December 10, 2009
Colorado's New Education Standards
By Colleen O'Connor
The Denver Post 

New standards for subject matter as varied as reading and theater were unanimously adopted by the state school board Thursday. The revisions of Colorado's 14 educational standards were designed to require students to dig deeper and think more strategically. They also will require a new test to measure how well students are learning.

"As of today, we have the most modern and up-to-date standards in the country," said Bob Schaffer, chairman of the State Board of Education.

Colorado first created Model Content Standards in 1994. They list the most important skills and concepts students must master at each grade level to be successful after high school. Although math and science standards were revised in the past five years, the others were between 7 and 15 years old, according to the Colorado Department of Education.

"The new standards are internationally benchmarked," said Dwight Jones, Colorado's education commissioner. Policymakers borrowed from countries such as Singapore and Finland, which have high rates of graduation and clear, concise standards, as well as from states such as Maryland and Virginia. "They ate our lunch every year," said Jo O'Brien, assistant education commissioner for standards and assessments. "Those two states were always superior."

Senate Bill 212, passed and signed into law in 2008, required the state to develop new standards for preschool through secondary education by this month.

Read more: http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_13973578#ixzz0ZRcm7Unc  

October 17, 2009
President-Elect and Directors Selected For National Association of State Boards of Education
Arlington, VA — Allan Taylor, chairman of the Connecticut State Board of Education, has been voted president-elect of the National Association of State Boards of Education (NASBE). Taylor will begin his term of office in January 2010 and then serve as president of the association in 2011.

The membership also elected four state board of education members to the organization’s board of directors. Elected to two-year terms to the NASBE Board of Directors were:
· Stan Archie, Missouri State Board of Education (Central region);
· Terry Whittaker, Delaware State Board of Education (Northeast region);
· Jane Goff, Colorado State Board of Education, (Western region);
· Rosetta Richard, Mississippi State Board of Education (Southern region); and,
· Greg Haws, Utah State Board of Education, (Secretary-Treasurer).

In addition, Kim Burningham of the Utah State Board of Education was elected to complete the final year of a vacant term as director from the Western region.

NASBE Executive Director Brenda Welburn said, “The willingness of Allan and all of our board members who dedicate their time, experience, and expertise to NASBE is deeply appreciated. Together, they provide their fellow policymakers from across the country the support and diversity of opinion so critical to finding solutions to the educational needs of American students in the 21st century.” 

June 30, 2009
State Defines What It Takes For High School Graduates To Be College And Workforce Ready
In a joint meeting held today at the State Capitol, the Colorado State Board of Education and the Colorado Commission on Higher Education adopted a description of “postsecondary and workforce readiness.”  This was the first time in state history the two boards have met to take formal action on state policy.

“It’s a historic day for our P-12 and higher education governing boards to come together to adopt a description of postsecondary and workforce readiness", said Governor Bill Ritter. "The postsecondary and workforce readiness description serves as a guidepost to our state standards. The description outlinesthe skills, knowledge and behaviors that high school graduates will need in order to enter college and the workforce so they can compete and succeed in a 21st century global economy.”  

Commissioner of Education Dwight D. Jones added, “This is not the end of the conversation, but the beginning. It is not the description itself, but what we do with it, how we implement it. Similarly, collaboration across the system is just the beginning; our next challenge is to consider how we maintain momentum during implementation in the field.”

Beginning in fall 2008, CDE and CCHE hosted more than 13 regional meetings across the state to discuss and solicit feedback on the elements of “postsecondary and workforce readiness.” More than 1,000 early childhood, P-12, higher education, businesses, parents, students and other community members participated in the meetings.

“The success today is the result of input from all over the state and from the full range of interests,” said CCHE Chairman Jim Polsfut, who also facilitated the meeting. “We are all determined to carry out the purposes of CAP4K to make sure all Colorado high school graduates are ready to continue their education or enter the 21st century workforce.”

Read the adopted description here.

The postsecondary and workforce readiness definition is unique in American education policy, representing the nation’s only formal, jointly adopted, standards-based definition of college and career readiness — a definition Lt. Gov. Barbara O’Brien stated is required in the state’s application for Race to the Top funds.

The postsecondary and workforce readiness description is just one component of Senate Bill 08-212, known as the Preschool to Postsecondary Education Alignment Act, Colorado Achievement Plan for Kids, or CAP4K. The purpose of the bill is to improve Colorado’s public education system through alignment of preschool through postsecondary expectations.The CAP4K timeline outlines several steps before completion:

• A school readiness description by Dec. 2008 – completed
• A postsecondary and workforce readiness description by Dec. 2009 – completed
• A set of newly developed content standards, aligned to school, postsecondary and workforce readiness - in progress
• A new system of assessments by Dec. 2010
• Implementation of CAP4K by Dec. 2011

Next steps include a postsecondary and workforce readiness assessment pilot which was started in the spring and will continue in the fall; a cost study that will evaluate implementation costs of revised standards; and assessment design conversations initiated between the Department of Higher Education and CDE once revised standards are adopted.

To read more about CAP4K, visit:
http://www.cde.state.co.us/cdegen/SB212.htm

To read more about the standards revision visit: http://www.cde.state.co.us/cdeassess/UAS/standardsreview.html

April 14, 2009
Perlmutter, Goff and Merchant host education town hall
by Aaron Cole, Aurora SentinelCongressman Ed Perlmutter, CU Regent Monisha Merchant and State Board of Education member Jane Goff hosted a CD 7 educational town hall meeting at the University of Colorado Denver Anschutz Medical Campus in Aurora. The participants included elected officials, P-12 and higher ed staff, parent organization leaders, business representatives, students and residents in discussion of a broad range of topics.

The three of us each gave short remarks from our perspective on the changing face of education in Colorado and the federal and state government’s role in that change. Rep. Perlmutter said that    cooperation at the federal level would be vital. “Clearly the president we have now is focused on education … and providing it to our kids, and our grandkids, and ourselves,” he said.

I talked about Colorado’s work on revising the model content standards and our goal to align those standards with international benchmarks to better prepare students for post-secondary education and a global economy. I also reported on the number of other states that have approached Colorado for guidance on doing this work.

Regent Merchant said that Colorado’s colleges and universities face an uncertain future. “This is about understanding how we can partner together: post-secondary, federal and state,” she said. “We’re facing a lot of challenges.”

Following our remarks, the attendees participated in ten facilitated table discussions that elicited their thoughts on what helps students be confident that they are supported and challenged throughout their school years. Groups discussed how we can continue to stay connected, and do everything we can to prepare them to make good decisions, do quality work, contribute to society, remain motivated to learn and do more. Participants’ recommendations varied from motivating kids to begin planning for college earlier to increasing job shadowing within schools.

January 14, 2009 
State Board of Education Selects Bob Schaffer as Chair, Randy DeHoff as Vice-Chair
News Release

The Colorado State Board of Education elected new officers, approving by acclamation Bob Schaffer as chair and Randy DeHoff as vice-chair for two-year terms. “I’d like to thank my colleagues,” said Board Chair Schaffer. “I think this is going to be a particularly activist board on education leadership, and I think we're going to be able to accomplish our goals in a bipartisan manner.”

Board Vice-Chair DeHoff echoed the sentiment. “I'm looking forward to the next two years,” said DeHoff. “We’ve got quite a lot on our plate…I look forward to a bipartisan, by consensus, largely unanimous approach.”

Board member Elaine Gantz Berman, who nominated DeHoff for the vice-chair post, added: “I also want to echo what Mr. Schaffer and Mr. DeHoff have said…I think it's very important that we work together…and that we support the excellent work of the Colorado Department of Education, the commissioner and his staff.”

The officer selection followed the swearing in ceremony, held Jan. 13, of board members Marcia Neal (3rd Congressional District), Angelika Schroeder (2nd Congressional District), Elaine Gantz Berman (1st Congressional District) and Jane Goff (7th Congressional District). Berman and Goff, originally appointed to fill vacancies on the board, were returned to the board by voters in November. Schroeder was appointed to fill the seat held by Evie Hudak, who ran successfully for a seat in the Colorado Senate. Neal won her campaign after former board chair Pamela Jo Suckla opted not to run for re-election. Berman, Goff and Neal are starting six-year terms. Schroeder will fill the end of former board member Evie Hudak’s term, which runs through January 2011. For more on all seven members of the State Board of Education, visit: http://www.cde.state.co.us/cdeboard/bdindex.htm

January 13, 2009
State Board sworn in, ready to go


A good sampling of the Colorado education world and bureaucracy was on hand Tuesday afternoon for the swearing in of four State Board of Education members. The upbeat and mostly informal ceremony was “hosted” by board Vice Chair Bob Schaffer, R-4th District, who had to go through the lengthy introductions of current and past officeholders that are required on such occasions.

Leaders of the "Three Cs" (Colorado Education Association, Colorado Association of School Boards and Colorado Association of School Executives) brought their congratulations.

Then, the four members were sworn in by Colorado Court of Appeals Judge Robert Hawthorne. They included Elaine Gantz Berman, D-1st District, and Jane Goff, D-7th District, who in November were elected to full terms after having been previously appointed to the board.

Also sworn in were newly elected member Marcia Neal, R-3rd District, and just-appointed member Angelika Schroeder, D-2nd District. They and the three continuing members go right to work at 9 a.m. Wednesday, when the board holds its January meeting.

November 5, 2008
Goff Re-elected to state BOE
Aurora Sentinel: The Voice of Aurora 

New names elected to statewide education boards celebrated surprising wins Tuesday. Read more here.

October 6, 2008
Editorial: Give Goff a term of her own
Aurora Sentinel: The Voice of Aurora 

In a competition usually glazed over for larger, costlier races, the run for the State Board of Education Congressional District 7 is worth Aurorans' attention this year.

A year of remarkable progress and a coming year of remarkable changes place representatives for the state's education system on the forefront for our children's education. That's why we see no reason not to send Jane Goff back to continue the work she started earlier this year.

After taking over the State Board of Education seat in March, Goff has had little time to work within the dynamic board and its ever-changing duties. But Goff has the right experience to begin a term of her own, and we have reason to believe that she will very capably represent Aurora students' best interests on that board.

Goff's 34 years as a teacher and leader within the Jefferson County Schools District brings a wealth of knowledge to the board's very important decision making processes. Goff has made it a priority to steer the current Colorado Content Standards - a driving force behind reforming the state's lagging CSAP program - toward worthwhile benchmarks before the state Legislature takes aim at Colorado's standardized testing program.

She's also been heavily involved in the current push to prepare students for higher education by serving as board liaison to Gov. Ritter's P-20 Council, valuable work that needs to continue for Colorado students.

Goff's tenure as president of the Jefferson County Educators Association and Colorado Educators Association, as well as experience on bond and mill levy steering committees gives us the assurance that Goff has sufficient grounding in complex issues to adequately meet the demands of the state board.

All of those elements leads us to believe that Goff will serve her first full term as a strong proponent of meaningful education reform on the state board.

Vote for Jane Goff as representative to the State Board of Education Congressional District 7.

July 18, 2008
Jane Goff Attends National Orientation for State Board Members

News Release
Alexandria, VA — Jane Goff, Congressional District 7 representative to the Colorado State Board of Education, participated in an intensive 3-day orientation for new members of state boards of education from around the country in Washington, DC from July 18-20. The annual training session, called the New State Board Member Institute, introduces first-time state board members to their new role and responsibilities as state education policymakers. Board members from nineteen states attended the conference hosted by the National Association of State Boards of Education.

NASBE Executive Director Brenda Welburn said, “Most states do not have a formal orientation process for new board members. We provide an organized format for participants to fully understand all of their duties and become better board members.”

Session topics provided tips on fundamentals like the policymaking process as well as more advanced subjects such as how to provide effective state leadership through board actions. Board members were also given pointers on effectively communicating with the media.

“State boards wield considerable authority, and public awareness of their importance and influence is growing as state boards continue to lead reforms of their state’s educational systems,” Welburn noted.

State boards of education are the embodiment of the American tradition of citizen control over public education. State board members serve as volunteers responsible for setting statewide educational standards, including high school graduation requirements, teacher professional qualifications, and establishing statewide testing programs.

The New Member Institute is a service provided to NASBE’s members free of charge, including all travel, meals, and associated costs.
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NASBE represents America’s state and territorial boards of education and is the professional association of state board members. NASBE’s primary mission is to strengthen state leadership in education policymaking and assure responsible lay governance of public education. For further information, contact David Griffith, NASBE Director of Communications, 703-740-4824.