Announcement
Three Colo. Schools Recognized as 2011 National Blue Ribbon Schools
Attn: Superintendents, District Personnel, Principals
The U.S. Department of Education named 304 schools as 2011 National Blue Ribbon Schools based on their overall academic excellence or for their success in closing achievement gaps.
The three Colorado public schools to be recognized are Heritage Elementary School in Pueblo (Pueblo 60), Las Animas Elementary School in Las Animas (Las Animas RE-1) and Wildflower Elementary School in Colorado Springs (Harrison 2).
The National Blue Ribbon Schools Program, honors public and private schools based on one of two criteria: 1) Schools whose students are high performing. These are schools ranked among each state’s highest performing schools as measured by their performance on state assessments or, in the case of private schools, that score at the highest performance level on nationally normed tests; or 2) Schools with at least 40 percent of their students from disadvantaged backgrounds that improve student performance to high levels as measured by the school’s performance on state assessments or nationally-normed tests.
Click Here for Additional Information
For More Information, Contact:
Lynn Bamberry
Competitive Grants and Awards
Phone: 303-866-6813
Email: bamberry_l@cde.state.co.us
Education Service Provider Resource Now Available
Attn: Education Providers, District Personnel, BOCES
CDE will no longer maintain a list of approved education providers for specific grant programs. Instead, a centralized location is now available on the CDE website for the field to view a description of services and contact information for educational service providers who have chosen to submit this information to CDE.
Providers are listed in the following categories: Assessment; Bully Prevention; Comprehensive & Effective Planning; Comprehensive Turnaround Provider; Content Curriculum Programs; Curriculum Alignment; Diagnostic Review; District Culture; Dropout Prevention and Intervention Services; Educator Effectiveness; Instruction; Leadership; Organizational Structure and Resources; Professional Development; Program Evaluation Services; School and District Improvement; Staff Evaluation; Student, Family and Community Support; and Technology.
The Educational Service Providers resource will be updated quarterly to include information from additional providers who wish to be included. The next submission window will be November 15 – December 15, 2011.
Click Here for Additional Information
For More Information, Contact:
Lynn Bamberry
Competitive Grants and Awards
Phone: 303-866-6813
Email: bamberry_l@cde.state.co.us
RtI Mini-Grant Recipient Announcement
Attn: RtI Coordinators, Building Principals, Superintendents
Multi-Tier System of Supports (RtI) Implementation Grant
CDE’s State Personnel Development Grant from the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) supports professional development activities that target a fully integrated multi-tier system of supports. More specifically, this framework is known as Response to Intervention (RtI) and Positive Behavior Interventions and Support (PBIS).
Through this grant, CDE is funding eight mini-grants in which districts receive up to $10,000 in fiscal support as well as technical assistance from a CDE Technical Assistance Coordinator (TAC). The TAC support includes the following services as part of the grant:
• Monthly planning meetings with the District Leadership Team
• Technical assistance to support district/school implementation efforts
• Training and support in the use of RtI Implementation Rubrics
We are pleased to announce the recipients of the Multi-tier System of Supports (RtI) Implementation mini-grants for the 2011-12 school year.
Congratulations to the following eight districts:
• Mesa County Valley School District 51
• Thompson School District R2-J
• Poudre School District
• Bayfield School District
• Weld Re-4 School District (Windsor)
• NW Colorado BOCES
• Archuleta School District 50 JT
• Weld County Re-8 Schools (Fort Lupton)
Another cohort of RtI mini-grant applications will be available for the 2012-13 school year at the beginning of the calendar year.
For More Information, Contact:
Michael Ramirez
RtI/PBIS
Phone: 303-866-6991
Email: ramirez_m@cde.state.co.us
Upcoming Regional Child Find meetings
Attn: Child Find Coordinators, Early Childhood Administrators, Special Ed Directors
Seven locations have been scheduled for the fall regional Child Find meetings.
Local Part C directors have been invited to the first two hours of these day-long meetings. During that portion of the meeting the following topics will be discussed: initial Part C evaluations, Transition from Part C to Part B, child find’s role in Part C child outcomes reporting process. The remainder of the day will focus specifically on preschool child find issues.
The agenda includes: data collection on the Preschool Educational Environments codes, Indicator 6 and preschool LRE, timely child find referrals and parent consent for evaluation, update on the task force that is providing recommendations on changes to the “preschool with a disability” eligibility category , and state & federal updates. These meetings are intended for Child Find coordinators, however, special education directors and other early childhood administrators are always welcome.
The scheduled meetings are:
October 2 – Telluride
October 14 – Breckenridge
October 17 – Glenwood Springs
November 7 – Colorado Springs
November 28 – Pueblo
December 5 – Loveland
December 12 – Denver
Click Here for Additional Information
For More Information, Contact:
Heidi McCaslin
Early Childhood Initiatives
Phone: 303-866-6667
Email: mccaslin_h@cde.state.co.us
Now Available! Arts Education in Colorado: Guidebook and Resources
Attn: Principals, Tecahers, Curriculum and Instruction Coordinators, Post Secondary and Workforce Readiness Specialists
As a way to support the requirements of the Arts Education for Workforce Development Act passed by the Colorado General Assembly in 2010, an Arts Education task force convened to support efforts to prepare students for a creative and competitive 21st century workforce.
Thanks to funding and contributions by many sponsors, contributors and the CDE Dropout Prevention and Student Engagement Unit, an Arts Guidebook was created in an effort to connect educational needs with visual and performing arts activities in communities across the state.
This guidebook provides Colorado schools and districts with research-based information and ideas on ways to improve or expand their arts education programs. As the economic needs of the state have evolved, so has the urgency to provide our students with an education that will best prepare them for the workforce of tomorrow, one that will require the learning and innovation skills that are taught most effectively through the arts: invention, creativity and innovation, critical thinking and reasoning, self-direction, communication and collaboration.
The task force recognizes that all students in Colorado should have access to quality arts instruction during their learning process in school. This guide is intended to help schools, districts, parents, community members and most importantly, the students, gain equal access to the arts.
Click Here for Additional Information
For More Information, Contact:
Karol Gates-Arts or Angela Zimmerman-Dropout Prevention
Standards and Content-Art or Dropout Prevention and Engagement
Phone: 303-866-6188 or 303-866-6206
Email: gates_k@cde.state.co.us or zimmerman_a@cde.state.co.us
Concurrent Enrollment Advisory Board Will Meet Thursday, Sept. 29
Attn: Attn: Principals, Superintendents, District Finance Office and School Counselors
The Concurrent Enrollment Advisory Board will meet on Thursday, Sept. 29 from 1 p.m. to 3 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 Sept. 29 combined work session and formal meeting agenda includes:
Work Session
•Department of Higher Education Update
•Update on ASCENT Program
•Committee Updates
•6th Year Waiver Overview and Discussion
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
The 13-member board is charged with overseeing programs that allow students to simultaneously enroll in high school and college.
Click Here for Additional Information
For More Information, Contact:
Charles E. Dukes
Dropout Prevention and Student Engagement
Phone: 303-866-6142
Email: dukes_c@cde.state.co.us
Conference
Colorado Safe Schools Regional Training
Attn: Principals, Superintendents, Special Ed Directors, School Counselors, and Safety Related Personnel
Co-Sponsored by: Colorado School Safety Resource Center - Center for the Study and Prevention of Violence CU-Boulder
When: Wednesday, Oct. 19, 12:30 p.m.-3:30 p.m. (pre-conference)
Thursday, Oct. 20, 2011, 8 a.m.-3:45 p.m.
Where: Ft. Collins Marriott, 350 E. Horsetooth Road, Ft. Collins, CO 80525
Who Should Attend: School safety planning teams are encouraged to attend this training. Best practice is to create teams with differing school personnel and community agencies. There is no charge to Colorado participants
Register online at www.co.train.org and use course code: 1027937
A block of rooms has been reserved at the Ft. Collins Marriott Hotel. Please contact the hotel at 1-970-226-5200 for the special “Safe Schools Training” rate.
Click Here for Additional Information
For More Information, Contact:
Linda M. Kanan, Ph.D.
Office of Federal Program Administration, Joyce 6708
Phone: 303-239-4435
Email: Linda.Kanan@cdps.state.co.us
Event
WORKSHOP: Cross Cultural Skills to Promote Refugee Student/Family Engagement and Academic Achievement
Attn: ELA Coordinators, classroom teachers, school principals, school counselors, special education providers
Colorado is quickly becoming a destination for many refugee families seeking a better future for themselves and their children. In 2010 the number of resettled refugees in Colorado was 2,367 and the projection for 2011 is 2,534 (Colorado Department of Human Services). The majority of these refugees come from Somalia, Bhutan, Burma and Iraq.
Schools are one of the first and most influential providers of services for refugee youth and families. Classroom teachers and school administrators need to understand the emotional and social impact of displacement on refugee youth and families in facilitating school adjustment and academic achievement
Intended training outcomes include the following:
• To increase understanding of the unique experiences of refugee youth and the impact on school adjustment and success
• To increase knowledge and skills for working with students cross-culturally by creating supportive classrooms for refugee students thereby improving academic achievement
Registration opens Monday, Oct. 3 and will be limited to 50 participants on a first come first serve basis.
Click Here for Additional Information
For More Information, Contact:
Genevieve Hale OR Fran Herbert
Phone: 303.866.6604
Email: hale_g@cde.state.co.us OR herbert_f@cde.state.co.us
Parents Encouraging Parents Academy, Dec. 6
Attn: Special Education Administrators, Parents Encouraging Parents (PEP) Facilitators & Colorado Special Education Advisory Committee (CSEAC) Members
Hold the date! Dr. Robert Naseef, psychologist, parent, author & national speaker is coming to Colorado!
Join him to explore different ways men & women experience the loss/grief cycle – a model on which the Parents Encouraging Parents (PEP) Conferences are based to help Colorado families & professionals understand the feelings surrounding parenting & educating a child with a disability.
Mark your calendar! Registration information will be available soon.
For more information about the Parents Encouraging Parents (PEP) Academy contact:
Phone: PEP Hotline (303) 866-6846 or outside Metro Denver 1-877-834-0588
Click Here for Additional Information
For More Information, Contact:
Cindy Dascher
Exceptional Student Leadership
Phone: 303-866-6876
Email: dascher_c@cde.state.co.us
Special Education Advisory Committee Forum: “The Power of Partnership – Continuing the Journey”
Attn: Special Education Directors and Local Special Education Advisory Committees
“The Power of Partnership – Continuing the Journey,” a Special Education Advisory Committee Forum, will be held on Tuesday, Nov. 8 in Centennial, CO.
Representatives from local SEACs in Colorado will have the opportunity to hear from a panel of established members, network with other local representatives and share strategies, ideas and resources.
Click Here for Additional Information
For More Information, Contact:
Cindy Dascher
Exceptional Student Leadership
Phone: 303-866-6876
Email: dascher_c@cde.state.co.us
FYI
Final AYP Determinations and Title IA Status
Attn: Superintendents, Federal Program Contacts, Title I Directors, AYP ADE Respondents
During the week of Sept. 12, notification of final district and school AYP results, as well as district Program Improvement and School Improvement status, were emailed to NCLB federal programs contacts and AYP respondents. Now that districts have had an opportunity to review their school and district level AYP determinations and Title IA School and Program Improvement Status, this information will be released to the public on Oct. 4. Districts and schools are free to release their results to the public as well.
For More Information, Contact:
Donna Morganstern
Federal Programs
Phone: 303-866-6209
Email: morganstern_d@cde.state.co.us
Important Due Date
New Educator Licensing System
Attn: All
As of Oct. 15, CDE's Educator Licensing Office will discontinue using the old licensing system. This will require that all applications submitted after this date will have to be returned to the applicants. The applicants will be re-directed to apply through our new eLicensing system at: https://www.colorado.gov/cde/licensing/
Thank you for relaying this information to all pertinent parties.
Click Here for Additional Information
For More Information, Contact:
Cindy Pino
Educator Licensing
Phone: 303.866.6628
Email: pino_c@cde.state.co.us
Update
Pest of the Month - The Boxelder Bug
Attn: Principals, teachers, facility managers
For many, the boxelder bug needs no introduction. It’s about 1/2 inch long as an adult, black with three red lines on the thorax (the part just behind the head), a red line along each side, and a diagonal red line on each wing. Boxelder bugs are entering schools and homes as the weather cools off, looking for a protected place to spend the winter. They are primarily a nuisance pest, annoying people by crawling on exteriors and inside buildings on warm fall and winter days.
Their favorite food is boxelder seed pods, which are found only on the female boxelder tree. These bugs seldom develop in sufficient numbers to be a nuisance unless a female boxelder tree is in the neighborhood. Because boxelder bugs usually overwinter near the trees that they feed on, the removal of one or two problem trees may help.
Boxelder bugs enter through cracks and crevices in walls, doors, under windows and around foundations, particularly on south and west exposures. Screening or sealing cracks or other entrances into the building is important. When the bugs begin to congregate on building exteriors, they may be sprayed with laundry detergent and water mixes, which are cheap, safe and effective when applied directly to boxelder bugs. Drawbacks of detergent sprays are that they will kill only if they contact the insect directly, and they may damage vegetation. Once boxelder bugs have entered the building, temporary control measures include vacuuming and/or spraying individual insects with household cleaners.
Remember that boxelder bugs don’t bite humans or pets, don’t transmit diseases, and don’t eat house plants! The most effective approach is to seal entry points and prevent these bugs from entering the school – and if they do get in, vacuum them up.
Click Here for Additional Information
For More Information, Contact:
Deborah Young
Colorado State University
Phone: 970-491-1377
Email: deborah.young@colostate.edu
Webinars
Transitional Colorado Assessment Program (TCAP) Assessment Frameworks Webinar
Attn: Superintendents, Principals, District Assessment Coordinators and Curriculum Specialists
CDE will host a Transitional Colorado Assessment Program (TCAP) Assessment Frameworks webinar on Tuesday, Oct. 4 from 3:15 p.m. to 4 p.m. The webinar will offer guidance in interpreting the TCAP Assessment Frameworks by briefly walking participants through the frameworks. CDE assessment staff will answer framework-related questions. CDE content specialists will also be available to answer questions that are related to curriculum, instruction or standards.
The TCAP Assessment Frameworks specify the content that will be eligible for assessment in 2012 and 2013. They also provide the alignment between the assessment objectives from the Colorado Model Content Standards (old standards) and the Colorado Academic Standards (new standards). TCAP supports the transition to the Colorado Academic Standards (CAS) during the next two years as a gradual approach to statewide measuring of student achievement of the new standards.
To participate in the webinar, please click on the link below.
Click Here for Additional Information
For More Information, Contact:
Jason Clymer
Student Assessment
Phone: 303-866-6808
Email: clymer_j@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.
|
