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. 

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The Colorado BioScience Institute has a virtual high school science teacher training, specific to Biotechnology, coming up this winter (info below).

Grow Your Biotech Classroom Lab Skills   High School Virtual Teacher Training: Biotechnology in the Classroom  Interactive virtual sessions: January 11th 4PM-6PM January 18th 4PM-6PM January 25th 4PM-6PM February 1st 4PM-6PM   Stipend $400 stipend paid to participants upon completion of the course. *Teachers must plan to teach in 2022/23 to quality and attend all four sessions for the full stipend   Credit  0.5 Graduate Level Continuing Education Credit offered from Colorado School of Mines (tuition covered by the Institute) *Teachers must attend all four session for 0.5 credit   Connect and build your community of practice with other Colorado educators teaching biotechnology! This is a unique opportunity for high school teachers to earn a stipend, credit, and classroom supplies all while learning virtually.    The Biotechnology Experiences in the Classroom (Amgen Biotech Experience/LabXchange) teacher professional development program will provide high school science teachers the opportunity to learn a molecular biology curriculum designed to introduce students to the excitement of scientific discovery in the field of biotechnology. The curriculum is designed to allow teachers to have the opportunity to explore the methods scientists use to create biotechnology medicines.   You will have the opportunity to learn the Biotech Experience labs and lessons through a virtual experience utilizing ready-for-classroom materials. Through guest speakers, you will hear experts and employees in the local biotech industry share their insights. Through this course, you will gain valuable knowledge of the Biotech field to share with your students.    Whether you are experienced with biotech or brand-new, we have an onramp for everyone!   Limited availability: This course has sold out previously — Apply now! Deadline December 22nd.    Learn More and Apply   Generous support for the Biotechnology Experience in the Classrooms training is provided by the Amgen Foundations and the Medtronic Foundation.  What Participants Are Saying   “I think this is the most valuable PD I have ever been to in terms of increasing my abilities specifically as a science content teacher and gave me so much help in planning and executing my curriculum.”  Teacher, Anatomy & Physiology, Biochemistry, AP Biology     The Institute is a 501(c)3 non-profit that provides educational activities and opportunities for individuals and companies, students and educators related to the life science industry in Colorado.

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

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

Dec. PD

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.

There are two Zoom PD opportunities tomorrow, Nov. 29th!

• 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. 

A message from Beth Montgomery: Happy November! Many of you are diving into writing instruction now that the year is off and running. Check this out for ideas to reduce grading time and increase the effectiveness of feedback.

If AP Readers only spend 2-3 minutes scoring a DBQ essay, what are you doing? You know you are a teacher, when you bring your bag home each night full of papers to grade, fall asleep and never get to it, and then do the same thing the next night. It's a daunting challenge that all teachers of writing face. Having students write means having to score/grade that writing. This month's DBQ Online support newsletter addresses those concerns. We hope this is helpful in speeding up the grading process and taking some of the fears away. Reduce Grading Time Through Rainbow Editing Rainbow highlighting is a color-coded system that gives the writer a way to check their work for errors. It is a strategy designed to help students identify the elements of a proficient essay in their essays, each other’s essays, or sample essays. Students are to highlight each element of a proficient essay in a different color. Students can rainbow highlight their own papers in order to see what revisions need to take place. This strategy can also be done during a peer editing session. Highlighted papers also allow the teacher to draw their attention directly to what is being scored, what the student is interpreting as an element of a proficient essay, and cuts the grading time in half. DBQ Online Rainbow Codes.pdf undefined Download 337.1 KB Why Rubrics and Scoring Guides? Rubrics and scoring guides provide students with a clear understanding of what is expected of them. Students have concrete directions about what makes a good science project, a good persuasive writing piece, etc... Many studies have proven that rubrics improve students' end products and thus increase the students' overall learning. Rubrics and scoring guides provide students with valuable information about the degree to which a specific learning outcome has been achieved. They provide students with concrete feedback that displays areas of strength and areas in need of improvement. Students can use this feedback as a tool to further develop their abilities. Rubrics and Scoring Guides in DBQ Online DBQ Online contains the four main rubrics and scoring guides that are featured in the Teacher Toolkit section of the DBQ binders. The two rubrics include a comprehensive and a holistic rubric. The two scoring guides include a self-check guide and a one-point scoring guide. Both scoring guides provide opportunities for students to self-score before the teacher scores. Mollie does a great job going over each rubric and scoring guide in this screencast. Customizing Rubrics in DBQ Online One of the new features added this past summer with DBQ Online is the ability for teachers and administrators to customize rubrics. Teachers and administrators will be able to create customized rubrics to score student work directly on the platform. Click HERE to view a short video of the features included in this summer's DBQ Online update. The video below explains how to use customized rubrics in the DBQ Online platform. How To Customize Rubrics in DBQ Online For More on Giving Feedback in DBQ Online, Click Here Did you know that you can save and apply frequently made comments using our Custom Comment feature? We have preloaded some comments, but you can edit and add to the list to address your students’ specific needs. Using a comment bank can be a HUGE time saver, and still allows you to provide meaningful feedback to your students. Watch the video below to get an idea of just how much time it can save you. DBQ 101 Asynchronous Introductory Course DBQ101 is a self-paced professional development course that familiarizes teachers with The DBQ Project Method and teaches them how to make the process engaging and powerful for students. It is designed to replicate our full-day introductory workshops. Participants will work through the steps of The DBQ Project Method at their own pace, pausing to reflect and practice along the way. Teachers will first experience a DBQ from the student perspective, learning what it is like to learn with a DBQ, before transitioning to the teacher perspective to learn how to build a unit and support their students. Two fall windows are open for registration at no cost to online subscribers. Courses will launch on November 8 and December 13. Each course window will remain open for one month to complete. Register for the Introductory Course Missed Last Month's Newsletter? Click Here!

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.

Book Study Zoom dates from 4:15-5:15:

Jan. 18th- Ch. 1
Feb. 22nd- Ch. 2
March 29th- Ch. 3
April 26th- Ch. 4 and 5

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

REMINDER!! Zoom session from 4:15-5:15 for secondary teachers. 

Do you have students new to English in your content classroom? Join Beth Skelton as she 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. A $25 stipend will be given to those who attend. 

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.

Earlier today, our website inadvertently sent out a reminder for an event.  We apologize for any confusion.  Please ignore the email - it was due to an event that was apparently set up in error.  

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.” 

The museum is generously offering an additional benefit to teachers who participate in this program.  This workshop will qualify them to borrow artifacts from the museum's teaching collection for their classroom use. 


DBQ Flyer

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.

If you teach Social Studies or English and have not registered for DBQ Online, please follow the instructions below to access some amazing resources!

We're excited to work with you and help you get started with our platform. Below are several resources to help you launch the year. For Teachers: Teacher Login Instructions via Google (image below) Getting Started Guide (download) To Share with Students: Student Login Instructions (download) How to Use DBQ Online as a Student

Once you've logged in, you're ready to set up classes and create assignments! Click the button below to learn how to get started with DBQ Online. Check out our Getting Started Guide! Looking for more help? We offer weekly, hour long demos to help teachers learn to use DBQ Online. Sign-Up for a Demo

Downloads/Attachments Getting Started Guide Student Login Instructions

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

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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 

WIDA Secure Portal Redesign and eWorkshops: Complete your coursework today!

If you took advantage of the WIDA Self-Paced eWorkshops, and have worked on any workshops that you have not yet completed, you must complete the work before August 31 to be sure you receive the professional development contact hours from WIDA.  More details below:  The WIDA Secure Portal is getting a makeover! The redesigned WIDA Secure Portal goes live on September 1. A few things to keep in mind: Make sure your professional learning coursework counts! The portal will be down briefly on August 31, so we encourage you to wrap up any in-progress coursework before then. When you log in to the redesigned portal, you’ll notice some changes in how you access WIDA self-paced eWorkshops. Instead of going through the WIDA eLearning Center, you’ll select Professional Learning from the main menu and locate the course you want. Click Course Details and Enroll Now to join the course. From that point, you’ll interact with the course exactly as you’ve done in the past. The next time you log in, you’ll see an option to Enter Course. WIDA will move over your account and course completion history, and you’ll keep your same login information. Have you changed schools or districts recently? Log in and update your account information so you’re ready to go on September 1. Need assistance with your account? Have additional questions about the WIDA Secure Portal? Contact the WIDA Client Services Center at 866-276-7735 or help@wida.us.

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.

CDE has paid WIDA to provide these eWorkshops to Colorado teachers to earn EL PD hours for free.  This will not be available forever.  If you need assistance getting onto the WIDA website for access to the eWorkshops, contact the person(s) in your district who has/have an account to administer the ACCESS assessment, and they should be able to guide or assist you in gaining access to the site/workshops.  EC BOCES does not have the capacity (is not able) to assist with the WIDA website. Hello,    Have you been meaning to try a WIDA Self-Paced eWorkshop to earn EL PD contact hours? Or perhaps you started one, but didn’t get a chance to finish? Don’t worry, you have until August 31, 2021, to access this year’s self-paced offerings:  WIDA Writing Rubric  Doing and Talking STEM  Classroom Educators: Engaging Multilingual Newcomers  Leading for Equity: Classroom Walkthrough  Social Studies: Engaging Multilingual Learners through Inquiry  Developing Language for Learning in Mathematics  School Improvement Planning for Multilingual Learners  The WIDA ELD Standards Framework: A Collaborative Approach  Visit the WIDA Self-Paced eWorkshops webpage to view eWorkshop descriptions, estimated time to complete each course, and more.  If you’ve started an eWorkshop, and haven’t had a chance to complete it yet, follow these steps:  Log in to your WIDA Secure Portal account and click on the WIDA eLearning Center tile.  Click into the eWorkshop you started. Look to see if you have any green checkmarks on the Modules page (located on the left menu bar). This may help you determine where you left off.  Work through the eWorkshop modules, which may include videos, handouts, and activities.  When you’re finished, print a certificate to document your eWorkshop completion.  Questions? Visit your member/state page on the WIDA website for specific instructions from your State Education Agency, or contact the WIDA Client Services Center at 1-866-276-7735 or help@wida.us.    With gratitude,  Your friends at WIDA

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.

Use this link to sign-up for the online training with CDE

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.

Visit this link to sign-up
https://www.cde.state.co.us/coloradoliteracy/cdeprovided-readingtraining-f2f

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. 

Hello Families, Students, Staff and Service Providers. 

As part of the Office of Special Education Programs’ (OSEP) results-based accountability process, OSEP requires states to gather information from students one year post high school exit as part of our State Performance Plan Indicator 14. In Colorado, districts are responsible for contacting students to collect data on special education students who have graduated, dropped out, or aged out and report that information to the Colorado Department of Education. This survey is intended for students who have left high school or a transition program, not those currently enrolled in a secondary education program. 

These calls will begin around June 1st to families of students that graduated one year ago.  Please respond to the call so that we can gather the appropriate data in order to support our special education programs. 

Thank you all! 

(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.