In Colorado, R12CC continues to support Colorado education stakeholders’ use of a geographic information system (GIS) map to strengthen the workforce pipeline. Through GIS mapping, stakeholders gain a better understanding of factors impacting teacher shortages and retention and can identify ways to address the contextual needs of localities. Additionally, Colorado Department of Education (CDE) staff receive training on updating and maintaining the GIS map, with a focus on updating the dashboards with new data. Existing map exploration and application resources were also reviewed and updates needing to be completed were identified.
Using interview footage, R12CC staff refined a storyboard for a short video designed to help grow enrollment in a teacher education pathway for high school students in southwestern Colorado. R12CC also continued need sensing with the Northwest Colorado Board of Cooperative Educational Services—including holding an information session with the Cooperative’s superintendents—and identified a potential opportunity to support counseling staff in developing resources and approaches to encourage youth to consider pursuing a career in education.
R12CC is not only assisting CDE in growing the workforce but diversifying it. R12CC facilitated the first quarterly learning community session for Colorado education stakeholders focused on strategies to diversify the educator workforce.
As a part of ongoing efforts to update the Colorado Dropout Prevention Framework, the R12CC team met regularly with CDE to finalize and publish the updated Dropout Prevention Framework and implementation resources on CDE’s website. In addition, the team finalized the first learning module to introduce users to the framework, how it can be used, and provide an overview of the implementation of the reflection and readiness tool. The team also made progress on strategy-specific implementation stories, renaming them “Implementation Spotlights.” After a review of available implementation stories content, a pilot process to collect stories from current grantees is planned.