East Central BOCES Is working on sending out stipends for any trainings that offered stipends.  In order to receive a stipend, you need to have completed all the necessary items to receive your certificates.  

You can quickly see which trainings you have completed by clicking on the Certificates Icon on the website home page after you have logged in.  If you are missing a certificate for a training you attended, please go to the page for that training and make sure that you completed the attendance during the training and completed the evaluation.

If you did not check in and submit attendance for a training, you will need to contact the presenter so that they can mark you as attended.  Evaluations can be completed at any time.  There is a link on each page to the requirements for Stipends.  Please make sure that they are completed.

We will pull training completion reports after April 7th so please make sure that all your info is current and requirements met before that date.

Two Free PD Opportunities coming up!

This no-cost online workshop will focus on The history and legacy of the Warsaw Ghetto and the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising and highlight appropriate rationale and resources available to classroom educators.

• A brief historical overview of the content and context of the Warsaw Ghetto and the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising. Thoughts on pedagogical approaches and rationale will also be shared.
  
• Author and current high school educator, Amy McDonald will share her insight and knowledge of the Warsaw Ghetto through her work…"Word Smugglers: A Story of Resistance in the Warsaw Ghetto." Amy will share key points in the story of the Oyneg Shabes archive from the perspectives of Dr. Emanuel Ringelblum, Rachel Auerbach, Israel Lichtenstein, David Graber, and Nahum Grzywacz. It is a story about a courageous group of men, women, and young people who chose to resist and fight back against cruelty and fear. This group did not fight back with guns and weapons. They fought back with words, stories, and truth.
  

NOTE: The first 25 educators to register AND complete this course will be mailed a copy of Amy McDonald's book, "Word Smugglers: A Story of Resistance in the Warsaw Ghetto" (2021).

•  We will share numerous classroom resources and personal resources to help facilitate your teaching of the Warsaw Ghetto and the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising. We will highlight the use of Echoes & Reflections' online and interactive "Timeline of the Holocaust," in addition to other resources.
• An overview of the Holocaust Awareness Institute's"Survival & Witness" website and supporting materials, and the additional resources that the Holocaust Awareness Institute can provide for classroom educators.

 To register, please email Todd Hennessy at tphennessy@hotmail.com

Please reach out with any questions.

Be safe,

On May 3rd, we are offering a 3D printer training.  There will be a chance to win one of five 3D printers during the training as well as 3D printer supplies.  Sign up today on the ECBOCES Website - CLICK HERE for more information.

Register on the ECBOCES website if you plan on attending this informational session focused on READ Plans. This training does NOT count towards your required 45 hours of READ Act training.

The Colorado Department of Education Office of Elementary Literacy and School Readiness will be providing training on the READ Act on March 29 from 9 am - 3 pm. During this training, the following will be reviewed and discussed:

• The purpose and history of the READ Act 

• Key terms and main components of the READ Act 

• READ Plans

• Identifying students with a Significant Reading Deficiency (SRD)

• Building a Body of Evidence

• Resources available on the CDE website

  This training is for K-3 teachers, district leaders, and admin.

   Lunch will be provided. 

DATE: Wednesday, March 29, 2023

TIME:  9:00 A.M. - 3:00 P.M. 

PRESENTER: CDE

LOCATION: East Central BOCES West Training Room

DESCRIPTION:

READ Act updates on compliance and creation of READ Plans in grades K-3. The training will give an overview of READ Plans for ELL students, Special Education, SRD, and READ Plans in general. Lunch will be brought in. Get registered now!

Please see the attached link for March Professional Development opportunities provided by ECBOCES. 

March PD Link

DATE:  Monday, February 27, 2023

TIME:  5:00 - 8:00 P.M. 

PRESENTER:  Darlene Blackford

LOCATION: IN PERSON ONLY!  EC BOCES West Training Room

DESCRIPTION:

On Monday, February 27th, 2023, Early Childhood Cluster is providing training for teachers on “Stop! Listen! Focus!”. The presenter, Darlene Blackford is a movement-educator specialist who has worked with thousands of children in the area of movement education in the classroom. She has developed, implemented, and refined practical and fun strategies that encourage children to move their bodies while learning classroom objectives. Ms. Blackford draws from a rich and diverse background which includes classroom instruction, teacher training, and workshop presenter experience.

This workshop is developed to help teachers practice classroom management in a fun and “user-friendly” way. This training opportunity will be offered on Monday, February 27th, 2023. Zoom will NOT be offered for this session, dinner will be provided so please register ASAP. IMPORTANT: Registration and attendance will be completed using the EC BOCES Website at www.ecboces.org for electronic check-in. This training will only be provided IN-PERSON only from 5:00 PM - 8:00 PM.   A $25 stipend will be given to all participants. 

EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATORS YOU DON'T WANT TO MISS THIS!  

DATE:  Monday, February 27, 2023

TIME:  5:00 - 8:00 P.M. 

PRESENTER:  Darlene Blackford

LOCATION: IN PERSON ONLY!  EC BOCES West Training Room

DESCRIPTION:

On Monday, February 27th, 2023, Early Childhood Cluster is providing training for teachers on “Stop! Listen! Focus!”. The presenter, Darlene Blackford is a movement-educator specialist who has worked with thousands of children in the area of movement education in the classroom. She has developed, implemented, and refined practical and fun strategies that encourage children to move their bodies while learning classroom objectives. Ms. Blackford draws from a rich and diverse background which includes classroom instruction, teacher training, and workshop presenter experience.

This workshop is developed to help teachers practice classroom management in a fun and “user-friendly” way. This training opportunity will be offered on Monday, February 27th, 2023. Zoom will NOT be offered for this session, dinner will be provided so please register ASAP. 

IMPORTANT: Registration and attendance will be completed using the EC BOCES Website at www.ecboces.org for electronic check-in. This training will be provided IN-PERSON only from 5:00 PM - 8:00 PM.   A $25 stipend will be given to all participants. 

East Central BOCES has some great Problem Based Learning Trainings coming up next week!

On Wednesday 15th February, there is a one hour remote training giving an overview of how to implement PBL in your math classroom with Kristen Eveland.  There is a $25.00 stipend for this training. More details can be found HERE.

On Thursday 16th and Friday 17th February, MindSpark Learning is coming and hosting a two day workshop that will give you all the tools to start a great problem based learning project in your classroom.  This project will be focused on Bee Pollination and can be used in all subject areas.  During the training, teachers will have the opportunity to use Dash Robots and the first 20 signed up (five spots still available!!) will be able to take a robot back to their classroom.  There will be other random giveaways during the training including the chance to win a Surface Pro!  Register today HERE.

Please see the link attached for PD opportunities provided by ECBOCES for the month of February. 

PD Link

Starr Sackstein's PBL session that was cancelled because of the snow storms last week has been rescheduled for Jan. 31st from 4:15-5:15. Please register on the ECBOCES website if you plan to attend!

We have revised dates on the calendar for our MindSpark trainings.  The Problem Based Learning two day training that was scheduled for the end of next week will not be offered on February 16th and 17th.  The Robotics Training that was cancelled in December will no be offered on February 24th.

All original registrations are still in place for these two trainings but please be sure to cancel if you registered before and cannot attend now.  We also do have seats remaining in both trainings and these are sure to be great trainings and will both have lots of giveaways including one or two Surface Pro laptops!

The trainings can be found at the links below:

2/16/23 & 2/17/23 Problem Based Learning

2/24/23 Robotics

Please be sure to register on the ECBOCES Website.

Amendments to the READ Act (SB19-199 and SB22-004) require that K-3 teachers who provide literacy instruction, 4-12 reading interventionists, and school administrators (including principals) must complete training to meet the requirements of the READ Act. The Literacy Team in the Office of Elementary Literacy and School Readiness will host biweekly, live informational webinars to provide updates on the READ Act teacher and school administrator trainings.

For information about dates and times for these webinars, please visit the CDE web page titled: READ Act Webinars.

If you have further questions, please contact ReadActTraining@cde.state.co.us 

Happy Friday!

Just a reminder: Registration for three Culturally and Linguistically Diverse AND Gifted courses will close on January 8th. The online (and self-paced) courses will open on January 9th. Take one or take all three! See the course flyer for more details. Contact Jodi at jodic@ecboces.org with questions. 

Jodi Church 

We have changed our login process to the ECBOCES website.  Your account info has not been affected but we have had report login problems.

When you go to our website, please use the ECBOCES Login button.  This should direct you to a screen to enter your email or username.  Once you enter that, you should get a screen that prompts for your password and will then log you into the site.  (For those that had their login credentials saved so that they autofill, this will no longer do that when you first use this new process and you will need to know what your login info is.)

Sometimes you might see a session error.  If this happens, normally clicking the ECBOCES login button at the bottom of that page will direct you to the username screen.

We have had a few report that they are getting a page not available error.  If this happens, please clear your browser cache and return to the ECBOCES website and try the process again.

If you still are having problems, please submit a ticket at help.ecboces.org.

We apologize for the inconvenience.  We have changed our process to a Single Sign On login that will allow one login to access multiple ECBOCES services.

Please see the attached link for PD opportunities provided by ECBOCES for the month of January. 

January PD Flyer

We want to congratulate Craig Bailey, East Central BOCES Director of Financial Services, on his recent marriage to Marissa!  We are so happy for the both of you and wish you the best that life has to offer!!  

ECBOCES has access to the online binders. If you teach Social Studies or English (4-12) and you do not have an account to access the DBQ binders and are interested in, please reach out to Megan Eikleberry at megane@ecboces.org. 

DBQ News

The DBQ Project - Winter 2022-23 Newsletter

The DBQ Project is Disciplinary Literacy in Context 

It is a well-established point that teaching reading and comprehension strategies out of context is inefficient and ineffective for most students. Though the importance of learning to read in a context is well-documented, many teachers and school leaders continue to emphasize intervention strategies that do not build the content knowledge students need to move forward.

Elementary students with rich social studies instruction score almost 25% higher on literacy exams than their counterparts (CCSSO). Robert Marzano repeatedly emphasizes the importance of social studies instruction for building strong vocabulary. Students with strong content backgrounds score higher on the SAT and ACT than students who lack content knowledge. 

The DBQ Project Approach

For years, the DBQ Project has been designing high quality content literacy lessons for social studies and English language arts. All of our lessons are inquiry-based and student-centered. As students grapple with a compelling question, they read and analyze a series of documents. Ultimately, students draw their own informed conclusions about the central question.

• Our Six-Step Method breaks down what is normally a complex process into manageable, concrete steps.
• Curious? Watch this quick video to learn from Dr. Laura Bacon and Sabrina Buggs about what happened in Aiken County a couple of years ago. Did you say scores increased 9.6%? In secondary? Yes. That happened. 

Staff Pick: The Louisiana Territory: Would You Have Supported the Purchase? 

Often students approach history as being an inevitable trajectory of events, as if it was all predestined. This sense of inevitability can make history seem a bit boring. But the progress of history was not preordained, rather it’s been ripe with uncertainty and controversy. Such is the case with the Louisiana Purchase.

The new Mini-Q, The Louisiana Territory: Would You Have Supported the Purchase?, brings this pivotal and uncertain moment in history to life, and helps kids understand the controversial nature of this event. Through a series of six documents, students consider the the native tribes occupying the vast Louisiana territory, and the economic incentives and disincentives surrounding the purchase. Further, students explore the rift between Federalist and Jeffersonian Democrats, as well as the constitutionality of the purchase.

In the end, students walk away with a deep understanding of a moment in history when our nation was at an important crossroads.

New Mini-Q's in American History 

New American History units are here... We are excited about the addition of our New Mini-Qs in American History Volume 1 and New Mini-Qs in American History Volume 2 binders! These new binders provide an additional 27 units of content and supplement our original American History binders. Please click on the button below for more information on these new binders. 

Click Here for More Information on our New Binders 

New Features and Updates 

Side-by-Side Document Analysis	Assignment Sharing	Essay Builder +

The DBQ Project Tech Team, along with Sealworks Interactive Studies, have been busy making improvements, adding some updates, and designing new features in DBQ Online for this school year. This summer we added three new components into the DBQ Online platform, including...

• Essay Builder + Teachers can now customize the language and structure of the essay builder all the way through the outline.
• Side-by-Side Document Analysis Students will now see the Document Analysis Questions and Document Analysis Sheets next to the documents themselves!
• Enhanced Assignment Sharing Teachers can now share assignments with anyone in their district (including district administrators) with one email click!

Click Here to View the New Online Features Video 

It Was Wonderful to See Everyone at NCSS! 

Click Here to Learn More About DBQ Online 

The DBQ Project 

Facebook@dbqproject 

"Helping ALL students read smart, think straight, and write clearly"

1234 Sherman Avenue, Evanston, IL, USA info@dbqproject.com 847-475-4007 dbqproject.com 

East Central BOCES has a great relationship with KAIDE (the Kansas version of VNETS).  Each year, they put on a Professional Development In Service day that offers a great amount of resources for any teachers or facilitators that work with Distance Learning - (of course that was everyone a couple of years ago!)

They have invited East Central BOCES members to participate remotely (or in person if you want a trip to Kansas!) in this inservice day free of charge.  The inservice is on January 23rd from 8am to 3pm.  ECBOCES will work with KAIDE to offer CE credit.

I have attached the flyer for the event.  If you have any questions about it, please contact Emma Richardson (emmar@ecboces.org)

On Monday, January 30, 2023, Early Childhood Cluster is providing training for teachers on “Self-Regulation and Early Childhood Training”. The presenter, Brittany Healy an Early Childhood Mental Health Consultant from Aurora Mental Health Center. This training will focus on the development of self-regulation in young children and what factors impact that skill growth. Participants will discover what age-appropriate self-regulation looks like at multiple early childhood stages, as well as how to develop self-regulation in young children by using coregulation. This training opportunity will be offered on Monday, January 30th, 2022, via Zoom.

Hello ECBOCES Educators, 

Are you looking for strategies to use with high achieving CLD students? Three 15-hour online, self-paced courses on supporting gifted and high potential CLD students will be offered starting Jan 9th. Participate in one or all three. By completing all three courses, you can earn up to 45 hours to fulfill the CLD re-licensure requirement. 

There is a $50 fee per course due at registration but ECBOCES will reimburse your course fee(s) upon completion of course requirements. See flyer for more information. You can register now using the link on the flyer. 

Contact Jodi Church at jodic@ecboces.org with questions. 

CLD - GT Courses Flyer Spring 2023

We have an 18 month grant funded position available for a Connected Learning Coach.  Please see this posting for full details. 

Due to unforeseen circumstances, MindSpark has had to cancel the training on Friday.  We will be rescheduling and will let you all know when the new date will be.  We apologize for the short notice and the inconvenience.

We still have slots available for this Friday's great Robotics training with MindSpark Learning.  Not only will the first 20 receive a Sphero Sprk Robot for their classroom but there will be a few other surprise giveaways as well.  Sign up today to take advantage of this great opportunity!  For all teachers, K-12.

• Rescheduled PD for ALL: Scaffolding in Instruction: How to Support Low Level Readers. Zoom from 4:15-6:15.
• Applying Mathematical Practices through Project-Based Learning K-12. Zoom 4:15-5:15 ($25 stipend included)

Make sure you register if you plan on attending! 

MindSpark Learning has two great trainings coming up!  The first one is a robotics training on December 2nd and if you are among the first twenty to sign up, you will received a Sphero Sprk for your classroom.  Click HERE to register.

The second training is a two day Problem Based Learning training on January 19th and 20th.  You will walk away from this training with ideas/lesson plans/all you need to get started on this engaging method of getting your students involved in their learning.  The first 20 for this training will also receive a Sphero Sprk robot. Click HERE to register.

Just a reminder we have two EL PD sessions this week. If you are looking for strategies to support your English Language students, make sure you register on our website. There will be a $25 stipend offered for each session. 

Tuesday, Nov. 15th- Help! I Have a Newcomer in Elementary with Beth Skelton. 

Wednesday, Nov. 16th- Assist-Based Instruction for Multilingual Learners with Rachel Fairchild. 

Please see the attached link for professional development opportunities provided by ECBOCES

Nov. PD Flyer

The PD for All Training- Scaffolding Reading Instruction When a Student is Below Grade Level that was scheduled for October 26th has been rescheduled for November 29th. If you had registered for the training your registration has been transferred over. If you are unable to attend on November 29th please go to the EC BOCES website and cancel your registration. If you did not previously register for the training on October 26th but would like to participate in the training go to the EC BOCES website and register for the training. The training will be from 4:15-6:15 via Zoom. 

PD for ALL # 2 - Scaffolding in Instruction:  How to Support Low Level Readers has been canceled due to illness.  We will be rescheduling this at a later date.  Thank you. 

We will be starting a book study with Stephanie Hartman from CDE focusing on Visible Learning for Social Studies. If you would like to be apart of the books study please email Megan Eikleberry at megane@ecboces.org so I can get a book ordered for you!

Help students move from surface-level learning to the transfer of understanding.

How do social studies teachers maximize instruction to ensure students are prepared for an informed civic life? VISIBLE LEARNING^® for Social Studies, Grades K-12 shows how the field is more than simply memorizing dates and facts—it encapsulates the skillful ability to conduct investigations, analyze sources, place events in historical context, and synthesize divergent points of view.

The Visible Learning framework demonstrates that learning is not an event, but rather a process in which students move from surface-level learning to deep learning, and then onto the transfer of concepts, skills, and strategies. Encouraging learners to explore different facets of society, history, geography, and more, best practices for applying visible learning to social studies curriculum are presented through:

·         A scaffolded approach, including surface-level learning, deep learning, and transfer of learning

·         Examples of strategies, lessons, and activities best suited for each level of learning

·         Planning tools, rubrics, and templates to guide instruction

Teachers must understand the impact they have on students and select approaches to maximize that impact. This book will guide you through the process of identifying the right strategy for the right time to successfully move students through surface, deep, and transfer learning.

If you're looking for differentiation strategies to use with your students, Depth & Complexity is your answer! The Depth & Complexity framework can be used in any content area and at any grade level. The best part is that the strategies and resources can be put to use immediately and can be used successfully with your current curriculum and with all students. 

See the flyer for more information and contact Jodi at jodic@ecboces.org with questions. 

Depth & Complexity Course Flyer

Link to Video and Resources

Early Childhood Cluster is providing training for teachers on "SEL (Social and Emotional Learning) for Preschool". The presenter, Bill Brown is an Affective Needs/Serious Emotional Disability Consultant from Colorado Department of Colorado. This training opportunity will be offered on Monday, October 24, 2022, via Zoom.

East Central BOCES is providing training for parents and teachers on "Working Collaboratively to Create IEPs. The presenter, Tracy Gershwin is an Intervention Specialist and Applied Behavior Analysis from the School of Special Education at UNC.  This training opportunity will be offered on Tuesday, October 18, 2022, from 4:30-5:15 via Zoom. To join the meeting click on this link: https://ECBOCES.ZOOM.US./J/96153784112

If you have questions please reach out to Bev Blagg at 719-740-0544.

After hearing a need from districts we added a CPI Initial training on November 4, 2022.  Register for this training on the East Central BOCES website prior to October 21, 2022, to allow sufficient time to complete the virtual portion of the training. If we do not have 6 participants signed up for the course by October 21, 2022, the class may be canceled.

The intent and philosophy of CPI are to provide the best care, welfare, safety, and security at any given moment to the individuals in your charge even in violent moments. 

Registration: Please register online at www.ecboces.org Please make sure your email address is correct or one that you check often as a portion of the class will be completed online. The link will be sent to this email address from CPI Learning (no affiliation with ECBOCES).  The last day to register for each class is 2 weeks prior to the in-person class.  No online module links will be sent out after this date.

Fee for EC BOCES districts: Initial Certification - $43 Recertification - $38 

Location: All trainings are in a blended format with a portion completed online and finishing training at the East Central BOCES Training Room.  Online module completion is required to participate in the in-person training.

Attire: Wear comfortable clothing and closed-toe shoes.

Contact CPI Certified Instructors: JoDee Ellis - jodeee@ecboces.org                                                             Callie Burgess-callieb@ecboces.org

In an effort to meet the Colorado State Board of Education Rules for the Administration of the Protection of Persons from Restraint Act, specifically: R-2.03 Staff Training – “All public educational programs shall ensure that staff utilizing restraint in schools or facilities are trained.” 

Training shall include "2.03(1) a continuum of prevention techniques; 2.03(2) environmental management; 2.03(3) a continuum of de-escalation techniques; 2.03(4) nationally recognized physical management and restraint, including, but not limited to, techniques that allow restraint in an upright or sitting position; 2.03(5) methods to explain the use of restraint to the student who is to be restrained and to the individual’s family; 2.03(6) and appropriate documentation and notification procedures.” 

10/11/2022 - Help! I have a Newcomer English Learner in my Secondary Class!

This will be a Zoom event.

DATE: Tuesday, October 11, 2022 

TIME: 4:15 - 5:30 P.M. 

PRESENTER: Beth Skelton 

DESCRIPTION: Do you have students new to English in your content classroom? This session provides concrete, practical strategies for making grade level content lessons comprehensible for students even on the first day. In this interactive session, you will experience learning content in a new language and apply those strategies to your own lessons. Make sure you register on the EC BOCES website if you plan to attend to get the Zoom link.

The following are upcoming Paraprofessional Clusters and their topics: 

Sept. 19, 4:30 - 6:30 P.M. - over Zoom

Rescheduled from September 1st.  Roles and Responsibilities of a Classroom Paraprofessional!  

IMAGINATION LIBRARY OF COLORADO: 

                           For kids from birth-age 5

Kit Carson and Lincoln County have recently been added to receive this program. 

The mission of the Imagination Library of Colorado is to increase literacy by ensuring all young children across the state may participate in Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. 

Our goal is to provide support to current affiliates and launch new affiliates so all children in Colorado have access. 

We know that reading begins at birth, that the benefits of a home library go far beyond the books, and that parents and guardians are a child’s first and best teacher. By providing books every month at no cost to families, the Imagination Library increases childhood literacy rates, fosters a love of books, and promotes a culture of reading among all families in Colorado.

• Imagination Library books are specially selected age-appropriate, high-quality titles.
• Our books are delivered to registered children each month from birth to age five.
• Each book is personalized with the child’s name and mailed directly to the child’s home.
• This creates a gifting experience, making books exciting, showing the child someone is thinking of them. 
  

Share this with families in your communities, friends with young kids, or sign up your own young kids for free! Click on the link below and select enroll 

https://www.imaginationlibrarycolorado.org/?fbclid=IwAR2oEyzp1YuHCTzs7l4EFpaLOmWTy14CIS3r2iGw_cKbks2mJz2jhGlHCr8

DATE: Wednesday, September 7, 2022 

Register on the EC BOCES website

TIME: 4:15 - 5:15 P.M. PRESENTER: JoAnn Anderson EC BOCES ELL Consultant -facilitated by EC BOCES Title III Coordinator Mitzi Swiatkowski 

LOCATION: Zoom 

Hi All,

As school district instructional teams begin reviewing their Home Language Surveys, screening students, determining language proficiency designations of students and notifying parents, many teams have questions about the process, or a specific situation.  Please join us tomorrow (Wednesday) if you have questions or would like to take part in the presentation, discussion and Q & A.

EL Consultant, JoAnn Anderson will review English learner identification requirements, in addition to information about data needed for Data Pipeline and other State and Federal guidance and obligations to be considered when serving English learners. There will be time for questions at the end of the session.

DATE: Wednesday, October 12, 2022    

TIME: 9:00 A.M. - 4:00 P.M.

Hello Paras,

For the past few years, we have been able to provide professional development in Computer Science related areas (Robotics, 3D Printing, etc) and been able to provide some tools for your classrooms.  As I get ready to submit another application, I would request that you take a couple of minutes to complete this very brief survey to help me meet your needs in this area.

CLICK HERE TO RESPOND

Thank you.

MSU Denver is offering a free 4-part Trauma-Informed Practices training series. We were fortunate to be able to collaborate with MSU Denver and North East BOCES to have Part 1 of the series presented as our first PD for All Cluster to be held on September 22, 2022, via Zoom. The topic of this session is Understanding Trauma and Stress. To register for this training go to the calendar at the EC BOCES website.

MSU Denver would like to give BOCES and District Staff priority to register for the following 3 sessions that are part of the 4-part series. To save the date for the follow-up sessions go to:  https:tinyurl.com/TIP-qr-code.  

Anyone who attends all four training sessions is eligible to attend a week-long Training of Trainers Training offered during summer 2023. EC BOCES would like to support a team in attending the Training of Trainers. EC BOCES would pay for lodging and meals for participants to attend the Training of Trainers and would provide compensation when you train others within the EC BOCES Administrative Unit. 

If you are interested in being a part of EC BOCES Training of Trainers make plans to attend the 4-part series and contact Beverly Blagg at bevb@ecboces.org or 719-740-0544. 

There have been changes made to the Zoom Login process and you are ONLY able to login using SSO login.  The first time that you use SSO login, it will prompt for a domain - please type ecboces in this box and then login with your ECBOCES login info.  This will only affect people that were using Google login to access their Zoom account. 

We apologize for any inconvenience this might cause but the ECBOCES SSO login will also give you access to our website and the helpdesk without the need to login again.  On both of these sites, just use the ECBOCES SSO button to automatically log you in to these sites.

If you have any trouble, please put in a ticket at our helpdesk (help.ecboces.org) or email help@ecboces.org.

Thank you.

DATE: Wednesday, September 7, 2022 

TIME: 4:15 - 5:15 P.M. PRESENTERS: JoAnn Anderson EC BOCES ELL Consultant and Title III Coordinator Mitzi Swiatkowski 

LOCATION: Zoom 

DESCRIPTION: If you would like to review, or have questions about the redesignation, screening, and identification of English learners, this is the Zoom for you. EL Consultant, JoAnn Anderson and coordinator, Mitzi Swiatkowski will facilitate the hour long Zoom session addressing the noted topics, in addition to information about data needed for Data Pipeline and State and Federal Requirements. There will be time for questions at the end of the session.

ECBOCES is working to support consortium member district teachers as they complete the online modules and earn a certificate for the required K-3 reading training (CDE deadline Monday, Aug. 1).  

Consortium teachers responsible for reading instruction who are eligible for the stipends include teachers from the following districts: Agate, Arickaree, Arriba/Flagler, Bennett, Bethune, Burlington, Byers, Cheyenne Wells, Deer Trail, Genoa/Hugo, Hi-Plains, Idalia, Karval, Kiowa, Kit Carson, Liberty, Limon, Strasburg, Stratton, Woodlin.  (Title III consortium members working in districts outside of this list are not eligible.)

The current budget includes funding for ECBOCES to offer consortium member teachers (who have not yet completed the training) a stipend for completing the following CDE approved PD (while funds last):  Option 5-CDE-Provided Training (online course or face-to-face at no cost to the teacher).

Register for the CDE training at this link:  http://www.cde.state.co.us/coloradoliteracy/onlinecdetraining

Contact Mitzi Swiatkowski at mitziski@ecboces.org with any questions.

Hello All - 

If you need an CPI Initial course or the CPI Refresher you need to sign up for these ASAP!  Space is limited!  

CPI INITIAL CLASS

DATE: Monday, August 1, 2022

TIME: 9:00 A.M. - 3: 00 P.M.
PRESENTERS: JoDee Ellis & Callie Burgess
LOCATION: East Central BOCES West Training Room
DESCRIPTION:
Please see information attached. You must register in advance in order to receive the written portion of the course to have completed by the in-person training. Lunch will be provided.

CPI REFRESHER

DATE: August 2, 2022
TIME: 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM
PRESENTER: Callie Burgess and JoDee Ellis
LOCATION: West Training Room, ECBOCES
DESCRIPTION: This is blended format training. All participants must register prior to the live training to receive access to the online part that must be completed prior to the training.

See information below:  

https://www.ecboces.org/pluginfile.php/16468/mod_forum/post/4401/CPI%20Training%202022-23.pdf?time=1656014706319

Next year, we will continue to work with Stephanie Hartman from CDE. Please fill out this 1-2 minute survey about Social Studies PD topics for next school year. 

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSedSN3Is86EyAO1BXTE9dN9GkJxSKdq7iYa2kZ0zzTTchfbsQ/viewform?usp=sf_link

We are working on some website improvements and would value feedback from our member districts!  Please take a few minutes to respond to this brief survey and help us as we work on updating the website to better meet your needs.

CLICK HERE 

Thank you.

Emma Richardson

Ute Knowledge History Kits for FREE!!!

Stephanie Hartman from CDE has shared an opportunity for elementary teachers. History Colorado has launched their new Ute Knowledge History Kits!  These free kits are available for educators across Colorado.  They are looking for a few teachers in our area who would be interested in piloting the kit.  If interested, please see more details on the attached flyer. 

 https://drive.google.com/file/d/1mL0SXJxIMeBcnBOUb5VSdNaP6tY6IanE/view?usp=sharing

Please see the below information for PD with the Denver Museum of Nature and Science. Learn more at: https://www.dmns.org/learn/teacher-professional-development/k-12-professional-development/

Registration Limit: 40 attendees

Registration Ends: 3/22

Webinar 1: Wednesday, 3/30, 4:15-5:45pm

Webinar 2: Wednesday, 4/6,   4:15-5:45pm

Webinar 3: Wednesday, 4/13, 4:15-5:45pm

March is Brain Injury Awareness Month. Please read the attached flyer to find out more about the leading cause of death and disability in the United States.

https://www.ecboces.org/pluginfile.php/16468/mod_forum/post/4045/Brain%20Injury%20Awareness.pdf

Apply for the Educator Loan Forgiveness Program
 

The Colorado Educator Loan Forgiveness Program offers loan repayment assistance on qualified loans for educators, mainly for those who serve in rural and hard-to-fill positions in Colorado. Those who qualify may be eligible to receive up to $5,000 in loan forgiveness for any given year. Individuals who continue to qualify may apply every year of the program for up to $5,000 in loan forgiveness annually. The program is funded for five years. The electronic application for the first round of awards will open on Wednesday, Dec. 15. More program details can be found on CDHE's website.

For More Information, Contact Megan McDermott at 720-394-3205 or megan.mcdermott@dhe.state.co.us

IMAGINATION LIBRARY OF COLORADO: 

                           For kids from birth-age 5

The mission of the Imagination Library of Colorado is to increase literacy by ensuring all young children across the state may participate in Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. 

Our goal is to provide support to current affiliates and launch new affiliates so all children in Colorado have access. 

We know that reading begins at birth, that the benefits of a home library go far beyond the books, and that parents and guardians are a child’s first and best teacher. By providing books every month at no cost to families, the Imagination Library increases childhood literacy rates, fosters a love of books, and promotes a culture of reading among all families in Colorado.

• Imagination Library books are specially selected age-appropriate, high-quality titles.
• Our books are delivered to registered children each month from birth to age five.
• Each book is personalized with the child’s name and mailed directly to the child’s home.
• This creates a gifting experience, making books exciting, showing the child someone is thinking of them. 
  

Share this with families in your communities, friends with young kids, or sign up your own young kids for free! Click on the link below and select enroll 

https://www.imaginationlibrarycolorado.org/?fbclid=IwAR2oEyzp1YuHCTzs7l4EFpaLOmWTy14CIS3r2iGw_cKbks2mJz2jhGlHCr8

During the Title I training on September 30th, there were many questions regarding the READ Act and wanting clarification on EL students, SPED students, and possible training. The SPED guidance for local districts in ECBOCES is to not include the READ Plan in a student's IEP. These should be two separate documents. Attached is READ Plans and Students with Disabilities Guidance Document from CDE with highlighted areas that contributed to East Central BOCES decision that the READ Plan would not be included in IEP’s. In addition, we have attached an EC BOCES document to assist in integrating components of the IEP into the READ Plan to ensure the documents complement each other.

Here is the guidance and response we received from the READ Act Team at CDE:

All students in grades K-3 that are identified as having a significant reading deficiency (SRD) should have a READ plan. 

This READ Act and English Learners document provides guidance and flowcharts for determining SRD for English Learners. The READ and EL webpage provides additional information on the READ Act and English Learners and provides a sample READ Plan for English Learners. 

Districts have the option to integrate READ Plan goals into an IEP based on the following language in the READ Act:

CRS 22-7-1206 (3) Notwithstanding any provision of this part 12 to the contrary, if a student is identified as having a disability that impacts the student's progress in developing reading skills, the local education provider shall, as appropriate, integrate into the student's individualized education program created pursuant to section 22-20-108 intervention instruction and strategies to address the student's reading issues in lieu of a READ plan.

However, most districts choose to keep these plans separate. This is a local-level decision, and it is recommended that district leadership (including Special Education leadership) consult with district legal counsel to determine the most appropriate related district policy. You may find the information and scenarios in this READ Plans and Students with Disabilities guidance document helpful as you make considerations.

It is important to keep in mind that students with an IEP who are identified as having a significant reading deficiency are entitled to all the supports outlined in the READ Act, including scientifically and evidence-based core instruction, READ Act assessments, and READ plan services, whether documentation of the READ plan intervention instruction and strategies are integrated into the IEP or kept as two separate documents. 

Our training team is currently providing the K-3 evidence-based training in teaching reading sessions and is not available to provide live READ Act training this fall. We are updating resources on our website and will be posting a voiceover READ Plan training that can be viewed by individuals or in a group. We will let you know as soon as this training is posted on our website. 

Teacher, Alex Taylor, taught four Zoom sessions of "Survival Spanish for Educators" in September.

Links for all four sessions are available on the EC BOCES website (https://www.ecboces.org/), and can be accessed by clicking on the "Professional Development" tile on the homepage, then clicking on the "English Language Learners" tile, then scrolling down to "Survival Spanish Course for Educators". 

Teacher, Alex Taylor, will facilitate "Survival Spanish for Educators" Session #4 on Friday, September 24 from 9:00-10:00 AM.  Links for the videos from sessions #1, #2 and #3 are available on the EC BOCES website (https://www.ecboces.org/), and can be accessed by clicking on the "Professional Development" tile on the homepage, then clicking on the "English Language Learners" tile, then scrolling down to "Survival Spanish Course for Educators".  The video for Session #4 will be added as well once the session is complete.

Full-Time Special Education Paraprofessionals needed for our West Area Center-based Learning Program located in Strasburg.  Competitive pay and benefits including individual health insurance. $13-$17 per hour depending on experience. Rewarding position in a supportive work environment with same schedule as Strasburg School District. To apply for this position, please complete the Classified Application for Employment available for download on the ecboces.org website under "Jobs" or contact Tracy at (719) 775-2342, ext. 101.  Please fax completed application to 719-771-4001 or email it to tracyg@ecboces.org Equal Opportunity Employer 

Mitzi was award the the Roy G. Brubacher Award on July 12, 2021 at the Colorado BOCES Association meeting held in Colorado Springs. Mitzi is pictured above with Jason Westfall, EC BOCES Executive Director and her husband Greg. The Roy G Brubacher award recognizes outstanding leadership at the regional, state, or national level. Without question awardees show leadership that has impacted school districts in our region, across our state, and even at a national level. This is a well deserved award for Mitzi. She is voice for East Central BOCES schools and other rural schoosl at the state level. Mitzi is very skilled at her job and spends countless hours ensuring everything is completed appropirately and timely to ensure EC BOCES districts receive funding they need to provide services to students. As Jason shared in his nomitation letter, most of us are replaceable as someone could step in and take are place if needed, but that is not the case with Mitzi. The skills and knowledge she exhibits are outstanding and she it not replaceable. Congratulations Mitzi for this well deserved award!

(Edited by Jason Westfall - original submission Thursday, July 15, 2021, 8:43 AM)

Educator Licensing

Professional license extension increased to 7 years

Recently passed Colorado House Bill 21-1104 extends all professional teacher, special services, principal and administrator licenses from five to seven years. Beginning July 1, all applications for professional licenses will be issued for seven years and all active professional licenses will automatically be extended two years, (as will any professional licenses issued in response to renewal applications already submitted).

This two-year extension also delays the deadlines for meeting any required English learner, special education and behavior health professional development activities at the time of renewal, thus granting educators additional time to meet these requirements. Visit the Educator Professional Development Requirements webpage for more information. 

Please keep in mind that READ Act requirements do not pertain to licensure so this extension does not apply to them. However, the deadline for individuals teaching reading in a K-3 classroom to meet this requirement has been extended to the beginning of the 2022-23 school year. Visit the K-3 Teacher Evidence-Based Reading Training Requirements webpage for more information about the READ Act and how individuals may fulfill its expectations.

Terms:  The stipends will be paid out on a first come, first serve basis.  Once the budgeted amount has been expended, no more funding will be available to be paid out.  Hard deadline: May 28, 2021 (if the funding lasts through that date).  Please submit as soons as you have completed the training, and gathered the documentation.  Almost 50 stipends have already been paid out which is about 1/3 of the funding available for the stipends.

Email a scanned copy of the Stipend Request Form, W-9 and certificate of  of the successful completion of an approved training to:

Mitzi Swiatkowski (mitziski@ecboces.org)

East Central BOCES

719-775-2342 Extension 114

The stipends will be paid for with Federal funds and are approved only for payment to certified teachers for completing CDE approved and provided online, or face-to-face online PD.

The following are not eligible for stipends: Holding a State of Colorado Endorsement as a Reading Teacher or Reading Specialist, CDE-approved Alternative Assessment, Undergraduate or Graduate Reading Course.

As per CDE guidance, the state provided training, and payment of the stipend will be limited to K-3 teachers and other teachers providing literacy instruction for students grades K-3, such as a Title I teacher, EL teacher or Special Education teacher.

Good Morning All,

One of the consortium teachers emailed me with a question about the EL and READ Act PD requirements.  She had been reviewing the READ Act online module introduction.  It indicated that many ELL strategies are included in the online program.  This was her question, "Is there a possibility that this class/program could also count toward the 45 hours of ELL training that we need in order to renew our teaching license?"  I emailed Jennifer Simons who works in licensure at CDE in Educator Talent as an Educator Development Principal Consultant.  She responded with, "This should be fine."

If you choose to earn the EL PD hours as you are completing the READ Act PD requirements, please take notes that will allow you to provide a description of how the module addressed the selected elements in the EL PD Matrix.  Jennifer at CDE has told me that "justification is key".  

From my perspective, the READ Act PD will most likely meet EL PD Standard III, Elements A and B related to literacy development.

CDE provided reading training online is now available. 

Reading Course Details:

• Registration for the online asynchronous training “Building a Strong Foundation: Developing Early Literacy Skills” by the Public Consulting Group, Inc. is now open.
• After registering, participants will receive access to the course in the Pepper Learning Experience Platform.
• Access to the online course will expire one year after the enrollment date.
• Completion of all course modules and a score of 80% or higher on the end of course assessment are required to meet the evidence-based training in teaching requirements.

https://www.cde.state.co.us/coloradoliteracy/onlinecdetraining

WIDA Resources:  eLearning Professional Development 

WIDA (Wisconsin Center for Educational Research, at University of Wisconsin, Madison) provides eLearning courses for Colorado educators as part of their contract with CDE. These courses are free and count toward the English Learner Professional Development Quality Standards Professional Development requirement for relicensing. Educators can request access to WIDA eLearning by contacting the WIDA Client Services Center (help@wida.us) from their school issued email. Please share this information with new and veteran teachers in your district.

CDE has training courses available for K-3 teachers needing CDE hours to meet the READ Act requirements.

Reading Course Details:

• All face-to-face sessions will be held virtually as synchronous sessions.
• Class sizes will be capped at 30 participants.
• If a minimum of 15 participants do not register for a cohort, the cohort may be canceled.
• Registration for courses will close 2 weeks prior to the first training session to allow for manuals to be mailed to participants. 
• Course manuals will be mailed to participants soon after registration closes.
• Attendance at all training sessions and a score of 80% or higher on the end of course assessment are required to meet the evidence-based training in teaching requirements.

We are collaborating with Belize to provide some teachers to share a session or so for their teacher training conference this summer.  If you have a great idea, are considered innovative or just have something that you want to share with other teachers, ECBOCES, through the help of the Morgridge Foundation is offering stipends for teachers who would be willing to teach a session or so via Zoom/Google.  Please contact Emma Richardson (emmar@ecboces.org) for more information.

ECBOCES is looking for a part-time Spanish teacher to teach over our Distance Learning system.  Please see  https://www.ecboces.org/course/view.php?id=19 for more information. 

(Edited by Lorie Coonts - original submission Monday, May 11, 2020, 9:44 AM)

Hi All,

I realize you have had so many resources and links passed on and it can get a bit overwhelming to keep track of all of them.  

In the last several weeks CDE has passed on info about serving students including:

• COVID-19 and Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Education
• Colorado Provisional Identification and Placement of English Learners
• Re-designation of English Learners
• Colorado EL Distance Learning Guidance
• COVID-19 and ESEA 

Links to all of these resources can be found in one place on the EC BOCES website:

In order to access them, log into the website.

Look for the "COVID-19 Resources for Districts" (orange rectangle on the right side of the homepage).

On the next page look for "CLICK HERE FOR FEDERAL PROGRAMS RESOURCES" (on the right side of the page).

Clicking on that link will take you to the resources CDE has shared with me.  I will continue to add the the list as the resources are made available.

Best,

Mitzi

Need Resources and Support with Transitioning to Remote Learning?

We recognize the unprecedented moment in education across the country.  Are you in need of support with maintaining student engagement in scientific practices through remote instruction? PEER Physics has online resources to help with timely and effective web-based support for teachers and parents.

Remote learning link for resources: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1kOOmCOl9XHQo-iSP1wsIl2LbBx7TW19e

Jonathan Mann

Director of Educational Partnerships
University of Colorado, Boulder | School of Education
jon.mann@peerphysics.org | Cell: 303-887-6216
PEERphysics.org 

East Central BOCES has started a webpage of resources for our districts that might be looking at closing down during this COVID-19.  This page will continued to be updated as we continue to research options for our schools that might need to support their students remotely.  A link to the page is found on the ECBOCES website or the page can be found HERE.

For those teachers who have school email addresses associated with a Google Apps account, we have now enabled Google login so that you can log in to our website with your school credentials.  Currently, this is set up for the following districts:  Agate, Arickaree, Arriba Flagler, Burlington, Hi Plains, Idalia, Limon, Kiowa, Stratton. 

To take advantage of this, you have to do the following:

1. The email in your ECBOCES profile must be your school email address.  (If you are unsure, when logged into the site, click on your name in the top right hand corner of the site, click on Profile.  If the email there is not your school email, click on Edit Profile, update the email and click on update profile)

2. If you are logged into the ECBOCES website, log out.  Then, from the home page, click on the Google icon in the Login box.  Enter your school login.

3. You will then be sent an email to connect your Google login to your ECBOCES website account.  Once you have clicked on the link in the email, the two accounts will be linked and you will then be able to use your school login to access our website.

We hope that this will make it easier for you to access our site.  I hope to be able to add more districts as they confirm that the emails will match correctly so if your district is not listed and you know that you have Google Apps, please put in a help desk ticket and we will follow up.  A few districts (Bennett, Byers, Deer Trail) do not have your school email linked to Google and so we cannot set those up as yet.