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Application Open: 2022-25 Educational Stability Grant

Applications for the 2022-25 Educational Stability Grant must be completed via the online application by Wednesday, May 4. The purpose of this funding is to address reducing educational barriers for students who experience high mobility by providing academic and social-emotional services and supports to highly mobile students.

Visit the Educational Stability Grant webpage for more information on how to apply for the grant.

Life After High School: Opportunities in the Trades webinar

Life After High School: Opportunities in the Trades presented by My Colorado Journey will be held at 6 p.m. Wednesday, April 20. This virtual event will feature a panel discussion on careers and other options for high school students after graduation.

Join Colorado Sun education writer Erica Breunlin, along with program leaders and educators from across Colorado to learn more about how students can explore careers and earn credits toward their career goals while still in high school.

Submit questions in advance to [email protected].

Register for the discussion via Eventbrite.

Teacher Recruitment Education and Preparation application coming soon

The TREP program, created by Senate Bill 21-185, allows for qualified students in an educator pathway to receive funding for up to two years of college tuition. Twelfth-grade students who are enrolled in at least one course in the educator pathway can qualify for this opportunity. Interested districts should submit an Intent to Participate by Monday, April 11.

Updates and additional details can be found on the TREP website.

In addition, encourage future educators to sign up with TEACH Colorado for access to resources to get a head start on their careers. TEACH Colorado provides a variety of free resources to aspiring educators. Make sure the future teachers in your community are connected by encouraging them to sign up for free.

View the TREP program webpage for additional information.

The Facility Schools Model Workgroup requests input

The Senate Bill 21-274 Facility Schools Model Workgroup is looking for input from families, parents, guardians, current/former students as well as educational advocates about their experiences with facility schools.

The workgroup would like to hear first-hand experiences, both positive and opportunities for growth when educational needs exceeded what was available in a traditional classroom setting. These experiences could have taken place in a variety of placements including in-district or out-of-district and/or facility, program, service, or individual-based. The workgroup is also looking for input based on experiences when appropriate services were not available either in or out of the district. If you are willing to provide input, please click on the link below to complete a short survey. The survey is available in English and Spanish. If you need this survey in another language, please utilize the Google Translate option found at the bottom of the webpage. The survey will be available through Friday, April 15.

Parent, Student, and Advocate Survey

Padre, Estudiante, y Defensor Encuesta

Visit the Facility Schools Model Workgroup webpage for additional information.

Applications for the Facility Schools Board of Education

The Office of Facility Schools is seeking applicants for three open seats on the Facility Schools Board. The three open seats represent:

  • One person who represents school districts within Colorado and has expertise in special education
  • One person who represents facilities within Colorado
  • One person who represents students who receive educational services provided by an approved facility school in Colorado. This member may be a person who, as a child, received educational services provided by an approved facility school. This member may also be a parent of a student who is receiving (or formerly received) education services provided by an approved facility school.

The term of membership is three years. The board meets monthly. Members serve without compensation, except for reasonable reimbursement of expenses. Applications for the Facility Schools Board are due Tuesday, May 3. Applications can be emailed to Judy Stirman.

Colorado's IDEA Part B Application for FY 2022

Colorado's IDEA Part B application for FY 2022 is now available for viewing and public comment on the Office of Special Education webpage.

Don't wait to complete K-3 teacher evidence-based reading training

All kindergarten through third-grade educators who teach reading and literacy skills in Colorado must complete their evidence-based reading training requirements by Monday, Aug. 1. Documentation that they complied with the K-3 evidence-based reading training requirements should be submitted by Monday, Aug. 15.

Licensed teachers should submit documentation through the Colorado Online Licensing system. 
Non-licensed educators will submit their request for documentation approval form via Google form.

Learn about the requirements to complete this training and the various training options available for K-3 teachers on the teacher training webpage.

Visit the Teacher Information on K-3 Teacher Training webpage for more information.

New pathway to obtaining principal credential available

At its March meeting, the State Board of Education approved several new programs that offer a principal endorsement, increasing the total number of approved programs to 18. A full list of approved principal preparation programs is available on the Educator Preparation Program Search webpage.

Candidates may still obtain principal licensure through the two existing pathways as well. One existing pathway is through traditional preparation programs for those who are not yet principals. The individual alternative principal plan is for candidates in a principal or assistant principal role who have access to content and preparation support from their schools and districts to address their specific needs.

Candidates in schools and districts that do not have the resources to support an individual alternative principal plan are encouraged to complete one of the newly authorized alternative principal programs.

Visit the Alternative Principal Preparation: Obtaining a Principal Authorization webpage for more information.

Early Childhood Leadership Commission monthly informational town hall

The Early Childhood Leadership Commission will continue to host monthly informational Town Halls to provide updates about the Department of Early Childhood and Universal Preschool Program implementation process and opportunities to get involved.

Register for the next town hall via Zoom at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 12. Spanish language interpretation will be available.

Setting the Standard Webinar: SEL Anytime, Anywhere!

The latest webinar from the Standards and Instructional Support Team will offer tools and best practice processes for social-emotional learning that educators can implement in any setting and with any age group.

Register for the webinar to be held at 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday, April 6, on Zoom.

Teaching and Learning CoLabs

This summer, teachers, and leaders are invited to attend Teaching and Learning CoLabs, a new kind of free event that brings together stakeholders from districts, higher education, professional teaching, and other organizations, and the Colorado Department of Education. The dates and host sites for this summer's CoLabs are:

  • Thursday, June 2, hosted by Colorado Mesa University in Grand Junction
  • Wednesday, June 8, hosted by the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley
  • Tuesday, June 21, hosted by CSU-Pueblo in Pueblo

Schools are encouraged to attend in teams, with teachers representing multiple grades and content areas. Focus content areas will include English language arts, health, and physical education, mathematics, science, and computer science. Leadership sessions will be provided for principals and other school leaders. For more information, see the Teaching and Learning CoLabs website.

Those who want to attend are asked to complete this interest form.

April 29 is Decision Day

On Friday, April 29, Colorado will participate in Decision Day, which honors all the pathways that graduating high school students can take. That can include going to university, community college, occupational school or participating in an apprenticeship, or serving in the military.

High school seniors have been researching their options, applying to programs, and filling out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid or Colorado Application for State Financial Aid. Decision Day celebrates their hard work and recognizes their achievements and future goals.

On Decision Day students, staff, and community members are encouraged to wear gear to represent their favorite schools, alma maters or future programs to support students' future educational aspirations.

Visit the Decision Day webpage for additional information.

Encourage students to get their piece of the financial aid pie

Monday, March 14, was Pi Day, so the Colorado Department of Higher Education is encouraging students to get their piece of the financial aid pie! The Free Application for Federal Student Aid is students’ ticket to scholarships, grants, work study and other financial aid that can put higher education dreams in reach. This year, CDHE has set a goal of reaching 52% application completion.

Here are more ways to get involved:

• Show Governor Polis’ video at rallies, FAFSA nights, and workshops and share on social media.

 Talk to students about FAFSA myths--watch the CDHE Myth Busters series with executive director, Dr. Angie Paccione.

• Download talking points, posters, student handouts, and more on the FAFSA resources page.

• Embrace the “pie” theme! As a reward for reaching your school FAFSA completion goal, have students “pie” a staff member in the face—and make sure to send CDHE the video!

• Host a FAFSA night in your community. Check out the toolkit from the U.S. Department of Education for templates, tools, sample programming, and more.

Visit the Get Your Piece of the Pie webpage for additional information.

Naloxone bulk purchase fund opportunity

Colorado Senate Bill 19-227 created the Opiate Antagonist Naloxone Bulk Fund. It allows eligible entities, including school districts, to purchase opiate antagonists, such as naloxone or Narcan, at low or no cost.

Visit the Naloxene Bulk Purchase Fund webpage on the CDPHE website for additional information.

Four fast facts about I Matter Colorado

The I Matter program provides up to six free therapy sessions for youth in Colorado ages  18 and younger (or ages 21 and younger if receiving special education services). To date, more than 5,400 appointments have been scheduled, with more than 500 appointments scheduled for the next two weeks. Over 1,500 youth have received one or more sessions and youth from 46 of Colorado’s 64 counties have signed up for the program. View a map illustrating where sessions have been provided to children and adolescents across the state (PDF). A two-year extension of the program is in House Bill 22-1243 under consideration in the current session of the State Legislature. Funding is set to expire Thursday, June 30.

Access the I Matter digital toolkit and order free print materials to promote the program. Visit IMatterColorado.org or YoImportoColorado.org to sign up for services.

Contact [email protected] with questions.

Register for the P-EBT Data Pipeline Training

Individuals responsible for submitting to the Data Pipeline should register for the P-EBT Data Pipeline training at 2 p.m. on Wednesday, March 30. CDE School Nutrition will provide detailed information for the P-EBT data submission process, including the new file layout requirements, how to navigate data pipeline, and resources to amend errors.

For questions, email [email protected].

Register for the training webinar via Zoom.

Submit a promising partnership practice

The State Advisory Council for Parent Involvement in Education, in collaboration with CDE, is collecting promising partnership practices from across the state to publish in the seventh annual Promising Partnership Practices Colorado book. SACPIE and CDE invite schools, districts, early childhood centers, institutions of higher education, accountability committees, parent-teacher committees, or any other school- or district-based council to submit an application for consideration in the publication. Submissions are due Friday, June 3.

Visit the Family-School-Community Partnerships webpage for additional information.

Call for grant reviewers for the Education Workforce Program

CDE seeks peer reviewers for the Education Workforce Program Grant. The Education Workforce Grant provides funding that supports Colorado local education agencies in securing a strong, talented workforce that can ensure safe in-person learning, address learning loss, complete unfinished learning and meet the COVID-related needs of students. Through the assistance funded under this program, LEAs will ensure ongoing and high-quality learning continues for all students. Approximately $3 million is available for the 2022-23 school year.

Reviewers must have experience with education human resources and education workforce recruitment and retention. Reviewers will evaluate applications independently and then meet with a small review team between Tuesday, March 29, and Wednesday, April 13.

Review the recruitment notice for more information (PDF).

READ Act Instructional Programming Advisory List

The CDE Preschool Through Third Grade Office conducted reviews of core, supplemental and intervention instructional programs to be included on the READ Act Advisory List of Instructional Programming. The READ Act Advisory List of Instructional Programming has been updated and posted on the CDE website. 

Visit the Advisory List of Instructional Programming webpage for additional information.


For questions, please contact [email protected].

Submit a CLDE Student Art Award application

Nominate elementary, middle, or high school student art for the “Stronger Together” Student Art Award. All Colorado students are invited to explore the theme of “Stronger Together” as it relates to themselves, their families, friends, or wider community. This is an opportunity for students to reflect on how they or others have been or might be, “Stronger Together” through the medium of fine art. Student art applications will be accepted until Friday, April 8.

For nomination process questions, contact Patricia Gleason at [email protected]

For CLDE questions, contact Rebekah Ottenbreit at [email protected].

Visit the CLDE homepage for additional information.