One of the greatest promises of the charter school movement has been the potential to create diverse school models to meet the varied needs of children, families, and communities. As policy makers and charter leaders have recognized the need to hold charters accountable for strong performance, however, there has been a move towards more…

When students first enroll in college, they are required to demonstrate readiness for college-level work. Course placement depends on standardized assessments, and students who do not attain a satisfactory score are typically assigned to developmental (e.g. remedial) education courses. The theory behind this approach has been that remedial…

The work principals do has always mattered, but as the demands of the job increase, it matters even more. Perhaps once they could maintain safety and order and call it a day, but no longer. Successful principals today must also lead instruction and nurture a productive learning community for students, teachers, and staff. They set the tone for the…

In this paper, Leading Educators and the Aspen Institute propose a roadmap to empower teachers to lead from the front of the classroom. This paper outlines key phases that system administrators will need to consider as they build teacher leadership systems that address their highest priorities. For each phase, the Aspen Institute offers a…

The rationale for taking bold action on the nation's persistently failing schools can be summed up in one dramatic and disturbing statistic: half of the young Americans who drop out of high school attend just 12 percent of the nation's schools. Ending the cycle of failure at schools is a daunting challenge and a surprisingly controversial one.…

The Statewide Extended Campus is a system encompassing programs of all of Colorado's four-year state educational institutions and represents one of the primary vehicles through which the public service role of each college and university is carried out. This policy and procedure document represents Section IV of the compendium of Colorado's…

The goal of these guidelines for the education of Colorado's gifted and talented students is to develop an administrative structure and management plan that will enable local districts to provide appropriate educational services to children and youth identified as gifted and talented, to assure the quality and appropriateness of those services,…

The Building Blocks to Colorado's Content Standards were developed to connect early childhood education to the K-12 content standards, to advocate for appropriate teaching strategies for preschool children, and to support awareness and understanding of early childhood foundational skills among parents and teachers. Five sets of building blocks are…

As bilingual education emerges after the 1974 Lau decision, the additional need to test the language proficiency of bilingual education teachers is recognized. Examination of possible means of validating language proficiency of bilingual education teacher certification candidates shows several alternatives, some desirable and some not. A review of…

This guide presents state policies and procedures for all types of off-campus instruction delivered by Colorado institutions. Instruction may be offered at off-campus locations, at other institutions' campuses, or delivered to students via the mails or electronic media. Part A provides an introduction, while Part B considers general policies…

This Colorado manual offers guidelines for parent counseling and training, which is seen as a special education related service to assist parents of students with disabilities in the development and implementation of the child's Individualized Education Program (IEP). The introduction addresses the purpose and benefits of parent counseling and…

This document is intended to provide guidance in the delivery of motor services to Colorado students with impairments in movement, sensory feedback, and sensory motor areas. Presented first is a rationale for providing adapted physical education, occupational therapy, and/or physical therapy services. The next chapter covers definitions,…

This 3-year state plan presents Colorado's proposals for special education in compliance with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and state laws. Preliminary information certifies compliance with standard submission, certification, policy, and procedure requirements. The bulk of the document addresses how federal funds are to be used.…

This document provides guidelines to school districts, BOCES, and teacher training institutions regarding technology-related skills that Colorado teachers, school library media specialists and other certified staff should have in order to meet the ever changing needs of Colorado's learners. The document is the result of deliberations by a working…

Policies of the Colorado Commission on Higher Education on the outreach program for adult students are outlined, along with procedures to be followed by participating institutions. The program encompasses both noncredit and credit instruction at all levels and may be offered on- or off-campus in traditional or nontraditional formats and time…