Friday Churn: Early childhood survey

What’s churning:

A new survey by the Early Childhood Leadership Commission rates the condition of young children across the state.

The Colorado Early Childhood Needs Assessment rated conditions in 15 counties as “high risk,” including Adams, Denver and Pueblo counties.

Another 27 counties were identified as “moderate risk,” including Arapahoe, El Paso and Jefferson counties. And 22 counties were identified as “low risk,” including Boulder, Broomfield and Douglas counties.

The assessment used 13 indicators, including factors such as infant mortality, child poverty, dropout rates, juvenile crime and unemployment.

The survey, released Thursday, is intended to provide data for state and local officials in developing plans and making decisions about early childhood programs and improvements.

“This assessment will help communities across the state better understand and respond to the needs of families and children with more targeted early childhood supports and services,” said Lt. Gov. Joe Garcia. “Local leaders and early childhood advocates now have a powerful tool to help ensure Colorado’s children are healthy, thriving and ready for school.”

The assessment was conducted by the commission, an executive branch advisory panel, in partnership with the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.

Read the assessment here (165-page PDF). Learn more about the commission here.

What’s on tap:

The State Board of Education meets at 2 p.m. to be briefed on proposed regulations on appeals of teacher evaluations and to discuss pending legislation. The session is in the boardroom at the Department of Education, 201 E. Colfax Ave.

A good read from elsewhere:

Training teachers:Some education reformers and the Obama administration are pushing for raising standards for students admitted to education programs. But colleges of education fear that the focus on teaching candidates’ high school grades and test scores is misplaced and perhaps counterproductive, reports Inside Higher Education.

The EdNews’ Churn is a daily roundup of briefs, notes and meetings in the world of Colorado education. To submit an item for consideration in this listing, please email us at EdNews@EdNewsColorado.org.