News 

Educator Talent launches Educator Research and Impact webpage

The Educator Talent Division is excited to announce the launch of the Educator Research and Impact webpage.  A key initiative of the Colorado Department of Education is to develop a strong pipeline of high-quality educators.  Maintaining a highly qualified, diverse educator workforce is complex and requires collecting, analyzing and questioning multiple sets of data. Visit the new Educator Research and Impact webpage to access this data, including the Educator Preparation Program Report,  the Educator Shortage Survey, Educator Effectiveness Metrics, and Colorado Educator Workforce Geographic Information Systems Maps. 

Updated Educator Preparation Programs Report features new Colorado teacher information

The Educator Preparation Programs Report, released in collaboration between CDE and the Colorado Department of Higher Education, features demographic information on teacher candidates enrolled in educator preparation programs, candidates who have completed the programs and newly trained teachers who have obtained teaching jobs in Colorado public schools. 

Student academic growth data were not available for this year’s report but will be included when available in the future. Information about new teachers includes employment data, on-the-job performance metrics, and data about teacher retention and mobility.

The EPP Report webpage features an interactive dashboard with information about the effectiveness of the programs in Colorado that train teachers, principals and administrators.

Email Educator_Development@cde.state.co.us with feedback or questions.

TEACH Colorado updates

TEACH Colorado received the Rocky Mountain Workforce Development Association (RMWDA) Proud Partner Award. “Thanks to the incredible partnership of workforce centers across the state, TEACH Colorado is connecting job seekers to a future and a role they might not have envisioned for themselves, but one in which they will thrive and make a difference,” said Annette Konoske-Graf, senior program manager for TEACH Colorado, who accepted the award during a special virtual ceremony held on Dec 2.

RMWDA is a non-profit organization that is a partnership of state and local workforce centers with the Colorado Workforce Development Council, Colorado Department of Labor and Employment, and Colorado Department of Human Services. This award recognizes the amazing work TEACH Colorado is doing to recruit Colorado educators. 

TEACH Colorado’s next $1,000 scholarship deadline is Dec. 31

Scholarship applicants must have enrolled in a partnering EPP for the fall, winter or spring semester for 2020-21. Visit the TEACH Colorado Scholarship webpage for details. For questions, please contact akonoskegraf@teachcolorado.org. 

Educator Preparation

Praxis updates

Over the last several months, ETS has worked to provide at-home testing options for Praxis assessments and made changes to support candidates based on feedback they have received. Recent changes include:

• Candidates will only need to visit ETS’s website to complete the registration process.

• The frequency a candidate can retake a test has been shortened to 28 days from 35 days .

• The ability to block out test dates for registration of a test that has not been passed so candidates can see when they may retake the test.

Additional resources have been added to the ETS website, including a video on how to register for a test. ETS is also adding a chat function and  increasing call center hours.

Moving forward, at-home testing will be a permanent option while still having the ability to also have in-person testing. While most tests are available for remote testing, Praxis is committed to adding additional tests in 2021. Unfortunately, challenges with World Language exams continue to exist. Candidates who need a World Language Praxis test must continue to seek open test centers to take those assessments. 

ETS has also launched the ETS Praxis LinkedIn page. Please visit the new page and follow them for program updates and the latest information.

Seeking IHE Faculty to assist in Standards Review

The Office of Standards and Instructional Support at CDE seeks higher education representatives to participate in standards development committees for several content areas of the student Colorado Academic Standards.

The application is open through Monday, Jan. 11, for the content areas of social studies, visual arts, music, dance and drama/theatre arts. Selected applicants will be notified in March and will begin work in May. View the application here.

For more information about the committee selection process, visit the Colorado Academic Standards Review and Revision webpage.

Educator Licensing

Reminder: eLicensing will be offline Dec. 23 - Jan. 5

To prepare for the release of a new and improved eLicensing system, the existing system will be unavailable from Wednesday, Dec. 23, to Friday, Jan. 5.

Visit the CDE Licensing webpage for more information.

Sign up for the Substitute Boot Camp

CDE is pleased to announce the Substitute Boot Camp, a free, virtual seminar specifically designed to support, assist and encourage substitute teachers. The Substitute Boot Camp is an excellent opportunity for anyone interested in becoming a substitute or guest teacher as well as any licensed substitutes preparing for their first day in the classroom. Seminars are scheduled to take place January through April.

Visit the Step Into Substitute Teaching webpage for more information, including registration links.

Educator Effectiveness

Educator Evaluations Focus on Professional Practices: Maximizing the Mid-Year Review

Given that final effectiveness ratings for the 2020-21 school year will be based solely on professional practices (i.e., will not include MSL/Os), the mid-year review will look different for educators. However, the key components for a successful mid-year conversation between evaluator and educator remain. Specifically, the mid-year conversation includes a review of progress made towards, and possible adjustments within, the educator’s professional growth goals. The mid-year review is a time for the evaluator to share updated rubric comments, as well as comparisons between the educator’s self-assessment and what the evaluator has noted on the rubric to date. The purpose of this is to identify and explore any discrepancies between the two. This data may inform areas of focus for the second semester.

As a result of this mid-year conversation, every educator will ideally have a clear understanding of their current rubric ratings as shared by the evaluator, with a focus on achieving their professional growth goals by the end of the school year. In support of these efforts, consider accessing the Educator Effectiveness resource for maximizing the mid-year review. 

For more information,contact your Educator Effectiveness Regional Specialist or email educator_effectiveness@cde.state.co.us.

Educator Effectiveness Virtual Spring Semester PLCs coming soon

In response to the success of our recent professional learning community sessions, Educator Evaluations and Changing Environments, the Educator Effectiveness team will offer multiple, virtual PLC sessions this coming spring semester. The content for these sessions will build upon what was shared and explored this fall related to effective observations―specifically the four-step observation process of “collect, sort, interpret, and provide feedback”―that contribute to meaningful conversations between evaluators and educators.

• The next PLC will take place in early February and will focus on providing effective data-driven feedback to educators as a part of the evaluation cycle.

• The final PLC offering for the 2020-21 academic year will be in late spring and will explore goal setting in uncertain times as well as available educator effectiveness resources and supports.

Specific dates and times, along with registration details, will be provided in January on our Educator Effectiveness Regional Supports webpage. For more information, or to offer suggestions for these and future PLCs, contact your Educator Effectiveness Regional Specialist or email educator_effectiveness@cde.state.co.us.

Educator Development

New Educator Professional Development Requirements webpage

Recently, three initiatives stipulated professional development for some groups of educators. Two of those initiatives require professional development as part of the 90 contact hours for licensure renewal and one (READ Act) requires districts to assure their teachers’ completion of the professional development. 

1. As a result of HB 20-1128 and HB 20-1312, educators must complete a minimum of 10 contact hours of training in special education and behavioral health, with at least one  hour in special education or behavioral health. This is a recurring requirement for licensure renewal.

2. Teachers who hold an elementary, English, math, science, social studies or middle-level endorsement must complete a one-time requirement of 45 contact hours of professional development regarding English Language Learners (ELLs). This is a one-time requirement for licensure renewal for these educators.

3. Educators teaching reading to K-3 students in Colorado must show evidence of competency in science-based reading instruction or complete 45 hours of professional development for the READ Act. This is a one-time requirement for currently employed educators teaching reading in a K-3 classroom.

In an effort to make these requirements as easy to understand as possible for all educators and leaders, a new webpage has been created to outline the details of each requirement, including to whom each applies.

For general licensing questions, email the CDE Licensing Office.

For questions about READ Act requirements, email READ Act Communications.

For questions about the legislation related to Special Education/Behavioral Health training, email the Educator Development Office.