Revised R2T bid to be ready May 7

A draft version of Colorado’s revised application for federal Race to the Top funds should be ready by May 7, education Commissioner Dwight Jones told the State Board of Education Thursday.

Colorado Department of Education

Jones said the draft would be shared with the board and then circulated around the state during a series of meetings the week of May 10. The application is due to the U.S. Department of Education by June 1.

Jones and the board discussed R2T on the same day that three reform-oriented education groups released reports suggesting what states need to do to be successful in round 2 (see story).

Colorado’s $377 million bid for round 1 of R2T didn’t make the cut, and the state now is revising its application to meet a target of probably no more than $175 million.

“The competition is very stiff [but] we feel we still can put forth a compelling application,” said Nina Lopez, CDE coordinator of stimulus programs.

Referring to the lower award target, Lopez said officials “have started to think about what that looks like.”

Jones, Lopez and a small R2T team were to meet Thursday afternoon to begin refining the state’s application.

What do teachers think of their schools?

The board Thursday received an updated report on the TELL survey of school working conditions.

The voluntary survey, called for by a 2008 law, queried teachers and principals about working and learning conditions in their schools, was conducted a year ago. About a third of licensed state educators participated. (See this Education News Colorado story for details on participation and the statewide results of the survey.)

The updated report includes data broken down by districts and individual schools that had enough participation to be statistically significant. View the TELL website, and go here to view individual district and school results.

CDE release on April board action