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New Child and Adult Care Food Program brochure

The Preschool Development Grant Quality Nutrition workgroup has developed the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) brochure specifically for child care center providers to explain the benefits of participating in CACFP. This resource is available in English, Spanish, and Arabic.

All nonprofit licensed child care center providers are eligible for CACFP. For-profit child care centers are eligible if they have at least 25% of enrolled children or licensed capacity from families at 185% of the federal poverty line or below. Details on this can be found in the brochure. These resources and more are available on the CACFP website.

Visit CDPHE's CACFP webpage for more information.

Air Quality Improvement Grant Opportunity - Application deadline extended to Feb. 15

The deadline for applications for the Air Quality Improvement Grant has been extended to Tuesday, Feb. 15. This second round of funding is for the acquisition, repair, maintenance, or upgrading of portable high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) fans or filtration systems for classrooms made on or after April 1.

Only one application per district or authorizer should be submitted. Charters, individual district schools, and facility schools must submit an application through their district or authorizer. Individual school applications will not be accepted.

Visit the Air Quality Improvement Grants webpage for more information.

Upcoming Webinar: Improvement Planning Case Study

CDE will host an Improvement Planning Case webinar at 2:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 15, that will follow the progress of a three-year accreditation plan with University Prep charter school aimed at addressing the educational disruptions due to COVID-19. The plan outlines a vision for the 2021-22 through 2023-24 School Years, the adjustments being made to the network's systems and structures to accelerate student learning and the intentional application of ESSER funds to support recovery efforts. The webinar will touch on the network's approach to planning, the original Acceleration Plan, and the lessons learned during the first half-year of implementation. 

Visit the case study webpage for more information or to register for the webinar.

TLCC Survey Open until Feb. 18

The Teaching and Learning Conditions Colorado (TLCC) survey is open until Friday, Feb. 18. Already, 15,000 educators or about 17% of teachers have responded.

Nine districts reached at least 50% participation, and so far at least five responding districts will receive their data back in the spring. Some bigger districts are hitting the 1,000 respondents mark.

To see how your district or school is doing, view the real-time response rate tracker on the TLCC webpage.

Stay Engaged with the Department of Early Childhood and Universal Preschool Planning Efforts!

The Early Childhood Leadership Commission recently approved the final recommendations to guide Colorado's voluntary, universal preschool program. This set of recommendations, as well as the Department of Early Childhood Transition Plan, were guided by an extensive planning and engagement process. 

Access the Department of Early Childhood Transition Plan, as well as the Executive Summary in EnglishSpanish and Arabic

Access the Universal Preschool Recommendations Full Report, as well as the Executive Summary in EnglishSpanish and Arabic

Read More

CDPHE letter about most recent changes to quarantine and vaccinations

The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment has adapted its quarantine guidance to follow updated CDC guidance, including in school settings.

CDPHE has posted a sample letter to parents and schools regarding the most recent changes to quarantine and vaccinations.

CDPHE to host webinar on Test to Stay school guidance

Leaders at the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment will host a webinar for superintendents on Monday, Jan. 31 at 4 p.m. on updated school guidance for Test to Stay programs. This guidance will be effective Tuesday, Feb. 1.

State Epidemiologist Dr. Rachel Herlihy and Laboratory Directory Dr. Emily Travanty will lead the webinar.

Join via Zoom.

Meeting ID: 957 8570 1638
Passcode: 229590
One tap mobile
+13462487799,,95785701638#,,,,*229590# US (Houston)
+16699009128,,95785701638#,,,,*229590# US (San Jose)

Apply to serve in the Dyslexia Working Group

A rural principal is needed to serve a two-year term on the Dyslexia Working Group. Applications will be accepted until 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 15.

The working group was established in the 2019 legislative session by the Colorado General Assembly through House Bill 19-1134. The legislation directs the Commissioner of Education to convene a Dyslexia Working Group to improve the identification of and educational support for students with dyslexia to improve their educational outcomes.

Visit the Dyslexia Working Group’s webpage for more information.

The 2022-25 State Adult Education and Literacy Act Grant application is open

The Office of Adult Education Initiatives is soliciting applications from eligible adult education providers that provide basic education, education leading to a high school equivalency credential, English as a second language instruction, or integrated basic education and skills training as part of a workforce development partnership or educational attainment. The application is open through Friday, March 11.

Approximately $650,000 is estimated to be available for the 2022-23 fiscal year. CDE anticipates awarding $50,000 - $100,000 each to two to seven grantees for a three-year period, subject to annual renewal.

Visit the Adult Education Initiatives Prospective Grantees webpage for more information.

CDE accepting public feedback on social studies

Public feedback on committee recommendations for standards revisions in social studies has been extended to Tuesday, Feb. 1.

For more information, visit the Colorado Academic Standards Review and Revision Process webpage

Settings the Standards webinar

Michelle Malvey, a school health training consultant at CDE, is presenting a webinar at 3:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 2, based on the premise that a healthy workforce leads to better outcomes for students, staff, families, and the community. She is a former principal, school psychologist, and teacher with a passion for making sure everyone in the school environment gets what they need on a daily basis. The webinar's focus will be on embedding employee wellness and “we care” practices into all that we do in schools including daily routines, team building, and the implementation of new initiatives.

Participants who attend the webinar will be able to:

  • Understand the value of investing in self-care work in the educational environment.
  • Acknowledge that resistance exists and the need to reframe our thinking around self-care.
  • Understand how they can embed staff emotional wellness into existing practices.
  • Identify two to three ways they will embed we-care strategies into their current structures and routines.

Sign up for the webinar via Zoom here.

Teaching and Learning CoLabs

CDE’s Office of Standards and Instructional Support's Teaching and Learning CoLabs are free professional development opportunities for K-12 teachers and administrators and are developed in collaboration with institutions of higher education and state teaching organizations. This year’s CoLabs will be held around the state at the following locations: Colorado Mesa University on June 2 and the University of Northern Colorado with a tentative date of June 8. CoLabs will also be held at CSU Pueblo this June. Participants will be able to attend sessions focused on Reading, Writing, and Communicating, Health and Physical Education, Mathematics, and Science. School leaders can register for sessions in the administration track. 

Computer Science Education Grant Program Round 2

The Colorado Computer Science Education Grant Program is open for the second round of applications through Friday, March 11, and awards will be distributed for use during the 2021-22 school year. This includes the Computer Science Teacher Education Grant that provides regional training and the Computer Science Education Grant that provides funding with the purpose of increasing enrollment and participation of traditionally underrepresented students in computer science education activities.

For more information, and to check for updates, visit the Computer Science webpage.

Early Graduate Program application resources available

The Colorado Department of Higher Education is offering additional application support for the Early Graduate Innovation Pilot Program. A recording of the informational webinar and slide deck is available on the program webpage.

CDHE will host an application office hour on Monday, Jan. 31, at noon. Drop-in participation is welcome, but please contact Jack Wolflink, program manager with your questions and/or application draft so he can provide specific support. You may also RSVP to Jack at the contact information below.

The Early Graduate Pilot Program provides funding to low-income high school students who graduate early to pay for postsecondary education and training programs, including college and workplace learning programs like internships or apprenticeships. Five schools, districts, or groups of schools will be selected from the applicant pool by the Colorado Commission on Higher Education on Friday, March 4.

CDHE is also partnering with Colorado Succeeds to provide application and implementation support to interested schools and districts.

Student Re-engagement Grant Cohort 3 request for applications due Feb. 16

The Student Re-engagement Grant Cohort 3 is accepting new grant applications through Wednesday, Feb. 16. Colorado’s Student Re-engagement Grant provides educational services and supports to local education providers to maintain student engagement and facilitate student re-engagement at the secondary level. The grant, authorized by C.R.S. 22-14-109, is managed by the Office of Student Engagement and Dropout Prevention.

Funding for this three-year grant is awarded through a competitive process and is based on state appropriations. In each fiscal year, $1.9 million is distributed to grantees. The grant program focuses on LEAs serving sixth to 12th-grade students.

Visit the Student Re-engagement Grant Cohort 3 RFA webpage for more information.

K-3 teacher evidence-based reading training requirements

All kindergarten through third-grade teachers in Colorado should submit documentation of compliance with the K-3 evidence-based reading training requirements by Aug. 1. Teachers are asked to submit documentation through the Colorado Online Licensing system.

Learn about the hour, content, and assessment requirements to complete this training and the various training options available for K-3 teachers. 

Review Panel Application: Pre-K to kindergarten assessment alignment

CDE's Preschool through Third Grade Office (P-3) and the Office of Early Childhood (OEC) in the Colorado Department of Human Services have initiated efforts to conduct research on Pre-K and Kindergarten School Readiness assessments used in Colorado to understand alignment and coherence needs.

Marzano Research is working in partnership with the OEC and P-3 staff to conduct activities in support of this project.

Currently, the P-3 and OEC Offices are seeking volunteers to take part in the process of reviewing Colorado Kindergarten Readiness Assessments and end of Pre-K standards. Selected applicants will form review panels in the areas of language and literacy, math, physical health and development, social-emotional development, and approaches to learning. Each panel will also include a national expert in the content area of the panel domain. Panelists will commit to attending three virtual review meetings and some independent reviews to take place between February and May for up to 16 total hours of time. Meetings will be scheduled based on panelist availability to maximize attendance.

Panel positions are limited. Complete the application as soon as possible. All applicants will be notified of their application status by early February.

Access the PDG PK-K Assessment Alignment Reviewer Application.

School code change request process

Districts/LEAs requesting a new school code, school name change, school grade change, and/or are seeking to close a school must submit the application, including the superintendent/executive director's signature, on or before June 30 for the 2022-23 school year.

The benefits of submitting on or before June 30:

  • Your on-time change requests will be incorporated into the school and district performance frameworks; thus the school characteristics for districts will not need to rely on the previous year’s characteristics.
  • For those using the Colorado Performance Management System (RANDA), submitting school code change requests early ensures the school code will be available for use in the performance management system. This is beneficial as it provides the opportunity to make adjustments in the system prior to the start of the evaluation cycle.
  • You will ensure that induction programs are attached to the appropriate school code.
  • Time to complete the online certification application, a late request would miss the deadline for the online certification application.

We cannot guarantee that your request will be approved if submitted after June 30 deadline.

Visit the Year-Round Collections – Directory webpage for more information.

Submit Annual Four-Day School Week Application by May 11

School districts operating a four-day school week (less than 160 scheduled days per school year) must submit a request for approval.

To be considered for the 2022-23 school year, districts must complete the application via the Directory in Data Pipeline by Wednesday, May 11. Districts requesting approval are not obligated to follow their proposed calendar if their local planning is not finalized.

In addition to submitting the four-day application through Data Pipeline, districts Accredited with Priority Improvement Plan or Accredited with Turnaround Plan that are submitting a district-wide application for all schools within the district to be on a four-day school week must submit the following additional information separately to Jhon Penn, executive director of Field Services, at [email protected]:

  • A copy of their respective school calendars.
  • Building class schedules.
  • Assembly schedules.
  • Bell schedule including lunchtime interval.
  • Professional development calendar.

CDE will review the additional materials for the use and prioritization of instructional time. The executive director of field services and the associate commissioner of school quality and support must recommend approval of the application before it is forwarded to the commissioner for consideration.

Visit the Year-Round Collections – Directory webpage for more information.

Air Quality Improvement Grant Opportunity -- Due Jan. 31

This is the final week for CDE to accept second round applications for the acquisition, repair, maintenance, or upgrading of portable high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) fans or filtration systems for classrooms made on or after Friday, April 1. The application closes on Monday, Jan. 31, and funds must be expended and reimbursed by June 30.

Note: Only one application per district or authorizer should be submitted. Charters, individual district schools, and facility schools must submit an application through their district or authorizer. Individual school applications will not be accepted.

Visit the Air Quality Improvement Grants webpage for more information.