Colorado Essential Skills

Purpose

In 2008, Colorado passed legislation (Senate Bill 08-212) that requires the State Board of Education to adopt content standards that prepare students for the 21st century workforce and for active citizenship upon receiving a high school diploma. In addition to the requirement that students meet those content standards, students must also (to the extent practicable) develop and demonstrate skills essential for success in professional life. The same law, amended in 2019, also requires a revision to approximately one-third of the the Colorado Academic standards beginning in 2022 and an additional one-third every two years thereafter (22-7-1005(6) C.R.S.). 

The standards review and revision process provides an opportunity for these skills to be revisited and clarified. In an effort to update Colorado’s 2018 Essential Skills and better align these skills from preschool through postsecondary, the Colorado Department of Education brought together a cross-unit team of specialists to revise the Essential Skills.  They used the framework and subsequent associated research to frame the current revision.  In addition, the team used the 2020 Colorado Talent Pipeline Report and research to guide their revisions.

Revised Colorado Essential Skills

As this document is in the process of refinement, CDE seeks feedback from the public and other statewide participants in business and industry, education, non-profit organizations and government sectors. Feedback will be accepted until January 1, 2022.  SURVEY 

The team will be working over the next year on an Implementation Guide to clearly identify how these statutorily identified skills manifest in early childhood and continue through their postsecondary pursuits leading to in-demand employment skills. Developmentally appropriate support for these skills should occur in all subject areas throughout students’ academic careers. Understanding the importance of these skills is the first step in achieving life-long success for all students.