R12CC is supporting Colorado education stakeholders to utilize a customized geographic information system (GIS) map and related evidence on effective strategies to strengthen the educator workforce pipeline. Recent accomplishments include updates and enhancements to the GIS map and facilitation of stakeholder data analysis sessions for charter school leaders and Colorado education service agency representatives who lead alternative educator preparation programs. Based on findings from interviews conducted with personnel from Colorado schools and districts with low teacher turnover rates (i.e., bright spots), the project team has drafted a report reflecting strategies these schools and districts use to recruit and retain educators. Tools and resources have also been developed to support stakeholder use of the GIS map locally to improve the pipeline. The report, tools, and resources will be posted to our website soon and announced via Twitter.

In year 3, R12CC will continue to assist Colorado education stakeholders to address the statewide educator shortage issue through facilitated data analysis, identification of effective/evidence-based approaches, and the implementation of locally developed actions plans that address one or more aspects of the educator workforce pipeline (e.g., attracting, preparing, and retaining teachers). Together, these strategies and resources will support education stakeholders to better understand factors that may be affecting educator shortages as well as identify and share educator recruitment and retention practices employed by Colorado districts and schools that may have potential to be expanded.

In January, R12CC began supporting the Colorado Department of Education (CDE) to develop an updated version of the Colorado Dropout Prevention Framework. The revised version will reflect and encourage innovation, be adaptive to changing contexts, and foster continuous improvement to help prevent dropout and increase student engagement throughout Colorado.

This work includes facilitated virtual workshops with CDE staff focused on existing strategies Colorado has identified as crucial to understanding and addressing dropout prevention and student re-engagement. R12CC has explored the alignment of the Framework to other departmental frameworks, and developed a sitemap of the existing Framework webpage to better understand its organization and how how users may access its content, topical summaries comprised of literature scans on dropout prevention and recovery efforts, and draft considerations for Framework revisions. During this coming project year, activities will feature the development of a revised Dropout Prevention Framework informed by CDE priorities as well as feedback and input from district/school personnel, community partners, students, and other Colorado education stakeholders.