BLOG

Join a district/BOCES leader focus group

The Educator Development team is hosting a focus group to gain insights into the support needed for a successful transition to a district/BOCES leadership role. If you have made this type of transition within the last five years, consider joining CDE staff for a one-hour focus group 1 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 19, via Zoom.

Register for the free CDE Equity and Excellence Conference

Registration for the 2023 Equity and Excellence Conference is open. The free Equity and Excellence Conference, titled “Strengthening and Expanding Practices: All Students and All Educators Emerging Stronger,” will convene Nov. 1-2. The goal is for attendees from diverse professional backgrounds to strengthen and share ideas, strategies and plans for how to improve best first instruction through evidence-based and best practices.

Find out more on the Equity and Excellence Conference webpage.

September CoMath Conversation: Making Sense of CMAS Data

Join September's CoMath Conversation to share and listen to other Colorado math educators as they make sense of the CMAS results and discuss possible implications for the 2023-24 school year. The conversation will be held via Zoom at 4 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 14. Zoom registration is required to attend.

Colorado Framework for Writing Instruction

The Colorado Framework for Writing Instruction is intended to support district and school level leaders in facilitating conversations with their literacy leaders, instructional coaches and teachers to develop a research-based framework toward the teaching of writing.

The framework and more information can be found on the Framework for Writing Instruction webpage.

School Nurse Professional Development grant application available

The School Nurse Professional Development grant, funded through CDC’s COVID-19 Public Health Workforce Supplemental Funding, will support local education providers in their efforts to provide professional development opportunities for school nurses that increase current school nurse capacity and/or retain qualified school nurses. Allowable expenses include:

  • School nursing professional development tuition and registration fees.
  • Travel expenses to attend school nursing professional development events, including lodging, per diem and mileage reimbursement.
  • School nursing professional development speaker and/or facilitator fees.
  • School nurse-related publications, such as reference texts.
  • School nursing professional dues
  • School nursing licensing renewal fees.

Approximately $100,000 is available for the 2023-24 school year. Awards will likely range from $1,000 to $5,000, based on the amount of funding requested and the number of applications received. See the Request for Applications on the program webpage for more details.

Youth vaping strategies sought by DOL

The Colorado Department of Law seeks information about strategies to combat youth vaping in schools and communities and the effectiveness of these strategies. In addition, the DOL seeks input on how grant funding could help address this issue.

If you have input on vaping affecting youth in Colorado, visit the DOL’s Funding Opportunity webpage.

The DOL is particularly interested in responses from school districts, BOCES and nonprofits who would potentially carry out a grant project focused on the prevention, abatement or cessation of youth vaping.

The DOL will release a Request for Applications for grant opportunities to address youth vaping in Colorado based on this input.

Guidance for READ Plans Beyond the 3rd Grade

CDE has comprised guidance for supporting students who remain on READ plans in Grades four through 12. The guidance is intended to provide all Colorado districts with research, resources and training opportunities to support students who remain on READ plans beyond the third grade.

The guidance and other information can be found on the READ Plan Guidance for Students in Grades 4-12 webpage.

2024 United States Senate Youth Program Application Now Available

The U.S. Senate Youth Program application for Colorado students is available.

The USSYP is an educational experience for outstanding high school students interested in pursuing careers in public service. The program brings the highest-level officials from each branch of government to meet with this outstanding group of young leaders -- two high school juniors or seniors from each of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and the Department of Defense Education Activity -- for an intensive week-long education and leadership program. For 2024, the 62nd annual United States Senate Youth Program Washington Week is being planned for March 2–9 in Washington, D.C. Each delegate will be awarded a $10,000 college scholarship for undergraduate studies, with encouragement to pursue coursework in history and political science.

High school juniors or seniors with demonstrated leadership by serving in elected or appointed positions in which they are actively representing a constituency in organizations related to student government, education, public affairs, and community service, are eligible to apply.

Applications are due on Friday, Oct. 20. Visit this link for more information on eligibility, Colorado’s selection process and application. 

Regional Accountability support tour – In-person training, work sessions and consultation

Beginning next week, CDE's School Improvement and Planning team will offer in-person sessions to support district and school leaders with accountability and improvement planning efforts. Participants can select from multiple session options, including options for work time with available consultation of CDE staff.

Click here for training dates, location and registration links. 

Youth Advisors Selected and Appointed for the 2023-25 Colorado Academic Standards Committee

Colorado Education Commissioner Susana Córdova selected and appointed two youth advisors to help review the state's education standards for the 2023-25 Colorado Academic Standards revision process. The two advisors are: 

• Sophie Tipper, Cherry Creek High School
• Coryn Cole, Clear Creek High School

Per legislation passed last year through Senate Bill 23-008, the youth advisors will serve a two-year term and may be able to serve more than one term.

Click Here for Additional Information

Insufficient State Data Ratings Webinar

Join this webinar for an explanation of the Insufficient State Data or ISD rating definition and description in the performance frameworks, and provide general considerations for improvement planning. Register here to join the webinar at 10 a.m. Friday, Sept. 8

Postsecondary Programs & Related Student Data Webinar

CDE's Student October Count team and the Postsecondary & Workforce Readiness team will hold a Collaborative webinar at 1 p.m. Monday, Sept. 18, to discuss Postsecondary Programs and Related Student Data. Click here for more information or to join this webinar, which is for both postsecondary staff and data respondents.

CCSP Call for Grant Reviewers

The Schools of Choice is conducting the 2023 Colorado Charter School Program Start-up Grant Competition and needs volunteers with experience in charter schools to read and review grant applications. This program provides grant funds and technical assistance for up to four years to new and expanding charter schools. Click on this link to learn more about the CCSP Grant and upcoming competition or email inquiries to [email protected].

Conference on Equity in Opportunity

The U.S. Department of Education will host the Conference on Equity in Opportunity Oct. 26 and 27 in Denver. Discussion topics will include: fostering a diverse workforce in education, identifying hurdles to making a diverse workforce a reality, disseminating and amplifying promising practices and sharing information about grant funding to increase equity and access to funding opportunities.

Click Here for Additional Information

District Accountability Committees - District Administrator Networking

Join a virtual networking session on Thursday, Sept. 7, at 10 a.m. for district staff that support DACs to share facilitation strategies, successes, opportunities and collaborative problem solving. There will also be a quick overview of DAC expectations by CDE staff.

Click this link to register.

Click Here for Additional Information

Register to Attend Training Opportunities for CDE's New Grants Management System

CDE's department-wide grants management system, GAINS, will launch this fall and will streamline and consolidate multiple CDE application systems and processes into a single location and system.

CDE will host in-person trainings from Tuesday, Sept. 19, to Thursday, Sept. 28, for external system users, as well as one virtual training.

Registration information for the Grand Junction event is now available on the GAINS webpage.

Click Here for Additional Information

Fall Equity Convening: Equitable Access to School Choice: Schools Meals

CDE's Fall 2023 Equity Convening - Equitable Access to School Choice: School Meals, will be held on Wednesday, Sept. 27, at 9 a.m.

Organized in partnership with the Colorado League of Charter Schools and the Colorado Association of Charter School Authorizers, discussion will focus on providing equitable access to school meals for all students. Register here.

Click Here for Additional Information

CLDE Virtual Speaker Session with Catherine Baldwin-Johnson on Sept. 28

The Office of Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Education will host a virtual speaker series on Thursday, Sept. 28, at 4 p.m.

Catherine-Baldwin Johnson, former director of CLDE in Jefferson County Public Schools, will discuss instructional transformation for multilingual learners. The session covers best practices, passionate advocacy, empowering staff and strategic district leadership. District leaders statewide can join. Register via the link in the flyer.

Click Here for Additional Information

Sign up now to receive up to $1,000 for classroom supplies from DonorsChoose

The Colorado Department of Education, in collaboration with DonorsChoose, is providing $1,000 in funding to help teachers purchase classroom supplies. Every Colorado PreK-12 public school teacher is eligible to apply for this opportunity while the $11 million in COVID-19 relief funds last. Since funding is limited, submit as soon as possible for the best chance to get your project approved.

Computer Science Committee Applications Open

Based on guidance from the State Board of Education, CDE will move forward with minimal revisions to the high school computer science standards.

Those interested in applying to participate on the Computer Science Standards Revision Committee should complete an application by Thursday, Aug. 31.

The Colorado Academic Standards for English language proficiency, physical education, and world languages will remain unchanged until the next revision cycle in six years.

Click Here for Additional Information