A r c h i v e d  I n f o r m a t i o n

Team Reports--September 1998

Colorado

Team Report

• Encourages literacy instruction in first through third grade through the implementation of the Colorado Basic Literacy Act. This legislation recognized the need for students to have the basic skills in reading and writing that are appropriate for their grade levels in order to succeed in school. Students who are determined to be below grade level in their reading ability are required to be placed on an Individual Literacy Plan (ILP). The school then is responsible for providing literacy instruction to bring the child to grade level reading ability. Additionally, at the third grade all students are required to take a state-developed literacy assessment with the target goal of all students performing at the proficient or advanced levels.
• Promotes literacy development in Preschool and Kindergarten through our Colorado Preschool Program (CPP) that provides funds to qualifying programs which specifically address language delays and literacy development in young children. Additionally, the Colorado Department of Education?s Early Childhood Quality Standards document supports and highlights language development as a key component of quality early childhood programs.
• Supports teaching reading to speakers of other languages through our state English Language Proficiency Act (ELPA) which provides funds to local school districts to offset the cost of their alternative language programs (ESL/bilingual). Additionally, the Colorado Student Assessment Program (CSAP) third-grade Literacy Assessment and fourth-grade Reading and Writing Assessments have been developed in Spanish to allow Spanish-speaking students the opportunity to demonstrate their reading abilities in their native language.
• Ensures adequate resources to meet children?s needs through the support and promotion of Title I school-wide programs. Title I school-wide programs encourage schools to review their student needs based on data (especially in the areas of reading/writing and mathematics) and to implement school-wide programs designed to meet these needs and improve student achievement. Collaboration of federal, state, and local educational programs is promoted as well as the blending of fiscal resources to ensure the school has adequate, and focused, resources to meet the needs of all students.

A Colorado Success Story

The Center for Family Learning in El Paso County?s Harrison School District is an exemplary model of Even Start/Title I collaboration. The Center for Family Learning offers adult education classes two mornings a week. During adult education there are two children?s instructional programs. One program is for infants and toddlers and one is for preschoolers. Parent and Child Time Together (PACT) is held once a week in each of the children?s classrooms. Parent information and support time is also once a week.

Parents are asked to volunteer in the Title I Resource Center as part of their participation in the program. When they are ready to take the GED (general education diploma) test, they can volunteer for additional hours in the Resource Center in exchange for the cost of their test.

As one parent stated:

"I?m able to bring Cirraiah with me and she has her own classroom. Not only do they watch her for me, but she?s learning as well. I know she?s only nineteen months old but I can tell she has gotten so advanced in her learning skills. We have a program called PACT and it helps me learn as well as helping teach Cirraiah. Before, I never really was interested in reading to myself or others. Now thanks to PACT, I know reading to my child is important in her learning process. I can see by the words I am reading to her, and the pictures on the page help her understand what things are around her." Shayna, age 16

For further information, contact:

Jan Johnston Jean Koch
Title I Director Title I Parent Coordinator
Harrison School District Harrison School District
1060 Harrison Road 1060 Harrison Road
Colorado Springs, CO 80916 Colorado Springs, CO 80916
(719) 579-3764 (719) 579-3764
(719) 579-2019 Fax

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