School Turnaround Leadership Development Program

About

The School Turnaround Leadership Development Program (STLD), first created in 2014 through S.B. 14-124, establishes and promotes leadership training specifically for the turnaround environment and is an integral part of Colorado’s state-wide strategy to improve the performance of students in the lowest-performing schools and districts in the state. In 2018, H.B. 18-1355 modified the state's accountability law, renaming and expanding the School Turnaround Leadership Development Program by creating the School Transformation Grant program. Thus, STLD became one of the seven support program routes funded through the School Transformation Grant. The grant program releases two RFPs, one for providers and one for participants.

It is the intention of CDE and the Office of Priority Improvement and Turnaround Support to align the support offered through the turnaround leadership development Provider and Participant grants with other supports and partnerships offered through CDE. Applicants are encouraged to review other support systems.

• Legislative Report to the Colorado Legislature on the School Transformation Grant (July 2024) (PDF)
• School Turnaround Leadership Development Program Service Info Sheet

Providers

The Provider RFI is intended for existing or new leadership development providers. Applicants may apply to have a new or existing program identified as meeting the criteria and quality as outlined in the RFI. Identified providers are then included in the CDE Empowering Action for School Improvement grant process.  Districts may apply for grant funds to participate in one of the identified programs. Applicants must agree to serve leaders in more than one district across the state.

Providers Overview

• 2025-26 STLD Providers Overview Grid

Participants

The Participant RFP is intended for districts, charter schools, or the Charter School Institute to apply for state funds in order to have eligible teachers, principals, and district staff enroll and participate in the identified Providers. Applicants may request funds to support teacher leaders, school leaders, and district staff who directly work in or support schools with identified Priority Improvement or Turnaround plan types, according to the Colorado School Performance Frameworks.

Starting with the 2018-2019 school year, the Participant RFP is now a part of the Empowering Action for School Improvement (EASI) application. With the passage of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), Colorado is taking the opportunity to change the way school improvement (1003a) funds are awarded to LEAs. Rather than multiple applications on separate timelines, CDE is now streamlining school improvement opportunities into a single application and using a “needs-based approach” to award services and funding.

Grant Reporting

• Legislative Report to the Colorado Legislature, School Transformation Grant, July 2024 (PDF)
• Legislative Report to the Colorado Legislature, School Transformation Grant, July 2023 (PDF)
• Legislative Report to the Colorado Legislature, School Transformation Grant, July 2022 (PDF)
• Legislative Report to the Colorado Legislature, School Transformation Grant, July 2021 (PDF)
• Legislative Report to the Colorado Legislature, School Transformation Grant, July 2020 (PDF)
• Evaluation Report to the Colorado Legislature, School Turnaround Leaders Development Program, June 2019 (PDF)

Turnaround Leadership Resources

• Colorado State Board of Education Rules for the Administration of the School Transformation Grant Program
• School Turnaround Leaders: Competencies for Success, Public Impact, 2008 (PDF)
• School Turnaround Leaders: Selection Toolkit, Public Impact, 2008 (PDF)

Contact

Please feel free to contact Lindsay Cox, Cox_L@cde.state.co.us with questions about the School Turnaround Leadership Development Program.

Previous Cohort Performance

More data from Cohorts 2 and 3 is available in the Legislative Report to the Colorado Legislature on the School Transformation Grant (July 2020) (PDF), beginning on page 35.