February 2024 CDE Update for Superintendents and BOCES Executive Directors

Welcome to the CDE Update! This monthly publication for district superintendents and BOCES directors will show you what is happening in key priority areas at CDE and include details on implementation, milestones, deadlines and resources.

If you have any feedback regarding the CDE Update, email [email protected].

Dear Superintendents and BOCES Directors,

In the last month, I have had the opportunity to visit seven school districts to listen to and learn from you and your teams. I look forward to many more in the weeks and months to come!

In my conversations with system leaders and in the feedback from our superintendent survey in September, I have heard consistent themes about both the challenges and opportunities facing Colorado schools. I want you to know that I hear you, my team hears you, and your voices and needs have and will continue to inform our work during this legislative session.

As you may know, the Colorado Department of Education’s SMART Act hearing - which is required by all state agencies to present information about their work - was in mid-January. Your needs and concerns were front and center in our presentation which focused on four areas:

Slower than expected returns to pre-pandemic levels of academic performance and engagement;
Increased needs for supports for student and educator mental health and wellbeing;
Recruitment and retention for educators, special service providers, and support professionals; and
The burden that administrative requirements create for district staff already facing capacity constraints.

We also shared information about the ways that CDE is working to address the challenges in these areas, including our commitment to improving service delivery to you and reducing administrative processes and requirements. We have a great deal of work ahead, but we are making progress. In this month’s update, you’ll find information about our 2024 grants project which is a comprehensive effort designed to minimize administrative burdens on our 30+ grant programs - and there will be more to come!

My team often hears me say that “we are better together,” and I believe that to my core. Thank you for your candor and partnership in our work together, and please do not hesitate to contact me at [email protected] if there is anything I can do to support you.

Warmly,

Susana

Teaching and Learning Conditions Colorado survey is live!

The 2024 TLCC survey is open, and we need your help to make sure all of our state’s educators, special service providers, support professionals, and school leaders participate. The survey closes on Friday, Feb. 23. Schools and districts who reach 50% participation and at least five respondents will receive their survey results in April. View more information and promotional materials related to TLCC.

School leaders and Colorado Education Association representatives received site survey codes in January. Contact [email protected] or [email protected] if your site needs survey codes.
If your district is part of the Student-Centered Accountability Project cohort , you should have received a link of the TLCC/S-CAP survey on Feb. 1.

Accountability, Performance & Support

Accountability

The 1241: Accountability, Accreditation, Student Performance and Resource Inequity Task Force has been established to study academic opportunities, inequities and promising practices in schools and improvements to the accountability and accreditation system. The 1242 Task Force began meeting in August 2023 and will release a final report in November 2024. Click here for more.

Schools of Choice

Open Educational Resources Colorado has a digital library of educational textbooks and classroom materials across both core subject areas and Career and Technical Education as well as collaboration space for PK-12 educators. Visit OERColorado’ s YouTube channel for more information on how to use these resources.

Continuous Improvement

We heard your feedback, and we are working urgently to reduce grant-related administrative burdens! We are launching our 2024 Grants Project which is designed to better align state resources with student needs and minimize the administrative burden on site and district teams. This effort is a continuation of service improvement efforts like our new grants management system, GAINS. Your voices will be critical to the success of the Grants Project, and we look forward to keeping you posted on next steps and ways that you can be involved. For more information, email Kate Bartlett at [email protected] - we are excited to have Kate back on board supporting this effort!

Assessment

From Feb. 1-15, schools may register 11th grade students who will participate in the March 9 national SAT Weekend administration in place of the school day test in April through College Board's new State Data Management System. District and school coordinators will be receiving an email with instructions on how to log into College Board’s SDMS.
From Feb. 1-15, schools may add the optional essay to SAT registrations for 11th grade students through College Board's new State Data Management System. District and school coordinators will be receiving an email with instructions on how to log into College Board’s SDMS. Learn more.

District Operations

Data and Security

We are working to finalize the wider public launch of our SchoolView website and hope you will take a few minutes to check it and give us your feedback using the “Contact Us” button.

Data Pipeline

Administrative Units should complete a review of their December Student and Staff Cognos Report by Friday, Feb. 2. AUs will be notified of their duplicates by Wednesday, Feb. 7 and those must be resolved by Feb. 15. Reports are due by Friday, Feb. 23.
All errors in the staff interchange files and Human Resources snapshot should be resolved by Thursday, Feb. 15. HR snapshots are due by Friday, Feb. 23.
The 2023-24 Educator Shortage Survey is open and is administered in conjunction with the Human Resources snapshot.
The reduced academic calendar (formerly the four-day school week) application for 2024-25 opens Monday, Feb. 26.
Districts may request school code changes for the 2024-25 school year by June 30.
The Teacher Student Data Link interchange file is open, and the snapshot opens Wednesday, Feb. 14. For the 2023-24 school year, all districts are required to report data for students in grades 6 – 12 only. All courses are required to be reported for 8th-12th grade migrant students.
The 2023-24 Designated Agency data collection is open in the Data Pipeline through Friday, Aug. 30 for alternative licensure educator preparation programs to enter 2023-24 candidates through Aug. 30.

Finance

The 2022-23 December Finance collection was due on Dec. 31, 2023. Districts with approved extensions must complete their submissions by Thursday, Feb. 29.
View the School Finance Town Halls and Trainings webpage for upcoming and previously recorded training sessions.

Educator Talent

Educators are invited to complete a questionnaire on the future of education and workforce development through the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment’s new K-12 STEM Teacher Externship Program.
The Highly Effective Evaluation Process Overview webpage has resources to support you with implementation and stakeholder engagement.

Teaching and Learning

The Office of Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Education has resources for districts to better understand their legal obligations to support newcomer students and procedures for intake.

READ Act

Beginning in the 2024-25 budget year, districts will be required to submit evidence that each K-3 principal and administrator has successfully completed evidence-based training in the science of reading by Aug. 1.
- The Early Literacy and School Readiness team will hold office hours to support districts in meeting this requirement.
Applications for the 2024-25 Early Literacy Grant – Professional Development are due Wednesday, Feb. 28. This grant opportunity is meant to support Colorado educators in the implementation of scientifically based reading research programs and strategies for K-3 students.
The Early Literacy Assessment Tool Project supplies a free, State Board approved early literacy assessment tool to a school or district so teachers may obtain real-time assessment of the reading skill levels of K-3 students.
- 2024-25 ELAT Project Applications will be released on Thursday, Feb. 15.