaborate with your technology peers across the state.
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 data.
A central location for districts to share ideas and exchange information has been set up.
A big thanks to everyone who participated in the March kick-off meeting. A date for the next EDX meeting will be announced soon. Help steer CDE and district technology into the future by joining future meetings of the Education Data eXchange Council.
Click Here for Additional Information
For More Information, Contact:
Lisa Bradley
Information Management Systems
Phone: 303-866-4902
Email: bradley_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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