CDE Update - Strategic Priorities

Release of Student Learning Outcomes DRAFT Guidance

To support districts and BOCES and provide a starting point for measuring student growth in relation to S.B. 10-191, CDE has released student learning outcomes draft guidance. While primarily intended for S.B. 10-191 pilot districts so that CDE can gather input, the draft guidance is being released broadly to allow all districts to preview, use as applicable and provide feedback to the department. View the guidance here: http://www.cde.state.co.us/EducatorEffectiveness/StudentGrowthGuide.asp

CDE will be using pilot experience and overall feedback to improve and add to this guidance over time. Use the "provide feedback" links throughout the website or e-mail Toby King at king_t@cde.state.co.us to submit your input and inform improvements to future versions of this guidance.

Specialized Service Professionals Update

To ensure every child in Colorado has access to great educators who are supported in their professional growth; new evaluation requirements under S.B. 10-191 require annual evaluations for all licensed personnel including principals, teachers and other education professionals who are licensed by the state. The State Council for Educator Effectiveness has identified nine categories of specialized service professionals referred to as "other licensed personnel" in state rule.  With the help of work groups made up of professionals from around the state, the council is outlining standards and elements to guide the creation of evaluation systems. In 2013-14, professional practice rubrics will be developed by work group experts for each of the specialized services professionals groups. Feedback will be collected and used to inform improvements prior to the release of the rubrics for district use in 2014-15. These rubrics will measure each group's professional practices, which accounts for 50 percent of their evaluation. Recommendations and guidance on the student outcomes/student growth component (the other 50 percent of the evaluation) will also be provided.

To learn more, download the new fact sheet on specialized service professionals: http://www.cde.state.co.us/EducatorEffectiveness/downloads/FactSheets/SSP.pdf

Assurances

All districts must provide CDE an assurance by July 1, 2013 that specifies if they are implementing the Colorado State Model Evaluation System or another evaluation system that meets or exceeds the state Quality Standards. This month, six optional webinars are available with details on how to submit the assurances. To join a webinar, click on this link during one of the below options http://connect.enetcolorado.org/r514u7awe5s/ (no pre-registration is necessary):

• Monday, Feb. 11: 10-11 a.m. or 3-4 p.m.
• Wednesday, Feb. 20: 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. or 3-4 p.m.
• Monday, Feb. 25: 9:30-10:30 a.m. or 12:30 to 1:30 p.m.

To view the step-by-step guide for submitting assurances, download the assurance document or access the Colorado Tracker system which will be used to submit the assurances, visit http://www.cde.state.co.us/EducatorEffectiveness/SB-Assurances.asp.

Student Learning Outcomes Trainings

CDE is working with BOCES and districts to create a schedule of trainings for all regions of the state. An updated schedule will be available in mid-February on the trainings website: http://www.cde.state.co.us/EducatorEffectiveness/SMES-Trainings.asp

Please note that the train-the-trainer sessions are being coordinated between CDE and local districts/BOCES. If you are interested in attending, work directly with your local district or BOCES leadership as they will identify the appropriate staff to attend the training. For more information, contact Mike Gradoz at Gradoz_m@cde.state.co.us

By July 1, 2013, all districts must provide CDE an assurance that specifies if they are implementing the Colorado State Model Evaluation System or another evaluation system that meets or exceeds the state Quality Standards. See the above article for information on upcoming webinars to learn more about this process.

Area Standards Workshops.

In January, the Standards and Instructional Support Office began providing a series of workshops in standards-based curriculum design. The workshops have been coordinated through BOCES in five areas across the state. Dates include:

• March 8 - 9, hosted by NW BOCES
• May 17 - 18, hosted by Centennial BOCES
• June 3 - 4, hosted by San Juan BOCES
• June 14 - 15, hosted by NE BOCES

More information about this opportunity has been disseminated directly to BOCES directors and SAC coordinators.

School Readiness.

CAP4K requires all children in publicly funded preschool and kindergarten programs to have an individual school readiness plan informed by a school readiness assessment. The department recommends that districts phase-in school readiness plans and assessment in either the 2013-14 school year or 2014-15 school year. To read the fact sheet, visit http://www.cde.state.co.us/early/downloads/CDEschoolreadinessfactsheet.pdf

The department is working to provides assistance to districts for successful implementation of this key support for our youngest learners. Sample school readiness plans, including a sample that incorporates essential components of a READ plan, will be available this spring. Also, in December, Colorado was awarded $29.9 million from the Race to the Top Early Learning Challenge Fund. A portion of the Early Learning Challenge Fund will cover the cost of licenses for Teaching Strategies GOLD (the first approved school readiness assessment) for the duration of the grant and some funding for training is also provided. The department is currently seeking districts interested in benefiting from this provision of the grant for the 2013-14 school year. Districts who implement in the 2014-15 school year will have a similar opportunity in the future. Fact sheets for School Readiness and the Early Learning Challenge Fund grant are available at: http://www.cde.state.co.us/early/.

The READ Act.

The second and final hearing on the READ Act rules is scheduled for the February State Board meeting in advance of rule adoption in March 2013. Information about the READ Act and a link to the draft rules can be found on the READ Act webpage: http://www.cde.state.co.us/coloradoliteracy/ReadAct/index.asp.
The department is seeking input on the rules in writing to the State Board of Education. Input should be sent to state.board@cde.state.co.us with a copy to Carey Markel at markel_c@cde.state.co.us.

• This spring, sample optional school readiness plan and READ plan templates will be available for district reference.

• Regional READ Act trainings will be scheduled between March and May to support district and school leaders with implementation of the READ Act as they begin to identify students with a significant reading deficiency. Dates and locations will be announced in The Scoop and posted in the READ Act webpage.

None at this time.

English Language Proficiency Assessments

Colorado is currently administering the World-Class Instructional Design and Assessment (WIDA) exam, ACCESS. ACCESS measures student acquisition of the Colorado English Language Proficiency (CELP) standards. The ACCESS administration window is Jan. 7, - Feb. 8, 2013. All ACCESS materials must be returned by Feb. 14.  

Item Review for the New Summative and Alternate Assessments for Science and Social Studies

Colorado educators who expressed interest in the item review have been invited to review items for the new science and social studies assessments on Feb. 12-13.  They will review the content of items to ensure that they align with the Colorado Academic Standards and that they are grade-level appropriate.  They will also review items for potential bias or sensitivity concerns.   

Review of Assessment Frameworks for New Summative and Alternate Assessments for Science and Social Studies

Final assessment frameworks that include feedback from the field are expected to be released in late February.  For more information about the summative assessment frameworks, contact Glen Sirakavit at sirakavit_g@cde.state.co.us.  For more information about the alternate assessment frameworks, contact Mira Monroe at monroe_m@cde.state.co.us. 

Field Test Recruitment for the Science and Social Studies Alternate Assessments

A sample of school districts that is representative of the Colorado student population has been identified for participation in the field test for the new science and social studies alternate assessments.  Districts that are part of this sample have been contacted.

Online Assessment Readiness 

As Colorado begins its transition to computer-based assessments, it is important for districts to participate in the online readiness survey, the Technology Readiness Tool. Training for district technology coordinators began in November and districts have begun to provide information. Data collected from the tool about device-to-student ratios in Colorado schools will be used by CDE to inform the setting of future testing windows. The Partnership for the Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) assessment consortia, of which Colorado is governing member, will take the next Technology Readiness Tool data snapshot on Feb. 15. The tool will continue to gather information in the future on a periodic basis; however, it is important for districts to provide information as soon as possible so that their data is reflected when decisions are made for both the PARCC and the Colorado-developed assessments.  To access the TRT Frequently Asked Questions document, visit: http://www.cde.state.co.us/assessment/documents/training/TRT_FAQ.pdf. 

The next step in preparing districts for online testing is the site readiness training.  This training consists of verifying minimum system requirements, running a system check to validate bandwidth, proctor caching, and session management. Field test districts are receiving site readiness trainings now. All other districts will receive the trainings in time to prepare for spring 2014 assessment administration. For questions about online readiness trainings, contact the Assessment Unit's technology specialist, Collin Bonner, at bonner_c@cde.state.co.us.

Trainings related to preparing the district assessment coordinators, school assessment coordinators, and others involved in the assessment administration process begins this month for field test districts.  

Field Testing for the New Science and Social Studies Summative and Alternate Assessments

The field test for selected field test districts is scheduled to being on April 22 for the new science and social studies summative and alternate assessments.

None at this time.

UIP Review: 

CDE is reviewing more than 250 plans submitted to CDE by the Jan. 15 deadline.  Plans under review include:

Districts:

• Accredited with Priority Improvement or Turnaround Plans
• Title III Program Improvement (District or Consortia) Status
• Targeted District Improvement Partnership (TDIP) Grantees
• Student Graduation and Completion Plan Designation

Schools:

• Priority Improvement or Turnaround Plan Types
• Tiered Intervention Grantees (TIGs)

UIP Postings. 

Districts that submitted UIPs for posting to SchoolView will see their updated plans replace the currently posted plans by the end of January. As a reminder, all district and school UIPs must be submitted to CDE each year on or before April 15 for public posting to SchoolView. 

Collaboration with the S.B. 09-163 Superintendents Task Force

CDE staff continues to work with the S.B. 09-163 Superintendents Task Force, a representative group of superintendents from across the state, around issues concerning implementation of the Education Accountability Act. The group will have two to three more meetings before the end of the year to work through recommendations. The group has gathered input around improvements for data reporting, performance frameworks and improvement planning. Implications for the assessment transitions have been discussed. The group has also been exploring requirements associated with Turnaround and Priority Improvement, focusing on where policy may be further developed. Member superintendents are in communication with their regional colleagues to gather input and then share back with CDE.

TELL Survey. 

The Tell Colorado Survey window (www.tellcolorado.org) is open Feb. 6 through March 6.  This is the third biennial survey available to all school-based, licensed personnel to report on teaching and learning conditions in their school. The intent is to provide schools and districts with rich data to guide improvements efforts and to inform state level policy. 

UIP Feedback to Districts. 

CDE will continue to review plans throughout February.
Feedback will be provided to districts regarding district and/or school plans on a rolling basis. Feedback will be posted in the Tracker system and district tracker contacts will be notified once the feedback has been uploaded. Trainings are available to districts to incorporate CDE feedback into the plans. Participants in these trainings will be able to bring their own feedback to gain a better understanding of how the feedback can be used to help strengthen their improvement plans.  These sessions are offered in three different locations throughout the state: Pueblo on April 1, Glenwood Springs on April 3, and North Metro Denver on April 5. Registration is open at: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/2012UIPScaffoldedReview.

• Feb. 6: TELL Colorado Surveys window opens through March 6. 

• March 30: Districts with required changes must submit their revised UIPs to CDE for re-review (plans accepted by April 1).

• April 15: All District and School Unified Improvement Plans must be submitted to CDE for public posting to SchoolView.

The next 2013-14 school year submission deadline for initial multi-district online school certification is April 2. Applications to amend existing multi-district online school certifications must also be submitted by April 2. For more information, please contact Amanda Heiney at Heiney_a@cde.state.co.us. Applications, rubric and instructions can be found at: http://www.cde.state.co.us/onlinelearning/events.asp

CDE, in partnership with the Colorado Legacy Foundation, held an Expanded Learning Opportunities Learning Series for the metro/Denver area. This was the first of three learning series events. The other two events will be held in different regions and are being planned for the end of February and end of April. The purpose of the series is to engage national/local experts and work through some specific models or scenarios to help inform their thinking about implementation within their local context. For more information, please contact Laura Noonan at Noonan_l@cde.state.co.us.

For more information visit http://www.cde.state.co.us/choice/index.asp.

Watch for more information in next months Update.

None at this time.

Licensure staff is working with the vendor to fix any remaining glitches to ensure the efficacy of the links and the recipients' ability to print licenses.

Watch for more information in next months Update.

• February - Last print run will occur; new e-licenses will be issued, though the exact is yet to be determined. Further details will be provided in an upcoming Scoop announcement.