The Alumni

The next meeting of the Public School Capital Construction Assistance Board will be held Wednesday, Aug. 27 in Denver.

The meeting will be held from 9:00 to 11:30 a.m. in the State Services Building at 1525 Sherman St., room B70.

The meeting agenda includes:

Approve minutes from the Aug. 20, 2008 meeting

Review/approve proposed Facility Construction Guidelines

Discuss/approve the request for proposal (RFP) for the Statewide Facilities Assessment

·         Appoint interview committee for the selection for a vendor for the assessment

Full-Day Kindergarten Facility Capital Construction

·         Review/approve draft of emergency rules for prioritizing Full-Day Kindergarten grant applications

·         Discussion on modular and other auxiliary structures as permanent solutions for Full-Day Kindergarten classrooms

The BEST legislation increases the level of financial assistance provided to school districts, charter schools and Board of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES) for capital construction projects, particularly in those school districts that can’t afford to meet their own needs.

The function of the Public School Capital Construction Assistance Board is to protect the health and safety of persons using public school facilities and to maximize student achievement by ensuring public school facilities provide a safe and un-crowded environment that is conducive to student learning.

For more information on the Capital Construction Assistance Board and to read board minutes, visit

http://www.cde.state.co.us/cdefinance/CapConstCCAB.htm

Colorado elementary schools

Tuesday, Aug. 26

·Colorado Commissioner of Education Dwight D. Jones will attend an Alliance for Choice and Education (ACE) breakfast featuring Mayor Cory Booker (Newark, NJ), Sen. Peter Groff and former Gov. Roy Romer. Speakers will discuss how to learn about the state of the education system and how expanded educational options can help prepare our most needy children for today’s competitive, global economy. The breakfast begins at 7 a.m.

Location – Denver Country Club, 1700 E. 1st Ave, Denver

·Commissioner Jones will attend Americans for the Arts, an event at Museo de las Americas in Denver. The discussion will be moderated by former U.S. Secretary of Education Richard Riley. Featured guest speakers include Christopher Dodd, Manuel Diaz, Sheila Johnson and John Legend. The event begins at 3 p.m.

Location – Museo de las Americas, 861 Santa Fe Drive, Denver

Wednesday, Aug. 27

·Commissioner Jones will attend the Democracy Alliance from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.

Location – Governor’s Residence, 400 E 8th Ave., Denver

Thursday, Aug. 28

·Commissioner Jones will help celebrate Reg Weaver’s retirement as president from the National Education Association (NEA). The event begins at noon.

Location – Tamayo, 1400 Larimer Street, Denver

·Commissioner Jones will meet with members of The New West Project, a group headquartered in Denver that conducts research and develops strategies to secure and exploit recent Democratic gains in the Western states. The meeting begins at 1 p.m.

Location – Governor’s Residence, 400 E 8th Ave., Denver

·The commissioner will make his way to INVESCO Field to witness Sen. Barak Obama’s acceptance speech as the Democratic nominee for president. The speech begins at 8 p.m.

Location – INVESCO Field at Mile High, 1701 Bryant Street, Denver

Friday, Aug. 29

·The commissioner will address teachers at Eagle County Schools about the district’s partnership with the Colorado Department of Education on the Closing the Achievement Gap pilot. The meeting begins at 2:30 p.m.

Location – Eagle County Schools, 757 E Third Street, Eagle

Colorado Department of Education

Educators, parents, business leaders, community members and all members of the public are invited to join an important conversation about the future of education in Colorado.
 
The Colorado State Board of Education and the Colorado Department of Education are preparing for the comprehensive revision of the state’s Model Content Standards.
 
Beginning today, applications are being accepted for membership on subcommittees that will recommend revised standards for arts, mathematics, physical education, reading, writing, science, social studies and world languages.
 
“The state model content standards drive classroom instruction and student learning,” said Jo O’Brien, Assistant Commissioner for Standards and Assessment. “We need a broad cross-section represented in our discussions to ensure the updated standards accurately reflect what students need to know and demonstrate in every subject, at every grade level.”
 
Applications are available online at
* https://forms.cde.state.co.us/cgi-bin/ezs.cgi?DATABASE=modelcontent
 
The deadline to submit applications is September 15, 2008.
 
The committees will be responsible for recommending new 21st century standards to the Colorado Board of Education by December 2009.
 
Candidates will be notified of their selection to the committees by mid-October.
 
Stakeholders Meeting Monday, Aug. 25
 
The Colorado Model Content Standards Review Stakeholders will meet Monday, Aug. 25 in Breckenridge at Main Street Station, 505 South Main St. The meeting will run from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
 
The purpose of the meeting will be to finalize the shape and terms of the “13th grade,” to agree on the selection process of content subcommittee membership, and decide timeframes for definitions and WestEd products. 
 
In April, CDE released a briefing paper that provides a review and analysis for definitions of 21st century skills, college readiness and career readiness. The analysis was conducted by WestEd, a nonprofit research, development and service agency. The complete report is posted on the CDE Web site at
http://www.cde.state.co.us/Communications/download/PDF/20080409WestEdStandardsDefinitions.pdf *
 
WestEd also analyzed state policy nationwide regarding grade by grade articulation. This report is posted on the CDE Web site at http://www.cde.state.co.us/cdeassess/documents/OSA/stand_rev/West_Ed_Articulation_Paper.pdf

Colorado Model Content Standards

Colorado Commissioner of Education Dwight D. Jones today issued the following statement on the passing of Gerry Difford, former assistant to the commissioner:

“The Colorado education community has lost a thoughtful and inspiring leader,” said Commissioner Jones. “Gerry Difford was a passionate leader and dedicated educator who devoted his career to improving education across the state. He worked in a variety of administrative positions but always kept the classroom in his heart. We will miss his engaging smile, easy-going attitude and his genuine sense of purpose.”

Gerry Difford recently retired from the Colorado Department of Education as assistant to the commissioner. He served as a special assistant to the commissioner since 1999 and he formerly worked as assistant superintendent in Cherry Creek Schools, executive director of the Colorado Association of School Executives, and as area superintendent and principal in Jefferson County Schools.

Commissioner Dwight D. Jones

The Public School Capital Construction Assistance Board has approved a resolution calling for the board “to move forward, expeditiously” to consider applications for the 2008-2009 fiscal year.

“It is the board’s intention to recommend awards in fiscal year 2008-2009,” states the resolution, approved at the board meeting yesterday (Wednesday, Aug. 20).

The nine-member board oversees what is known as the “BEST” legislation, approved by the 2008 Colorado State Legislature. BEST stands for Building Excellent Schools Today.

The BEST legislation increases the level of financial assistance provided to school districts and charter schools for capital construction projects, particularly in those school districts that can’t afford to meet their own needs.

It’s anticipated that BEST legislation will provide approximately $500 million for capital projects including new schools, major renovations, additions and smaller projects. With local matching contributions, the $500 million may be leveraged to as much as $900 million or $1 billion.

The board will next consider guidelines that will be used to evaluate project eligibility, said Ted Hughes, Director of the Public School Capital Construction Assistance program.

The guidelines will be used in a statewide assessment of every public school building in the state, including charter schools.

The next meeting of the board is scheduled for Wednesday, Aug. 27.

For more information about construction program, call Ted Hughes at 303-866-6948.

Colorado schools

Monday, Aug. 18

Commissioner of Education Dwight D. Jones will help Montrose County School District Re-1J launch the 2008-2009 school year. Commissioner Jones will join the entire Montrose staff for breakfast followed by a keynote address. The breakfast begins at 7:15 a.m.

Location – Montrose County School District Re-1J, 126 South 5th Street, Montrose

Tuesday, Aug. 19

The commissioner will attend the Colorado Legacy Foundation trustee meeting from 3 to 5 p.m. A reception will immediately follow from 5 to 6 p.m. The Colorado Legacy Foundation is a new, privately funded nonprofit organization founded by CDE. The foundation aims to link business leadership with Colorado’s P-20 education system to better prepare students for today’s rapidly expanding, knowledge-centered economy.

Location – Benson Mineral Group, 1560 Broadway, Suite 1900, Denver

The second meeting of the Public School Capital Construction Assistance Board will be held Wednesday, Aug. 13 in Denver.

The meeting will be held from 9:00 to 11:30 a.m. in Room B70 at the State Services Building, 1525 Sherman St. (directly west of the Colorado Department of Education offices). 

The meeting agenda includes:

Approve minutes from the Aug. 7, 2008 meeting

Executive session to discuss applicants for director position

Recommendation by the Assistance Board to the Commissioner of Education regarding Director of the Division of Public School Capital Construction Assistance

Discussion of conflict of interest

Full-day Kindergarten Capital Construction

Review ranking criteria

Review/approve projects to recommend to the state board

Set date for review/approval process

Proposed Facility Construction Guidelines

Board communications and expense reimbursements

Discussion of Statewide Facilities Assessment

Discussion of timeline

The BEST legislation increases the level of financial assistance provided to school districts and charter schools for capital construction projects, particularly in those school districts that can’t afford to meet their own needs.

The function of the Public School Capital Construction Assistance Board is to protect the health and safety of persons using public school facilities and to maximize student achievement by ensuring public school facilities provide a safe and un-crowded environment that is conducive to student learning.

Colorado news

Wednesday, Aug. 13

Commissioner of Education Dwight D. Jones will attend the Colorado State Board of Education work session beginning at 9:00 a.m.

Location – Colorado Department of Education, 201 E. Colfax Avenue, State Board Room, Denver.

Thursday, Aug. 14

Commissioner Jones will join the Colorado State Board of Education during their regular board meeting beginning at 9:00 a.m.

Location – Colorado Department of Education, 201 E. Colfax Avenue, State Board Room, Denver.

Friday, Aug. 15

Commissioner Jones will welcome teachers and administrators back to work when he attends the kick-off of the Adams County School District 14 school year. Jones will speak at 8:30 a.m.

Location – Mile High Event Center, 5155 East 64th Avenue, Commerce City.

Colorado high school news

On the heels of the passage of Building Excellent Schools Today (BEST) Act, the first meeting of the Public School Capital Construction Assistance Board will be held Thursday, Aug. 7 in Denver.

The meeting will be held from 9:30 a.m. to noon in Room B75 at the State Services Building, 1525 Sherman St. (directly west of the Colorado Department of Education offices). 

The BEST legislation increases the level of financial assistance provided to school districts and charter schools for capital construction projects, particularly in those school districts that can’t afford to meet their own needs.

The function of the Public School Capital Construction Assistance Board is to protect the health and safety of persons using public school facilities and to maximize student achievement by ensuring public school facilities provide a safe and un-crowded environment that is conducive to student learning.

The first meeting agenda includes:

Introduction

Attorney General Orientation

Assistance Board Powers and Duties

Discussion of Timelines and Future Meetings

Discussion of Conflict of Interest

Full-day Kindergarten Capital Construction Overview

State Aid for Charter School Capital Construction & Quality Zone Academy Bonds

Proposed Facility Construction Guidelines

Discussion of Statewide Facilities Assessment Process

Election of Chairperson, Vice-Chair and Secretary

Executive Session to Discuss applicants for Director Position

Board members include Tim Guiterman, Commercial Buildings Engineer, Governor’s Energy Office; Mike Maloney, Director of Facilities, Colorado Springs School District 11; Superintendent Greg Randall, Plateau Valley School District 50; Norwood Robb, Board President, Denver School of Science and Technology; Tom Stone, Project Executive, Adolfson & Peterson Construction; Superintendent Dave Van Sant, Strasburg School District 31-J; Tim White, member of the Douglas County School Board; Mary Wickersham, State Treasurer’s Office; and Adele Wilson, Principal Architect, Slaterpaull Architects.

Vody Herrmann, Assistant Commissioner of Public School Finance, will facilitate the meeting.

The board will ensure the most equitable, efficient and effective use of state revenues to provide financial assistance for capital construction by assessing public school capital construction needs throughout the state. The board will also provide expert recommendations based on objective criteria to the state board regarding the appropriate prioritization and allocation of such financial assistance. 

The board has the following duties:

·        To establish public school facility construction guidelines;

·        To conduct or contract for a financial assistance priority assessment of public school buildings and facilities;

·        To review financial assistance applications and provide a prioritized list of projects to receive financial assistance to the state board;

·        To provide assistance, through the division within the department, to school districts and charter schools in identifying critical capital construction projects, preparing applications, construction management and implementation of energy efficiency;

·        To authorize the state treasurer to enter into lease-purchase agreements on behalf of the state;

·        To enter into sub-lease agreements with applicants on behalf of the state;

·        To set rules and processes as necessary. 

Members on the board are appointed by the Colorado State Board of Education, the governor, and the General Assembly.

Colorado education