News Release

School and district ratings to remain the same this year

Extension of K-3 teacher training requirement to be considered next week

DENVER – The Colorado State Board of Education at its regular monthly meeting Wednesday and Thursday extended the school and district ratings assigned in 2019 to this year. With the cancellation of state assessments in spring 2020, the accountability system was paused by Gov. Jared Polis’ Executive Order in March and later codified by the legislature in the School Finance Act. Districts and schools will not receive performance framework reports or updated plan types in 2020. 

Extension considered for READ Act K-3 teacher training 
In response to the challenges teaching are facing during the COVID-19 pandemic, the board considered providing kindergarten through third-grade teachers with a six-month extension to meet the READ Act requirement to complete evidence-based training in teaching reading. The board will take up the proposal again during a special meeting scheduled for Nov. 19. 

About 23,000 teachers in Colorado must complete the training, as required by changes the legislature made in 2019 to the READ Act. The legislation requires teachers to complete the training before the beginning of the 2021-22 school year and provides an allowance for CDE to grant a one-year extension if districts demonstrate a good cause for their inability to comply. The proposal considered by the board would extend the deadline to January 2022. 

In other action, the board declined to consider a district waiver application from the Education reEnvisioned Board of Cooperative Educational Services. The Innovation Schools Act gives only districts -- not BOCES -- the ability to request waivers from certain state statutes, so the board found the BOCES to be ineligible for the waivers under state statute.