Announcement
Educator Performance Evaluation System Pilot
Attn: Superintendents
The Colorado Department of Education is inviting any interested school district to participate in the initial pilot of the state’s new educator performance evaluation system. If your district is interested in being a part of the developmental phase of this work, please complete the online request to participate in the pilot test by Saturday, June 25. CDE will review all completed notices of intent to participate in the pilot test and notify districts of their selection to be a part of this work no later than July 1, 2011. The ideal pool of pilot districts will reflect diversity of Colorado school districts and students.
Your district’s educators could serve as representatives of their peers across the state during the development, testing, and validation stages of this work. CDE will use the information gathered from testing the new system in pilot districts to refine and improve its quality, credibility, relevance and utility.
For the first year of the pilot, CDE is seeking to identify two different sets of districts to participate in the evaluation of the state model system, and the framework for evaluation systems adopted by the State Board:
1. A cohort of between 6-8 school districts (“Pilot Districts”) to test elements of the state’s new model evaluation system. Selected districts will be representative of the various sizes, student demographics and geographic differences across Colorado.
2. A cohort of school districts that have already developed local performance evaluation systems that reflect key elements of the legislation (“Partner Districts”), who will map their existing systems against the state framework.
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For More Information, Contact:
Ulcca Joshi Hansen
Phone: 303 736 6477 x207
Email: uhansen@colegacy.org
2011 Annual Report of Online Programs
Attn: Superintendents, Online Program Directors
The Unit of Online Learning Unit CDE just released the 2011 “Summary Report of the Operations and Activities of Online Programs in Colorado.”
In addition to summarizing the annual report submitted by online programs, the authors of this report interviewed online school leaders and suggested state policies for consideration. Download the report at the link below.
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For More Information, Contact:
Denise Mund
Online Learning
Phone: 303-866-6740
Email: mund_d@cde.state.co.us
Online Course: Family, School & Community Partnering: Multi-Tier System of Supports
Attn: All stakeholders in Colorado PreK-12 education, including administrators, family members, teachers, related service providers, school board members, advocates, higher education faculty, and future educators
The goal of this course is to provide Colorado PreK-12 education stakeholders with the shared knowledge and resources to effectively implement multi-tier family, school, and community partnering in supporting school success for all students – both in individual roles and as team members, consultants, or organizations. A primary focus is the shift from traditional parent involvement at school to active family partnering in coordinating learning between home and school. The research and legal rationales for this shift are highlighted, while continually applying the findings in a practical way to school, home, and community settings.
The course will be held Monday, July 4th - Monday, August 1st. The course may be taken for either Adams State graduate or undergraduate credit for a fee, or CDE professional development hours at no cost.
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For More Information, Contact:
Cindy Dascher
Exceptional Student Leadership
Phone: 303-866-6876
Email: dascher_c@cde.state.co.us
Revised Standards Implementation Toolkit Now Available Online
Attn: Superintendents, Curriculum Directors, Principals
CDE is excited to share that the new standards implementation toolkit is now online.
The Web site is designed to be user friendly and to provide activities and tools for each phase of the standards implementation process.
The toolkit contains tools CDE has previously released as part of the standards implementation readiness and dissemination phase. There are also new tools to support Colorado School districts as they move into the transition phase for new standards and new curriculum frameworks, including:
1) The Vertical Articulation tool, which shows how the grade level expectations build upon each other leading to the prepared graduate competencies.
2) Concept connections, which show four concepts that are common across at least five sets of standards in each grade Kindergarten through fifth grade.
3) Discipline concept maps, which show how the concepts and skills within each discipline at each grade level might be grouped around organizing concepts and unifying themes.
Access the toolkit at the link below.
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For More Information, Contact:
Kenny Smith
Academic and Instructional Support
Phone: 303-866-6189
Email: smith_k@cde.state.co.us
Conference
Informational Workshop for Anyone Impacted by School Budget Cuts
Attn: Superintendents
This free workshop on June 15 will help you find your next job and provide you with resources that can help during your transition.
Learn current job search strategies, learn about what Colorado Workforce has to offer, learn about the availability of education dollars, about unemployment insurance and information on budgeting, financial planning, community resources and on-site resume critiquing.
June 15
Courtyard By Marriot
1475 S. Colorado Blvd. Denver 80222
9 a.m. to 11 a.m.
OR
June 16
Doubletree Hotel
8773 Yates Dr.
Westminster, CO 80031
9 a.m. to 11 a.m.
RSVP
303-318-8813
Space is limited!
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For More Information, Contact:
Colorado Department of Labor and Employment
Phone: 303-318-8813
Email: Terry.Bohannon@state.co.us
Advancing Colorado's Plan for Improving Instruction and Student Outcomes: Conference and Potential Grant Opportunity
Attn: Superintendent, Curriculum and Instruction Director, Secondary School Principal, Secondary School Teacher, Professional Development, Educator Performance Evaluations
The Colorado Legacy Foundation and CDE invite Colorado school district leaders to attend a conference designed to provide information about tools that can help in the integrated implementation of the new Colorado Academic Standards, aligned assessments, and educator performance evaluations systems in Colorado.
• These tools are intended to support implementation efforts by local school districts as well as complement resources being developed by CDE.
• In addition, participants will be given information about a potential grant opportunity to serve as a demonstration site to model high-quality implementation of new performance evaluation systems aligned to Senate Bill 191 and formative instructional supports intended to support educators.
Date: Monday, June 20th, 2011
Time: 8:30AM – 5:00PM
Location: Denver Metro Area
Interested districts are encouraged to send 3-5 representatives with the following roles and responsibilities:
• Superintendent • Secondary School Teacher
• Curriculum and Instruction Director • Professional Development
• Secondary School Principal • Educator Performance Evaluations
Speakers will provide an overview of the following tools and topics:
• Shell Centre modules to support formative instructional practice in Math
• Literacy by Design tools for use in boosting literacy skills across the Colorado Academic Standards in secondary grades
• Educator performance dashboards and data analysis systems
• Using video resources for instructional coaching
• Ensuring reliable teacher observations
Note about this Conference and CDE Summer Symposia:
Please note that this conference is separate but complementary to the CDE Summer Symposia.
During the Symposia, participants will receive up-to-date information on the components of Colorado’s reform agenda.
The information presented will help schools and districts unify their work regarding the implementation of new standards, assessments, educator effectiveness, and the new accountability systems.
During the conference, nationally-recognized experts will showcase tools,which will be available to all districts, intended to support the implementation efforts.
Participants will also be given information about the opportunity for three districts to receive more intense help and serve as demonstration sites to model high-quality implementation of Colorado's education reforms.
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For More Information, Contact:
Hilary Gustave
Colorado Legacy Foundation
Phone: 303-503-9108
Email: hgustave@rebound-solutions.com
Event
2011 CDE Summer Symposia
Attn: Districts
The Summer Learning Symposia, a two-day meeting facilitated by CDE, will assist schools and districts in unifying their work around Colorado's reform agenda.
Key outcomes:
-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
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.
Dates and Locations:
-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 is currently open 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.
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For More Information, Contact:
Vanessa Roman
Office of Learning and Results
Phone: (303) 866 - 6678
Email: roman_v@cde.state.co.us
Federal Programs
C-FIRS Tracker System Update
Attn: Superintendents, Principals, Federal Program Contacts, Title I Directors, Human Resource Contacts, and Technology Directors
Please be aware that the C-FIRS Tracker System will be unavailable for use Monday, June 20, 2011 through Tuesday, June 21, 2011. During these two days, the Colorado Department of Education will be updating the system.
The system will become available again on Wednesday, June 22, 2011. Although the “look” of the system will change, most of the functionality will remain the same.
Thank you in advance for your patience during this brief interruption.
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For More Information, Contact:
Leslie Baca
Office of Federal Program Administration
Phone: 303-866-6700
Email: baca_l@cde.state.co.us
Adequate Yearly Progress Preparations
Attn: Superintendents and Federal Program Contacts
As the AYP window approaches (preliminary determinations should be available on August 2nd), we wanted to ensure that districts are prepared. The most important component is for each district to have an assigned respondent.
AYP determinations are released through the Automated Data Exchange only to districts’ authorized respondents. Respondents are trained to access AYP data determinations, calculate AYP, disseminate results, and submit requests for appeals, etc. In addition, respondents receive all correspondence around AYP and upcoming webinar trainings. It is, therefore, very important that each district have an authorized respondent in place as soon as possible.
If your respondent no longer works for the district, or if someone else plans to take on that duty, please download and complete the AYP ADE Respondent Form available on the CDE Web site (http://www.cde.state.co.us/FedPrograms/danda/ayp.asp).
Have the superintendent sign the form and fax it back to Donna Morganstern (303-866-6637). Once this is done, a new respondent can be assigned a user name and password. If you have forgotten your user name and password, or need to find out who has been your respondent, call Donna Morganstern at 303-866-6209.
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For More Information, Contact:
Donna Morganstern
Office of Federal Program Administration
Phone: 303-866-6209
Email: morganstern_d@cde.state.co.us
Update
Draft Senate Bill 10-191 Rules Are Available
Attn: Principals, Superintendents, Human Resources Directors
Draft rules for implementation of the Great Teachers and Leaders Bill (Senate Bill 10-191) are now available on the department''s Web site.
The State Board of Education is now scheduled to hold three rulemaking hearings—on August 3, September 14, and October 5. A handout describing upcoming opportunities to learn about the draft rules and provide input is also available on the Web site.
To submit written comments and questions about the draft rules, please email state.board@cde.state.co.us or send them to: State Board Office, 201 E. Colfax Ave., Room 506, Denver, CO 80203-1087.
Comments should include the following information: (1) the name of the individual submitting the comment; (2) where applicable, a statement as to whether the individual has been designated as the representative of a particular organization or body; and (3) for recommended changes to the draft rules, references to specific rule numbers and page numbers. General input on the rules are welcome, but the State Board would appreciate comments with the greatest amount of specificity possible.
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For More Information, Contact:
Kady Dodds
Performance and Policy
Phone: 303-866-6274
Email: Dodds_K@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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