Dear Superintendents and BOCES directors,
Last month, I traveled to Grand Junction to spend time with superintendents and district leaders at the Western Slope Superintendents Conference. Alex Carter from CEI led us through an activity that helped us think about leadership in uncertain times. It was striking to hear superintendents talk about all the challenges you are facing -- from budget and scheduling and calendar and staffing and parent concerns and book review committees.
And through it all, there was still a lot of focus on creating welcoming environments for kids and excitement at the coming graduations. It was an important reminder what a privilege it is for those of us who work in support roles to serve all of you in the field who are dealing with so much complexity.
We also held our first-ever Purple Star Schools recognition event to celebrate 27 schools supporting military-connected students and their families. (You can see photos from our Purple Star event on Flickr.)
In our latest published Commissioner's Chat I spoke with Rangely School District Superintendent Matt Scoggins and Parkview Elementary Principal Carlene Cantrell about attendance and what is driving student success in the small rural school district on Colorado's western border.
Remember that you can find my semi-weekly communications on our website.
I look forward to seeing you next week at the monthly superintendent Zoom meeting on Tuesday, May 13 at 8 a.m. These optional meetings are always on the second Tuesday of the month at 8 a.m. on Zoom.
Thank you for all that you do,
Susana
Dr. Susana Córdova
Colorado Commissioner of Education
Since March 31 several measles cases have been reported in Colorado with large outbreaks ongoing in Texas, New Mexico, Kansas, Mexico, and Canada. Visit the CDPHE measles webpage for resources including vaccine recommendations, travel advice, FAQs and a real-time case tracker.
- See CDPHE’s updated Infectious Disease in Child Care and School Settings for guidance.
- Learn What you can do to prepare now for measles.
- CDPHE will soon share a Colorado school readiness vaccine campaign toolkit.
- Many Colorado schools are at risk of disease outbreaks due to low vaccination rates. Please review the 2024-25 vaccination rates for your schools when they are published.
- At the end of our May 13 Monthly Superintendent meeting we’ll share information from CDPHE on protecting students and staff, what to do if there is a case in your district, and how to request a vaccine clinic from our Mobile Public Health Clinic program.
Action Items
Due 5/9/25: Reduced 2025-2026 Academic Calendar Requests
Due 6/13/25: READ Act Data Collections
- Data collections for the spring READ Assessment and READ Literacy Programs and Assessment by Friday, June 13.
- Be sure to verify your SRD count and percentage, as this affects READ funding distributions.
- Contact for questions: Tara Rhodes at READActData@cde.state.co.us.
Due 6/30/25: Annual Restraint Review Report
Due 6/30/25: School code change requests
Due 6/30/25: READ Act budget revisions and submissions
Due 7/1/25: Guidelines for abbreviated school days for children with disabilities required by House Bill 24-1063
- All Colorado administrative units must adopt and implement CDE’s model policy or develop and adopt a substantially conforming version. Multidistrict administrative units should consider how to address unplanned removals and how to support students with 504 plans.
- Your special education directors received the CDE model policy in April.
- Contact for questions: Nick Smosna at Smosna_n@cde.staste.co.us.
Due 8/1/25: Harassment & Discrimination Data Collection required by SB 23-296
- SB 23-296 requires public schools to report data on formal harassment and discrimination cases by Friday, Aug. 1. Find details, timelines, and registration for the Monday, May 12 virtual training on the collection webpage.
- Make sure your LEA has assigned at least one person the PHD~LEAAPPROVER role in the Identity Management System for Data Pipeline to get key updates.
- Contact for questions: PreventHD@cde.state.co.us.
Due 12/31/25: Training on preventing discrimination in schools required by SB 24-162
Reminders and FYI Items
Updated Assessment Toolkit
- Communication materials are available in English and Spanish for you to use with your school communities, including how to understand CMAS score reports and letters to families about how to access the Family Portal.
Teacher Degree Apprenticeship Program
- This program offers a new pathway to teacher licensure through hands-on, paid, on-the-job learning and aims to improve teacher recruitment and retention by investing in the talent already present in local communities.
- The employer-driven apprenticeship model provides a promising solution to meet the growing demand for qualified teachers.
- Learn more on the Teacher Degree Apprenticeship webpage.
2025-26 Principal Leadership Institute Support school leaders to empower their teachers and build stronger climate and culture.
ERR Financial Assistance Program
- We’re hosting a virtual stakeholder meeting on May 7 to discuss funding for the Educator Recruitment & Retention program.
- The conversation will focus on whether lowering per-candidate funding could help support more candidates.
- Although registration is closed, we will share updates after the meeting.
Updated Educator Effectiveness Metrics Dashboard
- The Educator Effectiveness Metrics Dashboard now includes aggregated teacher and principal evaluation data from the 2023-24 school year.
- Due to changes in 2023-24 evaluation weighting (70% performance evaluation, 30% measures of student learning), data from this year is not comparable with prior years.
- Contact for questions: EdTalentResearch@cde.state.co.us .
Celebrate School Lunch Hero Day on Friday, May 2
- School Lunch Hero Day is a chance to celebrate the hardworking school nutrition professionals who serve over 435,000 lunches and 184,000 breakfasts each day across Colorado.
- Find celebration ideas and free resources at schoollunchheroday.com.
Update on Rulemaking for School Finance
- In May, the State Board will vote to begin rulemaking on updates to the School Finance Rules, including simpler at-risk count requirements for schools using the Community Eligibility Provision.
- The proposed changes also cover mealtimes, private school students in public schools, technical updates, and student-level census block data rules required by HB 25-1320.
- View a redlined draft and presentation on this School Finance webpage. A hearing is planned for August, and public comments can be sent to Jennifer Okes at okes_j@cde.state.co.us.
Guidance to support students observing the Hajj pilgrimage: Hajj will take place in late May–early June, overlapping with end-of-year school events. Without clear policies, some students may face academic penalties. The Council on American-Islamic Relations suggests the following:
- Recognize Hajj as an excused absence.
- Recommend flexible make-up policies.
- Support educator training on religious accommodations.
Save the date for our free 2025 Elevating Excellence Conference: Strengthening Equitable Systems, on Wednesday, Sept. 17 and Thursday, Sept. 18 at the Adams County Government Building in Brighton. Please note that the dates and location have changed due to a scheduling conflict.
- This event is for sharing strategies to increase student engagement, accelerate student outcomes, strengthen the educator workforce, and improve operational excellence.
- Presenters Needed! Submit a proposal for a 1 hour session or poster by Friday, May 30.
- Contact for questions: elevatingexcellence@cde.state.co.us
Guidance on implementation/adoption of high-quality instructional materials
New K-12 math interventions are now available
Powerful Practice: Evidence-Informed Math Teaching Educator Learning Cohort
Upcoming sessions: Preventing School Violence Training Series Educators, administrators, counselors, community members, and law enforcement can register to join our free 45-minute trainings .
- Wednesday, May 7, at 9 a.m.: How to report concerns effectively
- Wednesday, Aug. 27, at 9 a.m.: Restorative Practices: Building Trust Before Conflict
- Wednesday, Oct. 8, at 9 a.m.: Cultivating Mental Health Awareness
Call for Family, School, and Community Promising Partnership Practices
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