March 2023 CDE Update

Accountability, Performance & Support

• Alternative Education Campuses reapplying for the 2023-24 school year and schools applying for AEC designation for the first time will have their pre-populated data uploaded to the Data Pipeline system on Wednesday, March 15. Details about the collection are available on the AEC webpage.

Email questions to B Sanders at [email protected].

Assessment

• ACCESS for ELLs Student Biographical Data Review will be open March 13-22. Districts should connect with the data respondent for each state assessment SBD collection to ensure the accuracy of final district demographic and invalidation data. Final demographic and invalidation data from state assessments are used in accountability calculations. 
• Timelines for Spring 2023 Colorado state assessment windows are available on the Assessment webpage.
• CDE created a communications toolkit to help communicate with families about upcoming statewide assessments, including the Colorado Measures of Academic Success tests and the PSAT and SAT. The toolkit contains drop-in letters, fact sheets for parents and students and links to help answer frequently asked questions. Materials are also available in Spanish.

For more information, contact Jeremy Meyer, CDE communications director at [email protected].

Educator Talent

• The process and timeline for collecting the 2022-23 Educator Effectiveness data has been adjusted to provide districts and BOCES a more complete and accurate reflection of their EE metrics. The Staff Evaluation Interchange file will open in April to collect the 2022-23 evaluation ratings for licensed staff.
• Email Carolyn Haug at [email protected] with questions about statutory requirements. Email questions about Data Pipeline to Dawna Gudka @ [email protected]. 
• The Educator Preparation Programs interactive dashboard now includes data for 2020-21 program completers who were first-year teachers in 2021-22. Visit the Educator Preparation Programs Report webpage for an overview of the Education Preparation Program Report and access to the dashboard.

Federal Programs & Support

• At the winter regional network meetings CDE staff will provide updates on the 2023-24 Consolidated Application, offer training and resources to help local education agency staff evaluate current uses of federal funds and help plan for the upcoming application. View the ESEA Regional Networking Meetings webpage to register for a RNM.

ESSER

• Applications for the ESSER Convening for Pandemic Recovery Grant are due Wednesday, March 8. This grant will provide funding to support districts across the state in convening so they have the opportunity to learn from colleagues facing the same challenges as the districts they lead. A recording of the application webinar is posted on the ESSER Convening for Pandemic Recovery Grant webpage.

District Operations

Data Pipeline

• The four-day school week application is open. 
• The school code change request process for 2023-24 is available.
• The Report Card March collection closes Friday, April 7.
• The teacher student data link interchange file and snapshot are open.
• The 2022-23 Designated Agency data collection is open for alternative licensure educator preparation programs to enter 2022-23 candidates.
• The 2022-23 End of Year snapshot soft-open phase starts on Thursday, March 2. Business rules and documentation will continue to be updated until the official collection opening on Thursday, May 4.

Nutrition & Health

• Applications for the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment Clean Air for Schools program are due Friday, March 31. CDPHE will hold a series of virtual question and answer sessions in March. School staff can register for one of the sessions via Zoom. To learn more about the program visit CDPHE's Clear Air for Schools webpage. Email any questions about the program to the CDPHE Clean Air for Schools team at [email protected].

Nutrition

• View the Healthy School Meals for All program webpage to find resources and training.

Postsecondary Readiness

• The 2023-24 School Counselor Corps Grant Request for Applications are due Wednesday, March 15. The SCCG provides funds to increase the availability of effective school-based counseling and support work-based learning awareness, education and opportunities.
• Applications for four open seats on the School Counselor Corps Grant Advisory Board are being accepted through Wednesday, March 10.
• Financial Aid and FAFSA/CASFA Grant Applications are due Wednesday, March 15. Funds can be used to develop and distribute financial aid information, train educators, host financial aid and FAFSA/CASFA completion events and update the Individual Career and Academic Planning process.

Teaching and Learning

• The Colorado Department of Education intends to award the ELAT Project contract to Amplify Inc for the DIBELS 8 assessment and the corresponding Spanish-language assessment, mCLASS Lectura. The Acadience assessment will not be offered on the Amplify mCLASS platform as of June 30. When the contract is in place, CDE will release the 2023/2024 ELAT Project request for applications for local education providers. Email ELAT questions to Laura Stelling at [email protected].
• CDE collected input on the school readiness description in January and February as part of a review process required by Colorado's Achievement Plan for Kids. Following the feedback period, the school readiness description was revised and will be voted on by the State Board of Education in March.
• CDE is conducting a two-part process for vendors to submit assessments to be reviewed for the Colorado State Board of Education’s Approved List of Assessments for Kindergarten School Readiness. For more information on the review process and timeline, visit the 2022-23 Kindergarten School Readiness Assessment Review webpage.
• The Office of Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Education will host one-on-one office hours to support the implementation of Colorado Standardized Identification and Redesignation Procedures at the local level. Districts, schools and public charter schools are encouraged to bring current guidance and forms regarding local processes to discuss with CDE staff. Complete this form to help the CLDE Office plan for the discussions.
• Colorado Multi-Tiered Systems of Support Learner-Centered Leadership 3-Part Series is designed for leaders at all levels, including state education agencies, districts and schools as well as those in instructional coaching roles. Visit the MTSS training webpage to view the dates and registration links when they become available. 
• March 6-10 is Open Education week. Open Education is a global movement to promote knowledge sharing by improving educator access to curriculum materials. To learn more about Open Education Week, visit the Open Educational Resources Colorado website. The Colorado contact for Open Education in K-12 is Theresa Becker, [email protected].

Standards and Instruction

• The 2023 Teaching and Learning CoLabs schedule is posted. View the Teaching and Learning CoLabs webpage for more information.

ESSU

• The State Board of Education will hear two rulemaking hearings in April. One will be on proposed rule changes for universal preschool students with disabilities. The other will be on changes to rules for the Administration of the Protection of Persons from Restraint Act.  A webpage with more information on the rulemaking hearings is available here. Feedback is being sought on both rule changes. A Zoom meeting will be held at 3 p.m. Wednesday, March 22, to collect feedback on the rule changes around preschool. Register here for the Zoom meeting.