This practice brief profiles three programs, two statewide and one local, that provide work opportunities to Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) recipients who are participating in vocational education programs. The authors selected programs that combine vocational education and paid work because this strategy reinforces the emphasis of…

The ambitious goal set by Colorado's governor to address the state's dropout problem is a model for the nation. Helping thousands of young people to receive their high school diplomas instead of leaving school without them is a crucial step in improving the quality of life for all Colorado residents. Accomplishing this goal will require focused…

This paper, prepared by the Colorado Department of Education, describes the growth of the State's community college movement through 1966. Information is presented on enrollment, credit hours, funding, and salaries. Projections were not made because of the number of variables: (1) employment rate, (2) draft requirements, (3) cost of living, (4)…

Response to intervention (RTI) arose, in part, from the limited success of the pre-referral process, an approach advocated in the 1980s and 1990s, and accurately measuring the discrepancy between aptitude and achievement in young children. Reflecting these concerns, when the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) was reauthorized in…

This edition of "Bright Futures" highlights 12 states (Alabama, Colorado, Nevada, Iowa, Maryland, Ohio, West Virginia, Connecticut, Guam, Maine, Pennsylvania and Kansas) that have received grants to support the development of an Early Childhood Advisory Council. Other features of this edition include announcements of state early…

More than 50 million meals are served annually to Colorado's children through the national school lunch program, school breakfast program, special milk program, and summer food service program. This report provides descriptions of these programs, information on free and reduced price meals and how to qualify, revenue sources for these programs, a…

The Consolidated Child Care Pilot Projects were established by the Colorado General Assembly in 1997, and designed to help local communities to address critical needs for full-day, full-year child care services in partnership with welfare reform. This report describes the context for the project, details the pilot programs, and profiles the 12…

In the past few years, numerous states have initiated school improvement programs. These programs have included any or all of the following characteristics: (1) teacher and administrator certification and competency tests; (2) school-based planning; (3) staff development; (4) student assessment; (5) revised curricula and instructional strategies;…

Colorado's Educational Accountability Program was instituted to help schools raise educational quality, to expand student life opportunities, and to provide assistance in comparing the value of school programs with their cost. This program rests on the premise that when a local district and its citizens set educational priorities, design a plan,…

This document outlines the general framework within which the Colorado State Library may assist in reviewing Colorado's present and projected library needs. It defines individual user groups to whom delivery of service should be given as required under the Library Services and Construction Act, the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, Title II,…

This handbook provides information on Colorado's charter-school program. It explains the process for establishing charter schools and discusses the purpose these schools serve. Information on how to apply for a charter is given and includes the required elements of a charter application, such as goals and objectives, educational program and…

Educational and supportives services are made available to migrant children through the efforts of Colorado's Recruitment and Identification of Migrant Children Project. (NQ)

Relates the history of First Impressions, an early childhood initiative in Colorado. Insights gleaned from the First Impressions story are offered for advocates of early childhood education. (BG)

In 2005, Colorado lawmakers radically changed the state's higher education funding system. Until this point Colorado, like other states, had supported higher education by appropriating operating revenues to the institutions and providing some financial aid to low-income students. But in 2005, instead of giving the state's general funds for…