It’s a well-known aphorism that neither property nor liberty are safe while the Legislature is in session! Suffice it to say that great changes are afoot at the Federal, State and Local levels – much of which affects the world of post-secondary and workforce preparation. For more information contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or follow the links below.

At the Federal Level:

Colorado has been named as a finalist for  Race to the Top funding. A team went to Washington to make our case on March 16: Counseling and CTE and Postsecondary Preparation are all referenced, as is STEM education. Click here to read more.

SAFRA (Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act) is the acronym for HR3221, which abolishes FFELP (in favor of Direct Loans), renews the College Access Challenge Grant and creates the College Access and Completion Grant Program. It was rolled into the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and the Reconciliation Act of 2010 and has been signed by the President.

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At the State Level:

The State Board of Education adopted its rules for the ICAP (Individual Career and Academic Plans ). Note that CollegeInColorado.org meets all the requirements of the ICAP. Contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

The Concurrent Enrollment Advisory Board continues to meet on a monthly basis.  Contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Despite a scary week, in which it was thought that the JBC would recommend its elimination, the Counselor Corps Grant Program continues. Contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it Click here for more information.

CDHE’s Strategic Planning Initiative is under way, with a Steering Committee appointed by the Governor and four Sub-Committees include: Mission, Pipeline, Accessibility and Sustainability. Meetings are frequent and open to the public.

Having adopted the Post-Secondary and Workforce Readiness Definition (June 2009) and new Content Standards in 13 subject areas (December 2009), CDE and CDHE are working on statewide Assessments, due to be adopted by the State Board of Education by December 2010. To follow this process, see the Assessment Stakeholder Group and the series of Co-Convened Hearings. Your input is welcome…and vital! Click here for more information. 

Parent Involvement in Education: SACPIE (State Advisory Council for Parent Involvement in Education) meets on a monthly basis. Counselors, CTE and Higher Education are all represented. To be notified, contact Janna Oakes.

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Current Legislation:

The Governor’s Budget proposal would limit the College Invest Early Achievers Scholarship Fund to existing undergraduates and eligible HS juniors and seniors. Click here for more information.

Legislation has been proposed to apply remaining College Invest Early Achievers Scholarship funding to scholarships for job training (SB10-39) and Green and Medical Job Training (HB10-1262).

Other bills range from expanding the offerings of Mesa State and Colorado Mountain Colleges to expanding Tuition Flexibility.

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Changes at CDHE: Rico Munn has appointed Kim Poast Deputy Executive Director and Cheryl Lovell Chief Academic Officer.

Changes at College In Colorado: Dawn Taylor Owens has appointed Mackenzie Altman as the Outreach Coordinator for the Western Slope and Timpi Webber as the Outreach Coordinator for the Eastern Plains. Bridget Black has been appointed Communications Manager.  Ashley Sakker is now in charge of scheduling trainings. Click here for the College In Colorado Fact Sheet, which include contact information.

 

Over a very busy summer, CDE has made vast strides towards implementing key elements to P-20 Education. Please see below for some of the many updates:

Post Secondary and Workforce Readiness Definition (adopted by the State Board of Education and CCHE on June 30, 2009): Combines CAP4Kids, P-20 reform and the work of the transitions profession.

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Individual Career and Academic Plans (ICAP): The State Board of Education must adopt standards by February 1, 2010. CSCA, CCHS/CR and CACTE have been monitoring progress.

Note that College In Colorado has developed some tools for ICAP implementation. Watch for information about the special ICAP section of the CollegeInColorado.org portfolio and ICAP guideways for each grade coming in December.  Click here to learn how others are implementing the ICAP in their school districts. 

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Parental Involvement in Education (Senate Bill 90): The State Advisory Council for Parental Involvement in Education (SACPIE) has been named. Cori Canty and Janna Oakes will represent Counselors and CTE. Contact is This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

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Concurrent Enrollment: The Advisory Council has been named and the first meeting is set for November 13th. Contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it at CDE for more information.

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The New Model Content Standards will be adopted by the State Board of Education in December. For more detail of the Financial Literacy Standards, please contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it at CDE.

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Assessments: There will be new assessments for all Colorado students, replacing the CSAPs. Assessments will be adopted by December 2010, and introduced in 2012. CDE has set up an Assessments Stakeholder group and a calendar of public hearings- participation is encouraged.  EPAS, Career Readiness, Work Keys and other tests indicative of postsecondary readiness will be discussed.

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Race to the Top (R2T) will likely bring as much as half-a-billion dollars to Colorado, starting next March. STEM interests have set up an “affinity group” which features several postsecondary prep elements.

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New Executive Director for CDHE – The Governor has appointed Rico Munn as the Executive Director of the Department of Higher Education.

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These items will be discussed at upcoming conferences, like CSCA, Colorado Council and CACTA. The Lt. Governor is confirmed as the Keynote Speaker for the Statewide Pre-Collegiate Conference, which will held on March 12, 2009 in Denver.

 

 

 

May 2009:

The Legislature passed several bills this year which will impact the “transitions” profession. Chief among them is the School Finance Act (SB09-256), which includes a requirement that every 6th grade student will open a CollegeInColorado.org account and Colorado will get standards for ICAPs (Individual Career and Academic Plans). Other key bills address Concurrent Enrollment, Parental Involvement, Drop Out Prevention and Accountability.

SB09-256 School Finance Act includes important language about College In Colorado and ICAPs
SB09-90 Parental Involvement in Education
SB09-285 Concurrent Enrollment (CTE)
HB09-1319 Concurrent Enrollment (ASCENT) Accelerating Students Through Concurrent Enrollment

Race to the Top – American Recovery and Reinvestment Act

Postsecondary and Workforce Readiness – CDE has published draft Standards in Math, Science, Language Arts and Music and is hosting a series of statewide hearings.

Download the ICAP language and a matrix of key legislation.

All these items will be discussed at various venues, such as the CSCA, Colorado Council Boards, and CACTE Conference. For further information, contact Gully Stanford at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

EdNewsColorado.org is designed to allow its readers to follow education policy as it's being made, not just read about it after the fact.

This site, produced by the Public Education and Business Coalition, is sponsored by The Daniels Fund, The Piton Foundation, the Donnell-Kay Foundation, the Colorado Children's Campaign and the Colorado League of Charter Schools. The former HeadFirst Colorado website, as well as the Schools for Tomorrow blog, have been full incorporated into the EdNewsColorado web site.