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Charter School Institute
Main Line: 303-866-3299
Fax Line: 303-866-2530
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Dear School Leaders,
Welcome to February which I'm guessing will be filled with overseeing enrollment for next year, collecting letters of intent to return from staff, Valentine's Day parties, and everyone hoping for a snow day. Here in Denver, the 2018 Legislative Session has begun and many of us are working hard to fight for funding equity for our schools. Although you might have heard that the revenue forecast looks quite good for the state, our fight for this funding is formidable. The $5.5 million is in the Governor's budget, but securing the support of our legislators is critical which means that our persistent advocacy is essential. Without question, we continue to rely on our partners to support us in this endeavor and, in particular, we are incredibly grateful to the League's tremendous advocacy on behalf of our schools.
Back at the CSI office, this month we are focused on mid-year staff development. As such, the Leadership Team is having a retreat this week and our book read is
The Leadership Challenge by James M. Kouzes and Barry Z. Posner. This is one of my favorites. If you haven't read it, the premise of the book is about the five practices of leadership that "mobilize" others to accomplish extraordinary things in organizations. The practices include: Model the Way, Inspire a Shared Vision, Challenge the Process, Enable Others to Act, and Encourage the Heart.
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Additionally, we will have an all staff professional development day later in February. As we near the end of the month, we will enjoy time with all of you during our All School Leaders Meeting, Board Training and then top it off with the annual League Conference. Several CSI staff will be presenting at the conference and the CSI Board and Staff look forward to visiting with you during CSI's Happy Hour on Thursday, March 1st. Also, please check out the scholarship opportunities that we are providing to attend the League Conference.
Also, I want to remind everyone that I am trying hard to attend as many school board meetings as possible. Many thanks to Amanda Oberg who is helping me with scheduling so don't be surprised if she reaches out to you. I hope you know how much I genuinely enjoy meeting your board members and having an opportunity to talk to your communities about CSI as an authorizer.
Finally, we'll send updates and action alerts during the Legislative Session. Not only do we want to make sure that you are well informed, we truly can't accomplish our advocacy without you. Legislators and stakeholders definitely want to hear from you and learn about your students' accomplishments and the wonderful things that are going on in your communities. Please don't forget to
share your stories with us.
Looking forward to seeing you soon!
Terry
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1/8-2/9:
2/1:
- Student Services Training - Denver
2/2:
- School Counselor Corp Letter of Intent due
- Student Services Training - Colorado Springs
2/9:
2/12:
- CSI Board Committee meetings
2/13:
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2/14:
- Happy Valentine's Day
- ACCESS materials due to CSI
- EOY initial submission
2/19:
- SAT/PSAT accommodation requests to College Board due
- Presidents' Day - CSI Offices closed
2/20:
2/28:
- School Leader meeting
- Board to Board Networking & Training event
3/1:
- CSI Reception at the CLCS Conference
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Assessments and Improvement Planning
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On January 16, 2018, CSI held its monthly Board Meeting at the Independence Institute in Denver. The CSI Board approved a
revised student fees policy and
rescinded a number of policies that were either outdated or duplicative. This is part of an effort to clean up the CSI BoardDocs page and make it more user-friendly.
Visit the
CSI BoardDocs page for up-to-date school policy and procedures and to view prior CSI Board Meeting Minutes.
The next CSI Board meeting will be held on Tuesday, February 20, 2018 at 10am at the Daniels Fund - 101 Monroe St., Denver, CO.
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CSI is the largest growing
district in the state!
Check out the article, above,
from Chalkbeat
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National School Choice Week Rally in Colorado Springs
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Colorado Springs Early Colleges showed their support by attending the rally proudly wearing their NSCW scarves!
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Welcome the newest member of the
CSI Data Submissions Team!
We are incredibly happy to announce that Sarah Clark will be joining the CSI Data Submissions Team as our second Data Submissions Coordinator. Sarah comes to us with over 15 years of experience
in data management, data reporting/analysis, and process improvement. This addition will allow us to better prioritize the development of more proactive supports and resources for schools and the streamlining of our processes to ultimately reduce the administrative burden of these collections on all.
We do ask for your patience over the next few months while we shift responsibilities within our team to ensure that you continue to receive the high level of customer service that you have come to expect. Please join us in welcoming Sarah!
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Legislative Day 2018
When:
Thursday, February 22
nd
Time:
7:00am-3:00pm
Where:
Scottish Rite Masonic Hall
1370 Grant St., Denver, CO
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CSI School Leaders Meeting and Board to Board Networking & Training Event
When: Wednesday, February 28
th
School Leaders Meeting: 10am-4pm
Board to Board Event: 4:15pm-5:45pm
Location: Lone Tree Library
10055 Library Way, Lone Tree, CO 80124
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Colorado League of Charter Schools 2018 Conference
When:
March 1
st
-2
nd
Where: Marriott Denver Tech Center
4900 S. Syracuse St., Denver, CO
CSI is offering scholarships to this event. If you are interested in attending, please contact
Amanda Karger
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Don't Forget!
CSI Reception at the League Conference
When:Thursday evening, March 1
st
Time: 5:30pm-6:30pm
Where: Marriott Denver Tech Center
Cottonwood room
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Charter School Advocacy Day
When: Tuesday, March 13
th
Time: 7:30am-1:30pm
Where: Wells Fargo Center
1700 Lincoln Street & Colorado State Capitol Building
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Save the Date!
CSI Spring Regional Meeting & Board to Board Networking & Training Event
Focus Area:
Submissions, Reporting & Finance
Locations:
TBD
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Denver:
Tuesday, May 1
st
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Colorado Springs:
Wednesday, May 2
nd
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Western Slope:
Friday, May 4
th
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Professional Development Outside of CSI
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12
th
Annual CLDE Academy Session Proposals
The Office of CLDE is making a call for session proposals for the
12
th
Annual CLDE Academy held on May 1
st and May 2
nd at the Sheraton Denver Tech Center. Session proposals and workshop forms will be due no later than Friday, February 16, 2018. Check out a list of the
session proposal topics.
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"Trauma Informed Excellence" Forum
When: Thursday, February 22
nd
Time: 1:00pm-4:30pm
Where: Colorado Mental Health Institute
3550 West Oxford Ave., Denver, CO
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Rocky Mountain Early Childhood Conference
When: March 16
th-17
th
Where: Colorado Convention Center
700 14
th St., Denver, CO
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Bill of Rights Institute
Seminar
When:
Friday, March 2
nd
Time:
8:00am-3:00pm
Where: Homewood Suites & Hampton Inn
550 15
th St., Denver CO
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Teach Reading to English Learners -Training
When: Monday, March 19
th
Where: Fort morgan Admin. Bldg.
715 West Platte Ave., Fort Morgan 80701
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Title I, II, &III ESEA CDE Meetings
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Professional Development Opportunities
For professional development opportunities concerning twice-exceptional (2e) students, check out CDE's
2e webpage.
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Career & Technical Education
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Colorado Association of Career & Technical Administrators (CACTA) Conference
When: February 6
th-9
th
Where: Loveland, CO
Cost? FREE to CSI High School Leaders! Through the Perkins Career & Technical Act Grant, CSI will provide each CSI high school one registration and travel reimbursement for the conference.
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Meaningful Career Conversations-Free Webinars
Learn the Why, What and How of Narrative Assessment.
(multiple dates)
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Career and College Planning
During the 2017-18 school year, College In Colorado (CIC) will facilitate three workshop opportunities in your region - each offered twice in different locations. Workshops focus on specific steps for implementing Individual Career and Academic Plans (ICAP) and allow attendees to dig deeper into each topic, review data reporting strategies and go over lesson plans.
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Keep up to date with school highlights and more by liking
CSI's Facebook page
and sharing your highlights with us!
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School Closure Reminders
As we are in the winter season (and the snow and illness that tend to come with it), please remember to communicate school closures to CSI. Your contract specifies types of closures that must be communicated to CSI, but we encourage schools to communicate any closures that diverge from your approved calendar so we can confirm it doesn't impact your ability to meet state's annual hours requirements. Closures should be communicated to
Janet Dinnen.
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Finance Reminders
We are already nearing the half-way mark for this fiscal year! At this point, your school should have spent and requested reimbursement for at least 50% of your school level allocations. We encourage you to draw down your funds quarterly, at minimum, to reduce additional end-of-year finance burdens for your school staff, CSI and the CDE. CSI has not received the final approval for Title PA1 revisions yet but we anticipate an approval in the next couple of weeks. You will receive your final PA1 budgets at that time.
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Enrollment Projections
FY 2018-19 is quickly approaching! CSI will be sending out a request for school enrollment projections on Thursday, February 1
st
. The school’s proposed projections will be due to CSI on March 30
th
to allow time for review and discussion prior to submittal to CDE. Forecasting enrollment will be a topic covered during the School Leaders Meeting on Wednesday, February 28
th
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Funding/Award Opportunities
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NEW: Assistive Technology Grant (AT)
The aim of the
International Dyslexia Association Rocky Mountain Branch AT Grant is to provide funds for Colorado K-12 educational institutions to pilot assistive technology programs for their dyslexic population. Typical awards range from $1000-$2500 and will be awarded for assistive technology devices, services, and teacher training for students with dyslexia, language, and literacy challenges.
Submission deadline: Friday,
February 2
nd
Grants will be awarded during the summer, with implementation for the 2018-2019 school year.
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NEW: Distinguished Administrators Nomination
At the 12th Annual CLDE Academy, CDE would like to acknowledge a distinguished administrator who has created successful outcomes and has supported the academic, linguistic, and social-emotional needs of culturally and linguistically diverse learners.The winner will be honored at the 2018 CLDE Academy awards luncheon in May.
Submission Deadline:
Wednesday, February 14
th
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Colorado National History Day Contest
Thanks to Paula Worley at Crown Pointe Academy, CSI charter schools are now able to participate at the state level for the Colorado National History Day Contest.
National History Day in Colorado is a social studies and literacy program where students in grades 6-12 participate in a project-based learning curriculum that emphasizes critical reading and thinking, research analysis and the drawing of meaningful conclusions. Projects can be completed in one of five categories: documentary, paper, exhibit, performance, or website.
The competition will be held on Saturday, February 24
th 8:00am-4:00pm at Crown Pointe Academy in Westminster.
Registration will be open from December 15th-February 5th. Cost for registration is $3 per student. Please contact
Paula Worley for payment and for further registration information.
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NEW: School Counselor Corps Grant
Name of LEA:
Charter School Institute
LOI - Name of Authorized Representative:
Amanda Karger, CSI
Monday, March 12
th: Proposals due to CSI
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Computer Science Teacher PD Grants
The Colorado State Legislature approved a
computer science teacher grant
which provides districts with up to $10,000 for computer science teacher professional development.
*Please notify
Marcie Jackson
by Friday, February 2
nd
with any interest. CSI will have to apply for this grant at the district level, it is not available for schools to apply independently.
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For further information regarding these funding opportunities, contact
Marcie Jackson
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Reminders
- Revisions to your organizational submissions
- Draft Student Data Privacy and Security Policies and Compliance Checklist
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Employers Council Membership Reminder
As a CSI school, you have access to our Employers Council membership which can help you manage critical Human Resources and Employment Law issues. Your school can identify two individuals (typically the School Leader, HR Manager or Board Chair) to use the membership.
Click here for a list of services available.
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FERPA & School Safety
The Colorado Attorney General has issued a
formal opinion on the scope of FERPA when school safety is at issue.
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New Transportation Regulations
New regulations pertaining to the operation, maintenance, and inspection of school transportation vehicles went into effect on January 1
st.
Review the revised regulations
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Regional CSI Student Services Training (SST)
CSI's Student Services team will be conducting the next SST training in January and February. Proposed topics include *Crisis Response training (CPI), Alpine, GT, and ELL.
*CPI training is proposed for a 2-day training on Feb 1st and 2nd and will be held 1 day in Denver and 1 day in Colorado Springs. Participants will need to attend both sessions and will have opportunities for both new and renewal certificates.
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Western Slope
Tuesday, January 30
th
Location TBD: The Western Slope training is proposed to be delivered in a webinar format (topics-GT, ALPINE)
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Denver
Thursday, February 1
st
Clayton Early Learning Center
3975 Martin Luther King BLVD
Denver, CO
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Colorado Springs
Friday, February 2
nd
Library 21C
1175 Chapel Hills Dr.
Colorado Springs, CO
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Teaching & Learning Conditions Colorado Survey (TLCC)
CSI schools should have received materials to administer the TLCC survey (formerly TELL survey). This confidential online survey, initiated through HB08-1384, is a statewide survey of teachers and building leadership on their perceptions of the teaching and learning conditions in their schools. Schools that have completion rates of at least 50% participation will be provided a summary of results. This summative data can be useful in ongoing school improvement planning, professional development planning and budgeting.
Submission window: January 24
th-February 23
rd
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Advanced Learning Plan Audit
CSI will be conducting a review of Advanced Learning Plans (ALPs) for gifted students. Each school is asked to select two students plans for the review (schools with three or fewer gifted students only need to select one plan). Please send SASID numbers for each ALP to be audited to
Kim Caplan and complete the
online self-checklist on or before Friday, February 9
th at 4pm.
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8
th
Annual Gifted Education Conference & Policy Symposium
Join us to learn strategies for recognizing talent, and tools for the development of programming and service models. Important policy issues and trends facing gifted education today will be highlighted and discussed during the Symposium.
When:
Policy Symposium: Wednesday, February 7
th, 4:30pm-7:00pm
Conference: Thursday, Febraury 8
th, 8:00am-5:30pm
Where: University of Denver Morgridge College of Education
Registration fee: $155
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Colorado's Menu of College and Career-Ready Demonstrations
The State Board of Education approved three updates to Colorado’s Menu of College and Career-Ready Demonstrations for Graduation Guidelines. As a reminder, all graduation guidelines take effect for the graduating class of 2021.
- ACCUPLACER - The Sentence Skills subtest is now an option for demonstration of career and college readiness in English. Students can achieve a qualifying score in Reading Comprehension (minimum score - 62) or in Sentence Skills (minimum score - 70).
- ACT Compass- Because ACT has eliminated this test, this option is no longer available to students or part of the college and career-ready demonstrations menu.
- SAT- Scores have been updated to align with College Board’s revisions to and norming of the new SAT test in 2016. New qualifying subscores apply in both English (minimum score - 470) and Math (minimum score - 500).
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2018-19 Parent Letters on Immunization
The Colorado Immunization Branch (CIB) would like to inform you that the "2018-19 Parent Letters" are now posted on the CIB website. These letters can be accessed by going to
CIB's main page and clicking on "Child care, school and college/university", then click on "school resources" or "child care resources" to access the appropriate document.
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Charter School Institute
1580 Logan Street Suite 210
Denver, Colorado 80203
303-866-3299
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