Practical Guide for Operationalizing CDC's School Guidance — Colorado, updated September 10, 2021
Summary
This is a printout dated 10/12/21 of the Colorado COVID-19 Updates page Practical Guide for Operationalizing CDC's School Guidance, updated September 10, 2021 and effective August 1, 2021. The summary of recent changes says the guide was updated to recommend universal indoor masking for all students, staff, teachers, and visitors to K-12 schools, regardless of vaccination status and at all levels of community transmission. It also says the criteria for reduced quarantine were updated, including raising the threshold for high rates of school community vaccination from 70% to 80%, and that new language emphasizes improving ventilation and air filtration. The guide says Colorado is following CDC's recommendations for schools.
Summary drafted by a model from the document's text below and checked by script against that text before publication. It is a navigation aid, not a reading of what the document proves. Where AI is used
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Cite this document
“Practical Guide for Operationalizing CDC's School Guidance — Colorado, updated September 10, 2021.”
Original at www.ed.gov. Archived at Pandemic Darlings, https://pandemicdarlings.com/source-documents/department-of-education-pdf-www-ed-gov-da37b8ed72/
, SHA-256 60e135ca2fe73fca66a5fc8e62f6c0ef885b1dd3bff47e200facb528f56da3b3.Full text
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Updated September 10, 2021.
Effective August 1, 2021.
Summary of Recent Changes
e Updated to recommend universal indoor masking for all students, staff, teachers, and visitors to K-12 schools, regardless of vaccination
status and at all levels of community transmission.
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e Updated “Table: Criteria for Reduced Quarantine” to remove the community vaccination metric for shifting to use of reduced
quarantine for typical classroom exposures.
e Updated “Table: Criteria for Reduced Quarantine” to increase the threshold for high rates of school community COVID-19 vaccination
from 70% to 80%.
e Added new language emphasizing the importance of improving ventilation and air filtration in reducing the risk of COVID-19
transmission.
e Clarified recommendations for quarantine determinations based on distance and masking in typical classroom and non-classroom
settings in both the body of the guidance and in the updated Who Needs to Quarantine tool.
Colorado is following CDC’s recommendations for schools (https: //www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-
ncov/community/schools-childcare/k-12-guidance.html). This guide is designed to help schools operationalize and clarify CDC’s
recommendations.
Executive Summary
Colorado has made tremendous strides in decreasing transmission and deaths from COVID-19, including reaching more than a 70%
vaccination rate among adults 18 and older statewide. In addition, Governor Polis ended the disaster emergency, signaling our transition
as a State from crisis to recovery. Yet unvaccinated Coloradans remain vulnerable to new variants, especially the Delta variant, which is
far more contagious than previous variants and may have more severe health outcomes for younger people.
Because many students have yet to be vaccinated and students under 12 are not yet eligible, we must continue to remain vigilant, take
important mitigation steps that can reduce transmission of COVID-19, and address outbreaks in a safe and thoughtful manner. Colorado
Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) will adopt and elaborate upon CDC school guidance, which was released on
July 9, 2021. This includes an updated August 4, 2021, recommendation for universal indoor masking in schools regardless of
vaccination status at all levels of community transmission. CDPHE is providing this practical guide for schools, parents, and students on
how to operationalize CDC guidance in our education settings.
This guide to operationalizing CDC guidance is aimed at disease control and minimizing the risk of exposure in education settings. But,
we know students’ wellness extends well beyond just disease control. Schools, educators, parents, and students must balance all of the
needs of our students in order to achieve wellness and create a productive learning environment. With this in mind, the state has let all
statewide school-based health orders and mandates expire and instead has adopted a guidance model designed to empower local public
health and local leaders to protect their communities using the mitigation strategies most appropriate to local conditions. The guidance
provides practical tools to assess the risks of COVID-19 and minimize those risks. The guidance does not constitute statewide
requirements, but instead outlines evidence-based best practices for local governments and schools to implement together to manage
the next stage of the pandemic.
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The state continues to recommend a layered approach of best practices to COVID-19 prevention. This outline of best practices is
described in detail in the Back to School Roadmap, including ventilation, maximization of outdoor activities, mask-wearing, testing,
spacing, cohorting, symptom screening, cleaning and disinfecting, and handwashing. It also includes information for local public health
agencies, schools, and parents about community transmission and layered precautions.
This guidance strongly recommends local leaders and school leaders take a layered approach to prevention as described above.
Communities with higher rates of transmission and low vaccination rates should continue to take heightened COVID-19 precautions.
Local public health still has the authority to enforce local public health orders, which may include quarantine requirements.
When schools have low vaccination rates (defined as a vaccination rate under 80% among staff and students age 12 and older) and their
communities are experiencing high rates of community transmission (defined as 35 cases per 100,000 people over seven days), the
local public health agency should work with schools and school districts to institute higher precautionary measures, such as:
e Universal masking (if not already implemented as recommended at all transmission levels).
e Increased physical distancing.
e Serial COVID-19 testing and screening programs.
e Contact tracing.
e Targeted quarantining.
e Limiting high risk activities.
In addition to communities facing higher risk factors, certain student groups may be at greater risk of COVID-19 due to the nature of their
activities. Riskier activities include indoor sports, contact sports, and other activities involving forced exhalation such as band or
orchestra. In these higher risk settings, local public health and school districts should consider precautionary measures to prevent the
spread of COVID-19, such as universal masking, serial testing and screening programs, contact tracing, targeted quarantining, vaccine
outreach, and educational efforts. During the spring 2021 semester, outbreaks of COVID-19 often originated with these groups of
students and then spread to the larger school community, disrupting learning.
Similar to adults, students with underlying health conditions (https: //www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/need-extra-
precautions/people-with-medical-conditions.html) such as obesity, diabetes, asthma, down syndrome, and heart disease are more
likely to experience severe health impacts, hospitalization, and death from COVID-19. Students and staff with these underlying health
conditions are strongly advised to get vaccinated. If they cannot get vaccinated, they should continue practicing a layered approach to
prevent COVID-19.
Regardless of transmission and vaccination rates, all education settings should create the safest environment possible for their students
through tried-and -true disease prevention measures. These include promoting hand washing, ensuring good ventilation, encouraging
activities outside, social distancing, and asking sick students to stay home following CDPHE’s Return to Learn tool
(https: //drive. google.com/file/d/1nhgGlbakyAJY3XJZ2TW44sw/btXXqISBR/view?usp=sharing). In addition, CDC and CDPHE recommend
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universal indoor masking for all teachers, staff, students, and visitors to K-12 schools, regardless of vaccination status. Universal masking
is an especially critical strategy when a community is at higher risk of transmission, such as when vaccination rates are low and in
schools where students are not yet eligible for vaccination. Schools should create an accepting environment for parents and students
who choose to use masks even when they are not required.
Not only is COVID-19 vaccination Colorado’s best defense against the pandemic, vaccination also prevents disruptions to in-person
learning. Fully vaccinated staff and students never have to miss school due to quarantine. The COVID-19 vaccines have been highly
successful at reducing transmission, infections, and deaths. As we look towards the fall, CDPHE looks forward to partnering with schools
and districts to host vaccination clinics and increase our defense against this virus. Vaccines are essential for students and caretakers
alike. Children’s risk of contracting COVID-19 is greatly reduced when they live in a household where all eligible individuals are fully
vaccinated, even if the children are not yet eligible for vaccination. Any school or school district interested in hosting a vaccination clinic
can complete the online Vaccination Event Request Form (https: //docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAlpQLSenFjOwkTOz6uzxXVA-
DibG3tsZPo9nKFvuhoLXW10qGYxEcJA/viewform). Throughout the school year, CDPHE will monitor disease transmission, severity,
and vaccine effectiveness trends as well as community feedback. We will update our guidance and disease control strategies as the
COVID-19 landscape changes with a continued focus on the essential nature of in-person learning.
Both local and state public health have statutory, legal and regulatory authority to investigate and control disease transmission,
including isolation of cases and quarantine of close contacts, closing public places and prohibiting gathering to control the spread of
disease. Statutory citations include but are not limited to 25-1.5-102(1), 25-1-506(3)(b)(V), 25-1-122(2), 25-1.5-101(1)(a),(h),(k) and
(), C.R.S.. Regulatory authority includes, 6 CCR 1009-1, 6 CCR 1010-6 and 6 CCR 1010-7.
Applicability
This guidance applies to all circumstances where a teacher or caregiver cares for multiple children outside the usual home of the children. These
circumstances include, but are not limited to:
e K-12 schools, both public and private.
e Licensed child care settings.
e Home-based family child care settings.
e License-exempt child care programs such as single skill building and 72-hour camps.
e Guest child care facilities at ski resorts and courthouses.
e “Pods” and other home learning/homeschooling groups.
This guide also applies to extracurricular activities, including sports, where the participants are in grades P-12. Additional guidance for sports can
be found on the Organized sports (https: //covid19.colorado.gov/organized-sports) page.
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Special considerations for ECE
Child care and pre-K settings are different from K-12 settings in important ways. The particular facilities, curriculum, and modes of supervision in
child care facilities require modifications to guidance developed for K-12 settings. Please take note of special recommendations for pre-K and
child care settings throughout this guidance. In the guidance and tools, the term “schools” includes K-12 schools and child care providers,
including in-home providers.
Residential settings, including overnight camps and group homes, have different transmission characteristics and abilities to isolate and
quarantine compared to K-12 schools and other child care settings. These settings should follow the outbreak guidance relevant to their
particular circumstances.
Definitions
School outbreak-associated case: a case among students, teachers, or staff that meets the outbreak definition
(https: //docs.google.com/document/d/1e-IWLtzJNCgI2szPONGVEASGgse85WuBmcToc9ev-74/edit). Family members or others outside
the school who get sick should not be classified as outbreak-associated.
Outbreak: Outbreaks are defined in Colorado’s COVID-19 case and outbreak definitions (https: //docs.google.com/document/d/1e-
IWLtzJNCgI2gZPONGvEASGgse85WuBmcToc9ev-74/edit).
COVID-like symptoms: loss of taste or smell, fever (100.4°F or higher), chills, new or worsening cough, shortness of breath or difficulty
breathing, headache, sore throat, muscle or body aches, congestion or runny nose, fatigue, nausea or vomiting, diarrhea. A person is assumed
to be contagious two days before they start having symptoms and for 10 days after symptoms start. In children too young or unable to reliably
report their symptoms, caregivers and teachers should monitor for symptoms and other age-appropriate signs of disease, including decreased
appetite or activity. All symptomatic individuals should seek clinical evaluation, including testing, as soon as possible after symptoms develop.
Isolation: staying home from work, school, and activities when a person is sick or diagnosed with COVID-19. Isolation lasts for at least 10 days
(specifically ten 24-hour periods) after the onset of symptoms — and for 24 hours after being fever-free without the aid of fever-reducing
medication and if the person shows an improvement of symptoms. For people who have not had symptoms, isolation lasts 10 days from the day
they had their first positive test. In rare instances (for example, if a person was very sick or has certain medical problems), isolation may last 20
days. Public health experts do not recommend repeat testing to decide when to end the period of isolation except in rare circumstances in
consultation with a medical provider. Find information about how to isolate (https: //covid19.colorado.gov/how-to-isolate).
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Quarantine: staying home from work, school, and activities after a person was in close contact with someone with COVID-19. Find guidance on
how to quarantine and how long quarantine lasts (https: //covid19.colorado.gov/how-to-quarantine). A person should not attend work,
school, or out of school activities if they are under quarantine following an exposure in school. If a person develops symptoms of COVID-19
during their quarantine period, they should begin isolation (https: //covid19.colorado.gov/how-to-isolate).
Close contact: a person who was close enough to a person with COVID-19 or symptoms of COVID-19 to be at risk of becoming ill.
Diagnostic COVID-19 test: a test that detects a current COVID-19 infection. These tests include PCR, rapid molecular, and antigen tests.
Serology tests can check for evidence of past infection or vaccination, but cannot reliably tell if a person currently has COVID-19 so are not
considered diagnostic tests. Testing types are explained further on the FDA's website (https: //www.fda.gov/consumers/consumer-
updates/coronavirus-disease-2019-testing-basics).
Prioritizing in-person learning
We must support and prioritize uninterrupted, full-time, in-person learning in all communities. While we must remain vigilant, particularly when it
comes to deadly COVID-19 variants, we recognize there are fewer cases of COVID-19 than earlier in the pandemic, and children under the age
of 12 are less likely to experience severe disease, hospitalization, and death from COVID-19. We also know that vaccinations are our best
defense against COVID-19. Therefore, Colorado will move from an individual case-based response strategy to a transmission mitigation strategy,
where instead of quarantining students and staff after individual exposures, the risk of the whole school community, including the risk of
interruptions to learning, is considered. Because in-person learning is essential for communities and students to thrive, CDPHE is recommending
reduced incidents of quarantine in schools and child care specifically. Reduced quarantine is not recommended in other settings at this time.
Preventive measures
The state continues to recommend a layered approach of best practices to COVID-19 prevention. These best practices are described in detail in
the Back to School Roadmap (https: //drive.google.com/file/d/1WTHW8gcsIFPQWGQC6mU5Up 1hGilzvSX/view), and include
ventilation, maximization of outdoor activities, sick leave policies, mask-wearing, testing, spacing, cohorting, symptom screening, cleaning and
disinfecting, and handwashing. These policies will continue to be important for preventing transmission of all diseases in schools.
Mask wearing
CDC recommends universal indoor masking for all teachers, staff, students, and visitors to K-12 schools, regardless of vaccination status and at
all transmission levels. CDPHE recommends local public health agencies and school districts implement universal mask requirements for all
individuals entering K-12 schools in Colorado. This is especially important in settings where vaccination rates are low and where many students
are not yet eligible for vaccination. Those who cannot medically tolerate a mask should work with their school administration to assess the need
for a reasonable accommodation in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Additional information regarding reasonable
accommodations can also be found in the State’s Civil Rights Guidance (https: //drive.google.com/file/d/1DSJuv-
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9finS1 NBnQ8i_ O02PHQDDIWXRn/view). Both state and local public health have the authority to issue public health orders requiring masks, and
include within those orders any allowable exceptions to the mask requirement. For settings in which masks are required by the State, exceptions
include temporary removal of a mask to participate in a life rite or religious service where such temporary removal is necessary for participation;
there is no broader general exemption from wearing a mask for religious or personal belief in the state public health orders. In addition, even
when not required by local public health or a school district, staff and students may choose to wear masks. Schools and school districts should
ensure that every classroom is a welcome environment for students and staff who choose to protect themselves in this manner.
Improving ventilation
COVID-19 and other respiratory illnesses are spread through respiratory droplets that are produced when we breathe, talk, sneeze, or cough.
Improving ventilation by increasing air exchanges and filtration assists with the dilution of contaminants that might be present, including
respiratory droplets. Schools can improve ventilation in a number of ways.
Existing HVAC systems should be maintained in good working order, and should run for at least 30 minutes before and after the building is
occupied.
Schools without existing HVAC systems or inadequate systems can open windows during the school day to increase ventilation and air flow.
Additionally HEPA filters can be added to an existing HVAC system and portable HEPA filters can be added to areas to filter out contaminants
from the air.
Outdoor activities are strongly encouraged, especially for higher risk activities and meal times.
Additional resources on improving ventilation can be found on the Colorado Department of Education's website
(http: //www.cde.state.co.us/schoolguidance21-22/bestpractices#ventilation).
Isolation of positive cases
Ensuring sick people stay home (and people diagnosed with COVID-19 follow isolation requirements (https: //covid19.colorado.gov/how-to-
isolate)) is critical to preventing the spread of COVID-19. Under state law, isolation of positive cases is required and must be enforced by local
public health and school districts.
Monitoring and communication
While fully vaccinated individuals are not required to quarantine if they are exposed to someone with COVID-19, all individuals who are exposed
should monitor themselves for symptoms for 14 days and get tested if symptoms develop.
We continue to recommend alerting students, staff, and parents of known classroom exposures so all individuals are appropriately informed, will
monitor closely for symptoms, and may choose to increase personal mitigation measures as necessary when living or working with vulnerable
individuals (e.g. a high school student who volunteers in a nursing home or who lives with an immunosuppressed relative).
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Quarantine for routine classroom exposures
The state recommends counties, schools, and individuals that meet any of the below metrics shift to a transmission control strategy, with
quarantine not required following routine classroom exposures. Large outbreaks or important circulating variants may necessitate more stringent
disease control strategies at the discretion of the local public health agency (LPHA).
Table: Criteria for Reduced Quarantine
County population protections School community protections Individual protections
Low community transmission High rates of school community COVID- Fully vaccinated (two weeks after
; ; 19 vaccination last recommended vaccine dose)
e Counties with <35 cases per 100K per 7 days
e Find county-level transmission data e 280% of staff and students 12 and OR
(https: //covid19.colorado.gov/data/covid-19- older with at least one COVID-19 . _,
. or Previously positive in the past 90
dial-dashboard) vaccination
days
OR
OR
High rates of weekly school screening
testing Participating in weekly screening
testing
e 270% of unvaccinated staff and
students participating in weekly testing OR
Both parties wearing a mask at the
time of exposure”
Quarantine of close contacts does not need to be required by local public health authorities following routine classroom exposures if any of
the above are met by the county, school, or individual considered a close contact (“and the ill individual for mask use).
Quarantine in counties with low vaccination and high case rates
Even in schools with low vaccination rates or in counties with high case rates, the state recommends multiple ways schools can avoid quarantine
for lower risk, typical classroom exposures, at the discretion of the local public health authority. Schools must work with their local public health
agency when cases of COVID-19 are identified to determine quarantine requirements.
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e Vaccinated Individuals
o Anyone who is fully vaccinated (at least two weeks after their last dose of COVID-19 vaccine), even in a low vaccination, high case
setting, is not required to quarantine if exposed to a case. In the school setting, fully vaccinated individuals who are exposed to
COVID-19 during a higher risk exposure should monitor for symptoms and seek testing if symptoms develop.
e School-Level Vaccination Rate
© If at least 80% of individuals age 12 and older within a school community have received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine, no
one, including unvaccinated individuals, needs to quarantine following a typical classroom exposure to a case.
e Weekly Serial Testing
© Schools can also implement weekly serial testing in their schools. Additionally, students of all ages who are actively participating in at
least weekly serial testing should not be required to quarantine following typical classroom exposures to a positive case of COVID-
19. School districts may opt into a free and voluntary statewide serial testing program. If a school or school district is interested in
enrolling in this program, please contact cdphe_schooltesting@state.co.us (mailto:cdphe_schooltesting@state.co.us).
o If schools have at least 70% of their unvaccinated students and staff actively participating in serial testing, students and staff should
not be required to quarantine following a typical classroom exposure to a case of COVID-19.
Masking
o CDPHE recommends that unvaccinated students not be required to quarantine following a typical classroom exposure if both the
infected individual and the exposed student(s) were wearing well-fitting masks correctly and consistently over the mouth and nose
during the exposure.
°o Inclassroom settings, CDPHE recommends quarantine for unvaccinated close contacts that were within six feet for 15 minutes or
more of an infected individual if either the infected individual or the contact were unmasked during the exposure. Note that this
guidance differs slightly from current CDC guidance. CDC’s definition of a close contact and need for quarantine in a typical
classroom only excludes students who were within three to six feet of an infected individual if both parties were wearing masks.
CDPHE does not specify a minimum of three feet when excluding exposed students from quarantine, if both the infected individual
and the exposed student(s) were wearing masks and no direct physical contact occurred. CDPHE’s “Who Needs to Quarantine?”
tool is updated to provide additional clarification.
Higher risk exposures
Several close contact situations would be considered higher risk exposures to COVID-19. The state recommends local public health take a
heightened risk approach to these higher risk exposures, which should include quarantine of unvaccinated, exposed individuals. These
exposures are significantly higher risk than typical activities within a classroom. Examples include:
Indoor or high contact athletic competitions.
Evaluating or assessing ill students or staff.
Performing an_aerosol-generating procedure (https: //www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/hcp/fag. html?
CDC AA refVal=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cdc.gov%2Fcoronavirus%2F2019-ncov%2Fhcp%2Finfection-control-faq.html).
Caring for a young child (feeding, holding, or diapering).
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e Interactions between young children where it is not age appropriate to remain seated or physically distanced.
e Indoor forced exhalation activities such as singing, exercising, or playing a wind or brass instrument.
This is not an exhaustive list, and public health authorities can assist with determining whether or not quarantine is necessary after a particular
exposure. Schools should discuss these more complex cases with their local public health agency.
Staff and students who are exposed to a case of COVID-19 outside of the school classroom, including social settings, athletics, workplaces, and
household exposures, will likely be required to quarantine, pursuant to statutory and regulatory public health authority. Students participating in
high-risk activities (such as unmasked indoor athletic competitions) and individuals who are at higher risk for severe infection will be strongly
encouraged to get vaccinated for their own protection.
Individuals at higher risk for severe disease
Individuals should discuss their personal risk factors with their health care providers. Individuals determined to be at higher risk for severe
disease should get vaccinated as soon as they are eligible in consultation with their health care provider. If these individuals are not eligible for
vaccination, or vaccination is not medically advised, serial testing and masking indoors is strongly recommended. Schools may consider
universal masking requirements, ventilation improvements, and other protective measures when they serve or employ large numbers of high-risk
or vulnerable individuals.
Positive cases and outbreaks
As described above, all positive cases will be required to isolate and stay home to protect others, pursuant to statutory and regulatory public
health authority. Once a school has an outbreak that impacts multiple classrooms, school leadership should work with their local public health
authority to determine what additional mitigation strategies may be necessary. Additional mitigation strategies may include: universal masking
indoors, distancing, testing and contact tracing, and quarantine of close contacts.
Caveat: Variants of Concern circulating in communities could impact population-based strategies.
Variants of COVID-19
CDC and CDPHE are actively monitoring the impact that variants of the COVID-19 virus may have on communities and individuals. The state is
closely evaluating variants that may cause more severe disease, could be more contagious, or may have a greater potential to infect those who
are vaccinated or who have recently been infected with COVID-19.
All variants of COVID-19 spread through exhaled viral particles generated by sick people, and the same protective measures that have helped
keep students safe in schools throughout the past year will continue to be effective. These key strategies also help protect students and staff
from other diseases, such as influenza and RSV, and include:
e Getting a vaccine as soon as possible.
e Encouraging students and staff to stay home when sick or potentially contagious.
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e Universal masking indoors.
e Improving indoor ventilation.
e Practicing good hand and respiratory hygiene.
e Appropriate cleaning of shared spaces and objects.
More information about COVID-19 variants is available from CDC (https: //www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/variants/variant.html).
Encouraging vaccinations in schools
Vaccines are our best defense against COVID-19. Schools are encouraged to educate their communities about the safety and efficacy of COVID-
19 vaccines and why they are so important for us to return to the Colorado we love.
Resources for schools to educate their communities about the COVID-19 vaccine
CDPHE has developed many vaccination resources to support this effort and added information about COVID-19 vaccines to our online vaccine
education module (https: //www.dcphrapps.dphe.state.co.us/storyline360/story.html).
CDPHE is prepared to support schools who wish to host a vaccination event for their students, faculty, and staff. For more information or to
request event support, see the Event Based Vaccination Request Form
(https: //docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAlpQLSenFjOwkTOz6uzxXVA-DlbG3tsZPo9nKFvuhoLXW10qGYxEcJA/viewform).
Additional resource are available, including testimonials, talking points, social media graphics, and more, to help schools communicate effectively
with their communities about the safety and effectiveness of the COVID-19 vaccines:
e Vaccine campaign and educational toolkits (https: //drive.google.com/file/d/16qspjO-eA-PJ55 hCt6H1Jp7xQih7ZKU/view),
e CDPHE Adolescent COVID-19 Vaccination toolkit (https: //drive.google.com/drive/folders/1vqeH8NiT9rncbmMP1H6dHRMyn hFVsCEv?
usp=sharing)
e COVID-19 vaccine FAQs (https: //covid19.colorado.gov/vaccine-faq),
e Vaccine equity strategy talking points (https: //drive.google.com/file/d/1q7qBPwzd9HEoOmlzx-h8vFERFjV_qkKJb/view)
The CDC and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) have additional resources about the COVID-19 vaccines:
https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/covid-19/planning/school-located-clinics/how-schools-can-support.html (https: //www.cdc.gov/vaccines/covid-
19/planning/school-located-clinics/how-schools-can-support. html),
https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/covid-19/health-systems-communication-toolkit.html#posters (https: //www.cdc.gov/vaccines/covid-
19/health-systems-communication-toolkit.html#posters),
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https://services.aap.org/en/news-room/campaigns-and-toolkits/covid-19-vaccine-toolkit/ (https: //services.aap.org/en/news-
room/campaigns-and-toolkits/covid-19-vaccine-toolkit/)
Verifying vaccination status
Schools can verify the vaccination status of their students using the Colorado Immunization Information System (CIIS) without written consent.
Per FERPA, written consent must be obtained if a school wants to enter vaccination data for a student into CIIS. Statute does not permit schools
to use CIIS to verify the vaccination status of employees or staff.
Acceptable proof of COVID-19 vaccination
Acceptable proof of COVID-19 vaccination will be the same as all other school-required vaccines. A student may provide the vaccination card
that includes the name of the provider, name of the patient, date, type of vaccine, and lot number. For students who received their vaccine in
Colorado, the school may verify proof of vaccination with CIIS. Schools do not need written consent to look up vaccination records in CIIS.
Students who receive their vaccination outside of Colorado may provide both their vaccination cards and/or IIS records from the state where they
received their shots.
Additionally, CDPHE has added COVID-19 vaccines to the “recommended vaccines” section of the official Colorado Certificate of Immunization
(https: //drive.google.com/file/d/1vQwP2sOF 4javJNMOLHydbjZZA9HtOeB/view?usp=sharing) to better enable incoming students to
share records of their immunizations with their school.
Reporting
Per 6 CCR 1009-1 (https: //www.sos.state.co.us/CCR/GenerateRulePdf.do?ruleVersion|d=8099&fileName=6%20CCR%201009-1) and Public
Health Order 20-33 (https: //drive.google.com/file/d/1SdXSLNxlfddGjQF7HDkmIxcB_ YXYrDE3/view), clinical labs and/or health care providers
are required to report all COVID-19 test results, both positive and negative, to public health. If school personnel perform and interpret rapid
testing on-site, they are functioning as a clinical lab and are required to report all results. Per 6 CCR 1009-1
(https: //www.sos.state.co.us/CCR/GenerateRulePdf.do?ruleVersionld=8099&fileName=6%20CCR%201009-1), schools and child care facilities are
also required to report single cases of which they become aware to public health, even if testing was performed elsewhere. Schools are able to
disclose this information to public health without prior written consent under FERPA’s health or safety emergency exception, because a person
with COVID-19 represents a potential threat to the health and safety of others at the school. This is true even if there is not an outbreak.
Public health then interviews the people who have COVID-19 and conducts contact tracing to determine who might be close contacts of the case,
and makes recommendations about isolation and quarantine.
Schools and child care providers are required to report all outbreaks to their local public health agency or CDPHE within four hours per 6 CCR
1009-1.
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Schools and child care providers must report both suspected and confirmed outbreaks.
Schools and child care providers can report outbreaks by:
e Fill out the CDPHE COVID-19 outbreak report form and send it to the local public health agency (go here
(https: //cdphe.redcap.state.co.us/surveys/?s=FF87YHELDW) or email the PDF form
(https: //drive.google.com/file/d/1XedRlgn7JmeJDIgVhRgnPmpVixsVm4hd/view)).
¢ Calling their local public health agency (https: //covid19.colorado.gov/lpha-providers).
¢ Calling CDPHE at 303-692-2700.
Other respiratory infections
COVID-19 spreads via the same mechanisms as influenza, RSV, and other important respiratory illnesses. Therefore, the same strategies that
schools have used to protect students and staff from COVID-19 also slow the spread of these other diseases. These include:
e Getting a vaccine as soon as possible.
Encouraging students and staff to stay home when sick or potentially contagious.
Improving indoor ventilation through increased air exchanges and filtration.
e Wearing a mask indoors.
e Practicing good hand and respiratory hygiene.
e Cleaning shared spaces and objects appropriately.
Additionally, these diseases share many symptoms and it is not always possible to distinguish these illnesses from one another based on
symptoms alone, even for experienced medical providers. Therefore, testing is important for anyone with symptoms of a respiratory infection to
help guide an appropriate disease response.
Consideration for travel and school breaks
Travel may put individuals at increased risk of contracting COVID-19, especially those that are not fully vaccinated. Travel may involve crowded
public vehicles and spaces, where close contact with a high number of unique contacts with unknown vaccination status may occur.
The same layered mitigation strategies used in schools are recommended when traveling, especially those who are not yet fully vaccinated.
Masking is recommended for anyone two years old and older in crowded indoor spaces, and is required on public transportation and in
transportation hubs by federal order.
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10/12/21, 12:14 PM Practical Guide for Operationalizing CDC’s School Guidance | Colorado COVID-19 Updates
Families and staff should be encouraged to get vaccinated before traveling and to use layered mitigation strategies to stay safe. After returning,
students and staff should monitor for symptoms and get tested if symptoms develop.
Helpful links
Qperating schools during COVID-19: CDC's Considerations (https: //www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/schools-
childcare/schools. html)
School and Childcare FAQs July 2021 (https: //drive.google.com/file/d/178k4FO -iJilaTp7fw0aVCvanbzGuemb/view?usp=sharing)
CDE reopening toolkit (http: //www.cde.state.co.us/schoolguidance21-22)
Critical Worker FAQ (https: //drive.google.com/file/d/1mo8ThFri69P1Y4XEDGYoPjJTvvxrAILL/view),
Federal Laws and Regulations Pertaining to COVID-19 (https: //www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/cdcresponse/laws-
regulations. html)
Tools
At-home symptom screening tool (https: //drive.google.com/file/d/1rM77eLlnivcQuoqvOzyOpxXtjnY-fREN/view) | Espanol
(https: //drive.google.com/file/d/18pGMQWR3_ -Pc7Lp6VOkKvQ-Z6k7fgJPi/view?usp=sharing) | Pycckun
(https: //drive.google.com/file/d/1n4Sj-oev8T1RDKOSdtcDkOlz2zOl6auK/view?usp=sharing)
NEW! Addressing Symptoms as School (https: //drive.google.com/file/d/1-qAUd4g8tYDZ4KKllbCc_yGOWkEHjiXV/view?
usp=sharing) | Espafol (https: //drive.google.com/file/d/1W5x7yblyONT--SfcOVrTn0eCO-VXffCl/view?usp=sharing)
Updated Return to Learn (https: //drive.google.com/file/d/1nhgGlbakyAJY3XJ2TW44sw7btXXqISBR/view?usp=sharing) | Espanol
(https: //drive.google.com/file/d/15 2Z672Bm3eRz1xvT THuaMCd6__ AAxPV/view?usp=sharing),
NEW! Who Needs to Quarantine (https: //drive.google.com/file/d/1S-bXk2yFdFAjBPUMfT-KVNMvzZ6EA2A9r/view?usp=sharing) (Updated
to align with CDPHE brand standards)
https://covid19.colorado.gov/practical-guide-for-operationalizing-cdc-school-guidance 15/18
10/12/21, 12:14 PM Practical Guide for Operationalizing CDC’s School Guidance | Colorado COVID-19 Updates
For more information or questions regarding school guidance,
please contact CDPHE COVID School Childcare@state.co.us (mailto:CDPHE COVID School Childcare@state.co.us) or scan the QR code below.
_(mailto:CDPHE COVID School Childcare@state.co.us)
Contact
Media line (for media only): 303-900-2849
CO-HELP (https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/cdphe/co-help) - Colorado’s call line for general questions about the novel coronavirus (COVID-19),
providing answers in many languages including English, Spanish (Espafol), Mandarin (#41814) and more.
¢” Call 303-389-1687 or (877) 462-2911.
COVID-19 related issues and concerns (https: //covid19.colorado.gov/CovidConcerns)
Request a website change (https://forms.gle/PLiDZ5cQ4tjA3Q2R9)
IMPORTANT: If you have symptoms and think you have been exposed, call a health care provider.
Resources
CDPHE main website (https: //colorado.gov/cdphe)
Colorado Emergency Management (http: //www.coemergency.com/)
https://covid19.colorado.gov/practical-guide-for-operationalizing-cdc-school-guidance 16/18
10/12/21, 12:14 PM Practical Guide for Operationalizing CDC’s School Guidance | Colorado COVID-19 Updates
Stay at home Colorado guide (https: //stayathomeco.colorado.gov/)
State resource for COVID-19 information (https: //covid.colorado.gov/)
OnwardCO.org (https: //urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-
3A __onwardco.org&d=DwMFaQ&c=sdnEM9SRGFuMt5z5w3AhsPNahmNicq64TgF1JwNROcs&r=tKhUOU L2xbjslo eJnBsILU8HnLQ6GQZw39EUQXQSA&m=dXFns-
1XqmnyYakrsVZJ2pb30IHgibGVNQgDMdDn4kQ&s=LHbqsUuqwFec-ngL7MhT1soU14t2zdketexXx6EflmtU&e=) - One-stop resource for Coloradans impacted
by job loss to connect with life essentials, training, and jobs.
Colorado Crisis Services (https://coloradocrisisservices.org/) - Free, confidential, professional, and immediate support for any mental health,
substance use, or emotional concern, 24/7/365.
¢” Call 1-844-493-TALK (8255) or text TALK to 38255 to speak to a trained professional.
211 Colorado (https://www.211colorado.org/) - Confidential and multilingual service connecting people to vital resources across the state.
¢” Call 2-11 or (866) 760-6489 LJ Text your ZIP CODE to 898-211.
Follow us
CDPHE: Facebook (https: //www.facebook.com/CDPHE/) | Twitter (https: //twitter.com/CDPHE) | Instagram (https: //www.instagram.com/cdphe)
Colorado Emergency Management: Facebook (https: //www.facebook.com/COEmergency/? xts_[0]=68.ARAHzZIPINUNeZ27ayQDMfbLehNYVIMrg7xfT8j-
8aN98mdPROBbPnmktcLMtTkL-wokLnQaemEUD3PdU-0DQcGtcfOugskK42ccAsOyv41mGs59O0CAVs0S9C98Ausn-4USITeJddgI5K-
ipewsdTqb3XlAv4xK7yjZnv4r7A8AG4dzw5rz_ OeDuZ4_ hfincWlyM50sLjBs8HDQLXZaGTiogMC58sY1_CEPakK-zEZkzQmU-ZAMRHdUk7QegLVULNZey-
pgfkbBaSUFDKWE6BJ7x4PFxqHb-LZZU20VT jyd7FGnKKgnHJjwfhZ7HDmhMigJBQU-Ji sodLedjkigg4HFK8es8) | Twitter (https: //twitter.com/COEmergency),
Governor's Office: Facebook (https: //www.facebook.com/jaredpolis) | Twitter (https: //twitter.com/GovofCO) | Instagram
(https: //www.instagram.com/govofco/?hl=en)
Additional languages
Espafiol (https: //drive.google.com/open?id=1wvUvHmRb1EgsjT0_tMebKjbJAryWs3ol) (Spanish) | Tiéng Viét (https: //drive.google.com/open?
id=1kuJOG5xvziw8QnGlatjYXXKg946kWSkr) (Vietnamese) |
https://covid19.colorado.gov/practical-guide-for-operationalizing-cdc-school-guidance 17/18
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Soomaali (https: //drive.google.com/open?id=1uDHaqlqq5o8TqXxXsesEkpqyfZGMpD-G8) (Somali) | 4432 (https://drive.google.com/open?
id=11zakkcFDevz2ieTO31SvQSey9C2_ 4vop) (Simplified Chinese) |
(Arabic) 4.2!\ (https: //urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__drive.google.com_open-3Fid-
3D1ymjzG3RB7xOWLPO9mxXT j6l57z5kYosGG&d=DwMFaQ&c=sdnEM9SRGFuMt5z5w3AhsPNahmNicq64TsF1JwNROcs&r=tknlanG PkVwm83166UnMjiQXq4Q01bJt44.
(https: //urldefense. proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__drive.google.com_ open-3Fid-3D1iAdkH6Ya8sHOWBm6jC-2DIoGXOAHV5r-
5FK7&d=DwMFaQé&c=sdnEM9SRGFuMt5z5w3AhsPNahmNicq64TsFiJwNROcs&ér=tknlanG PkVwm83166UnMjiQXg4Q01bJt44Adxi6cmE&m=MVPbWXyR5ufnkZPgjes9
(Nepali)
|SelectLanguage v|
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© 2021 State of Colorado | Transparency Online (https: //data.colorado.gov/Government/Transparency-Online-Project-TOPS-State-Government-/rifs-n6ib)
| Accessibility (https: //www.colorado.gov/accessibility-standards) | Privacy Statement (https: //www.colorado.gov/privacy-statement) |
Security Statement (https: //www.colorado. gov/security-statement)
https://covid19.colorado.gov/practical-guide-for-operationalizing-cdc-school-guidance 18/18
Report Contents
Introduction & Report Overview ........................................................................................................2
Stakeholder Engagement & Survey Themes ........................................................................................5
What We Heard .................................................................................................................................7
Themes from Listening Tour ..................................................................................................................... 7
Suggested Investments ............................................................................................................................. 9
Meeting Summaries .........................................................................................................................11
Teacher Meeting ................................................................................................................................. 11
Parent Meeting ................................................................................................................................... 11
Student Meeting ................................................................................................................................. 12
Community Organizations Meeting .................................................................................................... 12
Principals Meeting .............................................................................................................................. 12
Superintendents Meeting ................................................................................................................... 13
Advocacy Organizations Meeting ....................................................................................................... 13
Educator Preparation Providers (EPP) Meeting .................................................................................. 14
CDE Staff Meeting ............................................................................................................................... 14
What We Read.................................................................................................................................15
Themes from Survey ............................................................................................................................... 16
Suggested Investments ........................................................................................................................... 22
Addendum A: CDE Presentation .......................................................................................................24
Addendum B: Meeting Notes ...........................................................................................................29
Teacher Listening Session ................................................................................................................... 30
Parent Listening Session ..................................................................................................................... 34
Student Listening Session ................................................................................................................... 36
Principal Listening Session .................................................................................................................. 38
Superintendent Listening Session ....................................................................................................... 40
Advocacy Organizations Listening Session.......................................................................................... 44
Educator Preparation Provider Listening Session ............................................................................... 46
CDE Staff Listening Session ................................................................................................................. 48
Addendum C: Submitted Letters & Reports.......................................................................................53
CDE ESSER Listening Tour Summary Page 1 of 59
Introduction & Report Overview
In the summer of 2021, as Colorado Department of Education (CDE) and State Board of Education
(SBOE) leaders continued their work of supporting local system leaders and educators preparing for the
2021- 22 school year and to leverage every resource available to maximize the recovery after the
COVID-19 pandemic, a third round of funds and associated uses was being rolled out from the federal
government as part of the Elementary and Secondary Schools Emergency Relief fund (ESSER).
As CDE’s leadership prepared to craft and submit the state’s plan to the federal government for the
ESSER III funds and districts developed their own strategies for funds they received directly under ESSER,
a straight forward but complex question existed: How could CDE, the SBOE and the State of Colorado
maximize the impact of the state education agency (SEA) set-aside of these funds? To help answer that
question, CDE convened a series of meetings to hear directly from educators, families, students and
stakeholders about their experiences during the COVID-19 interruption of our public education system.
CDE leaders had a simple yet ambitious goal: Listen to and learn from those most directly impacted and
who will be directly involved in the recovery to inform how Colorado maximizes the use of state
Elementary and Secondary Schools Emergency Relief Fund (ESSER) funds.
The ESSER Stakeholder Listening Tour was designed to gather this input and to help CDE leaders
prioritize spending of the approximately $111 million in ESSER III funds and the remaining $21 million of
ESSER I and ESSER II funds. ESSER Stakeholder listening sessions were scheduled across a variety of
stakeholder groups who would all offer a unique perspective from their experiences and who would
represent the diversity of Colorado’s communities.
This listening tour was designed to provide input across a continuum of stakeholders that could each
help inform later sessions in the listening tour and ultimately inform CDE’s application for and use of
these federal funds.
The first half of the listening tour focused on hearing from those stakeholders most directly
experiencing the in-school and out-of-school impacts of changes brought to K-12 education as a result of
the COVID-19 system interruption.
The first four meetings consisted of listening sessions with:
1. Parents who overnight took on the role of being the primary adults engaging with students in-
person, trying to create spaces conducive to learning for their children and adjusting their own
schedules to respond to most children being at home every day;
2. Teachers who made one of the most tectonic shifts in education, going from in-person to nearly
exclusively remote instruction overnight as they also made parallel adjustments to their own
family life or personal living conditions;
3. Community Organizations who stepped in across the state to fill voids and needs in
communities ranging from food insecurity to providing safe places for students to spend time,
supporting students academically and social-emotionally and supporting parents and teachers;
4. Students while listed last here, on the front of every conversation and the most directly
impacted as their lives were turned upside down as they had to shift overnight to learning in an
entirely different way, found themselves with little if any social interaction at ages where social-
emotional development is critical and were expected to manage these changes amid what were
often challenging times for their own families dealing with all of the challenges brought about by
CDE ESSER Listening Tour Summary Page 2 of 59
the pandemic from economic instability to the mental and psychological pressures on their
parents, guardians and siblings.
Spanish interpretation was available for the parent, community organization and student sessions.
To build on the input received during the first four listening sessions, five additional listening
sessions were scheduled. During these meetings, stakeholders heard the high-level themes surfaced
during initial meetings to both gather their input on what it would take to effectively respond to the
ideas generated and to offer their own ideas given their unique perspectives. Phase two listening
sessions included:
1. Principals who in many cases took on the large lift of the initial shifts caused by the pandemic,
are the ones closest to educators and often have the closest connection to the community
assets, people and dynamics around their schools and will be responsible for any day-to-day
changes in the future;
2. Superintendents who are ultimately responsible (in partnership with their local Boards) for
overseeing the implementation of any systemic changes at the district level, identifying needed
system or structural changes and have a close eye on fiscal needs;
3. Educator Preparation Programs who are continuing to recruit, train and support the next
generation of teachers including those entering a mid or post-pandemic dynamic and are often
partners with school districts in developing or providing professional development for
educators, school leaders and system leaders;
4. Advocacy Organizations who play unique roles in local communities and statewide engaging
parents, students, families, employers among others and often play an important role both
advancing and as importantly, supporting implementation of change;
5. CDE Staff who bring both the perspective of engaging with and supporting a diversity of
professionals in the education workforce and being the professionals responsible for managing
state programs.
The listening tour sought to gain the input of these stakeholders on three key areas of inquiry:
● Innovations & Practices to Build Upon
● Supporting Students
● Supporting Educators
To ground the conversations in the intended and allowable uses of ESSER funds, each session began
with a presentation by CDE on ESSER followed by an opportunity for clarifying questions (See Addendum
A: CDE Presentation).
After this opening session, participants broke out into smaller groups to share their thoughts on the
following:
● Thinking specifically about the period affected by the pandemic, what practices or innovations
emerged in your classroom/school/district that you’d like to see built upon as we move
forward? What resources, training or supports would be needed to effectively continue and
scale the practices or innovations described above?
● How might CDE use set aside funds to specifically address the disproportionate impact of
COVID-19 on certain groups of students?
● How do you believe individual educators have been affected by the shifts and their experience
during the pandemic? What do you believe is most needed to support educators and school
leaders as a result of their experiences during the pandemic?
CDE ESSER Listening Tour Summary Page 3 of 59
In addition to the listening sessions, CDE directed the creation and launch of an online survey to allow all
stakeholders to provide input on these topics and other related areas. To expand access and
participation, the survey was offered in both English and Spanish. Over 1,000 Coloradans completed the
survey to share their ideas.
These questions were selected and designed to help CDE and the SBOE understand, from each
participant’s and each group’s perspectives, how the pandemic’s effects on schools were experienced by
each group within that system – students and families, educators, school and system leaders,
community organizations and advocates and the institutions that support all of them including
educator preparation programs and the wide array of staff within CDE.
The Report
This report is a synthesis and summary of the ideas generated during the ESSER listening sessions and a
collection of ideas submitted. The report does not attempt to make recommendations, to score or
conduct any type of assessment of any individual idea. To the extent possible, this report does offer the
perspective of the independent team who facilitated the breakout sessions on the dominant themes,
specific ideas offered and hopes for Colorado’s students, educators and education system(s). To the
extent possible, an overview of themes and ideas is offered for each listening session and for the tour as
a whole.
Meeting Notes
To provide maximum transparency, the notes from each listening session are included in Addendum B.
While the notes have been subject to an abbreviated proofread, they are otherwise raw and unedited to
maintain integrity of the accuracy and completeness of information being shared directly with state
leaders and all Coloradans. To respect privacy, personally identifying information is not included.
Addenda
In addition to the opportunity to participate in the ESSER listening sessions, participants and members
of the public were invited to provide input via a 20 question online survey or via email. More than 1,000
individuals and organizations submitted ideas that ranged from completing sections or all parts of the
survey to short emails with ideas or questions to formal organizational letters and reports. Letters and
reports received are included with this report as Addendum C. The full results of the survey encompass
nearly 500 pages of individual answers. Those responses have all been reviewed by Keystone’s team to
include key themes, ideas and suggested investments for this report. Because a large number address
individual situations or contain personally identifiable information from parents or teachers, they have
not been included in this report.
CDE ESSER Listening Tour Summary Page 4 of 59
Stakeholder Engagement & Survey Themes
During both the listening tour and throughout the survey, participants and respondents identified
opportunities for investments of three types:
People
At the heart of every conversation were people and the need to make both direct and indirect
investments in our people. Ideas ranged from professional development and training opportunities to
providing mental health or other counseling and financial incentives to help recruit, retain and support
professionals across the education systems.
Things
From building improvements and creating outdoor learning spaces to high-tech classrooms or remote
instructional delivery facilities and the hardware and software to support all types of learners and
learning environments, listening session participants saw the one-time ESSER funds as an opportunity to
make investments for which we rarely have the funds needed.
Systems
Participants recognized that many of the issues needing investment or transformation require
addressing underlying systems. Discussions ranged from how instruction is delivered and how educators
connect with one another across their district or across the state to the roles different adults play and
the important role local community organizations play.
Throughout the ESSER Listening Tour and in survey responses, there were topics, ideas and aspirations
for the future that were raised so frequently and with such similarity that it is appropriate to identify
them as themes. Similarly, there were specific ideas that emerged in multiple if not most sessions in
various forms that it is appropriate to highlight in this report.
In the listening tour sessions, while the conversations were informal and participants were not asked to
label or categorize their ideas, the facilitators found that the ideas and recommendations in those
sessions and in the survey responses fell into five general categories:
Student Academic Recovery
A number of ideas and needs were identified specifically aimed at student academic recovery and
remediation. These ideas ranged from targeting funds to provide in-school tutoring to expanded use of
online resources and partnering with third party organizations to provide additional learning supports.
In discussing student experience, it was noted that certain groups of students faced even greater
challenges. This included English Language Learners, Special Education students, students who were
academically behind and a wide variety of students from varying social, economic and geographic
backgrounds whose home environments compounded the challenges of learning remotely.
Student Well Being
In every session, the physical, emotional and mental well-being of students was identified as an area of
concern. Students spoke of the benefits they saw first-hand in the access to healthy breakfast and lunch
for students, particularly as many families were hurting financially. The trauma of families dealing with
challenges as a result of the pandemic was noted as having a direct effect on students and students’
own experiences from the challenges of online or hybrid learning, loss of social interaction and the
CDE ESSER Listening Tour Summary Page 5 of 59
abrupt changes were all noted as areas of need. Every stakeholder session included ideas to provide
direct supports to students and a variety of strategies from a roaming corps of counselors to stipends,
trainings and incentives to recruit and retain the needed professionals.
Educator Support & Development
Participants in each session remarked on the incredible job educators did in shifting so quickly to the
changed instructional environment and also to the resources, training and professional development
that will be needed to help them continue adapting to changing circumstances. From the use of
different technologies to the skills for delivering instruction remotely and the different approaches to
supporting the social-emotional needs of students, participants – and teachers themselves – spoke of
the support needed that could be provided by CDE or through CDE’s targeting of ESSER funds.
Participants in multiple groups also emphasized the importance of the broadest definition of educators
being used to include teachers and all adults in the building who are part of students’ lives in school.
Educator Well Being
Just as with students, stakeholders spoke of the heavy toll the pandemic exacted on teachers, principals,
counselors and other school staff. Helping educators deal with their own mental health struggles, the
trauma effects from the pandemic and from students’ challenges were identified as an important issue
going forward. While many struggled to identify specific uses of the funds, many spoke of the need to
ensure access to mental health resources and to provide space, time and room for educators to both
step away when needed and to have time with other educators in their building, school district or across
the state as a means of support.
Technical Resources
In many conversations, the need for both equitable access to technology (broadband, devices etc.) and
to the variety of technical tools that empower technology’s use for delivering instruction, fostering
collaboration and connecting individuals was raised. Participants spoke of the challenges accessing high-
speed internet in different communities that included the infrastructure limitations in some rural
communities and the financial constraints in some families or communities. A number of participants
highlighted the need for direct technical support for families who are not as tech-savvy as others and for
the power of state or community supported online hubs to help bring resources and local organizations
together.
CDE ESSER Listening Tour Summary Page 6 of 59
What We Heard
Themes from Listening Tour
The dominant themes and ideas heard in the listening tour sessions are captured below and all ideas
raised are captured in the notes contained in Addendum B and submitted comments and letters in
Addendum C.
Social and emotional learning/assistance
● Very helpful if resources are specific to disciplines and grade levels
● Counselors in every school
● Continue mental health services for students and families
● Increase access to employee assistance programs (for district employees) – for
counseling/therapy
● Trauma informed supports
● Rethink the term “learning loss” which can have different interpretations;
● Suicide awareness programs – examples Safe Talk, ASSIST, CASEL 5 competencies (social
awareness, self-awareness, self-management, responsible decision making, relationship skills)
o Provide release time for teachers to complete/access these programs
Health, Well-Being and Safety
● Student health is primary
o continue environmental interventions/cleaning – ie filters, increased cleaning, access to
increase physical activity/time outdoors
● Access to Food
o Continue to support distribution of food and basic needs/services
o Provided students with a place/time to gather/community
Facilities/space
● Smaller class size, breaking students up, more interventionists
● Capitalize on the use of outdoor spaces and outdoor learning experiences for providing learning
and social emotional supports
Disproportionately impacted groups
● Supports for special education/homebound students
o Some students/families could not afford to take the risk of someone coming into the
home because medically fragile family member or student
▪ Support for additional access for these students for occupational, speech,
physical therapy
o Support for students with disabilities who missed an in-person transition year; extend
eligibility for students over 21 for another year
o Provide compensatory services for students with disabilities who do not receive services
last year
o Outreach to create better awareness for families with students with disabilities about
their rights/access
● Supports for behavioral issues as students transition back into the classrooms
● Help districts understand the true percentage of students with disabilities and special education
that have dropped out and help to re-engage these students
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● Needs assessment survey to be conducted for special education educators and their education
needs then target training and supports
● Expand notion and model of MTSS = multi-tiered system of support.
● Increased support for migrant students and families
o One on one tutoring - example Empower program
Instruction
● More paraprofessionals and others to assist in classrooms for remediation and new content
● Fund tutors for students who have fallen behind/reimburse parents for tutor costs
● Ensure educators are all trained in same program/way (science of learning – Orton Gillingham)
so that all are “speaking” the same language and that curriculum aligns with the training
●
● More interventions, smaller groups/class sizes to target learning needs more effectively
● Increased time for specials that were unable to operate in the same way this past year – music,
dance and drama – additional after school time offered as well
● In-person learning was more effective for most students
Technology
● Access is not equal – continue to invest in 1:1 computers/chrome books for every student and
hot spots throughout communities are a huge need still.
o Additional funding will be needed for new students and replacement devices
● Broadband access – there is still work to be done to expand access across the state
● Online meetings/ zoom meetings were more efficient and allowed for educators to spend more
plan time (Not just in meetings all the time)! Keep online meetings.
Parent education
● Additional supports/access for students, parents and community on how to best/better support
students and how to best support kids in their learning goals, how to navigate community
programs students use, how to support/navigate the technology students use for learning.
● Language of education can be abstract – having time to slow down to take the time to explain
concepts and answer questions could be VERY helpful to parents/support systems
● Community liaisons can be helpful link for families
●
Recruitment and retention
● Need for more Commercial Drivers License (CDL) drivers
● Stipends to support hard to fill positions (ESL, science, math)
● Shortage of professionally licensed school counselors
o Need to help bring down barriers into the profession – examples: student loan
forgiveness, alternative licensure and education opportunities
● Incentives (additional) for mentor teachers
● Incentives - Housing support, signing bonuses, etc.
● Supports to help students in teacher prep programs whose experiences (student teaching,
access to mentors, financial strain) because of COVID were disadvantaged. Help students finish
their program through additional financial supports/incentives.
● Ability for districts to support and grow teachers into and throughout their career, including
growing paras into teacher positions.
● Use of virtual mentors
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● Teacher prep – should include experience in ALL kind of classrooms with a variety of student
populations
o Working closely at district partnerships – collaboration and partnerships
● Professional organizations – support/funding to help support educators to join those
organizations and access trainings including National Council of Teachers of Mathematics
(NCTM), National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) and others.
Partnerships and collaboration
● What are the community supports and services that we need to partner with that are not on our
radar that could help us better support/connect with families?
o Example – refugee families may be more connected to a community group
● Statewide information and sharing of data across communities and organizations
● Increase community schools where community partnerships and supports are built into the
system
● Afterschool (at school or community partner) and summer school programs provide tutoring
and community and support to students as well as opportunities for older students to provide
tutoring, earn $, leadership skills
o Transportation to before and after school programs
● Consider funds for community based organizations directly, as well as families
Values/overarching guidance/advice:
● Direct funding to where the needs are greatest
● We need inclusive practices for all of our students – not just the ones who can catch up quickly
but also the kids who do need the extra help.
● Avoid dumping funds into things that you can’t sustain, become relied upon & then are
unfunded mandates
● Invest in what currently is working vs. new programs/efforts
● Assure that resources are provided state-wide, all sizes or organizations, rural in particular
● Must take action while continuously working to know more about the specific and true impact
of pandemic through data
● Flexibility in funding (who it goes it, how it is allocated) - make it easier to get funds
Suggested Investments
While most ideas identified the challenge and offered generally high-level solutions, participants did also
offer specific areas in need of investment and some specific program ideas. Below are some of the
specific ideas offered in the group discussions:
State
● Creating processes/protocols/supports for districts on how to do local evaluations to look at the
impact they’re having using strategies they have been implementing so far and fine tuning
those when they’re not achieving the outcomes they’d like to see
● Purchase new curriculum and assessments through a grant program (this could free up funding
to be used for other needs at the district level.
o Scientific or evidenced based – allow districts to pick from a list
● Funds to create grant programs with community orgs – example - Utah and Washington have
done this.
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● Re-instate national accreditation certification pay
● Allocations to districts and schools to improve communication (websites, other tools to
communicate with parents and community);
● $$ for Recruiting and Prof Development;
● $ for Mental Health training, recruitment of mental health professionals, $ to build out mental
health offices - especially in areas that can remain open after school and on weekends
● Student loan forgiveness to retain educators or attract new educators/support staff into the
field
● One-time funds to help LEAs get online tools, systems and resources as option for kids.
● Statewide resources that LEAs can tap into for support in more languages than Spanish & the
few that are available – GED, career pathways, CTE
● Structure dollars for compensatory services for students with special needs, dyslexia for learning
experiences lost (multi-sensory)
● State-wide structure for building connections between organizations and schools/districts
● Support for rural district collaboration
o State to provide capacity building through staff coordination (thought partnership, build
momentum) and funding to support human capital.
● Teacher recruitment
o Expand the existing state General Fund Rural Teacher Recruitment, Retention, and
Professional Development line item in the Dept. of Higher Ed
o Stipends/scholarships and need for alternative licensure.
o Incentives
▪ Bringing in out of state teachers and paying moving expenses.
▪ Housing supports, signing bonuses, raising base pay for teachers in rural areas
● Statewide investment in charter authorizer relationship. How to integrate district and charters
more effectively
District
● Give back pay raises or offer bonuses for educators
● Need a plan for retaining and hiring high quality teachers and incentivizing teachers to teach
outside of the school day and year
o Pipeline programs to help paras stay in program, become teachers, new programs to recruit
paras
● Early childhood investments – ROI is great. Increase awareness in districts how funds can be
used in preschools or community-based Head Starts, etc.
School & Community
● Getting more assistance/people in the classrooms working with students in smaller groups
● Look at funding non-profits that serve at-risk, most vulnerable populations
● Fund community hubs (tech support, vaccination centers)
● Opportunity for mini-grants, block grants to these organizations in partnership with schools
below the poverty level
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Meeting Summaries
The following provides a high-level summary of the conversations and ideas from each of the ESSER
Listening Tour meetings. As noted earlier, the intention of the listening sessions and this report are not
to score or identify consensus but rather to capture as many ideas as possible and, to the extent
practical and accurate, highlight where there were common themes across meetings or even across the
multiple breakout groups in each meeting. Where ideas are highlighted below does not imply unanimity
of support or even consensus but rather that the idea(s) were surfaced by multiple participants in
multiple groups.
Teacher Meeting
Dominant Themes
Themes common across groups included:
● Teachers were stretched thin with many non-instructional tasks;
● Providing additional P.D. on technology use would be helpful;
● Teachers appreciated the smaller class sizes and ability to individualize for student needs;
● Teachers want more supports for their students; Teacher mental health is critical and many will
need extra support & time;
● There is a pipeline & a retention issue that both must be addressed;
● There are different and additional social/emotional skills needed.
Ideas for ESSER Funds
In discussing specific potential uses of ESSER funds, some of the ideas included:
● Parent education and supports;
● P.D. for educators;
● Additional paraprofessionals and tutors for working with smaller groups of students to target
instruction;
● Compensation, stipends, bonuses.
Parent Meeting
Dominant Themes
Themes common across groups included:
● Tutoring will be critical for many students to get back on grade level;
● Important to be equitable and address needs of all students from those who catch up quickly to
those who will need additional help (ensure those that need the most help are prioritized);
● Mental health for students, particularly for students in transition years or periods;
● Resources need to be in multiple languages;
● Special education needs should be addressed through compensatory services or additional
eligibility for transition students (21 years+);
Ideas for ESSER Funds
In discussing specific potential uses of ESSER funds, some of the ideas included:
● Expanding pool of tutors and other additional instruction to catch-up;
● Fund community hubs that provide wraparound services;
● Fund compensatory services;
CDE ESSER Listening Tour Summary Page 11 of 59
● Invest in mental health resources and direct interventions.
Student Meeting
Dominant Themes
Themes common across group included:
● Benefits of access to meals – breakfast and lunch;
● Advantages of outdoor learning spaces for mental well-being;
● Student interest and benefits for some remote and hybrid learning;
● Support for exploring careers, college pathways and financial aid;
● Mental health of students and both access to support and de-stigmatizing it;
● Wi-Fi, broadband and device access is not equal;
● Examining the intersection of pandemic, other national events and their impacts on students.
Ideas for ESSER Funds
In discussing specific potential uses of ESSER funds, some of the ideas included:
● Outdoor learning spaces;
● Tutoring and after school resources;
● Mental health counseling and supports;
● No-cost breakfast and lunch;
● Dedicated, trained staff to support remote and hybrid learners.
Community Organizations Meeting
Dominant Themes
Themes common across groups included:
● Family & student needs do not go away with return to school;
● Community organizations are often more nimble, closer to issues on ground;
● Community orgs stepped into breach to provide critical supports to families, students;
● Additional training, supports, partnerships needed to maximize impact;
● Community organizations saw the disproportionate impact on certain communities.
Ideas for ESSER Funds
In discussing specific potential uses of ESSER funds, some of the ideas included:
● Support community organizations convening networks of family, student & educator support;
● Grants to community organizations to provide after school spaces and resources;
● Invest in tutors and training to community organizations and partner with them;
● Funds for compensatory services and supports;
● Invest in providing social workers, therapists and counselors to students in and out of school.
Principals Meeting
Dominant Themes
Themes across group included:
● Not all schools went remote but all families experienced pandemic;
● Losses were not only in learning but also in social-emotional;
● Teacher pipeline concern exacerbated by lack of student teaching opportunities;
● Substitute pipeline a concern;
CDE ESSER Listening Tour Summary Page 12 of 59
● Educator fatigue from in-person + remote and need for educator support staff.
Ideas for ESSER Funds
In discussing specific potential uses of ESSER funds, some of the ideas included:
● Fund training and staff for after-school tutoring;
● Resources for hiring paras and other support staff;
● Support from state to help recruit, retain teachers;
● Expanded P.D. on social-emotional learning needs and trauma-informed practices.
Superintendents Meeting
Dominant Themes
Themes across group included:
● Need funds to hire social/emotional support staff with right training;
● Need better partnerships between secondary and post-secondary to help recruit teachers and
support graduates as they progress;
● Students with IEPs and English Language Learners will all need additional support which requires
additional training and resources;
● Broadband and device access is not equal, particularly in rural and higher poverty communities;
Ideas for ESSER Funds
In discussing specific potential uses of ESSER funds, some of the ideas included:
● Stipends, bonuses, back-pay for educators, building leaders and school staff;
● Invest in social-emotional learning and trauma-informed professional development for all
educators and building staff;
● Invest in direct remediation and supports for students.
Advocacy Organizations Meeting
Dominant Themes
Themes common across groups included:
● Losses at key times for high school students including career training/awareness, college
preparation and social development;
● Pandemic highlighted need for expanded curriculum and instructional tools and options;
● High concern about student mental, social well-being;
● Absence of school performance, student test and growth data risks gaps growing larger;
● Broad need for high quality professional development;
● Important not just to spend but to learn from so resources should go into tracking, analyzing.
Ideas for ESSER Funds
In discussing specific potential uses of ESSER funds, some of the ideas included:
● Data systems to understand nature of extent of problems;
● Providing and/or providing funds for relevant, high priority professional development;
● Invest in tutoring and social-emotional learning supports beyond the school building;
● Get funds to those working closest to families & students which includes community
organizations;
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Educator Preparation Providers (EPP) Meeting
Dominant Themes
Themes across group included:
● Concern about perception of profession compounded by pandemic era demands on teachers;
● Reduced student teaching opportunities or high quality opportunities during pandemic has set
some candidates back in their preparedness;
● Student teachers did and can play vital roles in academic recovery and providing targeted
support to students;
● Opportunity for EPPs to expand collaboration with districts, CDE and others to ensure high
quality and relevant professional development is available.
Ideas for ESSER Funds
In discussing specific potential uses of ESSER funds, some of the ideas included:
● Stipends or bonuses to recruit talent into pipeline;
● Stipends or raises to support mentor teachers;
● Funds for specific, relevant and high quality professional development ;
● Invest in expanding access to courses beyond geographic confines of educator location.
CDE Staff Meeting
Dominant Themes
Themes common across groups included:
● Important role and results from community partners providing resources to support physical,
social and emotional well-being;
● Pockets of targeted support for English learners, academically challenged students and others
showed its possible to mitigate losses and should be built upon, scaled;
● Access to broadband was a real and significant issue in some communities;
● Important to not leave early childhood education out of equation and role it plays in ensuring
students are prepared for K-12;
● We risk a lot of “lost students” particularly in immigrant and lower-income communities where
families were particularly hard hit and students have pulled back or dropped out;
● LEAs and charter management organizations played a crucial role supporting one another.
Ideas for ESSER Funds
In discussing specific potential uses of ESSER funds, some of the ideas included:
● Invest in helping districts collaborate in communities of practice. CDE could provide direct
supports and trainings;
● Invest in helping districts use their own data to understand the extent of learning loss in the
absence of state or growth data;
● Invest in school counselors and their skills for using data;
● Direct investment in resources to support students with disabilities accessing curriculum.
CDE ESSER Listening Tour Summary Page 14 of 59
What We Read
To complement the listening tour and to encourage more Coloradans to offer their thoughts and allow
additional input from tour attendees, an online survey was created and links shared via the CDE
website, social media and press releases. Over the 3+ weeks the survey was open, hundreds of teachers,
parents, students and other stakeholders offered their thoughts on the following questions:
1. Thinking specifically about the period affected by the pandemic, what practices or innovations
emerged in your classroom/school/district that you’d like to see built upon as we move
forward? What resources, training or supports would be needed to effectively continue and
scale the practices or innovations described above?
2. What do you think our students gained during the pandemic or learned to do as a result of the
system interruption caused by COVID-19?
3. From an academic or learning standpoint, what do you think our students are missing or behind
on as a result of the pandemic?
4. Are there certain groups of students that you believe were disproportionately negatively
impacted by the pandemic? If so, who are those students and how/why do you believe they
were impacted?
5. Are there certain groups of students that you believe had fewer negative effects from the shifts
during the pandemic? If so, who are those students and how/why do you believe they were less
impacted?
6. How should CDE use funds to support evidence-based interventions (e.g., providing intensive or
high-dosage tutoring, accelerating learning)?
7. How should CDE use funds to support summer learning and enrichment programs?
8. How should CDE use funds to support comprehensive afterschool programs?
9. How might CDE use set aside funds to specifically address the disproportionate impact of
COVID-19 on certain groups of students?
10. How might CDE use these funds to help districts identify and support students who have missed
the most in-person instruction during the 2019-2020 and 2020-2021 school years?
11. How might CDE use these funds to help districts identify and support students who did not
consistently participate in remote instruction when offered during school building closures?
12. How do you believe individual educators have been affected by the shifts and their experience
during the pandemic?
13. What do you believe is most needed to support educators and school leaders as a result of their
experiences during the pandemic?
14. What activities could CDE do and what funding could CDE provide to support and stabilize the
educator workforce?
15. What other priorities do you believe the federal funding should be used to support?
16. What problems or challenges have we faced in our education system that we previously have
not had the resources to address?
17. Are there any other thoughts you’d like to share with us?
CDE ESSER Listening Tour Summary Page 15 of 59
The online survey, available in both English and Spanish, received 1,062 responses. This included 694
Teachers, 193 Students, 174 Parents, 51 School Leaders, 34 Administrators and 48 Community or
Advocacy Organizations among others. Respondents represented a diversity of grade levels with 25%
representing grades 9-12, 19% grades 6-8, 26% grades 3-5, 22% Kindergarten- 2nd grade and 2.6%
preschool. Of respondents, 33% identified as being involved with English Language Learner (ELL)
programs, 37% with Free and Reduced Lunch (FRL), 31% with Gifted and Talented, 6.5% with the
Colorado Preschool Program and 28% said they were associated with a Title I school.
Themes from Survey
As is to be expected in a survey with such diverse respondents, there were a broad diversity of opinions
though some themes and values emerged as common threads through a majority of open ended
answers. Among the overarching values found in the survey, were:
● Flexibility
● Autonomy - Local solutions for local challenges
● Equity
● Engagement
Ideas and suggestions offered as areas for focus included:
Technology
• Increased opportunity to engage with students, parents, and outside experts to enhance
coordination on students learning needs and exposure to new opportunities
• Online meetings created ability for teachers to attend conferences and meetings they would
otherwise not have been able to attend.
• Created opportunities for team planning across school, district and throughout the state
• Online school board meetings created increased community engagement
• Educators and parents need more training on use of technology/on tech tools
• Greater awareness of and action to decrease “digital divide” between school, students and
families
• Remote school days offered flexibility for teachers to connect with students who needed extra
assistance, conference with parents and additional much needed planning time
• Flexibility for students who were traveling or sick to still attend online learning
• Equitable access to technology
• Need to increase broadband connectivity across the state to decrease barriers for student and
families in some areas of the state
• 1:1 devices
• Ongoing tools and training to continue to integrate technology and teaching.
Quotes:
⮚ Gaps are exacerbated by the lack of infrastructure across our state to support online education –
Policy Maker
⮚ During the pandemic teachers put aside an hour after school where students could have one on one
time with them and ask questions. I think this was a really good idea because it helped the students
and also didn't waste any class time. – Student
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⮚ The use of technology to make the classroom more interactive, modern, and equitable access for all
students. – Teacher
⮚ We saw one positive result, and that was a greater inclusion of students through captioning and
note-taking if on remote learning benefitting English language learners, deaf/hard of hearing
students, and those with learning disabilities. We also saw some teachers use more experiential
learning vs. workbooks/pencil/paper, which added to the learning environment. – Community
Organization
⮚ I thought connecting with students in their home environment was valuable. I was able to get to
know my students in new ways and see their home environment, which helped inform my instruction
to better tailor learning to meet challenges at home or build on what I saw at home and use this
background knowledge to be a more effective teacher. – Teacher
⮚ A four-day school week with the 5th day dedicated to teacher planning, collaboration, and learning
— this was the single most impactful thing as it allows us to be prepared to present the very best
instruction for students. This is the ONLY time in my career I felt I had enough time to plan for high
quality instruction. – Teacher
⮚ An emphasis was placed on teachers having more time to prepare and collaborate during the
pandemic which I would love to see continue! We have always and will continue to need adequate
time in our schedules to prepare and collaborate around our students' needs. – Teacher
⮚ Efforts made to make online learning more accessible to students with an IEP should be a
priority. This group had a disproportionate negative impact from using online learning techniques,
particularly for those students requiring one to one assistance from teachers and para-educators in
order to make reasonable academic progress. Assuring the availability of more one to one sessions
from teachers and para-educators would help reduce this disparity. – Advocacy Organization
⮚ There was additional focus on family engagement and remote learning options in our district,
especially for our CLD population. I would like to see the state support and incentivize deeper
engagement with this population, as well as making online learning platforms more CLD friendly. –
District Leader
Social and emotional learning/wellness
• Supports for educators and district staff to receive training for social and emotional wellness,
trauma informed care and mental health first aid
• Supports for educator/district staff to access wellness (social and emotional supports)
• Support mental health days for educators
• Need for additional school counselors (one at every school) and psychologists and expansion of
counseling services for students and staff
• Utilize telehealth teams for after hours needs
Quotes:
⮚ Adding social emotional learning content to core subjects is one practice that emerged as needed. –
Community Organization
⮚ Increased social and emotional support to help students and families process and strengthen skills
to move through the stress and trauma during this time – Teacher
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⮚ I implemented instruction in mindfulness and social emotional wellness. Students and staff need
more support in mental health. Overall wellness, mindfulness, and access to affordable or free
counseling/other mental health resources should be a focus. – Teacher
⮚ What emerged the most was how much social emotional supports certain students need to be
successful. There appeared a direct correlation between those students with high ACEs, tumultuous
homes, and low performance. – Teacher
⮚ We saw great success with continuing our work with consistent morning meeting, restorative justice
and strong mental help supports- we also infused mindfulness and outdoor movement breaks. I
would like to incorporate more mindfulness and wellness for my staff and students next year. I know
they will be returning with trauma and social emotional needs. would also like to have funding to
increase my school psych and social worker time. We need mentors for kids to connect with and
have space to share, de compress and feel safe, valued and appreciated. – School Leader
⮚ Currently our ratio of students to counselors is extremely high. We need more funding/support for
additional mental health professionals that students can access on a regular basis to process trauma
and other difficulties they are experiencing/have experienced from the pandemic. It would be good
for broader implementation to take place of helping teachers develop a personal mindfulness
practice, eventually teach students this practice, and also alleviate many of the extra
burdens/responsibilities placed on teachers' plates this past year that have caused many to leave
the profession. – Teacher
⮚ Supporting systematic school wide initiatives to improve climate and conditions of schools to make
them more positive, safe, supportive, and equitable. It is also important to continue to serve the
needs of students' social, behavioral, and mental health as a viable way to accelerate learning. – CDE
Staff
Health and safety
• Continue free meal programs for all students
• Helped break down stigma of free and reduced lunch programs
• Hygiene and environmental practices created less illness within classrooms and schools.
Continue these practices (hand washing, sanitizing, ventilation, etc.)
• School nurses in every building
Quotes:
⮚ Providing free meals to all students across the board removes any stigma students may feel,
including personal embarrassment and/or wondering if anyone knows their meals are subsidized.
Making it free for everyone takes that out of the equation completely. – Parent
⮚ Hygiene practices improved greatly. Students adapted well to hand washing and sanitizing. As a
result, there were no illnesses spreading through my classroom. – Teacher
Facilities/Space
● Look for opportunities to integrate outdoor space into learning
● Helps support learning as well as social/emotional needs
● Increase transportation options for students to access before and after school supports
● Capital improvement for schools to be more welcoming, modern spaces to accommodate the needs
of today’s learners, especially in low income districts – including space for specials (music, sports,
etc.)
CDE ESSER Listening Tour Summary Page 18 of 59
Quotes:
⮚ Environmental and outdoor learning supports students’ social emotional learning, including more
differentiated instruction, project-based learning, and providing more space for student voice and
choice--all key to helping students develop a sense of agency and confidence.– Community
Organization
⮚ Across the nation, we saw tremendous success among schools that did what might appear to be one
of the most obvious things they could do--they took learning outdoors. From coast to coast, stories
of individual classes, schools and even entire school districts relying on outdoor classrooms for all or
part of the school day are popping up everywhere. These solutions are not just a way to facilitate
learning when school can’t be in session, it is a way to grow and strengthen our education system to
nurture a range of skills and interests, help realize every student's unique potential, and prepare for
whatever the future brings. Environmental education, with its focus on hands-on learning and
authentic problem solving can transform education. Using the outdoors as a context for learning
across the curriculum is proven to promote not just academic success, but enhance critical thinking,
collaboration, and leadership skills. These findings are not new--and proponents of environmental
and outdoor education have been touting them for decades--but the negative impacts of school
closures and remote learning, combined with the pockets of success in using outdoor learning to
overcome those impacts have thrust the facts into a new light. – Community Organization
⮚ I would love to see us be able to build upon our outdoor education which was utilized during Covid
to mitigate germ spread. The students excelled in the outdoor setting, and it created many
opportunities for learning. – School Leader
Content/Curriculum
• Aligned, targeted mall group math and literacy interventions should continue and are effective
o Support for districts to invest in quality literacy programs and trainings for educators
Orton Gillingham training
Resources that support the Science of Reading like decodable books
Research based phonics/ phonics awareness curriculum
• Blended learning/flipped classrooms
• Access to before, afterschool and summer school tutoring programs for all students
• Important for students to see a clear path from education to viable career options through
higher education and/or career pathways
o Increase access to college and career readiness programs, internships, concurrent
enrollment, etc.
• Continue paid subscriptions to apps and online resources for students, teachers and families
• Increase ST/OT/PT available to high needs students, homebound and those on IEPs
• Increased professional development
o Use of technology and effective instructional practices in the classroom and virtual
o Universal Design for Learning (UDL) equitable classroom management practices, and
how to improve school climate and conditions.
• Add additional special education teachers, licensed school librarians, instructional coaches
o Increased need for assessing students, writing reports, writing IEPS, observing students,
writing IEPs and running IEP meetings, small group pull-out instruction
• Classroom materials for students and educators
• Increased access to specials – art, music, languages, physical activity
• Allow students use of technology (tablets and chrome books) over the summer to access
summer learning activities.
CDE ESSER Listening Tour Summary Page 19 of 59
• Anti-racism and social justice curriculum for students and training for educators
• Increased professional learning supports around culturally responsive teaching and closing the
gaps in learner access between different cultures
Quotes:
⮚ The freedom given to teachers to make daily curricular adjustments was good – Teacher
⮚ I would like to see text sets that are grade level appropriate and represent diverse perspectives. –
Parent
⮚ Freedom to develop curriculum that responds to students needs and curiosities . . . encouraging
students to raise their voices and advocate for themselves at the school, district, state and national
level. – Teacher
⮚ We need to invest more in the Science of Reading resources to help bridge the gap for our youngest
readers . . . most of the curriculum our district is looking at may have outdated methods. – District
Leader
⮚ Reading and Math interventionists and tutors would help all students get additional targeted
instruction in small groups. Resources that support the Science of Reading like decodable books
would also be helpful. – Teacher
Recruitment and retention
• Increase substitute teacher pool and bus drivers
• Decrease pay disparities across the state
• Investments in human capital, such as long-term teacher pipeline development strategies.
• Incentives into the profession
• Student loan forgiveness
• High need subjects and hard to serve geographic areas
• Scholarships for minority students to enter graduate school in school social work and school
psychology
• Supports and incentives to retain staff
• Bonuses to support teacher retention
• Compensate qualified teachers to get additional endorsements in critical areas such as teaching
reading, science, math and special education.
• Reach out to retired teachers to help fill gaps in short term
• Compensate teachers for time spent at in person or virtual trainings
• Target professional development aligned with new license requirements so that educators can
access what they need for free
• Minimizing some of the requirements for endorsements
• Expensive and time consuming to access
• Robust and continuous mentoring programs throughout career
• Use of domestic and international teacher exchange programs
CDE ESSER Listening Tour Summary Page 20 of 59
Quotes:
The money spent on providing support for the teacher and staff will be repaid by the loyalty of
teachers that stay in the profession. – Advocacy Organization
Given that the pandemic has exposed the glaring inadequacies in the public education system which
in turn prompted some educators to rethink their career decisions, it is crucial that educators be
given some incentive to stay in the profession. – Teacher
Pay and train your teachers. Make this about rewarding educators extensive training and treat us as
professionals. – Teacher
Use an Exchange program for teachers with highly reflected cultures in certain districts or schools to
learn more about each other and be more sensitive to students and families who are different from
us but still must meet the same standards established by the state. – Community Organization
Gather feedback from the field about how to best provide initial teacher preparation—higher
institutes of learning MUST adapt to the ever-changing landscape and improve teacher training. –
Teacher
Partnerships and collaboration
● Increased time for collaboration among colleagues in school, district and state to share practices,
innovations and learnings
● Continue to strengthen relationships with local nonprofits, human services and public health
Quotes:
⮚ Effective collaboration requires more time, especially when we are advocating adjusting our
teaching styles to make sure that we are helping students gain more than a year's growth to
compensate for the lost time. Anytime cross-curricular collaboration can occur will increase student
engagement and learning as well – Teacher
⮚ The food and technology distribution at schools may be a good starting point for developing
community schools in some places. I think that a different kind of relationship between families,
communities, and schools are going to be needed as we recover from this pandemic and respond to
future unforeseen events. – Teacher
⮚ Strengthening partnerships with community organizations to support not only our students but our
staff. – School Board Member
⮚ Culturally responsive outreach must include family events, home visits and 1:1 outreach events to
build positive and healthy relationships. People of color who are most impacted by COVID-19
respond best to those who have developed mutually trusting relationships. This is foundational to
district personnel being positioned to identify and support students who did not participate in
remote learning opportunities. – Policy Maker
⮚ After school programs and schools did a good job coordinating to fill gaps - would love to see even
more after school program access for kids – Community Organization
⮚ Learning happens everywhere and exists in an ecosystem. This is an opportunity to look for new
ways to partner with non-profits, community organizations, and other partners to amplify learning
and reduce the burden on teachers. Many nonformal education providers worked tirelessly to
create new resources and support for both teachers, students, and families during the pandemic. It
is critical that we think about ways to build a stronger infrastructure of partners for schools to
support student learning. – Community Organization
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Suggested Investments
As with the listening sessions, many ideas identified the challenge, offered general solutions or called
for the state to develop effective solutions but respondents did offer some specific ideas. Below are
some of the specific ideas offered:
State
• Data
o Additional data on how students aligned to grade level before assessment
o Develop or implement assessments to diagnose student needs and make widely and easily
available to all districts and schools.
o Develop survey to ALL parents to understand needs, help identify why students missed
instruction during building closures and address the content gaps and provide support
moving forward.
• Reengagement
o Media campaigns to target specific demographics of students to return to the classroom
• Increase 21st Century Community Learning Centers grantee allocations to include supplies,
materials, staffing costs, training, etc.
• Provide regular professional development opportunities free of charge to educators that would
include graduate credit opportunities from local universities.
• Reduce licensure fees
• Create a grant program to support the creation of outdoor classrooms at every school in Colorado
• Create a position within the Department of Education to serve as an Outdoor and Environmental
Learning Coordinator to support districts who allocate ESSER funds to Outdoor Learning in
successfully implementing these innovative practices through 2024
• Create Guidance for School Districts on how to use ESSER funds for Outdoor and environmental
learning
• Create regional science implementation communities using the six targeted tools by the Colorado
science community
• Develop the capacity to support school districts in the selection and implementation of high-quality
instructional materials for K-12 science instruction that support district learning outcomes.
• Coordinate around networked professional development models for educators lacking communities
of practice and onsite coaching for districts engaging in standards implementation.
• CDE could conduct interviews or surveys directly with families
• Membership organizations to continue to provide on-line and in-person trainings for educators.
District
• District Wellness Coordinator supporting teacher and student well being
• Provide time for teachers to assess students one-on-one with benchmark assessments, and to help
identify students who need to be screened with diagnostic tools to help pinpoint learning
deficiencies.
o Additional staff and classroom support will be needed to help address these areas.
• Funding for interventionist to complete assessments and progress monitoring for teachers and
collaborate with teachers to implement supports
• Add preschool space to each of our existing elementary school buildings
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• Low to no cost afterschool enrichment programs for all students
• Increase school day or year to make up for lost time and learning loss during pandemic closures
School/Community
● Specific building schedules for 2021-22 allowing for cross grade level collaboration daily to support
accelerated learning
● Consideration of beginning a District Equity Team.
● Diverse stakeholder representation (admin, BOE, teachers, parents, etc) at decision making
meetings informed through survey and other community input about specific topics beyond SAC and
DAC.
Quotes:
⮚ I would like to see more public information on school performance and districts using data systems
that provide information on what kids know aligned to grade level before the state
assessment. MAP/adaptive tests are not helpful for grade level aligned standards. – Parent
⮚ The pandemic has shown a lack of available preschool space. The ESSER money would be nice to use
to add preschool space to each of our existing elementary buildings to be able to help students come
to school prepared. – Teacher
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Addendum A: CDE Presentation
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Addendum B: Meeting Notes
The following pages contain the unedited notes from each meeting including:
Teacher Listening Session
Parent Listening Session
Student Listening Session
Community Organization Listening Session
Principal Listening Session
Superintendent Listening Session
Advocacy Organizations Listening Session
Educator Preparation Provider Listening Session
CDE Staff Listening Session
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Teacher Listening Session
ESSER TEACHER Engagement Meeting Notes – Combined
Thinking specifically about the period affected by the pandemic, what practices or innovations
emerged in your classroom/school/district that you’d like to see built upon as we move
forward? What resources, training or supports would be needed to effectively continue and scale the
practices or innovations described above?
• Ensure teachers get quality training; letrs, gilliham, some districts spend $ on pet projects (waste),
COVID revealed deficits that were there before, shouldn’t be blaming COVID for systematic
problems uncovered, accountability for purchases and use of these funds
• teachers know what works, being there for the kids, tough world even without COVID, kids need to
feel safe, need more mental health services – consistently offered
• kids pretty well supported at home, kids who came to school did better when they attended school,
SEL skill development needed, rebuild social emotional supports, more remediation from adults and
interventions, gap in life skill development, para support, instructional coaches, small group
breakouts for students
• improvement status, small classes of 20 – can see better achievement results, even one year catch
up for the remote learning gaps
• smaller class sizes, small groups, helps with reading instruction, below 20 even just for one year to
help kids catch up
• professional development, wellness, class size matters, include all staff and support staff and
substitutes in PD, attract paras and support staff – pay for benefits and their supports/training
• How to build the workforce to accomplish these supports, build the workforce of highly skilled
professionals???
• Prioritize what is most important for teachers (they can’t do it all!)
• Reach consensus among districts about evidence-based materials, curriculum (confusing to
professionals)
• Social and emotional learning is important and helpful
o very helpful if resources are specific to disciplines
o counselors in every school
o mental health services for students and families – continue this
• Smaller class size, breaking students up, more interventionist
• Student health is primary
• continue environmental interventions/cleaning – ie filters
• access to increase physical activity
• Adding time for kids to make connections – breaks, lunch
• Give teachers more time to plan
• Support for whole child
• Suicide awareness programs – Safe Talk and ASSIST
o Provide release time for teachers to complete these programs
• Increase in access to employee assistance programs – for counseling/therapy
• Outdoor learning. Moving to different learning opps. Got plastic tray tables so kids had ability to
work/learn outdoors in a flexible arrangement. We were able to use nature
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• if kid was out due to quarantine or other – we had technology to support them learning out of the
classroom. Ensure (fund) access to broadband. We need more time for Ts to plan well for remote or
hybrid which is different than just planning for in class.
• Still a discrepancy in access to broadband. Even when they had devices, reliability depended on age
of device & connectivity was always an issue. Can be a particular challenge for kids who moved
frequently. Some kids had to use hot spots
• Title I & ELD instructor: Staffing demand to just get equipment ready, serviced, support families.
• Would have been great to have resources, time, capacity to do more home visits to help kids,
families et up
• Training for educators on how to use different platforms and systems. Also PD was offered on tech
but not as much on how to teach remotely
• I'm just joining, wanted to suggest additional in-school counseling services for students (Consider
ELs) and teachers.
How might CDE use set aside funds to specifically address the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on
certain groups of students?
• close this gap; previous mental health issues, quality teacher training LETRs, etc.; trauma-based
o responses, before/after school groups/interventions for social/academic, break the
failure cycle at the causal level, trauma informed counselors
• More kids F and R have experienced trauma, more resources to the neediest schools (huge PTA
o budgets for example), not funded equally, they just need more, look at schools – don’t
distribute equally
• Free lunch entire year during COVID, food for the weekend, look at demographics – neediest
should they get more
• Older kid supports (not just K-3), tutoring opportunities with highly trained professionals
o READ Act needs to expand to K-5.
• Funds to support special education/homebound students
• students who were in the gap because could not afford to take the risk of someone coming into
the home because medically fragile
• Support for additional access for occupational, speech, physical therapy
• Continued remote education for medically fragile students
• Supports for behavioral issues as students transition back into the classrooms
• More PERA educators to assist
• Access to technology is not equal – continue to invest in computers/chrome books for every
student and hot spots throughout communities
• Increased time for specials that were unable to operate in the same way this past year – music,
dance and drama – additional after school time offered as well
• Parent education
o For students, parents and community on how to best/better support students
o How to support kids in their learning goals
o Language of education can be abstract – having time to slow down to take the time to
explain concepts and answer questions
o Community liaisons
o How to navigate community programs students use
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• Mask wearing impact early reader skills in phonics (kinder and first grade) – learning loss will be
huge. Provide additional help to these students, smaller groups, targeted assistance
• More interventionist, smaller groups/class sizes to target learning needs more effectively
• Some of the students need more of an opportunity for connections, social interactions
• Provide mentoring to targeted students particularly around college/career readiness
• Culturally & linguistically aligned technology support. Some system all Ts and Families across
state could access.
• More guidance on how to teach culturally responsively, particularly in different learning
environments. Maybe a dedicated person at CDE
• Teachers were allowed to do what they needed to do… worked together, collaborated. Ts seem
to have more trust from admin and it both felt good and was more productive.
• 4 day school weeks gave us time to plan on 5th day
How do you believe individual educators have been affected by the shifts and their experience during
the pandemic? What do you believe is most needed to support educators and school leaders as a
result of their experiences during the pandemic?
• Substitutes into districts to take tough positions, invest in this group, train them, give them smaller
groups
• give back pay raises
• re-instate national accreditation certification pay
• bonus for teachers
• getting more assistance/people in the classrooms working with students in smaller groups
• online meetings/ zoom meetings were more efficient and allowed for educators to spend more plan
time (Not just in meetings all the time)! Keep online meetings.
• Student loan forgiveness to retain educators or attract new educators/support staff into the field
What do you believe is most needed to support educators and school leaders as a result of their
experiences during the pandemic?
• Teachers dealing w/anxiety, depression, concern about what was going on. The mental, emotional
health is biggest concern. Ts saw a lot of elevated behaviors, Ss dealing w/trauma. Encountering all
of this, Ss not able to stay as focused, Ts were so consumed by all of the outside factors & don’t
have the space to look after their own. Could we send mobile or roaming mental, behavioral health
experts travel
• Lines between work & home got blurred. Ts kept working even when sick
• We had a lot of Ts who didn’t take days off even when sick. Sub pool was diminished so tougher
than ever. Even when Ts needed a health or mental health day, they wouldn’t take it off. If we can
find a way to make it more attractive to be a substitute, that could help.
• we were negotiating around subs
• Teachers need to be paid more. Don’t throw this $$ away on other positions or new shiny things –
spend it on investing in our Ts
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Are there any other thoughts you’d like to share with us?
• We know that reducing cortisol levels increases the potential to learn. Experiencing trauma limits
the brain’s working memory and ability to receive and use new information. Ways to do this??? We
need to fully fund our art/music, PE classes. We could add exploratory classes with outdoor
classroom programs and stress reduction and regulation courses that focus on strategies like
meditation, good nutrition, activity, etc. We could also fund a social narrative digital compendium
that is culturally and linguistically aligned with district communities to offer social narratives
addressing anxiety, depression and more. We could also offer more training for educators targeting
their own stress reduction
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Parent Listening Session
ESSER PARENTS Stakeholder Meeting Notes – Combined
Thinking specifically about the period affected by the pandemic, what practices or innovations
emerged in your classroom/school/district that worked for your child that you’d like to see built upon
as we move forward? What resources, training or supports would be needed to effectively continue
and scale the practices or innovations described above?
• chose full-time or on-line, they chose on-line, Florida curriculum, IEPs, symmetric
learning/asymmetric, couldn’t sit through it, flexibility in how to teach kids was a positive,
reading tutor (at their own cost), continued flexibility and tutoring supplied. Who’s accountable
for not meeting IEP goals? More time and more people.
• Getting them back in the classroom is what worked. Were not progressing online. Lost a lot of
teachers to early retirement/COViD burnout – they were exceptional, what more can provide to
teachers? More aides? Lift the load off. More clear guidance how to replace exodus of
teachers with high quality teachers, retention
• didn’t see anything that worked for his kids, didn’t interact with other kids on-line, schools
failed, interrupted/unfinished learning, what is evidence-based, focus on special needs and 504,
minority students, Broadband investment, training to families on how to use hubs and wireless
connections, underestimating the loss families have faced. . . offer community vaccination
centers, incentivize teachers to teach summer school
• new category of innovation education – get $ directly to families and non-profits, raised
$300,000 address needs not being met. Create something new and different. Reimburse
parents paying for tutoring. Find ways to fund non-profits that are serving these populations.
• hard push to CDE to intervene when district/schools are going through loopholes. Charter
School waivers for instructional time. St Vrain and Adams 12 seemed to respond better.
Summer programs to catch up – Charter Schools don’t have to do it but they still get all the
money.
• Teachers and parents communicate more than ever before. On-line meetings engaged more
parents. Neighborhood-based services for vaccinations, school supplies. . .help fund school-
based mental health resources, health services, training and recruitment, PD for teachers to
develop mental health strategies, hire more paras – but can’t fill
How might CDE use set aside funds to specifically address the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on
certain groups of students?
• I’ve noticed – I have 4 kids who have gone through DPS – people talk about rural areas who yes,
need funds but here in the metro area where we need targeted funds. We need inclusive
practices for all of our students – not just the ones who can catch up quickly but also the kids
who do need the extra help. Funds should be distributed equally to all students who need the
support.
• We encountered schools not able to provide the technology
• Mental health services that were done virtually were not effective
• For kids who aged out during a program that wasn’t run well, they should be welcomed back.
Make program more robust for things like job training and life skills
• Tutoring in a 1:1 or small groups would be critically helpful
• Mental health supports, esp kids in transition years & periods
• Compensatory services particularly for those at end of school career
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• Avoid dumping funds into things that you can’t sustain, become relied upon & then are
unfunded mandates
• We are in danger of losing a lot of teachers, esp those who work w/our most vulnerable
students.
• Pipeline programs to help paras stay in program, become Ts, new programs to recruit paras
• One time funds to help LEAs get online tools, systems and resources as option for kids.
• This is where school choice & public schools merge
• When pandemic started & (immigrant) parents complained about access, APS created our own
learning pods to provide targeted tutoring. CDE could work w/local non-profits and community
orgs doing this work.
• Statewide resources that LEAs can tap into for support in more languages than Spanish & the
few that are available – GED,, career pathways, CTE
• Support and resources for all kids in transitions. Funds should go to compensatory services
Other ideas:
• Mental health crisis – build relationships before school starts to address kids with depression,
anxiety so they can focus or learning, develop program for every teacher to have games, food,
relationships in every classroom
• Other possible uses of ESSER $: allocations to districts and schools to improve communication
(websites, other tools to communicate with parents and community); $$ for Recruiting and Prof
Development; $ for Mental Health training, recruitment of MH professionals, $ to build out MH
offices - especially in areas that can remain open after school and on weekends
• Trauma informed supports – not funded before, need it more now for teachers and students
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Student Listening Session
ESSER STUDENTS Stakeholder Meeting Notes – Combined
Thinking specifically about the period affected by the pandemic, what practices or innovations
emerged in your classroom/school/district that you’d like to see built upon as we move
forward?
• afterschool programs. Really important to have somewhere to go, find people to guide you and
a community. Developing skills in afterschool programs.
o Boys and girls club, Fort Carson youth center
o In school after school programs were held virtually were helpful to connecting with
people
• Wednesdays off which was mentally helpful and to catch up on work. Lots of pressure to get
work done. Really nice to have time off, maybe a mental health day. Teachers had the
opportunity to help students and had more time to plan.
• 1. Use of more gamified learning (like kahoot and more traditional programs like google docs) –
engaging students in nontraditional way. 2. Back into in person learning – free lunch and
breakfast 3. Having a hybrid schedule – some students used the time for a job or internship –
use for opportunity that they wouldn’t have previously
• Took advantage of free breakfast and lunch. Could access breakfast when I would not have had.
The most effective teachers were the most empathetic. Recognition of trauma of pandemic was
helpful.
o Example -Teacher open up class by asking students how they are. Or acknowledging
happenings of Jan 6th. Teachers being honest about how they are feeling.
• more big projects with art, building robots and coding
o Example – DI – solving challenges, coding and field trips
• free lunch!
o Elementary school summer school. How far behind students are, those kids that struggle
that may not have supports at home – summer school helps to close gaps.
Summer school – to take every kid rather than the lowest 10%
o Over the pandemic the higher-level classes, the accessibility to those classes was
reduced. One of the things my district did – offered teachers opportunity through
funding to access higher education in order to be able to teacher different or high level
classes
• outdoor classrooms at more schools, older schools. Or relaxation space – outdoor space. Make
students feel more at home and relax.
• free lunch! One thing that I see is that we need more resources for students looking into higher
education (college or workplace) – how to look for colleges, write essays. Many of my peers are
thinking of going to college but don’t know where to start. Need guidance. More funds for after
school activities (I am part of boys and girls club) – tutoring offered helps me and also gives me
opportunity to tutor other students.
• agree with what has been said. More direct support for students. Responsiveness to trauma and
learning loss. Summer school can be a place for workforce development for older students that
help. Gives students ability to make money, mentoring other students and skills. Good social
emotional support – mixed age peer support.
• we have a court yard – It is a lovely environment
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• agree there should be more support for career centers. Need more support for career and
college guidance counselors.
• Last year we had outdoor lunches when it warmed up in the spring. Really enjoyed having lunch
outside.
• Wi-Fi access is not great! It takes me a long time to get onto school affiliated websites.
• More field trips online or in person.
• works with student leaders
o Question – thoughts on history and civics curriculum? What is your experience like – are
you getting out of it what you want to? Is your own personal experience embraced?
• I think its absolutely that students across Colorado learn about systems of oppression and what
their role in their community is to break those down. What is facing students in the classrooms
and outside of the classroom – we need to learn more about that and the inequalities. Covid
brought some of those to light
• I felt like my experience with history, I was really impressed. Sometimes we can think it is static.
My school provided a history program that was up to date.
o 5th grade history was the last history we had to take.
o US history in my high school was not a required class. In order to be informed we all
should be taking this.
• there are all these standards around what the students learn in history but need to integrate
examining the role of oppressed people into these standards/history/civics.
o “Why are all the black kids sitting together in the cafeteria” – book
White student enrollment up in GT and IB – need to restructure how we look at
students and make the system more equitable, give more opportunity.
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Principal Listening Session
ESSER PRICIPAL Engagement Meeting Notes – Combined
Thinking specifically about the period affected by the pandemic, what practices or innovations
emerged in your classroom/school/district that you’d like to see built upon as we move forward?
• After hours tutor funding by ESSER funding. Would like to continue this program. All on-line.
• ESSER funds were used to improve buildings and air quality as they were in-person throughout
COVID. Didn’t have any learning loss so is worried that they will be punished by not receiving
funds for learning loss. Per CDE they can still use these ESSER funds to address achievement
gaps.
• Were in person most of the year and was appreciative of all the support they received during
COVID. Had a great summer school program with 151 students. Hopes to see continued
support for everybody – including staff. Hope to fucus on continued engagement with
families. Staff supports included mindfulness activities, teachers meeting each other, website
included information on supports provided, tracking wellness activities. Getting more parent
liaisons was also helpful.
• Would like to see the funds distributed on a per pupil basis so each school could do what is best
for them.
• Would like to see dollars spread on a per pupil basis so that districts can address their individual
needs.
• Concern that “learning loss” is more attached to academics. Should consider the social
emotional needs too when looking at how dollars are distributed.
• Some kids need to be reengaged in school as they have experienced loss (unable to attend
school) based on what their families experienced during COVID.
What resources, training or supports would be needed to effectively continue and scale the practices
or innovations described above?
• worried about hiring teachers. Example Student Teachers who were not able to teach last
year. CDE should look at licensure program and consider changing/reevaluating requirements
around teaching with a license. CDE: Last year supported alternative licensure candidates and
substitute teacher outreach. There are 34 pathways into teaching.
How might CDE use set aside funds to specifically address the disproportionate impact of COVID-19
on certain groups of students?
• The people working in the schools really know what happened to students and what they need.
Not sure what exactly the need is but we should ask the question of those in the schools and ask
the right questions on what programs make a real difference letting people be innovative.
• Important to support the Title I schools. Teachers and time – putting highly effective teachers in
front of students.
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What do you believe is most needed to support educators and school leaders as a result of their
experiences during the pandemic?
• Teachers were exhausted teaching both in-person and supporting students at home. There will
be some residual coming into this fall. Are there any funds for special recognition for what they
experiences last year?
• Everyone was significantly impacted by COVID. Each Principal would know best how to support
staff and students with additional funding.
• Any good teacher is exhausted! Both from teaching and dealing with what happened in their
own home. We do need to celebrate and honor our teachers. Training teachers on how to
respond to trauma would be beneficial.
Are there any other thoughts you’d like to share with us?
• Licensing is difficult - loosen the requirements for SPED teachers and ESL teachers, and more
support. Also, give more districts/schools more freedom on how to spend the funds.
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Superintendent Listening Session
ESSER ADMINISTRATOR Engagement Meeting Notes – Combined
Thinking specifically about the period affected by the pandemic, what practices or innovations
emerged in your classroom/school/district that you’d like to see built upon as we move
forward? What resources, training or supports would be needed to effectively continue and scale the
practices or innovations described above? What state-wide efforts would you recommend be supported
or started?
• Got BEST grants to update HVAC.
• CDL drivers statewide initiative.
• For scale: The existing state General Fund Rural Teacher Recruitment, Retention, and
Professional Development line item in the Dept. of Higher Ed is $1,209,357. This covers the alt.
licensure subsidy among other programs. It would be interesting to know the potential scope for
expansion if we wanted to fully cover demand.
• Recruit teachers. Stipends/scholarships. Demand has quickly outpaced demand. Great need
for alt. licensure. Bringing in out of state teachers and paying moving expenses.
• Recruitment of teachers and counselors. Retention in rural communities. Can’t compete with
higher paying districts. Recruitment into college and choosing education.
• Mental health professionals – can’t fill them. Deadline on spending $ - give them more time to
be more thoughtful (pool it over a period of years). More impactful programs. More flexibility,
widen the scope.
• Less strings attached. State job search platform.
• what do they think about Americorps Program. . .pipeline systems to build for mental health.
Rural – no relationship to date with it! Grants to support Grow Your Own – CU Denver/Otero;
grow paras. Build on those programs. Housing units needed! Can we use funds to partner with
agencies about housing.
• help districts cover these costs?
• I have needs outside of computers, electronic devices, or air filtration. I agree with most on
teacher/staff difficulties in the hiring process. Being able to use funds with less strings attached
would be huge. CDL certified people is a need. I would like to see a state job search platform
such as WECAN from my previous state in Wisconsin. This allows a central area for districts to
look for certified staff and also for teachers and other professionals to search for job openings in
a Colorado or a specific location the state they would like to work and live in. I'm listening to
what others are saying and agree with them as well.
• A few years ago, the department covered the cost to post vacancies on Teachers-Teachers. Any
chance a similar relationship could happen to take advantage of the recruiting services from
Frontline?
• Mental health and social emotional support is very important. Need to have the right staff to
implement effective programs.
• Staff to support students with IEPs and English language learners - they are struggling with filling
these positions. Maybe stipends or bonuses to help fill these positions?
• Should consider building some connection between secondary and post secondary institutions
to help support graduates. We need to do a better job of getting people into education careers
– strategies and marketing.
• Evidence based interventions are effective and expensive. May want to look at funding them to
help support these expensive programs.
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How might CDE use set aside funds to specifically address the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on
certain groups of students?
• attendance issues; engagement. New grad requirements – provide opportunities and options
with alternative students. Expand vocational programs, hands-on training, graduate with
diploma and certificates
• Internet/broadband continue these efforts.
• Low-income students can bounce from district to district; one problem, run from it. Open
enrollment issue. Local control – state requirements easier in another district; inequity; some
regulation needed.
• Districts on improvement higher focused on reading and math – some danger here. Encourage
well rounded, Title IV. Music programs suffered – give them some financial support.
• Like the idea students offered about expanding/developing outdoor learning spaces.
• Anything with student mental health support. Being in a rural area and asking them not to
socialize outside of their cohorts during the school day really took a toll. This past year we lost
our School Health Professional grant that funded our school psychologist.
• Teachers are critical for tutoring or intervention time. Unfortunately, this is hard due to lack of
teachers so will have to look to on-line options. Programs with a live tutor are fine.
• consider funding transportation for before or after school programs
• in very rural areas families do not have great access to the internet. What they have is expensive
so can we support paying for internet for families?
• Looking for funding as they have not received any (?). How do we level out pay for teachers so
the rural districts can compete against other districts?
• Provide certain resources for certain groups especially people of poverty. Students that did not
have access to technology or caregivers to support them have shown the greatest gaps in
learning. Give access to the resources to address these gaps.
• agrees that it is a struggle for small rural schools, internet, teachers, etc.
• Lack of on-line access for families was difficult at first. How do we address this with funding?
Small rural schools. Two teacher families - if both had to take off due to exposure it had a great
impact/snowball effect.
How do you believe individual educators have been affected by the shifts and their experience during
the pandemic? What do you believe is most needed to support educators and school leaders as a
result of their experiences during the pandemic?
• Mental health for teachers – they work in isolation, collaboration. Encourage them to talk to
each other. Connect them with mental health.
• Carve out healthy lifestyle school culture; weekly bike ride; build community; proactive initiative
vs responding.
• Teacher salaries and benefits is the biggest issue we have. Impressed with staff who were
always ready to go from in-person to remote learning quickly. They deserve more!
• Agrees with salaries. When staff or our families are quarantined childcare was difficult to find.
Any funds to create a new childcare centers, afterschool centers, to better support staff would
be helpful.
Technology
• Increase in 1:1 device use this year
CDE ESSER Listening Tour Summary Page 41 of 59
o Additional funding will be needed for new students and replacement devices
• Technology enhancement – opportunities to have resources that get students the programming
they need in person or virtually.
• Chrome books cannot run assessments
Allocation of Funding
• One size does not fit all – solutions are not the same
• Local control/decision making is vital
• Distributed per pupil basis. Administrators determining the highest and best needs for their
programs
• Rural communities need support
• Depending on district authorizations – challenges with accessing funding, some are ineligible
• Allocation method/competitive grant process does not work well. All districts do not have the
same resources to respond to requests.
Social Emotional Wellness
• Important to address climate, culture and wellness for students and staff
• CDPHE has a lot of resources and competitive grants
o Gatekeep training is good
• Universal screening for social and emotional wellness and mental health
• Hire mental health supports and resources
o Especially challenging in rural areas where pay is not competitive and systems are not in
place to support needs
• Mental health should not end at identification, it should end at implementation!
Environmental
• Environmental interventions (air handling overhauls, etc) helped decrease/reduce covid and
other illness. Fewer sick kids is always good
o Invest in thermal cameras that could detect kids with fevers.
Higher Education/Transition
• Blur the lines between k12 and higher ed – need more resources and support
• Transition counselors
Recruitment and Retention
• Need to find ways to recruit effective professionals into the field and KEEP THEM THERE
o Raise base salaries in rural communities
Other
• CDE waivers for licensure and academic requirements were VERY helpful this year – make some
of these permanent
• Working with smaller groups of students is REALLY helpful for learning loss
• DPS had all central administrators in schools once a week to help with capacity – getting into
schools AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE is a good thing!
• Keep BOCES in mind – can coordinate across districts and get resources out quickly across
districts
o Remote learning mapped to assessments
o Build capacity – focused on professional development
CDE ESSER Listening Tour Summary Page 42 of 59
Literacy interventions – purchase materials that can be used now and, in the
future
• Professional development investments would be a GREAT use of funding
CDE ESSER Listening Tour Summary Page 43 of 59
Advocacy Organizations Listening Session
ESSER ADVOCACY Engagement Meeting Notes – Combined
• More engagement and relevancy. High school mental health and reengagement with learning
needs. We would love to see more of an engagement strategy – more partnerships to create
concurrent enrollment, internships, partnerships – strong connection to college and career
partnerships.
• It is incredibly important that a chief recovery officer is being hired at CDE.
• Research and analysis is really important – what are the innovations that are happening?
• Quality data systems to understand what is working really well. Build upon what is working –
turn around support, literacy (READ ACT)
• how do we differentiate this funding – make this as high impact as possible. Continue to look
into the connect for success program – what are other investments that can go into successful
programs like that.
• Once in a generation opportunity – incentivizing uses of this funding for better curriculum (in
Louisiana doing this) – drive people into a certain direction that we know will help students.
• One thing we have been thinking about is student statewide information systems. We have
been scrambling to track if students are hybrid or remote. Reducing administrative burden. Data
sharing among agencies is difficult. Statewide free and reduced lunch online application/system
would have been helpful.
• professional development on how to work with students who have experienced trauma. Also
education for school board on trauma informed practices and policy/regulation. The children
are looking at the adults “am I ok or am I not”
• support new evolving ways for charter schools to integrate with district. Statewide investment
in charter authorizer relationship. How to integrate district and charters more effectively
• data system is very important as well as reengagement. CDE setting up best practices.
• We have a lot of school leaders not training in discipline practices that keep kids in schools.
• Make sure all districts are using literacy based in the science of reading – ensuring schools are all
trained in this.
• how can we leverage funding to support high quality PD. Ways we can connect educators across
systems (connect with kindred spirits)
• Encourage bold ideas – encourage innovation/incentivize innovation.
• way to invest in our community orgs that really stepped up when schools were closed.
These orgs can be nimbler and more innovative.
o Examples from other states that have used ESSER funds to create grant programs
with community orgs - Utah and Washington have done this. Thinking about
statewide orgs.
o Love to see investments for SEL outside of school – trauma doesn’t end kids leave
the classroom. Clubs have invested in therapists and counselors. Professional
development for community orgs as well.
o Data system would be great and sharing information (now we are relaying on
student self reported data)
o Evidence based curriculum (especially with literacy)
• CDE to take their online training modules from K-12. Open those up to the public – let parents
have access, community groups that are offering tutoring. Lots of volunteers that are helping in
the nonprofit space, they could really benefit from this training.
CDE ESSER Listening Tour Summary Page 44 of 59
• As a teacher I am really advocating for outreach for community orgs that are smaller, used some
of those orgs to provide art, reading support – there is something missing when we are not
using those orgs. Short term interventions for long term impacts.
• Collaboration is key!
• Students with disabilities because of federal policy. What I am concerned about is that many of
our students COULD not access zoom. It did not work for many students with special needs.
Have a right to compulsory education.
• Most of these families won’t know about what their rights are – CDE to put out information for
kids with IEPs or 504s about what they are entitled to. I will help translate that for families!
• Want to see these funds go to community-based organizations.
• Incentivize/teaching to schools on how to partner with community-based orgs – no need to
recreate the wheel. Create community schools.
• Needs assessment with after school programs – to understand where they gaps exist
• What orgs had to shut down due to covid? Can we get them started again?
• Investments in afterschool and summer workforces
• Data sharing
• High school engagement, stronger engagement from college and career
• Creating an environment that is more agile – not afraid to fail
• Challenges that are getting in way of innovation – seat time
• Blended learning
o Waivers for Community college areas and seat time
o Actual or perceived barriers
• Create key measures/metrics to track this funding
o In order for electorate to understand the impact of this funding
• Students with disabilities that were unable to access transition
o Parents of kids with disabilities need more information
“your child is entitled to more” message/outreach needs to happen
• Two and Thru programs – charter management orgs
• Incentivizing excellent teachers to schools that need help – when those teachers are recognized,
and we can ask them how to help in the district
• English Language Learning – language centers could be funding better (translations can be more
effective for students and parents)
• Statewide data system and sharing
CDE ESSER Listening Tour Summary Page 45 of 59
Educator Preparation Provider Listening Session
ESSER EDUCATOR PREPARATION PROGRAMS Stakeholder Meeting – Combined
Comments:
• The stronger the teacher in the classroom, the better the outcomes for students. Once in a
generation funding – how as a state, investment into teachers and teacher education.
o Ability for district to support and grow teachers throughout their career.
o Want to make sure there is strategy behind this – we want to make sure we are all
working together.
• Because of COVID a lot of teacher candidates were disadvantaged. Teacher prep programs to
support financial negative impact – some may not be able to continue. Cannot continue their
student teaching or
• A pocket of funding to help support students while student teaching, content assessments,
housing stipends
• Also support funds to support testing
What innovations did you see over the last year – how could this be scaled by the state?
• How can we support in-service and pre-service
o Grow your own programs
• We could not put most of student teachers in classrooms. We recruited virtual mentors for
stage 1 and 2 students.
• Virtual mentorship could be helpful moving forward – look for opportunities there
• Had more contact with parents this year – continue to think about additional ways to connect
with parents and families
• Parent communication was immediate – continue this
• Teaching labs was a virtual mentorships
• Science of Reading training – send them all to Orton Gillingham training
o Important that educators have literacy training that is the same so that folks have the
same language
What is most needed to support educators (new and those in the field)?
• Experience in a wide variety of classrooms – what are the required number of hours? But future
teachers should see a spectrum of classrooms. That is a BIG gap.
o Teachers are placed in classrooms very different from where/how they were trained
o Working closely at district partnerships – collaboration and partnerships
o Leadership needs to be committed to understanding the needs
• We do alternative licensure and a lot of special education licensure
o Things were coming down from the district – contingency plans
Greater need for modeling and collaborative sessions for special educators
• More support, more examples is needed
• State can step in to help share ideas, work together, modeling
• Support for the mentor teachers – we really need a lot of mentor candidates.
• Compensation for mentor teachers from the state
• Support and encourage mentor teachers
• Professional organizations – support/funding to help support educators to join those
organizations and access trainings
CDE ESSER Listening Tour Summary Page 46 of 59
o NCTM, NCTE, ETC.
• Pathways to credentialing teachers – PARA and new teachers gathered more experience during
the pandemic
• Compensation inequities should be addressed
• Aware of those middle ground folks – adjunct folks
• We are working looking at apprenticeship programs
• SB185 – alternative prep pathways
• Were teachers really prepared to support students “outside” the classroom
o Social justice issues, other topics that
o Support teachers who experienced trauma and may be retraumatized going into the
classroom
o Common language could be helpful – learning loss? Do we have a common
understanding of what we are talking about? What is the root of the issue we are trying
to solve?
• Impacts of covid pandemic on teachers, students and parents
o There is a lot of research being done in Asian countries on this – not as much here
Support university studies on the impact of the pandemic on parent, teacher,
student perspectives
• Support teachers, administrators – compensate time to participate,
focus groups
How might CDE use set aside funds to specifically address the disproportionate impact of
COVID-19 on certain groups of students?
• English language learning and special education
o Teachers/students in the pipeline who have been impacted greatest
• Thinking about students – how do we develop and support teachers to support kids
o Building relationships for social and emotional
o Teacher disposition is important – intentional
Counselor prep – what is done within this training that can be integrated into
teacher prep
• IEG and district partnerships – grants
o We need some professional development – can partner with a prep provider for that
support
• Financial impact on families will be greater once families are back to school
o How can we support families?
o Financial literacy for teachers – training
o Increase teacher pay for all they have done, all they will do
• What are the community supports and services that we need to partner with that are not on our
radar that could help us better support/connect with families
o Example – refugee families may be more connected to a community group
CDE ESSER Listening Tour Summary Page 47 of 59
CDE Staff Listening Session
ESSER INTERNAL CDE Stakeholder Meeting Notes - Combined
Thinking specifically about the period affected by the pandemic, what practices or innovations
emerged in classrooms/schools/districts that you’d like to see built upon as we move forward?
• some districts I work with and office hours held during pandemic, some innovations I’d want to
highlight are around supporting students physical/social/emotional/mental health. Working
with outside community partners to bring in specific services so schools don’t feel pressure to
be all things to all people. Community partners have stepped up, reaching out to schools with
specific ways they can support districts. Also community health centers and other orgs have
done that. Is there an opportunity – while this funding is great an influx of funds can also cause
stress and create overwhelming sense. Ensure those supports needed by our students can come
from somebody else and let our teachers focus on supporting students academically.
• I don’t know if there are models per se. One org is Communities In Schools. They are not as
active in Colorado but the idea of a community schools model would be what I’d emphasize.
What that entails mostly is outside communities coming in to provide wraparound supports for
students and families. There’s a lot that’s aligned with 21st Century model in having additional
orgs provide those supports, but it can happen during school. Community schools model is what
I’d reference.
• I’d second everything said around social/emotional supports but keep in mind the MTSS model.
Also thinking about kids with disabilities since they are the hardest hit. How are we truly
meeting all kids needs in that layered way, universal targeted all kids getting what they need.
Not necessarily carving out something different for kids with disabilities but ensuring
appropriate access to those levels of support needed to all students.
• I agree let’s expand our notion of MTSS so it’s just the way we do school. Peered system of
support for academic, behavioral, social/emotional/mental wellness. If there’s a way to fund
that support system in the MTSS model especially an expanded model, I agree. MTSS = multi
tiered system of support.
• Thinking of some examples hearing from our program-- 1/ Tutoring esp One on one tutors and
partnerships with the migrant education program. 2/ Supporting parent engagement in terms of
helping parents understand how school management systems work, so they understand what’s
happening in the school. Migrant program is partnering to see how the schools can help the
parents be more involved in their children’s academics. 3/ Mental health support has been very
important for migrant families. 4/ the early math support is an area because of COVID we know
language and math has been – migrant families really have had a hard time and are behind in
math. They have established tutoring service but also technology support starting
developmentally where the students are and giving them a way to move forward, wherever
they are starting from. We had a program called Empower, some migrant programs are using
that and sharing the information with school districts. I also agree with what everyone has said
already.
• I believe broadband is really significant in that it provides equitable access to instruction and I
think that’s still an area of need across our state because 70% of our community is rural. Not all
of those communities have access to broadband technology. 2/ I would second the piece around
social/emotional learning, I think that’s critical. Our state ranks within the top 10 states for the
last 5-10 years for suicides. We’ve seen a spike in that across our state, which elevates that
again to a higher level in my mind. I think due to the acuity of that need, we really do need to
support social/emotional learning, whether through a multitiered system of supports or
behavioral supports like positive behavioral interventions and supports. I know there are
CDE ESSER Listening Tour Summary Page 48 of 59
programs such as CASEL the social emotional learning organization, they use their 5
competencies social awareness, self awareness, self management, responsible decision making,
relationship skills – to focus a variety of needs including DEI. We know our LGBTQ community is
highly impacted with high numbers of suicide. Focusing on some of these DEI issues is also very
important.
• I know there are funding opportunities coming on board through our state personnel
development grant. I think certainly supporting that with some of the ESSER funds, but I think it
requires a collaborative effort across the department, not just for the office of learning
supports, let’s not just throw it all on that office but let’s collaborate and support them in
strategically using these dollars. I think that would involve our federal programs across a variety
of sections across the department. I think there’s a lot of areas for us to collaborate and work
cohesively on.
• I agree and professional development would be key. I’m trying to coordinate some of us to be
more coherent around professional development, esp in the realm of
social/emotional/behavioral/mental health. In a coordinated way, reach out to the field about
how you best implement and teach social/emotional skills, how you can support students
mental health by being trauma responsive, etc. There’s a deep bench within the department
that are able to provide those trainings to our district and school folks. Part of that requires a
thumbs up and go ahead from leadership around that. I agree it would require some additional
support from ESSER dollars. There would be a lot to do and a lot to provide.
• Keep those partners in mind when talking about that. When I think about content gen ed school
teachers, its not fair to put all the social/emotional learning on them. They can be partners but
school psychologists, counselors, our mental health community partners can come together to
really make it a systems issue. We know that kids won’t learn until they’re safe and until some
of those basic needs are taken care of. We must address those systemically and all kids every
single kid regardless of level of need or disability or anything, we must meet those needs first
before they can learn math. Culture and equity comes into that, I don’t think we can do it
systemically without those partners and without those experts.
• Support everything already mentioned. I think it would behoove us to spend some of our funds
creating processes/protocols/supports for districts on how to do local evaluations to look at the
impact they’re having using strategies they have been implementing so far and finetuning those
when they’re not achieving the outcomes they’d like to see. Supports around progress
monitoring, ROI, all those evaluation work. Learning to use data to inform practices and
identifying student needs is a critical piece of this. We’ll be looking back in 5-6 years asking
ourselves for that evidence of what we saw had an impact, and that means our districts have to
be able to provide that evidence as well. Make sure we’re thinking about 5-6 years when
Congress, USDE come calling and ask what impact we had.
• We serve children on IEPs and CPP. I want to raise awareness of using funds on early childhood,
we know the ROI when dollars are used in early childhood programs is great. I don’t know many
districts are aware of how to use funds in preschools or community based Head Starts, etc.
• Agree with all comments. Elevating the leaders that we have in the field, not only educators but
our mental health professionals working directly with students and families. And looking at the
impacts these funds are having, diving into building capacity of that in evaluation. We have a
pretty local, robust evaluation system set up in our supplemental funding that we’ve gotten.
That might be something we can tap into, both evaluation and financial reporting. And we’ve
been really grateful to have some ESSER funds already, all our out of school time grantees have
risen to the occasion and re engaging students and families. Special needs, migrant families,
CDE ESSER Listening Tour Summary Page 49 of 59
English learners. Practices we saw: addressing basic needs including technology and food.
Expanding community partnerships, 21st century is a unique grant program across the
department because we also fund community based orgs. From a COVID19 impact survey we
gave to current grantees, we saw where they really added value to what schools were already
doing and filled in a lot of gaps where schools were not able to provide services/supports. Cost
sharing for mental health professionals was a big thing, school psychologists and counselors.
And supporting additional learning opportunities through small groups of students, that begs
the need for additional staff which I know has been an issue in terms of talent but with the
existing staff in out of school time programs they were able to provide more pay for existing
staff and incentives for new staff to come on and expand hours of services, not just for
academics but social/emotional learning and keep staying engaged. We saw a huge need,
especially in our recent grant application process. We’ve laid the foundation of work we can do
to leverage existing funding and some ESSER but there’s a lot more work to be done. I’d like to
see proliferation of out of school time programs across the state. There’s a lot in Denver Metro
but expanding these programs and opportunities across other areas of the state.
• post secondary workforce readiness: I do a lot of technical assistance with secondary schools
helping students to figure out what’s next. The system was already broken for a lot of students,
there was a view of “whats the point”. We lost a lot of kids who didn’t see the point of school
any more because they didn’t know what was coming next month, or students whose parents
lost their job or had high risk of COVID so they had to take on jobs. For juniors and seniors, it’s
almost figuring out how to give them hope for the future and hope for what’s next to get them
back in our buildings. Part of that is breaking the system and seeing some innovative ways to
engage students so they can see their future more clearly. Some students interested in mental
health field said I can’t go to school for 8 years before I’m earning a living. Career college
planning, how do we make that relevant now, such as a paid internship. WE often look to
counselors to do that work, but they’re spread so thin right now.
• Thinking about outdoor classroom/dining areas. Unisex toilet rooms. Alternative and soft
furniture for after-school areas. Extended days should be a different setting, different
environment.
• Beneficial to districts to offer online trainings and tech support.
o Broadband support is still needed in some parts of the state.
• Successful in rural districts has been increased collaboration. Funding and support can help
these districts. There is a strong sense that supporting co-action/collaboration would be VERY
helpful. Hiring challenges – working with neighbors and BOCES to help hire. There are regions
that are developing pathways, concurrent enrollment, internships, etc. Foster more
collaboration in the field. In some rural districts there is one person serving as principal and
superintendent.
o RISE grants and other foundation support has been helpful
o Support could look like – capacity building (internal coordination of staff going out to
help). Support and thought partner, help them build momentum at the beginning. On
the ground will need funding support to build human capitol.
• directors in special ed have struggled. They need support for professional development.
Continue trainings for them. Conduct a needs assessment survey for these teachers to better
understand what they need. Be the support they need through training.
CDE ESSER Listening Tour Summary Page 50 of 59
What is most needed to support educators/school leaders?
• think a lot about the challenges that preceded the pandemic that are financial. These funds will
go away, I worry we build these things and then they go away. What type of material things can
be purchased that can free up funding for other things? READ Act – a lot of districts will need to
purchase new curriculum and assessments. This is an opportunity to use these funds.
o Scientific or evidence based curriculum – a grant program to support this
Pick from this list
• shortage of professionally licensed school counselors, is there some work CDE can do to help
bring down barriers – increase people getting into the profession
o Student loan forgiveness, make more accessible, alternative licensure and education
opportunities
• the true impact of the pandemic is unknown in some ways because of
assessments/measurements
o If there are local measure folks feel comfortable with, use these to find strategies to
remedy this.
• Challenges with data and assessments and making decisions
• are data will not be perfect this year, because we need more data and need to dig deeper
• tools that school counselors use to develop needs assessments (community engagement, other
activities) can be helpful tools to inform districts
• We all need to know what each other does at CDE – identify what every unit does to meets the
needs of districts – work smarter.
o Identify gaps and redundancies
o Cross unit collaboration – get out of our silos
• accommodations for students – in classroom but not on state test. Challenges with assistive
technology
• Not being able to see the true impact of students with disabilities and special needs –
graduation and drop out rates – how can we assist districts at the % of students not engaged
and help to re-engage those students at a timely manner.
What resources, training or supports would be needed to effectively continue and scale the practices
or innovations described above?
• I heard from a lot of teachers about needing help with support for teachers on using tech
• Increased collaboration among rurals who may have lacked resources and what they’ve missed
is the funding, supports to empower that continued collaboration. Co-action for LEAs partnering
on 2 fronts: we may talk innovation but it’s so much more – they are dealing with shortages,
some haven’t been able to hire English or math teachers for years. There are regions of work
developing pathways, getting kids college credits, apprenticeships, internships. Oppty for us at
state level to support that even more. Foster the collaboration out in the field. We have 38 dual-
role Supes/Principals who need add’l supports to collab with neighboring LEAs. Instead of trying
to add something new
• CDE can provide technical support. They also need capacity, somebody to come along side AND
in the field, once they get going but they need capacity that maybe starts in CDE w/staff who are
dedicated to supporting like field staff and then they need funding
• Special Ed – some real need to provide PD where some PD Directors just are stretched too thin
How might CDE use set aside funds to specifically address the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on
certain groups of students?
CDE ESSER Listening Tour Summary Page 51 of 59
• To start, we need to understand what the impact has truly been and where. There has been this
reflexive avoidance of assessment. The well intentioned result is a lack of data. And as a result,
we don’t know who has been hurt. If there are local measures, maybe we can access those. We
instinctively know but not empirically.
• Are there ways to help districts use their own data
• For counselors, the first year is a needs assessment and look deeply at the data for developing a
school counseling program. Some iteration of that could help schools find out where the needs
are
• Within CDE, we could do better on even knowing who is doing what to avoid duplication. We
need to do some more collaboration and breaking down silos
• A number of schools and districts struggle with providing accommodations that allow students
with disabilities to access the curriculum. Providing accommodations and assistive technology
can go a long way to facilitating access. This would be very targeted toward one of our most at
risk groups. It likely is also be an EDI issue. We can find where the issues are by looking at past
testing data and accommodation use by students with disabilities across districts. If
accommodation use is similar to TCAP data, you will find that students in different racial groups
receive different accommodations.
What do you believe is most needed to support educators and school leaders as a result
of their experiences during the pandemic?
• Maybe conduct a needs assessment of what Ts need?
• When I think about challenges that preceded pandemic that are in alignment w/it, my thoughts
go to the one-time nature. I worry about making an investment and then going off the cliff
financially. I think then about the material things that can be used on an ongoing basis and that
their local funds for those ongoing needs.
• With READ Act being priority, a lot of LEAs will need to purchase books, curriculum and those
cost a lot. This could be a way to take some fin’l pressure off of them
• Shortage of licensed counselors available. Expect that’s true in other roles. Is there work we can
do to get folks into the pipeline, minimizing barriers
• Identify what support have we already provided to districts and determine where further
coaching is needed to continue the work for sustainability.
• Another idea might be to identify what support have we already provided to districts and
determine where further coaching is needed to continue the work for sustainability.
• Also the School Counselor Corps. I think there is one around behavioral health too. All require
specialized training
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Addendum C: Submitted Letters & Reports
The following pages contain letters, proposals and reports received in response to the CDE ESSER
Listening Tour.
CDE ESSER Listening Tour Summary Page 53 of 59
Ideas Submitted to CDE via email or discussion
$300,000 for Principal Supports through PLCs - Provide support for principal learning, and engagement
by Extended learning opportunity group – This need has been exacerbated by the pandemic. Possible
support for principal affinity groups aligned to extended learning opportunities (unfinished learning,
summer learning, extended learning, eLearning) – Led by principal coaches (allow for pay for stipends).
Intentional PLC's via remote gatherings to provide support to principals across Colorado. This is
something we have learned from the Principal Leadership Institute. Our principals need coordinated
time and support to engage with each other in many topics around extended learning opportunities.
These would be multi-year opportunities where folks could stay in the PLC cohorts or self select into
other cohorts over time - 21/22, 22/23, 23/24. The principal coaches leading the PLC would be
stipended at $5000 per year. Estimated 6 affinity group PLCs, staffed with 1 principal coach to lead the
group, meet minimum 1 time per month for 10 months of the year.
$375,000: Equity development coordinator. Due to the significant inequities found during the pandemic,
the need for addressing this has been elevated. 1.0 FTE beginning in July 1, 2021- September 30, 2024 to
review, coordinate, support, and facilatate equity intiatives within CDE and outside with districts. The
idea for this came from the DLRT as we have been supporting district equity work through a cohort
learning model with Gemini. We have just launched our 2nd cohort. The DLRT team has expressed that
CDE would be best off by elevating the equity work by dedicating a team of people, stating with an
equity development coordinator (or, they also suggested a chief equity officer). The ESSER funds could
be used through the COVID equity lens to possible hire a 1.0 FTE for 3 years to establish a system of
equity change/initiatives in Colorado, with the goal of continuning and developing the unit over time
and transitioning to state monies (or fee funded monies, which is where the DLRT started the
conversations). Estimated salary/benefits fully loaded $111,000/year with $15,000 travel/operations
each year.
Set aside funds to develop and implement PD for school improvement and recovery from student
learning impacts
Provide part-time FTE for administrative support to project manage the events/logistics of the PD
events, and build an updated PD webpage.
Adapt the EASI approach to smaller, more bite sized learning opportunities in addition to our stable
menu. EASI would be the vehicle interested districts learn about these opportunities but they’re
managed outside of EASI.
Leadership use of data to track student learning needs/catch up
Operations and strategic budgeting
Develop and communicate new PD opportunities: secondary math support (scheduling, credit recovery,
avoiding remediation), SEL (trauma informed practices for principals and/or teachers), Online and
Blended Learning Best Practices, AEC PD specific to their populations, District Leadership (new
superintendents) PD, and other PD sessions that are relevant to school improvement.
CDE ESSER Listening Tour Summary Page 54 of 59
A centralized webpage would “collect” these PD opportunities that are already on different unit’s
webpages.
EASI could spotlight the current menu and link to these related, shorter term PD opportunities that
connect explicitly to the toolkit/high leverage areas but have the specialized focus on identified schools.
Est $6-7mm Customer Relations Management System Project - Consider funds for system
improvements, e.g., upgraded Data Pipeline (not limited to statewide SIS but could be a part of it) that
could also improve CDE operations. This would help to provide improved data quality from and to
districts, allowing us to better measure status of all the above ideas. Would require focused strategic
planning on what we'd like to accomplish moving forward. This can tie in to Rhonda's suggestion above
about EASI, but apply it more broadly
Consider using funds to assist school nutrition departments - backfill lost funding due to lower revenues.
Would be helpful for districts as they are having to use General Funds to backfill shortfalls. However, not
as strategic use of funds.
$100-$200K: Blended Learning Initiative: Research and evaluate the impact of remote learning on
Colorado students, identify successful remote learning strategies, and use this knowledge to inform a
discussion and planning process for reimagining how instructional time is measured and used for
funding.
I wanted to make you aware of the CAP Map - it could be useful in identifying areas of need.
Regarding the concept of incentives – allow me to plant the seed of an incentive for districts/schools to
partner with community based afterschool and summer providers. There’s no reason for districts to
spend money creating new programs when there are quality evidenced based programs already
available in many Colorado communities. Happy to provide you data and research that supports
school/community based partnerships if you’d like.
Create an RFP that allows funds to flow directly to Community Based Organizations (CBOs).
We want the state to give specific guidance to Local Education Agencies (LEAs) that requires them to
partner with CBOs.
Support youth workers with training and professional development to address youth mental health and
SEL needs.
Create Scholarships for families that don't qualify for Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP).
Support innovative youth work.
Transportation for summer reengagement.
Extra funds for staff working on front lines.
CDE ESSER Listening Tour Summary Page 55 of 59
Out of the box project materials for students to use.
ESSER III - AmeriCorp Educator Support and Recruitment Program ($1 million)
· CSU AmeriCorp Program ($500,000): Current IA about $400,000 have a taker for that and short on
second half of the year; CSU AmeriCorp partnered with Masters level program and given proprosal for
20 spots in Weld County and would start this fall. Will work with schools up north and will serve as
substitutes and tutors in the school. Total program costs are about $900,000 but we have under
$400,000 left. Would request funding to "finish" the year next year with this program.
- ESSER II or ESSER III - Need about $500,000
Teacher Support and Recruitment Program ($500,000)
○ PEBC - Connect with Alt Program
○ How do we recruit more intentionally for the teacher pipeline
○ Make information available about different pipelines and programs
○ TEACH CO and Workforce Center Recruitment
○ How do we encourage them to match up with certification programs
○ AmeriCorp for 3/4 of a year will give them $4500/$4700 -
ESSER III monies, $500,000 to pay for full alternative educator preparation programs for all eligible
AmeriCorp members
Tool to help students and parents identify students' preferred mode of learning, best fit school
environment.. And then, even match with schools in the area. (But with heavy focus on
remote/synch/asynch learning options)
$500k - $1mm for a "small" pot of money for really local community organizations-- like churches who
are supporting students this summer? If we keep the amount relatively small-- it wouldn't be as big a
deal. I think this would go a long way toward supporting deep community engagement.
$8 - $10mm: Rural Innovation Zones-- Create shared services across districts related to career connected
learning, specialty programs in districts (like a specialization in hospitality or STEM or Ag). Could also
support job sharing, expand internships and ways to keep kids in your community. I am too and think it
could be great in the long run. Could be connect to student reengagement and expanding learning
opportunities across districts.
Est $2 - $3mm: State purchased curriculum to incentivize districts to use it: Math/Science and ELA. All
about combatting learning loss.
Stand-up money to universities for shortage programs like speech language pathologists ((from Rural
council)
$2.5MM: SyncUp Colorado-- Essentially, we would build a Colorado Health Careers Academy in
partnership with DPS, LPS, Cherry Creek, Englewood, Sheridan, and Elizabeth school district (rural) and
then that builds off of what we did for contact tracers throughout the state but would focus on industry
job shadows (virtual) and student incentives for scholarships and industry partners could determine how
they wanted to coordinate touch points with the most promising students who progress through the
CDE ESSER Listening Tour Summary Page 56 of 59
curriculum (and part of the goal is to help create a bullpen of diverse talent). The virtual component
would involve lots of filming and original video and design.
As a follow-up to our conversation about education, training, and professional development for school
districts on a package of policy opportunities for them to access and employ locally, we’ve put together
a short concept paper. It includes the work we’ve done to date with districts statewide and some ideas
for how we might be able to expand this work together. We have experienced tremendous interest and
positive feedback from the policy self-assessment we created and would love to work with you to figure
out how we can support more districts (particularly those not currently in the mix) in gaining access to
the innovative pilots and programs the state currently offers. The work begins with awareness, but also
includes training on how districts can integrate innovative competency-based and experiential learning
opportunities into their strategic plan; define their work and tell their story to local stakeholders; build
partnerships with employers; and support their application and grant-writing efforts to the state and
I am submitting a request to be considered for federal or state funding for the expansion of
Tech/vocational curricular offerings in the four public school districts in the Arkansas Valley.
Considerable communication and planning in the development of this expansion was interrupted by the
Covid-19 pandemic. At present with the known and unknown impact of the virus, efforts to offer
students an option relative to college and/or career seems logical, needed, and applicable. The
expansion and option of preparation for careers and post high school employment would seem to
address the difficult decision students and parents are facing. Due to an uncertain economy with
inflation more parents are comforted with investing and borrowing for college. The option of a
marketable and employable skill set is an appropriate choice and decision for many families. Buena
Vista and the Arkansas Valley area (Fairplay, Leadville, and Salida) would like to explore the potential for
funding to develop appropriate programs for the youth. The development of a co-op will increase the
opportunity for "quality" and meeting current "needs assessment" curricular offerings. Obviously, co-
ops and/or centers are cost effective programs.
Offering students, the option of career and job potential would improve motivation in the Core courses,
resulting in increased achievement for ALL students, allowing for raising the achievement bar and
expectations. Colorado communities would experience an increase in a much-needed skill sets labor
pool.
CDE ESSER Listening Tour Summary Page 57 of 59
Legislator Input:
The following ideas were submitted or shared by members of the Colorado House or Senate via email or
conversations during but outside of the formal listening sessions covered in this report:
Increase efficiency of current systems, especially with many small districts.
Are there ways to incentivize efficiencies (including consolidation) with small districts?
Build capacity to offer adaptive physical education in Colorado.
Suggested exemplar of Asset, in Mesa and DPS, program that addresses mental health in ten minutes
lessons run by classroom teachers or social workers or students. Been in 46 schools since 2016. May be
a good use of funds for getting our social emotional feet under our ground.
Look at mental health and workforce, and the lack of behavior specialist.
Educator mental health needs, offered on-site. All of these themes were on the list pre-COVID. Since we
can’t do teacher salary right now, how can we make the environment better for teachers in the
meantime? Reference to the TIF grant in JeffCO and how that did so much for teachers in terms of real
Stipends to teachers should be a gift and not an experiment.
Importance of educator recruitment and suggestion to explore apprenticeship programs in HS
Mental health services for students
Start-up costs for creating connections with community based organizations
Emphasis on evidence based interventions. Are we evaluating district strategies?
If we are doing stipends for teachers can we evaluate the impact of that?
Literacy concerns- seeing community groups coming together to address in community.
Focus on the environment for teachers. Would prioritize interventions in reading and behavior (RTI
programs, individualized supports for students).
Plan for the worst case scenarios about next school year, with case counts, and have a Plan B.
CDE ESSER Listening Tour Summary Page 58 of 59
Background
Over the past few years, CDE has responded to district feedback to refine our menu of support
for districts and schools identified for improvement. Feedback from districts indicated a need for
the following structures to streamline support for identified schools:
- A ‘one-stop shop’ for school improvement grants
- A diverse menu of support options to meet the wide range of district needs and contexts
- Vetted potential partners for a range of school improvement activities
- Dedicated staff (e.g. Support Coordinator) to support the district through the matching
process
As a result of this feedback, CDE implemented the EASI grant process. Fall 2021 will be the fifth
cohort of EASI. The accountability pause presents some unique opportunities for CDE’s
supports to the field, and we are eager to hear feedback from the field on what supports would
be most relevant and timely.
Impacts of Accountability on the EASI grant process
HB21-1161 pauses state accountability in 2021. Districts and schools will continue to implement
their 2019 plan type. This has the following implications for EASI:
- No new schools will be identified as eligible for support through EASI. This means the
eligibility list will remain the same for a third year.
- HB21-1161 does allow for a Request to Reconsider process for Priority Improvement
and Turnaround schools and districts. However, even after a successful reconsideration
of their plan type, they will still be eligible for EASI funds.
- The typical EASI application window is early fall (Sept.) through December, but this
window may change based on district feedback.
Options for EASI Funding
Below are a few recommendations on possible approaches to leveraging ESSER and EASI
funds. During the past two weeks of March, we have sought district input through the
Accountability Work Group (AWG) and phone calls with districts.
Overall Feedback
- Maintain EASI ‘window.’ Districts indicated a preference to keep the EASI window the
same. They referenced the predictable cycle of identifying schools in need of additional
support and the process of matching supports is beneficial and they want to keep the
annual “routine.” They did not express concern about another grant application, though
did appreciate any effort to streamline the application.
Options for use of stimulus funds aligned to EASI
● Open participation to non-identified schools (no ESSER funds allocated):
Encourage and allow districts to apply on behalf of schools not previously on the EASI
eligibility list to participate in CDE supports (e.g., the Turnaround Network, Connect for
Success, Diagnostic Reviews). In this scenario, districts would use their ESSER
allocation to support participation in these activities. Districts expressed an interest in
this, particularly in adding schools to activities such as Network, CfS, and UVA. The
EASI team appreciated this approach and supported it, though will need to be mindful of
capacity in any program for each of the options. The team also suggested we expand
eligibility to some services (e.g., DR and STLD) but not all.
● Allocate ESSER funds but do not expand eligibility. Interestingly, districts expressed
less interest in this option, which would allocate some ESSER funding (approximately $2
million?) to EASI without expanding the eligibility list. In a typical year, demand for EASI
has exceeded funds available to eligible schools by approximately $3 million. ESSER
funding could enable CDE to serve more eligible schools. Some districts referenced
allocating funds this year to support any schools we were unable to serve this year, but
did not overwhelmingly support directing more resources to the current eligibility list.
● Allocate ESSER funds and expand eligibility: Districts expressed an interest in this
option. They expressed an interest in being able to serve all schools (e.g. not running
out of funding next year) and highlighted they knew of schools who would be good fits
for some EASI eligible services but aren’t eligible. In particular, districts referenced
schools that have had leadership transitions or are experiencing high levels of
enrollment changes or disengaged students. This option would allocate ESSER funding
(amount TBD but rough current estimate is less than $5 million for the three years) to
EASI and expand eligibility. Similar to Option 1, CDE would make supports available to
interested, not just currently eligible schools and would need to determine a
prioritization. This is where we received feedback on increasing the amount of funding
available so that all or most schools that apply will receive funds. This does not have to
be a huge investment if we prioritize a few services, namely DRs, continuation of current
participants, planning support.
District opinion on current ‘menu’ of supports available through EASI
CDE’s menu of supports for schools identified for improvement range from initial exploration of
school needs to comprehensive school turnaround support. We asked for opinions on the
current menu and types of support. The following are a few key highlights:
● Exploration Supports. Expressed interest in having a diagnostic review in the 21-22
school year to pinpoint strengths and gaps. Districts expressed an interest in some
follow-up site visits for ongoing feedback throughout the year either from CDE or
partners.
● Continuation for Currently Participating Schools. Districts were supportive of
creating a ‘route’ for currently participating schools (e.g. current Turnaround Network,
CfS, or UVA) would typically be ‘exiting’ support or continuing to more rigorous support
but are in limbo with the accountability pause. This might look like a ‘continuation’ grant
for existing participating schools.
● Strategic Planning. A few districts expressed an interest in diagnostic and strategic
planning, particularly at the district level.
● School Design. Districts agreed having a route that would allow them to partner with
organizations with expertise in school design in areas such as scheduling, staffing, or
school model would be helpful in capitalizing on innovations started during the
pandemic. There was an emerging feeling that the coming year would be a good
planning/reflection year for implementing school design changes in fall 22.
● School Leaders on Special Assignments/Stipends for Partners.
○ Temporary team members. Some ideas were floated to hire recently retired
school leaders to join DRs and provide follow-up visits. These educators on
special assignment would help extend our capacity to provide on-site support
and increase credibility. Other states (NM comes to mind) regularly uses
contracted supports like this that could potentially serve as a partner
○ Convene. Partner with some existing school leaders to host promising
practices/convenings for schools working on similar issues.
Conclusion
Overall districts expressed appreciation in our approach to matching school needs to a diverse
menu. They expressed interest in using funds to meet unmet grants and expand who is able to
participate in CDE’s support. Some of the suggestions for new services/supports could be really
meaningful and having some additional funding for this year to support execution of those ideas
would be beneficial.
-
April 1, 2021
The Honorable Jared Polis
Colorado Governor’s Office
200 E Colfax Avenue
Denver, CO 80203
CC: The Colorado General Assembly Executive Leadership and Joint Budget
Committee Dear Governor Polis:
Introduction
The undersigned organizations write to you in order to provide recommendations for critical
investments in Colorado’s emergency food and agricultural systems with state flexible dollars
received from H.R.1319, the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021. An estimated 38 percent of all
Coloradans are currently experiencing hunger with the crisis exacerbated among 52 percent of
households that are Black or Latinx and 64 percent of households with a person with disabilities.
The crisis we are facing demands an investment in resources focused on: 1. Addressing immediate
hunger needs through emergency food providers and programming; and 2. Promoting long-term
food security and infrastructural stability especially in communities most impacted by the COVID-
19 pandemic and subsequent recession so that emergency inputs into our already strained
charitable food system are less urgent and ubiquitous in future economic downturns. It is our
hope that with these investments we can ameliorate the long-term impacts of COVID-19 by
focusing both on immediate needs as well as sustainable investments that will create positive
longitudinal changes in our food systems.
We must support our communities and families most impacted by hunger, and also be mindful
of the needs of our essential workers. It is farmworkers, school cafeteria employees, food
processors, restaurant staff, and food bank workers and volunteers who put their wellbeing at
risk to ensure that the rest of the state may continue to receive the nourishment needed through
the crisis. Colorado’s agricultural sector employs approximately 100,000 annual workers, with
another 300,000 Coloradans in food services. These Coloradans are on the front lines serving their
communities and we are obliged to provide them with the necessary support for them to
continue to achieve their full human potential during these difficult times.
Therefore, we ask the Colorado Governor’s Office and General Assembly to invest $123.1 million
of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 into our food and farm system this upcoming year in
order to support our families and communities in accessing healthful food, and to support the
farmers and farm workers who produce it.
These investments, partnered with federal nutrition programs like Child Nutrition Programs
(CNP), Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), The Emergency Food Assistance
Program (TEFAP), and Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children
(WIC), will help support Colorado’s recovery while also boosting our state economy, as research
continually indicates that these types of stimulus during economic recession help promote a
robust recovery statewide.
Funding Summary
Invest in Our Children
1. Support our school districts’ nutrition services staff by providing them with direct
payments as they continue to address the impact of COVID-19 and provide
universal meals to all Colorado students
○ Recommended: $5 million
○ Contact: Colorado School Nutrition Association; Danielle Bock
(dbock@greeleyschools.org)
2. Encourage healthy food access for mothers and our youngest children through the WIC
Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) local produce box program
○ Recommended: $1 million
○ Contact: Nourish Colorado; Terri Livermore (terri@nourishcolorado.org)
Strengthen Our Emergency Food Systems Today and Tomorrow
1. Invest in expanded infrastructure for Colorado’s emergency food systems in order to
support large-scale storage and transportation of food throughout the state during
the COVID-19 pandemic’s economic fallout, as well as into the future
○ Recommended: $15 million
○ Contact: Feeding Colorado; Effie Rorke (erorke@feedingcolorado.org )
2. Support Colorado families in accessing healthful food via our food banks and food
pantries by promoting increased distribution of Colorado produced food in the
Food Pantry Assistance Grant program
○ Recommended: $10 million
○ Contact: Hunger Free Colorado; Ashley Wheeland
(ashley@hungerfreecolorado.org)
3. Ensure Colorado’s five food banks can continue to meet increased demand and provide
healthy, locally sourced, and culturally appropriate food through the next year. ○
Recommended: $10 million
○ Contact: Feeding Colorado; Effie Rorke (erorke@feedingcolorado.org)
Build More Resilient and Equitable Food Systems
1. Provide additional funding for grants supporting sustainable community-based anti-
hunger work through collective impacts entities such as the Colorado Blueprint to End
Hunger
a. Recommended: $5 million
b. Contact: The Colorado Blueprint to End Hunger; Erin Ulric
(eulric@endhungerco.org)
2. Invest in a grant program to increase the capacity of regional food hubs
a. Recommended: $3 Million
b. Contact: Nourish Colorado; Wendy Moschetti (wendy@nourishcolorado.org)
Support Our Most Vulnerable Families
1. Provide direct cash assistance for immigrant families to purchase basic necessities
○ Recommended: $20 million through the Left Behind Workers’ Fund
○ Contact: Hunger Free Colorado; Ashley Wheeland
(ashley@hungerfreecolorado.org)
2. Encourage healthy food access for our most isolated and food insecure Older Adult
Congregate Meal Program participants living in rural and mountain communities
through the local produce box program.
○ Recommended: $300,000 through the Colorado Nutrition Incentive Program
○ Contact: Nourish Colorado; Terri Livermore (terri@nourishcolorado.org)
3. Allow Colorado ID vouchers to be used online
○ Recommended: $300,000
○ Contact: Metro Caring; Sheena Kadi (skadi@metrocaring.org)
4. Support a robust outreach and engagement plan for Double Up Food Bucks at farmers’
markets to reach the increasing number of SNAP recipients
○ Recommended: $200,000
○ Contact: Nourish Colorado; Terri Livermore (terri@nourishcolorado.org)
Provide Administrative Aid to the Colorado Department of Human Services
1. Provide additional state funding for county administration of SNAP
○ Recommended: $12 million
○ Contact: Hunger Free Colorado; Ashley Wheeland
(ashley@hungerfreecolorado.org)
2. Support the Colorado Department of Human Services with upfront administrative
funding as they respond to increased SNAP caseloads and implement the expanded
Pandemic EBT program
○ Recommended: $2 million
○ Contact: Hunger Free Colorado; Ashley Wheeland
(ashley@hungerfreecolorado.org)
Help Colorado Farms and Farm Laborers
1. Create a technical assistance grant program focused on farms and associated food
system infrastructure businesses such as manufacturers, distributors, retailers and
specialty crop producers.
○ Recommended: $32 million
○ Contact: Colorado Food Systems Advisory Council; Blake Angelo
(blake@cofoodsystemscouncil.org)
2. Provide direct relief to Colorado farmers, food processes, and intermediaries so that
local communities continue to prosper
○ Recommended: $4 million
○ Contact: National Young Farmers Coalition; Erin Foster West
(erin@youngfarmers.org)
3. Expand the promotora network that assists essential farmworkers in under resourced
Colorado communities
○ Recommended: $3 million
○ Contact: Project Protect Food Systems; Fatuma Emmad
(fatuma@frontlinefarming.org)
4. Bolster farm and ranch internships and develop a meat processing apprenticeship grant
program
○ Recommended: $300,000
○ Contact: Rocky Mountain Farmers Union; Daniel Waldvogle
(daniel.waldvogle@rmfu.org)
Descriptions
Invest in Our Children
1. Support our school districts’ nutrition services staff by providing them with direct
payments as they continue to address the impact of COVID-19 and provide universal
meals to all Colorado students ($5 million): The state should provide $5 million in direct
payments to ensure that our school nutrition staff have the support they need to continue
to administer school nutrition services, whether meals are served within or outside of
school. School Nutrition employees have been on the front lines feeding Colorado's
students since the pandemic began in March 2020. These same staff continue to show up
day after day, month after month, to ensure that the pandemic does not become a barrier
for students’ access to education and nourishment. Proper nutrition is essential for young
minds to develop, which is why school nutrition professionals have
taken to buses, set up drive-thrus, and partnered with other nonprofits in our
communities to ensure consistent access to nutritious meals for Colorado kids wherever
they are learning.
With $5 million dollars, each full-time (40 hr/week) employee would receive close to
$1,000 as a one-time stimulus payment, and a part-time (20 hr/week) employee would
receive half that. These cafeteria workers generally earn minimum wage and are
struggling to support their own families while they feed children across Colorado. Most
staff only work 170 days of the year and have to find summer employment and part-time
work to survive, and a one-time stimulus payment for these individuals could be a life line
to them during these times.
It is important to keep nutrition teams whole and staff employed so that once the
pandemic ends we can resume pre-COVID-19 operations. Many school food authorities in
Colorado are suffering from massive budget shortfalls due to a decline in participation in
CNP, and cannot afford to provide raises or even additional hours to our staff and ask
them to do more with less resources. This stimulus payment would be an extraordinary
symbol of the state’s gratitude in how these frontline staff have risen to these trying
circumstances.
2. Encourage healthy food access for mothers and our youngest children through the WIC
Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) local produce box program ($1 million): Studies
indicate that pregnant women and children under 5 are extremely vulnerable to short-
and long-term negative health impacts from inequitable access to nutritious food. WIC
provides critical support for this population, but community member interviews and focus
groups indicate that the current WIC fruit and vegetable allowances for pregnant women
and children aged 1-5 are inadequate to meet current need, which averages just over $15
per month for most families.
$1 million would support the existing Healthy Food Incentive Fund as weekly local produce
box programs for WIC families to allow for weekly summer produce CSA box shares in
order to support wider participation in the program in 2021, and to expand the program
into fall and winter. A survey of 2020 participants in this program indicated that 91 percent
saw an increase in food security because of the program, 84 percent increased their
produce consumption a moderate or great amount, and 85 percent reported that all
members of the households were consuming the produce received. A recent fall and
winter pilot program demonstrated the ability to continue to work with Colorado growers
into the winter to provide produce necessary to sustain the program.
These investments will ensure the pandemic response actively advances the health and
well-being of the next generation of Coloradans, while making sure the dollars to purchase
these foods stay in Colorado communities and directly benefit local growers who have
experienced unprecedented market disruptions due to the pandemic.
Strengthen Our Emergency Food Systems Today and Tomorrow
1. Invest in expanded infrastructure for Colorado’s emergency food systems in order to
support large-scale storage and transportation of food throughout the state during the
COVID-19 pandemic’s economic fallout, as well as into the future ($15 million): In order
to support food banks and food pantries who are distributing more food than ever before,
Colorado’s charitable food assistance network needs significant infusions of funding for
vehicles, refrigeration and freezing equipment, technology, and related capital to receive
and distribute millions of pounds of fresh produce and protein items each month.
Investments in coolers and freezers would make it possible for the charitable food system
to continue distributing perishable foods like produce, dairy, and meats. Investments in
technology will make it possible for community groups to pivot programs and engage
target audiences even when they are not in the same physical space. Vehicle and delivery
expenses have increased by over $1M over the same time period last year for Colorado
food banks, and Food Bank of the Rockies alone has spent or allocated roughly $6M in
capital improvements during the pandemic thus far, some of which was allocated through
previous federal COVID-19 relief.
Food banks and food pantries are bracing for long-term and sustained heightened food
insecurity, necessitating deep investments now for infrastructure, equipment, and food
to position these critically important organizations to meet Colorado communities’
ongoing needs as long as the recession persists. Infrastructure and capacity are critical
areas of need and provide ripe opportunity for the state to turn one-time COVID-19 relief
funds into long-term investments to fight hunger.
The COVID-19 pandemic helped illuminate the importance and necessity of investing in
the capacity of emergency food assistance groups that serve the common good. Strategic
investment in capacity should remain a top priority for all organizations and leaders who
wish to see our Colorado community flourish and thrive. Thoughtful investments in
charitable food infrastructure can and will pay long-term dividends.
2. Support Colorado families in accessing healthful food via our food banks and food
pantries by promoting increased distribution of Colorado sourced food in the Food
Pantry Assistance Grant program ($10 million): In order to meet increased need, an
additional $10 million for next year as the economic fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic
continues to disproportionately impact lower-income families would support ongoing
implementation of the Food Pantry Assistance Grant. This unique program that only
Colorado has created and implemented supports the food needs of Coloradans, local
agricultural producers, and our state’s food systems. Food pantries and food banks are on
the front lines of this pandemic, and if funded, this program will continue to help food
pantries and food banks with food resources, support for their delivery systems, storage
needs, and include grant language that will prioritize the purchasing of the healthy foods
produced by Colorado’s local farmers.
3. Ensure Colorado’s five Feeding America food banks can continue to meet increased
demand and provide healthy, locally sourced, and culturally appropriate food through
the next year of the crisis ($10 million): Providing Colorado’s five food banks with
additional funding for food purchasing would allow for additional produce, meat and dairy,
and culturally appropriate products to support struggling community members while also
providing a major boost for Colorado’s agricultural sector. Food bank spending for
purchased food has more than tripled this year compared to before COVID-19, which has
cost Colorado food banks more than $15M above and beyond what they were spending
before. Colorado’s five food banks are currently spending more than $2M statewide on
culturally-relevant food and outreach. An additional investment of $10 million would
support these organizations who have stepped up to distribute record amounts of food in
a time of crisis for so many families in our state.
Build More Resilient and Equitable Food Systems
1. Provide additional funding for grants supporting sustainable community-based anti-
hunger work through collective impacts entities such as the Colorado Blueprint to End
Hunger ($5 million): There are innovative projects throughout the state that have the
potential to build up community food systems for people from all communities and of all
incomes. Federal COVID-19 relief could provide Colorado the opportunity to distribute
grants to organizations working on long-term solutions to end hunger across the state in
manners that are focused on sustainable programs and solutions.
2. Invest in a grant program to increase the capacity of regional food hubs ($3 million):
Additional support for organizations and individuals who connect our producers to those
who provide food to those who distribute food, both in emergency food systems and
those who participate in markets, would improve their capacity to bring the items they
produce to consumers.
Support Our Most Vulnerable Families
1. Provide direct cash assistance for immigrant families to purchase basic necessities ($20
million): While the federal government has been able to help many throughout the
country via direct relief, this has not been the case for many families composed of
immigrants. The legislature can continue their support for immigrant families utilizing the
Left Behind Workers’ Fund, which provides grants to families who do not qualify for
federal relief.
Immigrant families are overrepresented in the number of Coloradans facing hunger. To
begin resolving deeply embedded racial inequities, we must respond to these disparities
immediately and directly by surmounting the gaps left behind following federal relief.
2. Encourage healthy food access for our most isolated and food insecure Older Adult
Congregate Meal Program participants living in rural and mountain communities
through the local produce box program ($300,000): The pandemic has impacted older
adults particularly hard as they are more susceptible to COVID-19, while at the same
time facing unique challenges including limited transportation, fear of shopping in public,
and strict budgets to access enough healthy, immune-boosting foods. Colorado has
extensive rural, frontier, and mountain communities where fresh foods are particularly
hard to access. $300,000 into the existing Healthy Food Incentive Fund for the weekly local
produce box program for participants in the Older Adult Congregate Meal Program to
allow for weekly summer produce box shares would support wider participation in the
program in 2021, and expand the program into fall and winter.
A survey of older adult participants in the 2020 program indicated that 81 percent saw an
increase in food security because of the program and 56 percent increased their daily
produce consumption a moderate or great amount, as a result.
3. Allow Colorado ID vouchers to be used online ($300,000): Colorado ID vouchers can only
be used in-person to cover the costs of obtaining necessary Colorado identity documents.
With the closure of in-person DMVs and agencies, parity is missing for those who require
an ID to get into housing or start a new job. $300,000 would the technical fiscal note to
accept these documents online.
4. Support a robust outreach and engagement plan for Double Up Food Bucks to reach the
increasing number of SNAP recipients ($200,000): Due to increased SNAP caseloads,
Double Up Community Food Advocates have the opportunity to coordinate local outreach
and to send direct mailers at least once to 100% of current SNAP and P-EBT recipients
living near a Double Up location. With the increasing number of SNAP recipients and
continued implementation of P-EBT (which qualifies recipients for Double Up Food Bucks),
it is imperative that the Double Up program is well-equipped to reach all potential
participants. The program has a number of locally based, trusted community members
who are equipped to lead outreach and engagement about the program in order to reach
new participants.
These community members are typically SNAP recipients who receive a stipend for their
work. Additionally, the only guaranteed means of reaching all those who are eligible
directly is through a direct mailer, which has shown to drastically increase engagement in
Double Up Food Bucks. In June 2020, the week after mailers were sent, texts to the Double
Up Locator service went from on average 1-6 texts per day to 500-1200 per day for the
month.
Provide Administrative Aid to the Colorado Department of Human Services
1. Provide additional state funding for county administration of SNAP ($12 million): The
increased caseload of households and individuals participating in SNAP has stressed
existing county resources to their breaking points. An additional $12 million for county
administration would not only allow counties to hire additional staff as needed in order
to respond to and relieve the workload they have been coping with for nearly a year, but
this funding has the opportunity to also leverage federal dollars. This would be in addition
to the current request for county administration currently being proposed by
the Colorado Department of Human Services, and would allow local offices to weather
the current pandemic and create smooth off-ramps from the additional flexibilities and
waivers currently being provided to them during this national emergency.
2. Support the Colorado Department of Human Services with upfront administrative
funding as they respond to increased SNAP caseloads and implement the expanded
Pandemic EBT program ($2 million): Our State Department of Human Services Office of
Economic Security has seen an abrupt increase in not only caseloads for programs
supporting people with low incomes, but has had to suddenly administer new, massive
programs such as the Pandemic EBT program with very little preparation and no additional
new staff. It is recommended that we support our state human services staff standing up
these new programs by providing additional, upfront, administrative funding so that they
have the financial foundation necessary to properly implement and execute this program.
Help Colorado Farms and Farm Laborers
1. Create a technical assistance grant program focused on farms and associated food
businesses such as retailers and restaurants ($32 million): A technical assistance grant
program (similar to the Department’s current value added development grant program)
would directly assist farms and farm-supporting food business (including small and mid
scale meat processors) assess new markets, pivot business models, and maintain or grow
the sales of Colorado-produced food.
2. Provide direct relief to Colorado farmers and farmers markets so that local communities
continue to prosper ($4 million): Across key local and regional markets in Colorado alone,
economists have projected a minimum $3.9 million decline in sales from March to May
2020. Nearly 400 producers, food hubs, farmers markets, and food processors applied for
a total of $8.5 million in small grants to the Colorado Farm & Food Systems Response Fund.
The fund was developed in 2020 to provide direct relief to producers and regional food
distributors that were not receiving federal relief. However, the fund only had $2 million
to distribute over three rounds of funding in 2020.
Many Colorado growers have been left out of relief, including produce growers (only 84
specialty crop producers received funds through the Coronavirus Food Assistance
Program), young and female farmers and ranchers, and farmers and ranchers who are
Black, Indigenous, and People of Color. According to the Farmers Market Coalition,
farmers markets are reporting lower income and higher costs in 2020, which puts the
viability of farmers markets, upon which many farmers depend, at risk. The Colorado
Farmers Market Association reported increased volatility and additional expenses for
farmers markets which led to financial losses in 2020; this volatility and the additional
costs are expected again in the 2021 season. With a state investment of $5 million in direct
payments to farmers and in local and regional markets, particularly farmers
markets, farmer-run co-ops, and food processors, the state could secure the livelihoods
of our growers and begin to build a more just and resilient food system.
3. Expand the promotora network that assists essential farmworkers in under resourced
Colorado communities ($3 million): To mitigate the impacts of the COVID-19 crisis, it is
essential to empower members of vulnerable communities who traditionally serve as
connectors in order to provide information and advocacy with regards to healthcare
access and other community defined needs. Systemic racism and discrimination related
to healthcare and informational access have directly contributed to the severe impact of
the COVID-19 crisis on farmworker communities across the state and across the landscape
of food systems workers. Community leaders are currently partnering with Colorado
government agencies to pilot a Promotora Network of skilled and respected Latinx
community members who work within their community to bring resources, advocacy and
essential services.
The model uses full-time promotoras, along with a network of neighborhood organizers
and community response team members, to provide culturally competent healthcare
information and support to communities historically neglected by the healthcare
establishment. The Promotora Network can help mitigate the spread of disease in
farmworker communities in a low-cost, flexible manner that meets the needs of the
COVID-19 crisis. $3 million would serve to expand the Promotora Network through
December 2021 based on the success of the program during 2020.
4. Bolster farm and ranch internships and develop a meat processing apprenticeship grant
program ($300,000): Garnering technical and business skills in a real-time on-site
environment can be a barrier for beginning farmers and ranchers. At the same time,
investing time and resources in entry-level workers for them to gain skills beyond basic
production practices can be a challenge for farm owners. The Ag Workforce Development
program reimburses 50 percent of an intern’s wages with the intent that interns gain skills
for a successful career in agriculture. Current applications for the CO Ag Workforce
Development program far outpace available funding with $194,248 in applications with
$48,000 budgeted for awards. $50,000 would provide up to 10 additional internships for
the 2021 farming season.
In addition, sourcing skilled employees in meat processing is a significant challenge for
small and very small meat packing plants. Results from interviews conducted by the Rocky
Mountain Farmers Union with members from the CO Association of Meat Processors cited
a lack of qualified workers as the largest barrier to expanding capacity for these plants in
2020. A recent CSU survey conducted with custom-exempt processors also found similar
results. $250,000 for the Colorado Department of Agriculture would support the
promulgation of rules for an additional grant program to assist in apprenticeship training
for meat cutters and cover 50 percent of an apprentice’s wages.
Endorsements
The undersigned organizations respectfully submit the aforementioned recommendations for
consideration by both the Governor’s Office and the Colorado General Assembly in order to
support Colorado’s emergency food and farm system response during the ongoing pandemic so
that every Coloradan may flourish and achieve their full human potential, regardless of our public
health and economic crisis.
Sincerely,
Care and Share Food Bank for Southern Colorado
Colorado Blueprint to End Hunger
Colorado School Nutrition Association
Community Food Share
Feeding Colorado
Food Bank for Larimer County
Food Bank of the Rockies
Frontline Farming
Hunger Free Colorado
National Young Farmers Coalition
Nourish Colorado
Rocky Mountain Farmers Union
Weld Food Bank
Colorado “I Have A Dream” Foundation – Colorado Health Foundation - Communities In
Schools
Student Re-engagement Pilot Initiative
June 2021
Overview
Colorado “I Have A Dream” Foundation (CIHAD) and Communities in Schools (CIS) are working with the
Colorado Health Foundation (CHF) on a three-year proposal to implement an initiative focused on
addressing whole child, whole family, whole community needs in the wake of the pandemic. We know
that, more than ever before, it is critical that student reengagement starts with understanding a child’s
life both from the perspective of their living situation as well as their interactions with school. This kind of
integrated support necessitates innovative collaboration between districts, community-based
organizations, and families. It also requires the mobilization of new staffing to ensure students return to
school and have their social, emotional, and academic needs met.
CIHAD has been working with Colorado’s youth to support social-emotional skill-building, mental health
wellness, academic enrichment, and leadership skills for over 30 years. CIS currently offers an integrated
student supports model to 1.7 million students across the country to keep students in school and
graduating with post-secondary options. With the support of CHF, these organizations are uniquely
positioned to have a powerful impact on helping students return to school, stay engaged at school, and
be on track to graduate. Since the pandemic, both organizations have pivoted to innovate and incorporate
best practices into reengaging the most vulnerable, most impacted students, including individualized out
of school visits in a home-based setting.
At the core of this initiative is a commitment to community-led decision making and the understanding
that each community is unique and that communities themselves know their specific needs the best. Work
in each community will be led by CIHAD’s leadership team and as regional sites or schools/districts request
individualized support, a CIHAD site manager will be assigned. The site manager receives support and
training from CIHAD’s program team and CIS’ technical assistance professionals.
Proposal Details
Planned Award: $3 million
Planned Pilot Length of Time: 3 years
Communities Served:
● One regional center in Denver Public Schools - 75 youth served in the first year; youth will come
from approximately 15 different elementary and middle schools in Far Northeast Denver. The
goal is to identify three specific school partners for years two and three of the CHF grant.
● There is also a desire to start work in a rural area but the specific district/community has yet to
be confirmed. We are currently exploring partnerships with districts in the Roaring Fork Valley
and Garfield County areas with the goal to serve a similar number of youth in the first year and
identifying three specific school partners in year three of the grant.
How Communities Were Identified:
● New site conversations initiated by stakeholders in the new community
● Youth, families, and other community stakeholders participate in exploratory meetings to
determine mutual commitment to program implementation
● Facility space is made available at a minimal cost or provided as in-kind donation
● Facility is available for extended period of time (long-term lease option)
Anticipated Approach to Sustaining Work:
● Ongoing funding commitment from partners benefitting from the program we are offering.
Because our commitment is to support our youth from elementary through high school, a
district would need to commit to supporting a portion of programming costs through this entire
educational pathway.
● Collective impact foundation funding and any applicable braided governmental funding
(federal/state/local) for out-of-school time programming will also be critical in sustaining the
work.
Sample Initiative Activities:
● Community/district/school needs assessment
● Community/district/school asset mapping
● Family relationship-building through home visits, engagement events, etc.
● One-on-one support through weekly family/youth/support person in-person or virtual meetings,
phone calls, text messages, emails, etc.
● Mentoring and tutoring
● Out-of-school time programming (after-school, weekend, summer)
● Streamlined access to health and wellness resources
● Collaboration across agencies, community organizations, and district departments to ensure
coordination, no duplicative efforts, and efficiency
Costs
In the proposal, the significant costs associated with running this pilot will for the most part be covered
by Colorado Health Foundation’s anticipated generous support. Funding of $3M from Colorado Health
Foundation will be distributed over a three-year period. Over the course of this three-year grant, funding
will help to support the following:
● Staffing costs (6.0 FTE Site Managers by Year 3, 0.7 FTE Senior Director of Programs &
Partnerships, 0.5 FTE Senior Director of Clinical Services, 0.5 FTE Clinical Coordinator, 2.0 FTE
Program Managers plus all applicable taxes and benefits for each of these roles) - $1,525,886.71
● Programming costs (CIS implementation fees, stipends for capacity building, marketing and
communications, travel, meeting costs, professional development, volunteer expenses) -
$634,113.29
● Administrative costs (rent, telephone/technology, office expenses, transportation expenses,
subscription and dues, program administration and insurance) - $150,000
● Consultants (grant writer, communications consultant, Advisory Council development, DEI
consultant, community organization development consultant) - $690,000
The full cost of the program over the course of three years is $4,286,936.89. While the majority of
staffing costs and consultant costs are covered by the Colorado Health Foundation funding,
programming and administrative costs are being covered through other fundraising efforts. The full cost
for programming and administration of the program are as follows:
● Programming costs - $1,342,500 ($634,113.29 covered by CHF)
● Administrative costs - $717,000 ($150,000 covered by CHF)
If there were additional sites added to the model being proposed to the Colorado Health Foundation,
there would be a need to cover the staffing costs specifically for site managers ($64,000 for salary and
benefits for each site manager added) as well as costs for programming and administration that occur
outside of existing sites.
Information on Initiative Organizations
Colorado “I Have A Dream” Foundation: https://colorado.ihdf.org/
Communities In Schools: https://www.communitiesinschools.org/
Colorado Health Foundation: https://coloradohealth.org/
Blended Learning Initiative - Research and evaluate the impact of remote learning on Colorado students,
identify successful remote learning strategies, and use this knowledge to inform a discussion and planning
process for reimagining how instructional time is measured and used for funding.
Proposal Name: Blended Learning Initiative
Submitted by: Kate Bartlett, Jennifer Okes, Rhonda Haniford, Bill Kottenstette, Renee Martinez
Unit: School Finance and Schools of Choice
Overview: This proposal is to allocate ESSER III set aside dollars to research and evaluate the impact of
remote learning on Colorado students, identify successful remote learning strategies, and use this knowledge
to inform a discussion and planning process for reimagining how instructional time is measured and used for
funding.
What is “blue sky” about this proposal? COVID caused many schools in Colorado to completely shift their
instructional models from traditional in person to remote learning and instruction. This shift has in many ways
upended what schools thought of as “normal” instruction. Rather than going back to business as usual, it is an
important moment to step back and reassess what we know, or thought we knew, about “what works” in terms
of instruction, seat time/funding requirements and--fundamentally--achieving strong student outcomes. Such a
reassessment requires courage, creativity and intention to look hard at what we’ve learned, how it has
impacted students, and where we go from here.
Key Activities: What are the key activities being proposed and what are the timelines?
● Sept - post 1.0 FTE Blended Learning Initiative Project Manager
● Sept/Oct - hire
● July - August 2021 - Understand the impacts of remote learning on student outcomes: Engage a
research partner to assist CDE with the following: BLI Research Questions
○ Literature / Research review: What does the research tell us about remote / online learning best
practices and long-term impacts on student learning?
○ National landscape: What is the range of how other states fund students and approach
instructional hours / seat time?
○ Qualitative research: What have the specific impacts of remote learning been in Colorado
districts since March 2020?
■ Interviews with districts
■ Analysis of local and state student outcome data between March 2020-June 2022
■ Outlier outcomes analysis
■ Descriptive analysis of the different models districts used
● Sept 2021 - Convene a task force to lead the work of re-evaluating seat time and remote learning,
and working with stakeholders and (via appropriate channels) informing elected officials of any
conclusions or recommendations
○ Co-led by Teaching & Learning, School Quality & Support, and School Finance (CEI may assist)
■ Need instructional expertise for both traditional and online
■ Need school finance and funding expertise
○ Participants from other units necessary, as well
○ Key responsibilities:
■ Become deep subject matter experts in the area of existing statute and practice as
related to instructional hours and its relation to funding, including traditional, charter and
online schools, as well as models such as competency based
■ Serve as contact for research partner identified above
■ Develop and manage project plan and timeline
■ Make a plan to engage internal and external stakeholders
○ Convene a Community of Practice (districts/schools) with innovative remote learning or
instructional practices
● April 2021 - Through research project and stakeholder input process, make recommendations for
potential next steps
○ Via appropriate channels, work with the Commissioner, State Board, and others to inform the
state board rule and/or legislative process if/as needed to implement recommendations
○ April 2021 - Recommendations prepared for Commissioner
■ _____ 2021 - Rule change - Recommendations Noticed to SB for rule change (sits for
60 days)
■ ______ 2022 - SB rule change vote
○ _______ 2021 - Legislative change - share with board and seek bill sponsor
● __________ 2022 - Provide technical assistance to the field on any changes to rules or statute that
result from the process
Budget: What will this cost?
● Engage a research partner - $60,000-$100,000 for a partner such as CADRE - or use REL (free)
● Convene an internal task force - $0 if this is considered part of existing duties; could also charge a
percentage of staff time to ESSER III admin - $25,000
● Convene stakeholders - a consultant to assist, $25,000
● TOTAL BUDGET = $50,000 - $125,000
Or -
● Engage a research partner such as CADRE = $60,000 - $100,000 - or use REL (free)
● Temporary Project Manager/Facilitator - 1.0 FTE = $80,000 salary, and benefits (30%) = $105,000
○ This person convenes the stakeholders and is point for the initiative
Total = $105,000 - $200,000
-------------------------------------------------------------
Research
NEPC - virtual learning
The NY Times - Many parents want to continue remote learning. It may not be so good for their children.
How States are Rethinking Instructional Time and Attendance Policies in the COVID-19 Era
Blended Learning Initiative Team
1. Bill Kottenstette
2. Renee Martinez
3. Kate Bartlett
4. Jennifer Okes
5. Rhonda Haniford
6. Rebecca McRee
7. Andy Tucker (Misti confirmed him -- part of ILOP)
District Members
1.
Student Engagement Proposal
Purpose
The purpose of this proposed initiative is to engage/re-engage students and families through multiple ways
including individualized out of school time connection opportunities for students and their families. . Using
data collected at the Colorado Department of Education (e.g. attendance/chronic absenteeism, percentage of
time spent in remote learning, free and reduced lunch), CDE staff would identify districts in need of additional
student engagement supports. These districts would select students and families in most need of
targeted/intensive re-engagement strategies, which would include an out-of-school visit.
Initial out of school connection opportunities would involve community partners (to be identified) meeting
with families to discuss their hopes and dreams for their children. A second connection opportunity would
specifically address engagement strategies and would be conducted jointly between a community partner and
a school staff member. Additional engagement/re-engagement strategies might include community
organizations providing wrap-around supports for students/families in need, connecting students to other
resources including mental health supports, and supporting individualized education paths for students.
Rationale
Proactive out of school connection opportunities are a proven high-impact strategy linked to positive student
outcomes. Schools that conduct out of school connection opportunities see an increase in attendance and
higher ELA test scores, not just for students who receive these connection opportunities, but schoolwide
(Sheldon & Jung, 2018). Teachers also report shifts in mindset about students and their families upon
completing out of school connection opportunities (McKnight et al., 2017). Building relationships and
improved engagement through out of school connection opportunities also supports CDE’s Family, School, and
Community Partnership Framework (CDE, 2020), CDE’s Dropout Prevention Framework (CDE) as well as CDE’s
Theory of Action on Improving School Climate (CDE, 2021).
Implementation Ideas
Through the use of ESSER State-set-aside dollars, fund and partner with existing
programs/initiatives/community-based organizations that implement student engagement and re-engagement
strategies that also include out of school connection opportunities in a community or home-based setting.
Potential partners may include: 1) Communities in Schools and The Colorado I Have a Dream Foundation (see
accompanying one pager for more information on the work already underway in Colorado); 2) Colorado Youth
for a Change; and/or 3) Other Local Community-Based Organizations. Could include expansion of AmeriCorps
programs.
Potential Outcomes for Schools: Offices Currently Involved:
● Increased Attendance ● Family School and Community Partnering
● Decreased Chronic Absenteeism ● Student Engagement and Dropout
● Increased Graduation Rates Prevention
● Decreased Drop-Out Rates ● Office of Student Supports
● Improvements in School Climate ● School Climate Transformation
● Increased student engagement (multiple Offices to Reach Out to:
measures)
● School Improvement Office
● Federal Programs
● Other
To: Colorado Department of Education
Date: 4/13/21
From: Kelly Caufield, Colorado Succeeds
Subject: Expanding Learning Opportunities Program, Recommendations for the COVID Impacts
Toolkit
As you continue to build out the COIVD impacts toolkit that will help districts in how they spend
stimulus funding, we wanted to provide three recommendations for your consideration. I understand
this project will be updated on a rolling basis but wanted to share some initial thinking now. Three
recommendations are outlined below:
Require districts to work with their community, parents, and students in the development of the
grant application. For example, districts could be encouraged to:
• Look for ways to use summer programming to learn more about what students and families
want and need.
o Host week-long summer camp-like events for small groups of children, and make
learning about what they feel they have both lost and gained this year part of the
plan.
o Ask families to choose one day of camp to stay for 20 minutes after drop off, or come
early before pick up so they can share with you stories of the hardest and best days
from the last school year, and share their biggest hope for the fall.
• Form a collaborative group to advise the district/school about use of recovery funds. Include
families, teachers, high school students, local business partners and some number of local
school board members.
• Form a collaborative group to learn about the different academic assessment tools at your
disposal and determine together how to create a balanced plan for assessment and how to
communicate with families about that assessment over the first semester. Include families,
teachers, high school students, and some number of local school board members.
• With professional development time that remains this spring, invite interested teachers,
students and family members to think with you about the school schedule. Questions to ask
include:
o What have we learned this year about synchronous, a-synchronous, in-person, remote,
independent and collaborative learning?
o Are some modes better suited to some kinds of learning than others?
o Could we imagine structures of time and place that allowed for different approaches
to learning for different kinds of learning?
Encourage school districts to facilitate summer school and boot camp programming in collaboration
with the Colorado Digital Learning Solutions platform:
Encourage school districts to use extended learning funding to cover the personnel costs of site
coordinators/liaisons that could act as district intermediaries and mentors to students while they are
completing online coursework through Colorado Digital Learning Solutions this summer and fall. It
could be a teacher, paraprofessional, SEL coordinator, a teacher in training, etc.
Districts should also consider partnering with community-based providers and non-profits like Boys
Club, Girls Club or YMCA, in extending the ability to reach students where they are. These
community-based providers often have computers at their facilities where learning recovery courses
(via CDLS) could be offered in coordination with a district. Students might be more likely to
participate in recovery coursework if it was occurring in a place being sought out for community
reconnection, other enrichment opportunities, and time with peers. Districts could also help fund
transportation to ensure students are able to travel to these community-based providers.
Leverage the Fifth Day of the School Week by Expanding Career Connected Learning Opportunities
To ensure students are getting full-time enrichment opportunities, Peyton School District has
adopted a unique use of the “5th Day” in a four-day school district by creating dedicating career
connected learning time. Peyton and Widefield School Districts have partnered on a comprehensive
career technical education (CTE) center known as the MiLL, where they share programs with several
districts, some private schools and even a community college. There is a payoff for kids in Peyton who
spend their off-day learning anything from how to fashion wood furniture to using computer design
to construction skills. Students receive certifications valuable to in an industry looking to invest in,
further develop and retain students as members of their future workforce.
Students at the MiLL engage in project-based learning that empowers them to pursue industry
certifications and helps them to develop transferable skills needed for the real-world. Students who
complete the construction course receive a Pre-Apprenticeship Certificate based on the Home
Builders Institute construction skill standards. This program is largely based on the partnership with
the Housing and Building Association of Colorado Springs. The programs offered at the MiLL were
created in partnership with industry leaders at the local, state, national and international level
because both districts recognized the need for jobs in the trades industry. We listened to the needs of
employers to shape our curriculum. The skill building goes beyond learning to create, design,
construct, and build. Students learn communication, critical thinking, and other soft skills needed to
be successful in the community.
The Impact of Career-Connected Learning on High School Student Success
The COVID-19 pandemic has created urgency around re-engaging high school students who have fallen behind on
graduation requirements and college and career readiness. Investing in career-connected learning programs (e.g., work-
based learning and career and technical education) represents a crucial re-engagement opportunity.
There are untold numbers of high school students who, as a result of poor engagement during COVID, failed or nearly
failed courses this year. Students needing to recover credit, and who may be working in unskilled positions to contribute
to their family’s well-being need good reasons to re-engage and do the hard work of recovering lost credits and getting
back on track to graduation. Unaddressed, this situation will exacerbate Colorado’s existing leaky pipeline problem,
leaving more young people out of the strong middle and high skill economy Colorado offers
Work-Based Learning (WBL) provides students with opportunities to learn foundational skills used in the workforce through
participation in applied programs such as internships or apprenticeships. Career and Technical Education (CTE) is career-oriented
coursework, or the ability to earn credit through industry partnerships, that provide students with the opportunity to obtain skills-
based certifications or credentials.
Scientific evidence shows that WBL and CTE are associated with gains in 1) high school standardized testing scores and GPAs, 2) high
school graduation rates, and 3) several metrics of college and career readiness.
1) Boost test scores and GPA amongst high school students
- CTE and WBL participation is associated with higher standardized testing scores1 and a greater likelihood of passing
milestone exams2
- Completion of applied STEM coursework is associated with greater math achievement scores3 among students with
learning disabilities
- Students who complete CTE-focused programs have higher overall GPAs4 relative to students who do not
2) Increase high school graduation rates and reduce dropout
- Colorado students who participate in CTE have a higher high school graduation rate compared to all students in Colorado5
- CTE participation is associated with a higher probability of graduating from high school on time and remaining enrolled in
high school through grade 112, an effect that is particularly strong for students from low-income families
- Students who earn two or more credits within a single CTE program of study more likely to graduate high school in 4 years6
3). Promote postsecondary education and career readiness
- The overwhelming majority (98%) of Colorado students who participate in CTE enroll in postsecondary education, enlist in
the military, or enter the workforce within one year after high school graduation5
- Students who earn two or more credits within a single CTE program of study are more likely to be employed full-time eight
years post-graduation6 compared to those who do not
- Students with learning disabilities who complete applied STEM coursework have a greater likelihood of college enrollment3
relative to students with learning disabilities who do not complete applied STEM coursework
Additional global benefits of WBL and CTE include:
− Preparation for the transition from high school to postsecondary education/workforce
− Opportunity to build professional relationships and networks and develop transferrable, foundational skills needed for the
workforce
− Increased school engagement and reduction in absenteeism and dropout
− Provides students from underserved backgrounds with opportunities for workforce development they might not otherwise
receive
See additional resources (1, 2) for how states can support CTE and WBL in high schools. Additionally, please see this Talent Pipeline
Report by the Colorado Workforce Development Council (2020) on the importance of credentials and certifications to be successful in
Colorado’s modern workforce.
1. https://www.brookings.edu/blog/brown-center-chalkboard/2019/09/20/the-promise-of-career-and-technical-education/
2. https://direct.mit.edu/edfp/article/13/2/119/10291/The-Effect-of-Career-and-Technical-Education-on
3. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0895904816673738
4. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/0161956X.2017.1302220?needAccess=true
5. http://coloradostateplan.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/CTE_Fact_Sheet_2021_final.pdf
6. https://www2.ed.gov/datastory/cte/index.html#WHOGRADUATESFINDSAJOB
Bill Concept Overview: Student Support Corps
An opportunity for student and educator mentoring to 1) accelerate the learning of students
through individualized, small group intervention and/or enrichment with instructors
representing their diversity and 2) to grow a more diverse educator workforce
Date: March 14, 2021
Advocates: Keystone Policy Center, PEBC
Potential Legislative Leadership: Representatives McCluskie and McLachlan, Senators
Buckner and Rankin
Other Potential Interested Parties: CDE, CEI
Description of the Issue and Problem to Solve:
Background: In light of the opportunities for improvement within the state’s education system
brought to light through the COVID-19 pandemic, Keystone and PEBC’s Education System
Resiliency and Innovation Initiative (ESRII) effort brought state-wide education leaders and
practitioners together to develop ideas for reimaging and strengthening our education system.
The resultant report, “Rebuilding Stronger, Learning from the COVID interruption to Build an
Educator Workforce and Education System for the Future of Colorado”, February, 2021
identified recommendations for addressing:
a) the current workforce challenges within the teaching profession, specifically the scarcity of
teachers of color within the pipeline and within the profession
b) improvements within the teaching and learning process needed to increase teacher autonomy
and student engagement
c) supports for teachers particularly through professional development and district partnerships
with institutions of higher education
In addition, the Colorado Education Initiative and Early Milestones convened early childhood
and K-12 practitioners to discuss ways to advance summer opportunities to stem PreK-5 learning
loss and accelerate high school engagement in an effort that is referred to as “Recovery
Summer.”
Assumptions Guiding the Proposal:
a) Students need customized and expanded learning opportunities to address learning loss
and gaps in their learning and to be motivated to achieve their potential
b) Students benefit by being taught by adults who reflect their diversity and culture
c) Teachers of color are in high demand within the profession and need to be encouraged to
enter the profession
Summary of the Student Support Corps: Beginning during the Spring/Summer of 2021,
districts will have access to funds needed to hire the staff they need to implement an in and/or
out-of-school support structure for identified students. Districts will hire community college
students or other adults in the community who reflect the diversity of the students selected to
work under the supervision of a higher education partner and district-identified licensed
professional. Small groups of students will work with this staff member in learning teams with
individually crafted learning plans customized for each student. The higher education partner
will work individually with each adult to develop a course-work plan for attaining a credential or
credits for their service that would assist them in their career development. Students will benefit
through the individualized attention and mentoring of their Corps team member and Corps team
members will develop workforce skills and/or credits through the mentoring of their
district/higher education team member.
Advancement Academies: Supporting Student Academic Recovery through Teacher Leadership
A Plan for States to Facilitate District Innovation
Executive Summary
Empower Schools seeks to partner with a select group of innovative State Education Agencies to create
opportunities for Local Education Agencies to adopt a research-tested, innovative, and positive
intervention program that helps fight pandemic learning loss.[1] This learning loss, combined with the
staggering emotional and health effects of the pandemic, have left school districts across the country
struggling to address unprecedented challenges.
An Advancement Academies program is a research-validated, cost-efficient way to support rapid
remediation in math and ELA. In addition to the many academic and social-emotional benefits such a
program has for students, Advancement Academies can provide opportunities for educator leadership
development, financial and other recognition of teachers, and positive community interactions – all without
the need for district restructuring, rethinking of collective bargaining agreements, or other meaningful
disruption. Most important, though, Advancement Academies are effective. According to research done
by University of Virginia professor Beth E. Schueler using the gold-standard technique of a randomized
control trial, implementation of Advancement Academies provides “rare evidence of an effective, relatively
affordable, and minimally disruptive intervention to help struggling students make notable academic
progress through small group instruction.”[2]
State Education Agencies, using both the money that is set aside under ESSA to support struggling
schools and the money controlled by SEAs as part of the recent COVID relief act, CRSSA, and potential
future Federal relief packages, can support and incentivize these programs. As Advancement Academies
are politically popular and impactful programs, states can issue competitive grants to districts who are
committed to implementing high-quality Advancement Academies programs. They may even seek
innovative structures (such as matching grants to districts who are interested in devoting some of their
COVID relief funding to such a program) that can extend the impact of their resources.
The Problem
Districts must figure out how to address the significant learning loss facing students, particularly
low-income students, Black students, and Latino students, while also tackling multiple additional
interlocking challenges. Educator morale is low, districts are stretched thin emotionally and practically
because of the unforeseen and all-consuming adjustments they have had to make and continually refine
since March 2020, and families have had significant difficulty supporting schooling and childcare during
the pandemics.
The Opportunity
While they cannot address all these challenges, Advancement Academies are uniquely well suited to
supporting student academic progress while also creating opportunities for teacher leadership in
logistically feasible and cost-efficient ways.
Advancement Academies programs typically last a week during school vacation. There is an opportunity
to create programs in Spring 2022 as well as in Summer 2021 prior to the start of the 2021-22 school
year.
During Advancement Academies, students voluntarily attend a week of small-group instruction under the
supervision of top teachers. The experience is suffused with positivity and is enjoyable for students while
also being academically rigorous. Advancement Academies can focus on math, English Language Arts,
or instruction for English Language Learners, with targeted lessons helping students catch up where they
may be behind.
Advancement Academies teachers are well-compensated for the week and are chosen because of their
excellence. Teaching at Advancement Academies is an honor and a recognition of educators’ past
performance, and is an effective way to recognize and motivate educators. Examples of positive writing
about Academies include this Ed Next article, this article from Waco, and this informative
EdWeek article.
The Program
Key Features. There are five key design features of Advancement Academies:
1. Extended Learning Time: During a week-long academy, students receive the equivalent of an
extra month of rigorous instruction and focused learning -- states may encourage districts to run
multi-week or multi-session academies.
2. Small Group, Focused Instruction: Content teachers are paired with a small group of students
(8-10) for the entire week who deliver lessons based on students’ specific needs. Math academies have
been studied more, but there have been promising results for English Language Arts academies as well.
3. Outstanding Teachers: Advancement Academy teachers go through a highly selective, rigorous
application process. Only teachers with a proven track record of success teach at Academies, and they
are well-compensated for their time.
4. Celebration and Joy: Teaching in Academies is a competitive process and selected teachers
are celebrated. Academy design makes students feel special to be selected and includes programming
and celebrations to make the week fun and engaging. In addition to focused academic time, the day
includes other activities (such as art, drama, athletics, and music) taught either by teachers or through
partnerships with community-based organizations. There may also be opportunities to add supplementary
programs in the afternoon following the academic day.
5. Opt-in for Targeted Students: Students are carefully selected, based on performance data, to
participate in Academies. However, Academies are not mandatory.
Cost. The cost for Advancement Academies differs based on design decisions, but generally is about
$500-$600 per student for 30+ hours of intensive high-quality instruction. This compares favorably to
other effective interventions. In her study of Advancement Academies, Schueler estimates that: “Taking
the average of the low and high bound estimates for the tutoring program … suggests that Vacation
Academies produced roughly 28 percent of the effect of high-dosage tutoring at 16 percent of the cost
and over a shorter period of time.”[3]
How Empower Could Help
Empower Schools has experience implementing Advancement Academies in multiple districts and could
assist a state-facilitated program in two main ways:
1. Design implementation support structure and provide coordination. Empower could provide
resources, training, and guidance to district personnel who will be leading Advancement
Academies programming, and also connect districts to other districts across the country engaged
in similar efforts. Empower could facilitate a community of practice and help create quality
guidelines.
2. District support. Empower could also provide more substantial direct support to individual districts
to help them as they work to implement their programs. This partnership would likely be in
addition to the statewide design work listed as option (1).
The Benefits
Advancement Academies programs help districts in many ways:
· Improved student outcomes. As the research cited above demonstrates, Academies can have
powerful impacts for students. For example, one study of math academies found:
o “[I]n the context of a low-performing Massachusetts school district … [there are]
substantial positive effects of Academy attendance on student performance.”[4]
o The program also led to improved social-emotional results for students: the “program
decreased participants’ exposure to exclusionary discipline.”[5]
o Finally, even though the program studied directly targeted math instruction, it may even
have had spill-over effects on English Language Arts performance.[6]
· Recognition for educators. In a time of flagging morale for teachers, when some surveys suggest
large numbers of educators are thinking of leaving the profession [citation], Academies provides an
opportunity to recognize top-performing teachers.
o By acknowledging and celebrating effective teachers, districts will motivate and
encourage their most indispensable teachers and may present attrition and improve
morale.
o The pay that comes from working for the week of Advancement Academies – typically
$2,500 or more – is also a positive incentive for teachers and a way to recognize the hard
work they put into creating a high-intensity positive learning experience for students.
· Development of educator capacity. Advancement Academies also provide an opportunity for
educators to take on new leadership roles. Teachers get to work in an innovative and intense setting, and
often receive aligned professional development that will inform their teaching beyond Academies.
Organizing a school’s program is also a powerful and practical opportunity for a junior or prospective
administrator to gain practical experience in a familiar setting.
· Stronger home-school connectivity. The Advancement Academies experience has traditionally been a
positive one for students, and a sign that the school is extending itself to support student needs in a
proactive and positive way. In addition, the pandemic has only further exposed the challenges that
working families can have with childcare during time when students are not in school; many families will
likely welcome the opportunity to have students participating in an enriching experience and will also be
glad that they do not have to make childcare arrangements during Advancement Academies.
· Community positivity. Communities have embraced the idea of students voluntarily “giving up” their
behavior for intensive academic study, and have also been enthusiastic about the teacher recognition
aspect of the program. Advancement Academies programs have drawn positive stories in the local news
media, and communities have generally been quite enthusiastic about the effort. There are also
opportunities to include community-based organizations to provide aligned programming, either during the
day or in the afternoons.
· Feasibility. Implementing any high-quality new program is challenging, and in order to succeed
Advancement Academies programs need to have effective teacher selection, student selection and
investment, and logistical planning. Yet Academies do not require wholesale, sometimes-wrenching
changes for school districts – and, crucially, can coexist with existing district initiatives and priorities. They
can be implemented by district personnel and generally either with no changes to collective bargaining
agreements, if any exist, or with small tweaks that unions will agree to (for example, the pay rate is likely
to be higher than any agreed-upon hourly extra-service rate).
Possible Pathways
With the need to accelerate student progress even more pressing than usual, and with SEAs in control of
resources that can target innovative and effective efforts from districts, now is a unique window of
opportunity for innovative state agencies to incentivize the development of robust Advancement
Academies programs.
A State Education Agency can:
o Offer competitive grants that support programs in districts that are eager to pilot
Advancement Academies programming in the summer or during school breaks.
o Set the rules of the grant competition to make high-quality implementation more likely.
o Require districts to get initial implementation support from an organization with
experience in implementing such programs.
o Ask districts to match contributions to help direct additional money toward a program
the state believes is likely to work.
The Right Initiative at the Right Time
Advancement Academies create a positive, energized atmosphere in which top teachers work with small
groups of students to support rapid academic progress, and are a research-tested way to rapidly improve
student academic skills. Advancement Academies programs also can improve social-emotional outcomes
for students, recognize and help retain effective educators, support families during school vacation, and
build positive communities ties.
In this uniquely challenging time, where states and districts are looking for practical yet ambitious ways to
respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, Advancement Academies are a promising opportunity. We aim to
find State Education Agencies who want to partner with districts to support innovative, research-tested
programming to support students, teachers, families, and communities.
[1] Katie Reilly, “The Learning Gap Is Getting Worse as Schools Rely on Remote Classes,
Especially for Students of Color,” TIME, December 8, 2020, available at
https://time.com/5918769/coronavirus-schools-learning-loss/.
[2] Beth E. Schueler, Making the Most of School Vacation: A Field Experiment of Small Group
Math Instruction, Education Finance and Policy, 2018, p. 26, available at
https://doi.org/10.1162/edfp_a_00269. There is additional evidence in support of both
Advancement Academy-style programs specifically and individualized instruction generally, but
Schueler’s work uses the strongest possible methodology and found encouraging results.
[3] Schueler, 23.
[4] Schueler 3.
[5] Id.
[6] Id.
Field Services Unit
201 E Colfax
Denver, CO 80203
Rural Coaction Funding
Purpose: Increase collaboration and action amongst rural Colorado school districts, community partners,
and IHE’s in a two-tier framework. Coaction allows districts to work as partners to increase opportunities
for students and leverage existing strengths in school districts. Through the use of these funds, districts
will build capacity and resources, be able to incentive hard to fill positions, be more adequately
positioned to attract quality staff, and increase opportunities for success, growth, and achievement for
students, in addition to strengthening and/or maintaining relationships with industry partners and IHE’s.
Total Allocation Requested: $12m
Track 1: Inter-district Collaboration Agreement/Resource Sharing
Total Allocation: $2m
Criteria: 2+ Districts and/or BOCES may request funding to develop inter-district resource sharing. This
would include resource sharing to better serve larger student populations in core content areas,
electives, clubs, activities, etc. to the greatest extent possible among and between districts sharing
agreements. Building capacity, meeting staffing requirements, and providing incentives are expected
uses of this funding.
Track 2: Inter-district Pathway/Zone Development
Total Allocation: $10m
Criteria: 2+ districts and/or BOCES may request funds to develop and implement pathways for students
to receive industry certificates, dual credit, complete internships and apprenticeships, and other
innovative opportunities.
Reporting/Accountability
Reporting might consist of development of and determination of targets that align with the pathway(s),
school/district UIP, and/or regional goals. Reporting would need to be a simple, straightforward process
as capacity-building and efficiency is a priority of this initiative.
*We would need to determine Department set-aside to coordinate and develop support systems such
as technical assistance, coordinator facilitation and training, framework development, and other support
as needed.
Field Services Unit
201 E Colfax
Denver, CO 80203
July 23, 2021
Dear Commissioner Anthes and ESSER Team,
It is with great excitement that I submit a proposal requesting a portion of the state’s ESSER set-aside
funds for Rural Coaction. As you know, over eighty percent of the districts we serve in Colorado are
designated as rural or small rural, educating approximately 20% of the state’s students. Each of our
districts face their own unique challenges and opportunities with capacity, access, resources, and more.
We also know that all rural educators and leaders share many strengths, including resiliency, grit, and
determination – all with an unwavering and unified desire to serve students, families, and communities
with a quality, world-class education.
Amidst the pandemic, we have seen districts come together in ways we haven’t before. The challenges
resulting from COVID-19 have increased existing capacity limitations and the need for both solutions and
innovation. Districts are working collaboratively in ways they haven’t in the past. The work around
providing strong foundations and developing meaningful programs and pathways for students in
partnership with IHE’s and partner organizations has been accelerated. However, this work doesn’t
come without a price.
The need for support with coordination, along with a need for more human capital and a lack of funding
have been obstacles in planning and implementation, especially during the pandemic. These sentiments
and more were heard recently at the Commissioner’s Rural Education Council and recent Colorado Rural
Schools Alliance meetings. Hearing this feedback and understanding the need for increased support
around solutions, I would like to expand opportunities for districts to work collaboratively to leverage
resources and build capacity, increase opportunities for students both foundationally and innovatively,
and increase the potential for strong recruitment and retention by providing incentives for staff utilizing
a portion of the state’s ESSER set-aside for Rural Coaction as we continue to recover from the effects of
COVID-19.
Recently, I traveled to the south Texas Rural Schools Innovation Zone (RSIZ) along with my colleagues
and partners Michelle Murphy, Executive Director of the Colorado Rural Schools Alliance and CASB
Board President and Vilas School Board Member John Wittler. We were able to learn directly from the
leadership of the RSIZ, how it is structured, and the opportunities it has presented for its districts in
terms of increased student engagement, growth, and achievement, and staying power for all districts
involved.
In the RSIZ, three districts in the “zone” have worked to develop eight student pathways focused on
college and career readiness. In these “academies”, students have the potential to earn college credit,
industry certificates, attend classes on college campuses, and gain experiences they otherwise would
not be able to access. The work of the RSIZ is proof that working together has far more benefit than
working in isolation, especially for rural school districts that struggle with the same challenges that we
face here in Colorado.
Currently, throughout the state, many districts and BOCES are involved in this work regionally - though it
may look slightly different. The Homegrown Talent Initiative, the Southwest Colorado Education
Collaborative, and BOCES and districts that are simply engaging in developing student pathways are all
examples of work that is focused on providing these programs to their communities and students as a
way to engage students, increase opportunity, and help rural communities thrive.
At the state level, I believe we can further support this work by providing funds for districts to develop
partnerships and pathways both foundationally and innovatively. One thing we know for certain is that
without funding, districts and BOCES cannot engage in this work in a meaningful or sustainable way. I
also believe that this work presents more opportunities to expand the work of Rural Services at the CDE.
Attached is a high-level draft framework that outlines the funding request and proposed criteria for
funding. I believe we can support this work through a two year process – one year of planning and one
year of implementation to build momentum and plain for sustainability. By engaging in discussion with
our partners at the CO Rural Schools Alliance, CASE, CASB, and the CBA, I know there is great support for
this work on a statewide level. In the field, there is a need and interest in the funding and support this
type of initiative would provide. Please consider this request as it is a very meaningful initiative for Rural
Services, but also clearly supported and needed in the field.
Sincerely,
(b) (6)
Denille LePlatt
Director, Rural Services
Contents
INTRODUCTION ..........................................................................................................................................................2
BACKGROUND ............................................................................................................................................................2
A BOLD & HOPEFUL VISION FOR THE FUTURE ..........................................................................................................3
SUMMARY OF RECOMMENDATIONS ........................................................................................................................4
SYSTEM CHANGES ......................................................................................................................................................5
EDUCATOR WORKFORCE ...........................................................................................................................................6
TEACHING & LEARNING .......................................................................................................................................... 12
TEACHER TRAINING & SUPPORTS .......................................................................................................................... 18
OTHER SYSTEM CHANGES....................................................................................................................................... 25
NEXT STEPS.............................................................................................................................................................. 27
Attachment A: ESRII Membership.......................................................................................................................... 30
Attachment B: Fall 2020 Mirco-Pilots & Field Studies ........................................................................................... 31
This report and the work of the Education System Resilience & Innovation Initiative (ESRII) were made possible
through the generous support of The Morgridge Family Foundation, the selfless giving of time and passionate
engagement of more than 80 stakeholders who participated in the ESRII and the encouragement, counsel and
guidance of educators, education leaders, private sector leaders and dozens of local and state officials who
provided input formally and informally throughout the process. This report and its vision of a stronger, better
education system is dedicated to the thousands of teachers who work tirelessly for our state’s students each day,
who adapted in remarkable ways to an unimaginable situation and to the students who have endured a year like
few others before them, adapting and overcoming the many challenges it continues to present.
REBUILDING STRONGER: Interim Report of the ESRII Page 1 of 33
INTRODUCTION
The COVID-19 system interruption was felt in every aspect of Coloradans lives from how we shop and
gather with friends to how business is conducted and how we take in entertainment. Perhaps the
impact felt most suddenly and with potentially the most long-term implications was in our education
system. In the span of a few days, our early childhood education (ECE), K-12 and higher education
systems underwent one of the most tectonic shifts in how teachers delivered instruction, how students
learned and how parents were required to engage in their children’s education. The interruption has
highlighted and exacerbated multiple layers of existing inequities at all levels of education. As
educators, community leaders, families and the private sector all stepped up to address the challenge,
there have been remarkable examples of innovative approaches, bold thinking and, through it all,
opportunities to learn from what has gone well and what is clearly in need of change.
What educators, school leaders and system leaders are continuing to experience and learn as a result
of the interruption may provide additional lessons for general improvements to all aspects of our
education system from how we structure and support the teaching workforce to how instruction is
delivered. Through six months of regular meetings, discussing challenges and successes being
experienced across the state, a diverse coalition of stakeholders has identified a series of system-level
changes at the state and local level to seize on the lessons learned, to strengthen our education system
for the future, to improve outcomes for our students to and better support our educators.
BACKGROUND
As state and local education leaders appropriately continue to focus on immediate needs of students
and educators during the abrupt shift to remote instruction as a result of the COVID 19 pandemic, a
number of educators and leaders expressed the belief that it was critical to begin a parallel effort
looking at the future of education in Colorado. That’s why Keystone Policy Center (Keystone) and the
Public Education & Business Coalition (PEBC) worked with many of these leaders to form the Education
System Resiliency and Innovation Initiative (ESRII), a broad coalition and research initiative focused
on strengthening the teacher workforce, improving educator supports for teacher practice and
instructional delivery, and identifying additional systemic shifts that could build off of learning from the
current disruption. The explicit aim in this initiative is to strengthen educator practice, to capture long-
term improvements, to propel the profession forward and to improve the delivery of instruction to all
students in the state’s diverse communities, contexts and conditions.
To advance these conversations effectively, with a focus on actionable outcomes and
recommendations, we engaged and convened a diverse group of stakeholders from within and outside
of education systems. Keystone and PEBC partnered to undertake this initiative with a focus on three
primary streams of inquiry with associated recommendations as an outcome of the project:
1. Educator Workforce: Exploration of opportunities for reimagining the educator workforce and
the role of teacher to reduce non-instructional burdens on teachers, strengthen and diversify
REBUILDING STRONGER: Interim Report of the ESRII Page 2 of 33
the educator workforce, provide additional pathways into the profession and roles and
pathways within the profession.
2. Teaching & Learning: Exploration of best practices, innovations and emerging approaches to
instructional delivery including models for other than full-time in-person instruction, use of
technology, competency based progression and examining the strengths, challenges and
innovations surfaced through the statewide shift to remote delivery of instruction.
3. Training & Supporting Great Teachers: Discussion and examination of changes, improvements
or shifts in how we train and support new and veteran teachers through lens of lessons learned
during the COVID-19 system interruption and in light of other recommendations developed for
shifts in the educator workforce and in teaching and learning.
Throughout each of these streams of inquiry, education system leaders, educators and officials also
explored innovations developed out of necessity or opportunity during the system interruption and
those that have promise but have stalled or had limited support or adoption. The result is a
comprehensive set of recommendations for system level changes at the state and local levels.
A BOLD & HOPEFUL VISION FOR THE FUTURE
From the first meeting of the ESRII, the word “hopeful” dominated conversation when members were
asked their thoughts about the future of education in Colorado. Many spoke of the need to “be bold”
and, recognizing how many students, educators and families found themselves in a much different,
often uncomfortable new reality, called this the moment to seize the opportunity to chart a path
forward that did not seek to return to what was but rather sought to rebuild a better, stronger, more
personalized education system for students and a prestigious, rewarding profession for educators.
To stay true to the vision laid out by members, participants were not asked initially “What should we
change?” Instead, participants focused their initial conversations on the hopeful, aspirational question
“What would this look like if we - as a state - re-imagined this boldly, focused on students and the
educators who support them?” Having articulated the desired end state, members then explored what
barriers exist to achieving the ideal state of education, examples of such a system or approach and how
we might be able to field test different approaches in ways that built upon past work where possible,
charted bold new directions where necessary and remained rooted in strategies designed to address
persistent inequities in the system(s) while recognizing and respecting the unique local factors that
must inform approaches to education. ESRII supported a variety of micro-pilots and field studies in the
fall of 2020 to explore some of the ideas raised which are described in Attachment B.
The outcome from over six months of conversations among more than 80 stakeholders is found on the
following pages. These recommendations are offered as a starting point not an end point. Members of
ESRII are excited to share these with state and local leaders and are equally excited to act on these at
the local level and to support a continuous cycle of learning to strengthen the work going forward.
REBUILDING STRONGER: Interim Report of the ESRII Page 3 of 33
SUMMARY OF RECOMMENDATIONS
The ESRII members identified opportunities for system-level change in each category of the coalition’s
areas of focus. Contained in this report are the recommendations for each including the goal of the
proposed action as well as the role of the state, the local role (district/CMO, school, community) and
potential pilots or learning opportunities associated with each recommendation. The
recommendations developed and further detailed in this report are:
Educator Workforce
Recommendation #1: Expand pathways into the profession.
Goal: Bring additional expertise; Expand pool of new teachers; Diversify workforce
Recommendation #2: Expand pathways and roles within the profession
Goal: Elevate profession; Improve retention; Reduce burden on teachers.
Recommendation #3: Enable Alternative Staffing Structures
Goal: Empower local leaders to develop staffing models that reflect local needs and context
Teaching & Learning
Recommendation #1: Support Individualized Student Progression
Goal: Shift focus to support different learning styles & competency based progression
Recommendation #2: Support Differentiated Student Assessment
Goal: Emphasis on student learning, culturally responsive education and assessment to inform
instructional decisions
Recommendation #3: Expand Teacher Empowerment for Instruction
Goal: Empower teachers to teach what, how & in ways that meets student needs.
Recommendation #4: Rethink School Day, Week & Calendar
Goal: Flexibility to meet needs of students & maximize time use
Recommendation #5: Expand use of Learning Pods
Goal: Provide equitable access to additional learning time & opportunities
Recommendation #6: Expand Course Offerings & Access
Goal: Expand courses available to students and increase equity of access
Teacher Training & Supports
Recommendation #1: Strengthen Ed Prep Program <-> District/CMO Partnerships
Goal: Ensure every school system has a higher ed / ed prep partner
Recommendation #2: Establish Online/Virtual Communities of Practice (LEAs, IHEs, EPPs)
Goal: Provide opportunities for teams of teachers to collaborate with a focus on peer feedback for
learning and growth of practice.
Recommendation #3: Strengthen Connection between EPP/PD & Evolving Economy/Workforce
Goal: Help teachers better understand the world they are preparing students to enter
REBUILDING STRONGER: Interim Report of the ESRII Page 4 of 33
Recommendation #4: Invest in Mentoring as PD for Teachers & Leaders
Goal: Strengthen Educator Practice & Expand Career Pathway Opportunities
Recommendation #5: Invest in Mental Health Supports for Educators & Students
Goal: Improve educator retention & practice; Support students’ mental health needs
Other System Changes
Recommendation #1: Support Locally Developed Transparency & Performance Systems
Goal: Empower families, communities & school systems to establish locally developed frameworks of
school performance
Recommendation #2: Utilize Federal Funds including COVID Relief to Drive Innovation
Goal: Support innovations in approaches to teaching/learning, structure of the educator workforce &
training/support of educators.
SYSTEM CHANGES
The recommendations contained in this report focus on changes at both the state and local system level. This
focus is based on the belief that system-level changes are necessary to create the conditions for bold action at
the local level and that the transformational changes sought will be far more sustainable if they are part of
system level changes in policies, regulations and practices than if they exist only through waivers, exemptions or
pilot programs. In making recommendations for state action, there was broad consensus that the appropriate
role of the state in most cases is to create the conditions for success at the local level, to provide support and
resources needed at the local level and to facilitate collaboration and learning among educators and system
leaders from across the state. While an appropriate role for oversight was identified for most recommendations,
ESRII members emphasized oversight only insofar as it can be a mechanism of support and broadly discouraged
the adoption of significant new compliance and enforcement regimes.
In many cases, members identified specific actions to be taken by state or local leaders to create the conditions
necessary to allow and empower local leaders – whether at the school system or building level – to take actions
that move the vision and goals identified forward. The actions range from policy changes through legislation,
regulation or local school board action to expansion of supports and reallocation of resources at the state
agency or local system level to facilitation of collaborative opportunities, convening of groups for deep-dives
into topics and development of partnerships across education and private sector leaders and organizations.
A number of the recommendations do carry fiscal implications. Members were conservative in making
recommendations that call for additional funding or shifts in funding uses. Accordingly, where included in this
report, ESRII members felt the funds are both necessary and bring with them the potential for significant,
sustainable impact for students and teachers.
REBUILDING STRONGER: Interim Report of the ESRII Page 5 of 33
EDUCATOR WORKFORCE
The Problems We are Working To Solve
The current structure of the educator workforce leads to challenges both recruiting diverse candidates
into the workforce and retaining educators. Colorado is a national leader in pathways to teaching with
22 traditional and 24 alternative programs. While Colorado has this wide variety of pathways into the
profession as well as recruiting programs, there remain challenges attracting candidates from diverse
personal and professional backgrounds as well as some barriers to entry for those with established
careers or expertise in other fields. The scope of responsibility for many teachers places a wide array of
non-instructional burdens on teachers which can negatively impact retention, lead to burn-out and
limit the amount of time teachers are able to focus on student interaction, instructional planning,
collaboration with peers and their own professional development.
As currently structured, the teaching profession is one
of the few professions in which we ask the newest In what other profession do you enter with the
teacher to take on the same responsibilities as the maximum level of responsibility in your job or with
most experienced teacher and with few exceptions,
being handed some of the toughest assignments in
there are limited opportunities to “work and learn
your first year? There is no apples-to-apples
into” that level of responsibility and rarely any support
staff. Within the profession, pathways to advancement comparison, but let’s consider a few other
that allow teachers to continue engaging with students professions in which the consumer has limited say
are limited as most opportunities for advancement in their service provider: Aviators don’t start their
lead to administrative positions outside of the career as the Pilot of a 777 making trans-Atlantic
classroom. Finally, despite the increasing use of runs. If they’re lucky – after advancing from a
technology and emote instruction, there are few if any single prop to twin-prop and ultimately a jet –
opportunities for exceptional teachers or those with they’ll serve as First Officer in a commuter jet. As
specific expertise to extend their reach to students their skills advance and they spend more time in
outside of their school building. the cockpit, they may move up to Pilot or they may
move to a more challenging aircraft. Firefighters
Why do we think a single role of “Teacher” is the only
don’t start as the Captain who is responsible for a
role that should exist? What if we created new roles
multi-unit response to a high-rise structure fire.
and new pathways that would let a local artist,
scientist or computer programmer come in and teach They start as part of a team and as they master
part-time to share their specific expertise? Or created their profession they can advance or they can
pathways to help paraprofessionals – who are often choose to specialize – paramedic, training officer –
deeply connected to the community – to become or to continue in their role as a firefighter with
teachers? What if we deconstructed “Teacher” into additional expertise like haz- mat or swift water
multiple roles that could either draw on discrete skills rescue. All of these professional positions also
and knowledge or serve as a progression to the include multiple support roles with specific roles,
ultimate role of Teacher? What if a great teacher in trainings & responsibilities from the firefighter and
one corner of the state could provide instruction to driver/engineer on a firetruck to the purser, flight
students across the state? Are there things we can attendant & first officer in aviation. All of these
learn from the university professor structure or other professionals collaborate to provide the needed
professions?
service for the public consumer or customer.
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Desired End State
The teacher workforce should be re-imagined. The future workforce should be diverse and
knowledgeable enough for schools to be able to build instructional teams that, collectively and
individually, ably meet the needs of the students in the school. It must allow for school leaders to
utilize adults in the community who can contribute toward a child’s education, including policies that
provide for greater diversity in both pathways into the profession and roles within it. The future of the
Colorado educator workforce should be as diverse as the students it serves, reduce non-instructional
burdens on teachers, draw on the expertise of adults throughout the community and across the state
and provide meaningful opportunities for advancement for educators.
To accomplish this, we should reimagine the role of teacher and the workforce itself to:
1. Expand “Teacher Support” positions that allow certain non-instructional burdens to be taken on
by others including those working toward becoming a teacher or specific support positions;
2. Expand and strengthen the pathways and positions that allow adults with subject matter
expertise to teach on a limited basis under specific circumstances and conditions while also
raising awareness of these options among school system leaders and communities;
3. Expand pathways for exploring and developing skills to become a teacher including
opportunities for high school students, college students not enrolled in ed prep programs and
those in other careers;
4. Develop career pathways designed at local level with support from the state that allow teachers
to grow within profession without having to go into administration or school leadership roles;
5. Establish a system for exceptional teachers to extend their reach to both students and other
teachers beyond their own school, district or CMO.
Colorado’s leaders have already taken important steps in updating our educator licensure system and
that work should continue with renewed commitment and openness to bold changes. With the benefit
of the lessons we have learned over the past nine months and with the additional challenges we now
see in the profession, we also should step back and consider whether the existing structure of the
educator workforce makes sense, is the best structure and whether a one-size fits-all approach is right
for every school and every community.
Some districts have recently acted to advance these types of innovations. And the truth is, a lot of this
may be possible within existing policies and the authorities granted to local leaders if they are willing
to think and act boldly and if they have the support of state officials.
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Educator Workforce Recommendation #1
Expand pathways into the profession
Goal: Bring additional expertise; Expand pool of new Teachers; Diversify workforce
State Role or Action
A. Establish mechanism (fund) through legislative action and in partnership with private sector and
philanthropic community for covering living costs for incoming teachers in exchange for filling high-
needs positions. A model for this can be seen in CMC’s program and partnership(s).
B. Revise statutes authorizing Adjunct Instructor to expand subject matters covered, reduce
restrictions on adjunct authorizations and expand opportunities for schools to employ “Adjunct
Teachers” under a license that allows adults with subject matter expertise to teach on a limited
basis under specific circumstances. Legislative action may be necessary to revise adjunct instructor
requirements, such as SB 19-216 which allows computer science teachers or through a roll-up of
these and other related statutes into a single revision to licensure or other statutes and should
consider adjunct teaching as both a stand-alone role and as a pathway to a professional teaching
license;
C. Support the creation of a private sector partnership network and pool of private sector experts
credentialed as post-secondary instructors and approved under standards for Higher Learning
Standards and CTE instruction;
D. Leverage state and state secured federal workforce development funds/programs to create
programs for professionals to explore opportunities in education and, particularly, newly created
non-teacher roles including those developed during system interruption such as those in learning
pods as well as paraprofessionals, and other non-instructional roles with and without pathways to
becoming teachers.
E. Provide resources including trainings, exemplars, facilitated communities of practice and roadmaps
for local implementation of above;
F. Provide resources to CDE to raise awareness of standards for professional development and direct
supports for micro-certifications and other opportunities for educators to “upskill” and develop the
knowledge or instructional skills needed for shifting structures and content-bases necessary;
G. Develop standards for IHE courses for new roles including Adjunct Teacher and Teacher Support
positions (see Recommendation 2) through 4yr and 2yr institutions;
H. Establish program through legislative action to utilize public funds for pathways to teaching
programs for concurrent enrollment in year four of high-school and as years 5-6 (e.g. early college)
including designation of agency for oversight of program;
I. Authorize year-round, increased financial aid for non EPP students to become teachers.
Local Role or Action
A. Partner with EPPs to provide opportunities for student teachers from State Role A above and
commit to priority hiring
B. Design roles that reflect expanded opportunities and work with building leaders, community
leaders, families and private sector to identify subject needs, experts and the future local
landscape;
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C. Identify, recruit and maintain relationships with private sector partners and create teaching
opportunities as discussed in State Role D above.
D. Engage with CDE, CDHE and other officials to provide input on the roles, pathways and programs
discussed above;
E. Engage with district/CMO staff to develop roles, pathways and programs that reflect local needs
and context for new positions and pathways;
F. Work with CDE, CDHE, SBOE and IHEs to establish programs discussed in State Role H & I above.
Potential Pilots, Field Studies, Learning Opportunities
Adjunct Teacher: Program to recruit adults from community with specific expertise to teach under a
licensed teacher. Could include focus areas (STEM, CTE) including a program developed with a multi-
member cohort of adjuncts. Pilot could be for individual school or school system or could be a
collaboration of multiple schools across different districts and/or CMOs.
Guest Lecturers: Regional (single or multi-LEA/CMO) initiative to create a database of guest lecturers
by topic, availability & expertise. Recruit & inform community of opportunity (and address
substitute/non-HQT status)
HS Concurrent: LEA partnership w/IHE to provide HS Juniors/Seniors opportunity to begin exploring
pathways into ECE & K-12 education via concurrent enrollment.
Educator Workforce Recommendation #2
Expand pathways and roles within the profession
Goal: Elevate profession; Improve retention; Reduce burden on teachers.
State Role or Action
A. Working with stakeholders, develop the standards, requirements, trainings and operational
framework for a statewide corps of teachers.
B. Provide resources to CDE to support development of model Career Pathways for Educators and
direct support to BOCES, LEAs, CMOs or individual schools designing and implementing such career
pathways that expand opportunities for career advancement;
C. Through legislative action, identify funds to support the previous efforts and those recommended
above to create an incentive program for establishing local career pathways for educators and
financial incentives for participating educators;
D. Examine licensure rules to identify strategies for streamlining opportunities for candidates to earn
a dual-endorsement in high-demand subject areas (e.g. STEM and Computer Science) with goal of
removing barriers and providing incentives for candidates to earn endorsements in high-need
subject areas;
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E. Remove any unnecessary barriers to employing additional adults in classrooms providing support
to teachers or providing supports and services other than instruction to reduce non-instructional
burdens on teachers;
F. Appropriate funds for advancing a Guest Lecturer program and database that is supported at state
level and managed at local level and provide resources for CDE to utilize the licensing system to
oversee and manage development of the Guest Lecturer program and database, including
providing access and instruction to local leaders to use at their local level.
G. Minimize any statutory, regulatory or systems of practice that restrict teachers from concurrently
providing instruction to students in more than one district;
H. Explore with local system leaders the need for a statewide corps of teachers or an independent
body to employ the growing number of substitute teachers who often do not qualify for benefits.
Local Role or Action
A. Engage with CDE, CDHE and other officials to provide input on the roles, pathways and programs
discussed above;
B. Engage with district/CMO staff to develop roles, pathways and programs that reflect local needs
and context for each;
C. Conduct outreach to local community to identify potential Guest Lecturers to be included in
database and to raise awareness of new roles created (Adjunct, Teacher Support).
Potential Pilots, Field Studies, Learning Opportunities
Jr. Teacher Role for IHE Students: LEA/CMO + IHE partnership w/non-instructional roles for college
students to support teachers, families and/or students. Could be students in EPP tool for recruiting non
EPP students or to bring other expertise.
Non-Instructional Roles: Pilot to create non-instructional roles that focus on: a) reducing non-
instructional burdens on teachers and/or b) bring specific complementary expertise (e.g. technology,
family support etc.). Roles may or may not be intended as pathway to becoming a teacher.
Advanced Teaching Roles & Pathways: Staffing structures or roles that allow highly skilled teachers to
advance into classroom, instructional or other teacher-supporting roles other than administration.
Also see Invest in Mentoring in Teacher Supports
District/CMO-Wide, Regional or Statewide Opportunities: Creation of roles for exceptional teachers
and/or teachers with specific expertise to expand their reach to students beyond their own school via
remote instruction, rotating schedule or other concepts. Could include a cohort from multiple
buildings, LEAs or CMOs.
Hybrid Teacher Roles/Schedules: Creation of role for educators in parallel with hybrid learning models
and/or alternative staffing structures that would allow educators to work three days in classroom and
remaining days in a leadership role within their school or district supporting other educators.
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Educator Workforce Recommendation #3
Enable Alternative Staffing Structures
Goal: Empower local leaders to staff in ways reflective of local needs and context
State Role or Action
A. Remove unnecessary barriers to non-teachers providing support to teachers to reduce burdens;
B. Support, participate in or convene a statewide workgroup to explore Reimagining the Role of
Teacher to identify non-instructional roles that could be developed at local level. Outcome would
be to provide guidance and state support to LEAs/CMOs designing such roles;
C. Support, engage and leverage existing programs including but not limited to TEACH CO, Troops to
Teachers and others.
Local Role or Action
A. Engage with CDE, CDHE and other officials to provide input on the roles, pathways and programs
discussed above;
B. Engage with district/CMO staff to develop roles, pathways and programs that reflect local needs
and context for each;
C. Conduct outreach to local community to identify potential Guest Lecturers to be included in
database and to raise awareness of new roles created (Adjunct, Teacher Support)
Potential Pilots, Field Studies, Learning Opportunities
None identified at this point. Multiple pilots could be developed by local leaders and stakeholders that are based
on the unique local context and needs.
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TEACHING & LEARNING
The Problems We are Working To Solve
Colorado has difficulty attracting and retaining teachers. As we know, retention will solve for
recruitment when we are able to develop a systemic solution to retaining and developing educators.
Colorado’s educators report the following variables impact their willingness and ability to retain in the
profession: a rigidity of academic structure, including curriculum driven decision-making and “one size
fits all” Professional Development; an overemphasis on standardized testing and unintended,
correlated consequences; a lack of time for teachers to collaborate on planning, differentiation and
assessment, including a lack of opportunity to team teach; and a system that is based on inputs rather
than competencies.
An additional problem that negatively impacts Colorado’s teacher workforce is the current lack of
diversity in the profession, and in the pipeline. We know many of the variables that lead to this dearth
of diversity: many teachers report low job satisfaction, the low status of the profession, the low
compensation and the lack of community of teachers of color. The ripple effect in the system is that
many students of color, who don’t see themselves represented in their teachers, are not currently
interested in exploring teaching as a profession.
Additionally, we know that many teachers of color who enter into educator preparation programs do
not graduate from the programs or enter the profession. As we know, COVID has exacerbated these
negative attributes in the environment. Teachers are now asked to put their lives on the line for the
profession. This is an increasingly difficult request for professionals who, even in pre-COVID times,
experienced low job satisfaction, low status and low compensation. Additionally, the cost and time
necessary to achieve credentials are reported to be a barrier for many teachers, and especially
teachers of color.
Desired End State
The teaching and learning experience should be driven by the needs and interests of students,
facilitated by teachers who reflect the diversity of their students, who are empowered with the
autonomy they need to be viewed as the professional decision-maker for what transpires in the
classroom. Students should be able to move fluidly through their educational experience in a
competency-based system that allows them to progress when they are able to demonstrate
proficiency. Teams of teachers collaborating together with diverse groups of students that stay
together in learning pods/communities over periods of years will have the ability to design and
structure the daily and year-round learning experiences for their students based upon student needs
and interests. Hands-on, experiential and community-based projects will provide relevant and
authentic learning experiences through which students will demonstrate their learning. Formative
assessment for learning will dominate the assessment environment with appropriate standardized
assessments at regular intervals to hold learners and teachers accountable for the mastery of the
Colorado State Standards. Teachers working in this setting would earn compensation commensurate
with the heightened responsibility and the year-round nature of the work. Working in this innovative
environment will provide the autonomy, accountability, and responsibility correlated with high levels
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of achievement and satisfaction among teachers and learners. Given our current system disruption
due to the COVID-19 pandemic, parents are seeking new and exciting opportunities for their children
that they may not have been as open to prior to the disruption. Now is the time to think differently
about our teaching and learning systems to support public education in new and exciting ways.
Teaching & Learning Recommendation #1
Support Individualized Student Progression Student Autonomy: Place, Pace, Time
Goal: Shift focus to support different learning styles & competency based progression
State Role or Action
A. Conduct a comprehensive review, with the goal of identifying any gaps, needs for funding and
exemplars to elevate, of competency based education including the extensive body of resources
developed by CDE and CEI and the assessments in use or developed through innovation zones,
district efforts and CEI supported actions. Review should include available assessments, process for
approving models for competency based progression through courses and grades, and supports or
training resources for school leaders and educators in best practices for competency based,
differentiated instruction and advancement;
B. Through legislative action, revisit seat-time and course hour requirements to provide mastery
based advancement;
C. Through legislative action, revise ties between “count day” and school funding to shift to a
“students served” model that considers other than full-time students, competency based
progression, and locally developed models that impact students counted through current models;
D. Work with IHEs, PD providers, professional associations and system leaders to develop guidelines
and best practices for culturally responsive practices & those that address implicit or unconscious
bias in differentiated instruction;
E. Formalize and expand opportunities for high school students to test out of courses via IHE
partnerships;
F. Incentivize partnerships between LEAs/CMOs and IHEs to enable students to earn transferrable
credits even if their school does not offer concurrent enrollment (generally or in specific course);
G. Ensure there are no unnecessary limitations or unintended consequences for schools or students
when students seek to enroll in a variety of courses across different schools and learning providers;
H. Expand authorized uses of early college / HS year 5-6 funds and concurrent enrollment offerings for
pathways to high skill careers including certificates and credentials.
I. Expand the Innovative High School Opportunities Pilot (“seat time pilot”) so that more than the
current five districts can have the same level of flexibility and freedom from tracking hours;
J. Provide support to CDE and CDHE to ensure the continued collaboration between ECE, K-12 and
Higher Ed to create seamless transitions across competency levels throughout the P-20 system(s).
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Local Role or Action
A. Engage community leaders and families to identify needs, goals and aspirations for individualized
student progressions;
B. Develop culturally responsive approaches that reflect local context in individualized progression
programs;
C. Establish partnerships to support student learning experience and interests including culturally
diverse and relevant opportunities;
D. Conduct robust outreach and engagement to solicit input, establish long-term buy-in and among
stakeholders and program sustainability;
Potential Pilots, Field Studies, Learning Opportunities
Competency based progression: Design & offer opt-in for a program providing competency based
progression through a set of courses. Could include a full “horizontal” of multiple courses in one or
more grade levels or specific verticals of course sequence (e.g. language, STEM, CTE etc.).
Teaching & Learning Recommendation #2
Support Differentiated Student Assessment
Goal: Emphasis on student learning, culturally responsive education and assessment to
inform instructional decisions
State Role or Action
A. Provide support to local leaders in conducting review of assessment regimen to minimize
duplicative or unnecessary legacy assessments and to incorporate local assessments of student
growth and achievement;
B. Support local officials & collaborations in the development & use of formative assessments;
C. Expand support for CDE’s assessment unit to continue their internal work, expand support of local
leaders and to convene a statewide work-group to develop best practices relating to locally
developed assessments and assessment strategies including incorporation of culturally responsive
elements and approaches.
Local Role or Action
A. Support educator collaboration in the design and development of measures of student learning
including formative assessments, capstone grading and other assessment strategies focused on
individual learning & knowledge demonstration;
B. Engage students, families and communities in developing best practices for the implementation
and use of diverse measures of student learning;
C. Provide professional development focused on differentiated student assessment, culturally
responsive education and the use of multiple assessment approaches to inform instruction.
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Local Role or Action
A. Engage families and communities to identify needs, interest and goals relating to alternative school
year, week or day options to mitigate learning loss and inequities;
B. Work with educators and professional associations to develop staffing structures, models and
where appropriate, salary structures, to support alternative school year, week or days;
C. Build on recommendations in Educator Workforce section above to create roles necessary to
support alternative school year, week or day.
Potential Pilots, Field Studies, Learning Opportunities
Adjusted Week: Build on hybrid instructional models with alternatives to Mon-Fri instruction. Could be
shortened week, alternate days etc. with designated days for teacher collaboration or other activities
on off days. Could also be combined w/competency based to provide targeted support to students at
differing levels.
Learning Blocks: Program to allow students to go “in depth” on limited number of courses for shorter
periods vs. all courses for a full semester.
Non-Agrarian Calendar: Opt-in track developed with community to offer school calendar that replaces
extended summer break with shorter breaks throughout the year.
Summer School or Other Out of School Programs: Incorporate summer school, winter break or
afternoon blocks after regular school day as options or part of reconfigured school year.
Teaching & Learning Recommendation #5
Expand use of Learning Pods
Goal: Provide equitable access to additional learning time & opportunities
State Role or Action
A. Through legislative action, establish standards, agency authority for oversight and guidelines
including for equitable access and staffing requirements (e.g. licensure) of Learning Pods when
provided by or using any district funds or resources;
B. Share best practices, exemplars and provide support to districts, CMOs or communities providing
or exploring the use of learning pods to supplement in-school and/or remote instruction;
C. Explore and determine in partnership with involved stakeholders, the need for licensing or other
professional standards for adult roles in managing, hosting or providing instruction through
learning pods.
Local Role or Action
A. Engage community to identify needs, goals and interest in learning pods;
B. Collaborate with community partners to develop programs with emphasis on equitable access and
responsiveness to community needs;
C. Work with educators to establish opportunities for support or leadership of learning pods.
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TEACHER TRAINING & SUPPORTS
The Problems We are Working To Solve
As we re-envision both how Colorado’s educator workforce is structured, and propose shifts in
teaching and learning aimed at injecting a new urgency around equity, we need to think through the
implications for how we:
● Bring individuals into the teaching profession, and
● Continuously provide authentic professional development that improves teaching practice and
focuses on the following buckets of need:
○ Strong supports for teacher wellness and mental health in both prep and ongoing
PD/induction
○ Competency-based opportunities for growth,
○ Peer-led and supported
○ Incentives for roles such as mentoring that align with differentiated pathways into
leadership roles in classrooms, schools, and districts that move beyond “administration
only”
○ Partnerships/collaborations focused on improving school performance through teacher
efficacy.
Desired End State
Closing the connection gaps between teacher preparation programs and districts: We envision an
ecosystem/end state where each of Colorado’s 178 school districts has an intentional, collaborative
partnership with a CO institute of higher education, and an alternative licensure provider, that includes
multiple avenues into teacher licensure that are driven by community needs, education workforce
goals, and aligned to local priorities/strategic goals around building a strong bench for local ed.
workforce needs.
Strengthening Teacher Professional Development Supports: Broadly speaking, we want to construct a
more holistically supported system of PD for educators - including self-directed, job-embedded,
competency-based learning opportunities that are meaningful for educators (ie, not just a piece of
paper) - and that provides flexibility of delivery for individual growth, to ensure that educators are
getting the proper exposure/training/connections to the world that they are preparing students for, in
ways that make sense for who they are as individuals, where they are in their careers, and what their
future goals are. These could be higher-ed based opportunities; district-based/embedded PD; include
an increased focus on micro-credentials delivered in partnership with industries; and in additional
creative ways.
We envision a statewide network of PD focused on the different regions of the that includes
opportunities for both local and statewide learning networks, PLCs, and the like to support continued
professional growth, increase connections between educator affinity groups, and support best practice
sharing both within and across systems.
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We believe that the arc of development for teacher prep is a shared responsibility between prep
providers and districts - a continuum from preparation through teacher induction that can be
strengthened through a renewed focus on growth vs. compliance when designing an integrated and
symbiotic “handoff” of supports for emerging educators from their prep program to their district-
based induction.
Last, we believe that these newly imagined and diverse supports for educators will help to better
sustain them within the profession so that they can focus on what’s most important - teaching
students and leading classrooms in order to provide every student with high-quality educational
experiences that are meaningful to them and set them up for success once they graduate from the
system.
Teacher Training & Supports Recommendation #1
Strengthen Ed Prep Program <-> District/CMO Partnerships
Goal: Ensure every school system has a higher ed / ed prep partner
State Role or Action
A. Through legislative action, provide funding to support induction including support for local efforts
and to CDE to provide and disseminate recommendations for what makes a high-quality induction
program for all participating teachers including guidance/resources to support induction plans with
a growth orientation (vs. compliance driven).
B. Expand efforts to connect and foster collaborative partnerships between educator preparation
programs and districts.
Local Role or Action
A. Identify and publicize any and all teacher preparation pathways active within each district -
including both higher ed and alternative licensure – in order to provide clarity and transparency
into teacher pipeline development efforts, identify any potential gaps/needs, and ultimately to
adequately and sustainably build a bench of new educators to meet community needs;
B. Re-think Teacher Induction to ensure quality control of what’s offered and the ability to help new
teachers and support them with wraparound services.
Potential Pilots, Field Studies, Learning Opportunities
Learning Opportunities
There are several existing programs in the state that effectively bring new talent into the teaching
profession We should, as a coalition and eco-system, continue to learn from the these (and others
statewide and national examples).
Potential Pilots
Expanded State Supported Induction PLCs: In addition to the formal review and approval of local induction
programs, CDE supports local program staff through regional professional learning communities (PLCs) and
resources based on current research. CDE hosted one virtual PLC meeting and two in-person PLC meetings in
spring 2020. More than 100 individuals attended these PLC meetings combined, representing 48 districts, 4
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BOCES and 13 charter schools. Professional learning communities’ participants engage in collaborative problem-
solving and sharing of best practices.
Workgroup on Clinical Experience Pay: Convening a statewide group encompassing EPPs/LEAs to
address ways that they can partner to find creative ways to ensure that candidates are paid for clinical
field experiences in order to 1) Identify efficiencies that new models can surface so that programs are
less expensive and candidates can receive funding for their clinical experiences and 2) identify the gap
that needs to be met.
Pathways into Teaching Profession: Convening a statewide group encompassing EPPs/LEAs, and
local/state workforce entities to a) identify creative partnerships to ensure teacher candidates have
equitable access to paid clinical field experiences; b) identify ways prep models can efficiently
transition to models that are less costly for candidates (cost savings = funding for clinical experiences);
and c) identify the gap that needs to be met and design process for meeting existing needs.
Prep to Induction Continuum: Design an updated and tightly integrated handoff from a EPP to district
induction to a) identify outcomes from prep program that align/overlap with district induction plans
for Y1; b) identify clear role(s) for both EPP/district in both final year of prep/1st year of induction
aligned toward how to best support graduating students in making the transition to the teaching
profession.
Build upon existing supports for rural educators: Design a program that builds on the support of Rural
Teaching Fellowship stipend as outlined in HB18-1002 or the incentives and opportunities of SB18-085 which
provides financial incentives for educators in rural districts. The Rural Teaching Fellows program) provides
$10,000 scholarships for teacher candidates, with 50% of the funding coming from CDHE and 50% matched by
the candidate’s IHE or rural district and a number of districts have utilized aspects of SB18-085 to support “grow
your own” programs.
Incentives for EPP/LEA Partnerships: Develop an incentive-based mechanism to drive deeper partnerships and
collaboration between LEAs/EPPs (ex: providing seed funding to LEAs with specific/entrenched teacher shortage
challenges to develop partnerships with EPPs)
Creative Partnerships: Look to identify ways EPPs/industry can partner to foster opportunities for partnerships
to drive increased participation in teacher prep programs for candidates to teach specific and in-demand
endorsement areas.
Teaching & Learning Recommendation #2
Establish Online/Virtual Communities of Practice (LEAs, IHEs, EPPs)
Goal: Provide opportunities for teams of teachers to collaborate with a focus on peer
feedback for learning and growth of practice.
State Role or Action
A. Work with IHEs and other EPPs to expand statewide online communities of practice (COPs)
including an advisory committee to identify COP topic interests among educators, future educators,
school leaders and other school support personnel;
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Potential Pilots, Field Studies, Learning Opportunities
Upskilling Educator Workforce Workgroup. Pilot and/or working group to establish best practices for
creating partnerships in co-design between K-12, Higher Ed, and industry including examination of:
i) What are building blocks of programs/partnerships that sets everyone up for success?
ii) How do you identify all players to get them all to the table?
iii) What does it take to have a teacher "ready" to be a part of this work (student-->career
pathways that do not include teachers have a gap that we need to understand better)
iv) How to embed mentorship (for students/teachers/industry?) as we know mentoring is a key
component
Learn from Existing Partnership Models: Identify skill attainment and industry awareness programs outside of
education that could be built upon to develop opportunities for educators. Partnerships such as the Space
Round Table, which includes opportunities for educators to participate in externships could be a model for
additional public-private partnerships to provide teachers experience in the state’s primary workforce sectors.
Teaching & Learning Recommendation #4
Invest in Mentoring as PD for Teachers & Leaders
Goal: Strengthen Educator Practice & Expand Career Pathway Opportunities
State Role or Action
A. Invest and expand upon successful programs such as Principal Leadership Institute, and invest in
developing teacher mentors via Mentor Teacher Endorsement throughout the state;
B. Establish incentives within the teaching profession for educators to gain peer mentoring skills, earn
mentoring endorsement, move up on career ladder based on developing these competencies
(unrelated to an admin. license) and provide support to CDE’s ongoing efforts to maintain and
support CDE’s Mentor Resource Bank;
C. Work with IHEs and other stakeholders to ensure access for all educators to Mentor Teacher
courses and professional development.
Local Role or Action
A. Explore ways to provide stipends for mentor teachers and other incentives through local budget,
ballot measures, philanthropic or other grants;
B. Establish partnerships between districts/BOCES and IHEs/nonprofits to leverage growth of mentor
teacher development to meet local and regional needs. Consider opportunities for all educators
within and across systems – from novice teachers to master teachers – to collaborate and engage
in reflective practice, have productive conversations focused on solving problems and improving
outcomes for all students.
Potential Pilots, Field Studies, Learning Opportunities
Teacher Mentor Role: Pathway within profession for experienced educators, or recently retired
teachers/leaders, to serve as a mentor to alternative and early career teachers. Intent should be
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providing a pathway for skills development/career advancement separate from administration. Would
ideally include financial incentives embedded (stipends, pathway to mentor endorsement for teachers;
matching funds for districts)
Virtual PLCs for Mentor Skills development: Paired with above, development of regional/statewide
PLCs for mentor capacity development and connection
Principal Learning Institute (PLC structure): Facilitated, virtual PLC for new and emerging school
leaders; individual mentorship and support for principals; inter-regional collaborations and expansion
for sustainability; aligned w/ and major component of Principal Induction Program
Partnerships between LEAs/BOCES, IHEs, and nonprofits to leverage growth of mentor teacher
development: Developing mentor teacher capacity, especially in rural areas with critical workforce
needs, is essential both for increasing teacher retention and for providing practicing educators with
skills and leadership opportunities beyond pathways into administration. Pilots/partnerships with an
emphasis on mentor skills development provide a wide latitude of benefits across school systems and
foster greater collaboration between districts, universities, and nonprofits/workforce centers.
Online, local/statewide PLCs: For mentor teachers and school leaders, particularly those in
rural/isolated communities where opportunities to connect/grow alongside peers need
strengthening/additional supports
Teaching & Learning Recommendation #5
Invest in Mental Health Supports for Educators & Students
Goal: Improve educator retention & practice; Support students’ mental health needs
State Role or Action
A. Elevate awareness of CDE’s SEL Remote Learning Resources and provide resources for CDE to
support local efforts to adapt, adopt and implement based on local needs and context;
B. Convene statewide workgroup on best practices and resources for supporting both educator and
student mental health;
C. Maintain a resource bank of mental health related professional development courses, resources for
educators (and other employees) and trainings for local leaders including The Hub, Colorado Crisis
Services and others and increase awareness of these among local leaders and educators.
Local Role or Action
A. Prioritize and emphasize improved mental health supports for teachers, students, and families;
B. Provide professional development for teachers, district/school leaders around SEL and trauma-
informed practices for educators and students;
C. Ensure access to no-cost and accessible mental health support services for educators (in-building or
otherwise);
D. Explore ways to include self-awareness and advocacy into coursework in educator preparation to
support emerging educators developing skills such as boundary setting, self-advocacy, creating
work/life balance, understanding group dynamics, and tools for navigating difficult conversations.
REBUILDING STRONGER: Interim Report of the ESRII Page 23 of 33
OTHER SYSTEM CHANGES
In the course of the ESRII coalition’s work, members identified a variety of needs for system-level
change or opportunities to broadly support the vision of the ESRII work that fell outside the current
three focus areas of the initiative. A number of those may become areas of exploration in 2021. Two
specific ideas are timely and sufficiently relevant that we include them here and urge state and local
leaders to consider taking action on them along with the recommendations in each focus area.
Other System Changes Recommendation #1
Support Locally Developed Transparency & Performance Systems
Goal: Empower families, communities & school systems to establish locally developed
frameworks of school performance
State Role or Action
A. Revisit, amend as needed and fully fund the intent of SB10-204 to support a local accountability
system grant program to supplement the state accountability system that may include additional
indicators of student success other than those in the state performance framework. Programs or
efforts should build upon and springboard from existing programs rather than duplicate them;
B. Provide support to local officials & community leaders in convening groups of educators, families
and other stakeholders to develop a local accountability or performance system that provides
transparency to families while reflecting local context;
C. Provide resources, best practices and instruments or tools for assessing various measures of
student success as identified and measured at the local level.
Local Role or Action
A. Convene a broad, diverse group of stakeholders including educators, school leaders, parents and
other members of the community to develop measures of student success framework;
B. Identify needs, resources and tools for measuring the items identified in A above.
Potential Pilots, Field Studies, Learning Opportunities
LEA Developed Performance Framework: District development of alternative performance framework
through convening of stakeholder group to identify community priorities for data collection, measures
of success and school performance;
Multi-System Cohort Framework: Build on the S-CAP approach of six rural districts who are using
school review processes to provide feedback based on the interests and needs of communities.
Cohorts could include geographically contiguous cohorts or cohorts based on district and student
population profiles;
Statewide Cohort & Workgroup: Statewide cohort that could leverage S-CAP, the consortium of
alternative education campuses (AEC) doing aligned work and national efforts to identify, explore
efficacy, challenges and strengths of various measures. Outcome could be a report on the various
measures and a statewide resource-bank of measures and tools for their use.
REBUILDING STRONGER: Interim Report of the ESRII Page 25 of 33
Other System Changes Recommendation #2
Explore Non-State Budget Funds including Federal COVID Relief Funds, Private Sector
& Philanthropic Collaboration to Drive Innovation
Goal: Support innovations in approaches to teaching/learning, structure of the educator
workforce & training/support of educators.
State Role or Action
A. Utilize federal COVID-19 relief funds including the RISE Fund to support innovations in competency
based progression, alternative school week or year approaches and other individualized,
community driven approaches to K-12 education;
B. Convene private sector and philanthropic leaders to discuss establishing an incentive grant
program to the innovations discussed above;
C. Direct grant officers in the Executive Branch, in CDE and other state offices to explore all federal
grant programs in and outside of education that could be used to support the innovations
discussed in A above and elsewhere in this report.
Local Role or Action
A. Support state efforts to secure federal, private sector and philanthropic funds.
Potential Pilots, Field Studies, Learning Opportunities
N/A
REBUILDING STRONGER: Interim Report of the ESRII Page 26 of 33
NEXT STEPS
ESRII members are excited to share this report and the recommendations contained in it with state and
local leaders. The group is optimistic about the potential for sustainable change, to improve student
outcomes, address many of the inequities that have been exacerbated by the COVID system
interruption and to elevate the teaching profession through changes that can improve teacher
retention while also contributing to reducing the teacher shortage in Colorado.
Although the changes recommended in this report are at the system level, how individuals act on them
will be critical to success in achieving the goals and end-state identified by ESRII members. For this
reason, members have unanimously expressed their desire to continue working as a group.
In the months ahead, ESRII intends to:
● Develop guidance and best practices for implementing the recommendations in this report;
● Provide technical support to members and others implementing the recommendations;
● Support a second cohort of pilots and field studies to test and learn from different strategies,
structures and approaches to acting on the recommendations;
● Continue and expand engagement with state and local leaders and organizations studying,
supporting and advancing system-level changes in education;
● Explore local and state progress in the group’s areas of focus to engage in a continuous cycle of
learning and of informing actions by state and local leaders.
REBUILDING STRONGER: Interim Report of the ESRII Page 27 of 33
ABOUT US
Keystone & PEBC’s History of Success
Keystone and PEBC have a proven track-record of partnering to tackle significant policy issues and
areas of practice in education. Most recently the two organizations collaborated to lead the Colorado
Educator Preparation Innovation Coalition (CO EduPIC). CO EduPIC convened key stakeholders involved
with the training, employment and support of new teachers together with educators, experts in the
field, government leaders and business leaders in a multi-phase initiative. These stakeholders began
meeting in the fall of 2015 in an effort to improve classroom readiness of new teachers and strengthen
the teacher pipeline through innovation, autonomy & accountability. CO EduPIC’s work led to multiple
pilots of new partnerships between education preparation providers (EPPs) and school systems
focused on improving the classroom readiness of new teachers and strengthening the relationship
between EPPs and schools. Funded by local philanthropic organizations including The Denver
Foundation and Rose Foundation, the $250,000 supported CO EduPIC’s work that led to the passage of
HB 1189 which provided $600,000 in funding to expand residency pilots and CO EduPIC members
developed pilots received more than $500,000 from federal and other grants, a return on investment
of more than 5x the support received from the philanthropic community. As importantly, the work of
CO EduPIC led directly to legislation to expand and improve teacher pathways while creating an
ongoing form of collaboration among EPPs statewide for the first time in state history. CO EduPIC
continues to convene stakeholders and has now expanded its scope to explore early career supports
and induction.
About Keystone
The Keystone Policy Center and the Center for Education Policy (Keystone and the CFEP) have been at
the forefront of efforts to expand access to quality education, improve student outcomes, and plan for
the challenges of an evolving global economy. For the past 15 years, Keystone has partnered with
government agencies, communities, and stakeholders to develop planning and response strategies for
disruptive events like natural disasters and pandemics.
The Keystone Policy Center was founded in 1975 by Robert W. Craig — a visionary, scholar, and
mountaineering legend — to independently facilitate the resolution of national policy conflicts. Today,
the Keystone Policy Center leads the ascent as a trusted guide in surmounting policy obstacles. An
independent, not-for-profit organization, we bring together public, private, and civic sector leaders
who have diverse perspectives but share a common desire to find lasting solutions to significant policy
problems. Keystone does not advocate for any single position; rather, we help groups unearth a line of
sight from contention to collective action. In this age of polarized debate on nearly every major topic in
public policy, we offer a refreshing yet proven blueprint for progress. Over the past 40 years, Keystone
has built a portfolio of substantive work in energy, environment, education, health, and agriculture.
Keystone has accomplished this work with a series of complementary approaches that reflect the
diverse strategies utilized in leadership and successful issue resolution.
REBUILDING STRONGER: Interim Report of the ESRII Page 28 of 33
About PEBC
PEBC strives to create schools and systems worthy of our children. Forged in Denver nearly four
decades ago, the Public Education & Business Coalition represents a convergence of stakeholders keen
to uplift learning opportunities for each and every student. Today, PEBC collaborates with teachers,
schools and districts nationwide catalyzing high quality instruction. PEBC’s origins date back to 1983
and the release of the Nation At Risk report by The National Commission on Excellence in Education.
The Commission believed that the public education system was failing to meet the national need for a
competitive workforce. With funding from the Ford Foundation, several communities created local
education funds to concentrate efforts on quality teaching initiatives.
Initially PEBC’s focus was on supporting teachers with literacy and reading comprehension instructional
practices. In 1997 PEBC staff published the ground-breaking book Mosaic of Thought: Teaching
Comprehension in a Reader’s Workshop which drew thousands of teachers to Denver wanting to work
with and observe PEBC staff applying literacy best practices in their own classrooms. The organization
expanded its efforts to coach teachers nationally, and created its highly-respected PEBC Lab
Classrooms. In 2004 PEBC expanded its focus to include professional learning in STEM (Science,
Technology, Engineering & Math) instructional best practices and launched the PEBC Teacher
Residency program (formerly the Boettcher Teacher Residency merged with Stanley Teacher Prep in
2015). Today, PEBC has grown into an organization with an unrivaled reputation for its teacher
residency programs, professional development model, its publications, and the expertise of its staff.
PEBC is headquartered in Denver, CO, and works both locally and nationally. Its Board is comprised of
business executives, school superintendents and a variety of community and professional
organizations.
REBUILDING STRONGER: Interim Report of the ESRII Page 29 of 33
Attachment A: ESRII Membership
A multi-discipline, diverse stakeholder group helped to shape the recommendations in this document
and support the outputs from the process. The partial list of participants included below is intended
only as a representation of the diversity of voices included and is not a complete list of all participants
nor is it intended as a formal endorsement by any organization.
Partial List of Participating Individuals
Sen. Bob Rankin Colorado State Senator, District 8
Rep. Julie McCluskie Colorado State Representative, District 61
Dr. Katy Anthes Commissioner, Colorado Department of Education
Dr. Angie Paccione Executive Director, Colorado Department of Higher Education
Angelika Schroeder Chair, Colorado State Board of Education
Dr. Carrie Besnette Hauser President & CEO, Colorado Mountain College
Amie Baca-Oehlert President, Colorado Education Association
Rebecca F. Holmes President & CEO, Colorado Education Initiative
Karolina Villagrana Educator
Kendra Carpenter Dillon Valley Elementary School, Principal
Bree Jones Superintendent, La Veta School District
Frank Reeves Superintendent, East Grand School District #2
Wendy Wyman Executive Director, Mountain BOCES
Bret Miles Executive Director, Colorado Association of School Executives
Cheri Wrench Executive Director, Colorado Association of School Boards
Jesus Escarcega Co-Chair CO Assoc. for Latino/a Administrators and Superintendents
Harvey Rude Director, Colorado Center for Rural Education
Liz Qualman Director of Teacher Education, Colorado Mountain College
Landon Pirius Vice Chancellor for Academic & Student Affairs, CO Community College System
Dr. Brittany Lane Director of Educator Preparation, CO Department of Higher Education
Leslie Colwell Vice President, Education Initiatives, Colorado Children's Campaign
Mark Sass Colorado Executive Director Teach Plus
Dan Schaller President, Colorado League of Charter Schools
Lee Wheeler-Berliner Managing Director, Colorado Workforce Development Council
Dana Sorensen Sr. Director of Professional Learning, PEBC
Kellie Lauth CEO & President MindSpark Learning
Judy Perez CEO, iLearn Collaborative
Annette Konoske-Graf Senior Program Manager, TEACH Colorado
Mark Tapy Apprenticeship Program Manager, Pinnacol Assurance
Lorne A Jenkins CEO of Mini Money Management
Harris Rollinger Volunteer, Energize Colorado
John Farnam Chief of Staff, Morgridge Family Foundation
REBUILDING STRONGER: Interim Report of the ESRII Page 30 of 33
Attachment B: Fall 2020 Micro-Pilots & Field Studies
None of these micro-pilots and field studies would be possible without the participants and leaders of each who
gave of their time and the generous support of the Gates Family Foundation and the Boettcher Foundation.
Stream of Pilot Partner/Project Description Pilot Discoveries
Inquiry
Educator Edgewater Collective - Pathway Pods Micro Pilot Report
Workforce ● ESRII provided funding to Takeaways:
Edgewater Collective (EC), a ● EC built an online tutoring program
community nonprofit in to support students and families in
Jefferson County, to support a virtual after-school environment
EC’s “pathway pods” as an ● Working toward implementing an
inclusive, equitable way for “Acceleration Academy” in summer
students in their community to 2021 to help students begin to
receive tutoring and after- catch up in math and literacy
school enrichment ● EC plans to create opportunities for
opportunities during the COVID HS tutors to co-lead lessons in
disruption. elementary classrooms in the spring
● Edgewater has a long-term semester, so they can experience
vision of developing a pathway what it is like to be a teacher. The
into education careers for high- hope is that these experiences and
school students who are the time to reflect on them with
employed at EC as tutors teacher coaches will provide an
● Funding supported capacity- opportunity for high school
building and materials to ensure students to imagine themselves as
tutors have a meaningful teachers one day.
experience and opportunities to ● EC looks to build additional
learn more about careers in experiences to help these high
education. school students discern what the
teacher pathway to college and
back looks like and provide them
the resources to succeed.
Teaching & Dillon Valley Elementary School - Micro Pilot Report
Learning How to Ensure Access to High Quality Takeaways:
Culturally & Linguistically Diverse ● Student ownership of their own
Learner Instruction During a Disruption learning drove this project
● Increased ownership led to greater
awareness and focus to their work
ESRII provided stipends for 4 teachers at ● Teachers noted an increased
Dillon Valley Elementary to support awareness of the 5 language
digging into a problem of practice: domains (listening, speaking,
REBUILDING STRONGER: Interim Report of the ESRII Page 31 of 33
● Best practices in delivering reading, writing, metacognition)
culturally responsive instruction among students
across learning environments
(remote, in-person, hybrid)
● The teachers focused on
bringing language awareness to
students and noting the impact
it had on their learning
Training & Mental Health Focus Groups Micro Pilot Report
Supporting Takeaways:
Great
ESRII, in partnership with the Colorado ● Reacting to the pandemic teachers
Teachers
Education Association, hired a facilitator are anxious, stressed and
to conduct educator focus groups experiencing mental health
with teachers from communities challenges
throughout the state in order to better ● No one felt prepared for the
understand educator mental health challenges of teaching in a
challenges/needs: pandemic
● Identified need for additional
mental health supports in schools
for teachers and students,
● Total of 3 focus groups with
especially in rural communities.
broad cross-section of educators
● Additional points of emphasis were
across Colorado's school
suggestions for professionalism and
districts (~22 teachers in 3
self-awareness coursework in Ed.
different focus groups,
Prep Programs, to support
representing urban, suburban
development of skills in self-
and rural school districts)
advocacy, boundary setting, group
● Gain better understanding of
dynamics, and holding difficult
teacher mental health needs in
conversations
this current moment
Training & Periscope Project - La Veta School Report (Expected Spring 2020 to allow for
Supporting District and Generation Schools Network project completion); some initial findings
Great Part of the Student-Centered include:
Teachers Accountability Program (S-CAP)
These opportunities for cross-district
collaboration have resulted in:
ESRII provided funding to support a ● Greater confidence among
partnership between La Veta and educators; an increased sense of
Aguilar School Districts - adjacent, rural belonging & motivation for
school districts in Southern Colorado educators; higher expectations and
- intended to improve both schools by greater aspirations among
providing educators opportunities to educators and for students; and the
REBUILDING STRONGER: Interim Report of the ESRII Page 32 of 33
work together and learn with and from beginnings of more project-based,
one another by: student-led learning
● Exploring alternate perspectives
through peer observations;
sharing ideas, strategies, tools,
and resources; engaging in ● Educators have built relationships
reflective practice and providing with peers who understand their
one another contextual context and their challenges – the
feedback; having productive peer network reduces rural isolation
conversations focused on and builds professional capital
solving wicked problems and (comprised of human, social, and
improving outcomes for all decisional capital)
students.
● Funding is also intended to
support the buildout of a peer Challenges
network among teachers in
additional school districts that ● How to build effective relationships
already participate in S-CAP, quickly, use time intentionally,
establishing and driving three function in a virtual world, and
job-alike peer networks across measure progress towards explicitly
14 S-CAP school districts stated goals.
January-June 2020 Spring 2020 Project Details
● This micro-pilot will establish and
drive three job alike peer networks
across 14 S-CAP school districts
January – June 2021.
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