In addition to students returning to school, it’s been an action-packed month in the education scene in the Centennial State. 

Colorado Governor Jared Polis, the state Department of Education and education advocacy organizations are working together to leverage CARES Act funding and federal grants to innovate, bridge the digital divide and problem solve. Thanks to the leadership of Governor Polis and a more than $50 million education investment, Colorado students will have access to the learning tools and resources they need to succeed following the impact of COVID-19. 

On September 9, Governor Polis launched the $32.7 million Response, Innovation, and Student Equity Education Fund to quickly provide additional academic, social and emotional supports to students most affected by the pandemic; including low-income students, students of color, English learners, students with special needs, students experiencing food or housing insecurity and students in foster care. School districts, public charter schools, tribes and early childhood councils can apply, and extra points are given to ideas that serve rural students, communities most impacted by COVID-19 and that use evidence-based strategies to advance equity. 

“We must do more to expand opportunities for every student to receive an education that prepares them for a bright future. Which is why I’m thrilled to announce this transformative funding program that supports real innovation to close equity gaps in our communities, help our students rise, and share what works with others.” – Governor Jared Polis 

Public-private partnerships play a critical role in bridging the digital divide. Colorado is partnering with T-Mobile’s Project 10Million to provide free mobile hotspots and up to 100 gigabytes of annual data for 34,000 low-income households. The Colorado Department of Education allocated $2 million in CARES Act funding to help school districts to purchase hotspots and other creative solutions to rural connectivity problems. 

“Most folks think about the digital divide along urban and rural lines. But by the numbers, more families lack internet here on the front range than in all of rural Colorado combined. That divide falls along income lines. Even before COVID hit, we already had an unacceptably large achievement gap. Thanks to great work by Governor Polis and many others, we are on our way to ensuring that a lack of internet access doesn’t make that gap even worse.” – Senator Jeff Bridges 

In support of Colorado’s youngest learners, the U.S. Department of Education awarded the state a $16 million grant to implement the Colorado Comprehensive Literacy Project, which Commissioner Katy Anthes said will “enable the state to build upon the progress from the READ Act, which focuses resources on students in kindergarten through third grade. This grant will allow us to support learning prior to kindergarten and after third grade.  And it will allow us to focus on historically underserved populations.” 

“I hope that this money will be used to support teachers and parents to learn about and have a better understanding of the science of teaching reading. The READ Act specifically targets K-3 students.  However, reading instruction should begin prior to Kindergarten and continue through high school. With encouragement, learning and support, parents and teachers will be prepared to make sure students succeed.” – Joyce Rankin, Colorado Board of Education 

Governor Polis, the Colorado Department of Education and the Colorado Education Initiative also announced that they will continue partnering with Rocky Mountain PBS to “provide K-3 students, their families and caregivers with direct-to-home remote lessons in literacy, science, art and math through Colorado Classroom: Learn with Me at Home.” Programming began on September 7 and will air for 15 weeks. Accompanying lesson plans for families, caregivers and their children are also available on the website. 

For additional resources for state leaders on COVID-19, including highlighted solutions from states across the country, visit ExcelinEd’s COVID-19 resource library. 

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Not only will each family with at least one child receive $335 to help offset unforeseen costs associated with the pandemic, House Bill 1105 also expands educational options for students with unique abilities and broadens access to virtual schools.

“North Carolina’s leaders are putting students first. With overwhelming bipartisan support, North Carolina families will benefit from this prudent investment of federal funding as they navigate the unique challenges of a global pandemic, while helping their child continue learning.

“ExcelinEd in Action would especially like to thank Senator Deanna Ballard, Senate President Pro Tem Phil Berger and Speaker Tim Moore for their support of North Carolina students.

“We would also like to thank Parents for Educational Freedom in North Carolina, CarolinaCAN and our many partner organizations working relentlessly to make the Tar Heel state an even better place to live and learn.”

Josh Thomas, Regional Legislative Director for the Southeast Region for ExcelinEd in Action

House Bill 1105 makes several investments to improve access to quality educational opportunities for all North Carolina families. These investments include:

• $22 million to allow the state’s two virtual charter schools to enroll up to an additional 3,800 students
• $10 million in additional funding for student connectivity
• $1 million for a new teacher support program
• $440 million in federal COVID-19 relief funds to give $335 to every family that has at least one child
• $6.5 million to expand the Opportunity Scholarship Program and the The funding provides  scholarships to nearly 2,500 families currently on waitlists. The bill also removes the cap on the number of kindergarten and first grade Opportunity Scholarships that can be given out each year.

For more about Education Scholarship Accounts and the transformative power of educational freedom, visit ExcelinEd’s policy library.

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• College Credit Incentive Funding: The education budget includes $1 million in incentive funding for schools and teachers whose students successfully complete Advanced Placement (AP) and other college-level courses. These are proven pathways that prepare students for college-level work while they earn valuable college credit or work toward a postsecondary credential. Lawmakers increased this funding despite uncertain times, knowing that it is an investment that will benefit the state for years to come.
• Early Literacy: The budget also raises the per-pupil funding rate for Early Learning Collaboratives from $2,150 to $2,500 so teachers will have more resources to better prepare Mississippi’s youngest learners for success in school. This program is considered a national model with high quality benchmarks and proven learning gains for preschool students.
• Private School Choice: Senate Bill 2594 extends the Education Scholarship Accounts Program for the 500 participating students with special needs for another four years and increases academic accountability of the program.

“At a time when many states have seen stagnant student learning gains, the Magnolia State continues to make national headlines for its extraordinary academic improvements in K-12 education. During this legislative session, when many difficult budget decisions had to be made, Mississippi lawmakers continue to prioritize policies that improve learning opportunities for all students from pre-K through graduation.

“Mississippi is also one of only a handful of states that allows parents of students with special needs to customize an education to meet their needs through an Education Scholarship Account. While there is still more work to be done to improve the program, it was critical to ensure that the 500 participating students can stay in a learning environment that is working for them.

“ExcelinEd in Action thanks the many leaders and partners who have worked diligently on behalf of Mississippi’s students, including Governor Tate Reeves, Lieutenant Governor Delbert Hosemann, State Superintendent of Education Carey Wright, Speaker Philip Gunn, Senate Education Chair Dennis DeBar, House Education Chair Richard Bennett, Senator Brice Wiggins, College Board and Mississippi First.”

Tom Greene, ExcelinEd in Action National Legislative Director

For more information on the power of transformational education policies, visit ExcelinEd’s policy library.

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• Early Literacy: The budget provides an additional $26.9 million to improve early literacy and to support the implementation of the Alabama Literacy Act next year. This includes money for additional reading specialists and summer and after-school programs, as well as $9.8 million this year to support teacher training in the science of reading.
• Computer Science: To ensure every Alabama K-12 school can offer a high-quality computer science course next school year, the budget doubles funding for teacher training from $1 million to $2 million.
• Advanced Placement: The budget protects funding for Advanced Placement courses at a total of $7.4 million to cover the exam fees for low-income students.

“During this time of budgetary uncertainty, we applaud Alabama lawmakers for prioritizing the needs of all students from pre-K through graduation. Prioritizing key investments, such as early literacy programs and courses that prepare students entering the workforce with the skills needed in today’s job market, will set Alabama’s students on a path to success in the classroom and beyond. ExcelinEd in Action appreciates the support of Alabama leaders and A+ Education Partnership who are working diligently to serve Alabama students in this challenging environment.”

Tom Greene, ExcelinEd in Action National Legislative Director

COVID-19: You can find resources for state leaders on COVID-19 by clicking here, including highlighted solutions from states across the country.

For more information on the power of transformational education policies, visit ExcelinEd’s policy library.

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“During these difficult times, it is important for states to provide more opportunities for families of children with special needs to find educational services and supports that work for their child. It is disappointing that  Governor Gary Herbert is denying a powerful lifeline for parents to find the right education environment for their child with special needs. 

“Despite this setback, the momentum for educational choice in Utah is strong and growing. We remain hopeful that Utah legislators will continue to make empowering parents and students with educational opportunities a priority. 

“I commend the leadership of Representative Mike Schultz, Senator Lincoln Fillmore and the Utah Legislature, as well as our partners Sutherland Institute, Libertas Institute, SKAAGS Catholic Center and others for their commitment to prioritizing the educational needs of all students.” 

This legislation would have established a $6 million tax-credit scholarship program for students with special needs to receive support to cover educational services such as private school tuition, educational therapies, tutoring, online learning, textbooks and other education-related services and products. 

COVID-19: You can find resources for state leaders on COVID-19 by clicking here, including highlighted solutions from states across the country. 

For more information on the transformative power of education opportunity, visit ExcelinEd’s policy library. 

The post Statement on Future of Educational Options in Utah appeared first on ExcelinEd in Action.

“This decision ends a year-long limbo for Navajo ESA families trying to send their children to a school that was meeting their needs but happened to be on their reservation across the state line. Thanks to the leadership of Governor Doug Ducey, Senator Sylvia Allen and the Arizona Legislature, these students will be able to continue to learn in an environment that they know and were succeeding in.

“ExcelinEd in Action would like to thank our partners including the American Federation for Children, Goldwater Institute, EdChoice and ESA families for standing up for these students and giving them a voice to advocate for the education that works best for them.”

Brad Galbraith, Regional Legislative Director, ExcelinEd in Action

Senate Bill 1224 now goes to Governor Ducey’s desk for his signature.

For more on transformative power of educational opportunities, please visit the ExcelinEd policy library.

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HB 20-1288, sponsored by Senator Bob Rankin and Representative Janice Rich, requires schools to post on its website the reading curriculum, instructional programs and interventions for struggling readers to keep parents and community members informed on how schools are working to improve early literacy. Schools will also be required to post the number of students with reading plans, the number of students who have demonstrated competency and how the school is using intervention funding.

“Colorado’s vision for the future of its education system includes an emphasis on literacy. All children can become strong readers if they are taught the right way. Evidence-based instruction aligned with the science of reading has not been applied routinely in Colorado classrooms, and these specific methods can make a big difference. We must hold schools accountable for demonstrating that the reading instruction is aligned with scientifically-based reading research.”

Senator Bob Rankin

“The research is clear: Students who leave third grade unable to read at grade level face dramatically longer odds of graduating high school and embarking on a successful, fulfilling career.

“Information is power. Parents and community members deserve access to transparent information on how reading intervention funding is being spent at the school. This bill will shed light on whether schools are using curriculum based on the science of reading and if schools are seeing improved outcomes for students as a result of accepting intervention funds.

“ExcelinEd in Action would like to thank Senator Bob Rankin, Representative Janice Rich and the Senate Education Committee for championing and supporting this important issue.”

Brad Galbraith, Regional Legislative Director, ExcelinEd in Action

For more information on early literacy and the science of reading, visit ExcelinEd’s policy library.

The post Key Colorado Committee Approves Increased Transparency to Support Struggling Readers appeared first on ExcelinEd in Action.

“Providing students and their families the opportunity to find the best educational fit puts them in the driver’s seat of their education. Students with special needs deserve to have a customized education that includes the therapies and services they need to reach their potential and thrive. Expanding school choice will enhance the lives of Utah children, as well as provide families with more support.

“ExcelinEd in Action would like to thank the many leaders who have worked diligently to help Utah’s families, including the bill sponsor Representative Mike Schultz and our partners, including Sutherland Institute, Libertas Institute, SKAAGS Catholic Center and others.”

Brad Galbraith, Regional Legislative Director, ExcelinEd in Action

Utah families, like the Cizik family, are currently seeking scholarships to help customize their children’s education.

“I think a scholarship like this is very important, especially for a family like mine that has a child with unique needs. Being able to provide flexibility in her education is vital for her future growth. We know our children the best and we know what they need. If we had access to this scholarship, over the next ten years I could envision that my daughter would benefit by being able to live independently, or even attending college.”

Amy Cizik, Utah parent

The bill now heads to Governor Gary Herbert for further consideration.

For more information on the transformative power of education opportunity, visit ExcelinEd’s policy library.

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Senate Bill 386, sponsored by Senator Renee Unterman, would allow three additional groups of students with special needs to attend a participating private school through the Georgia Special Needs Scholarship Program. The three groups are students:

• With 504 accommodation plans;
• Who attended a public special needs preschool program; or
• Who were adopted from foster care.

Currently, only students who have an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) can participate. Other states, like Florida, ensure all students with special needs can participate in scholarship programs like these. The bill would also improve program transparency and responsiveness to families.

“All Georgia children, especially those with unique abilities, deserve a school that best fits their learning styles and needs.

“We would like to thank Senator Unterman, Chairman P.K. Martin, Lieutenant Governor Geoff Duncan and our partners at GeorgiaCAN, the Georgia Center for Opportunity and the American Federation for Children for their leadership and commitment to ensuring all students with special needs can attend a school where they will learn and thrive.”

Ryan Mahoney, Senior Legislative Director, ExcelinEd in Action

The legislation now moves to the House. For more information on the transformative power of educational opportunity, visit the ExcelinEd policy library.

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