Chalkbeat

Colorado budget committee plans aid for schools enrolling more migrant students

2024-02-14T22:25:39+00:00

This story has been updated to include a comment from the governor.

Colorado lawmakers on the powerful Joint Budget Committee want to provide some financial assistance to schools grappling with educating an influx of migrant students this year.

The idea from state Rep. Emily Sirota, a Denver Democrat who sits on the committee, would allocate up to $24 million, to be split among school districts that have enrolled newly arrived students after the October cutoff date that determines districts’ per-pupil funding. But the funding would be far less than what the state provides to educate a student.

The budget committee, which plays a major role in how the state spends its money, voted unanimously earlier this month to draft a bill allocating the funds.

Sen. Rachel Zenzinger, an Arvada Democrat and vice chair of the committee, said she plans to co-sponsor the bill once it’s ready. The bill has not yet been introduced.

In a statement, a spokesperson for Gov. Jared Polis said he’s working with the legislature on a proposal to provide additional funding for school districts that have new arrivals after the October count date.

Public school enrollment in Colorado: Here’s what you need to know

The state annually adjusts districts’ education funding up or down during the legislative session based on each district’s student enrollment on Oct. 1. But the surge in migrant students since the official count has overwhelmed many districts and prompted calls from school leaders for more aid to teach recent arrivals.

Sirota said while the state doesn’t have an exact tally, she’s heard estimates of up to 8,000 new student arrivals statewide since October. Some schools have needed to increase class sizes and have a greater need for services that help English learners, she said.

“This crisis is being felt across our cities, counties, and the state,” she said.

The state money would be a one-time infusion for districts. Joint Budget Committee members have said they want to ensure school districts wouldn’t need to apply for the money, but instead would have to provide the state with a tally of eligible students.

How much money districts would get likely will depend on whether the committee decides to allocate the full $24 million Sirota has proposed and how many newly arrived students have enrolled statewide since the October count.

The $24 million sum is not a calculation of how much it costs to fully educate the migrant students in Colorado. Rather, it is money the state would otherwise put in its savings account for education. Increasing local tax revenue means the state needs to spend $24 million less on schools this year than anticipated.

The proposed bill would reallocate those funds, but committee members have said they want to also find other funding sources.

The extra money would help districts, but it would be less than the $10,614 per student, on average, they get for students who are enrolled during the October count.

Sirota said funding is tight this year, especially when there are many competing budget priorities. But the extra funding would help districts bearing the brunt of the costs.

“I want to help our districts better absorb the costs that they are incurring with so many new students who are new to the country that they have taken on since October,” she said.

States across the country have seen a spike in recent migrant arrivals. The Denver area has dealt with the brunt of those arrivals.

In Denver Public Schools, migrant student enrollment has ballooned by more than 3,200 of these young people since the start of the school year. Many arrived after the October count that determined state per-student funding sent by the state.

The impact has also been uneven within the district. New students are concentrated in about two dozen of Denver’s schools.

But schools and cities across the metro area and state are reporting more students arriving every day, either from families moving to find work or recently coming to the state. The influx has caused financial shortfalls and pushback from some communities.

Correction: This story has been corrected to update the per pupil figure districts get from the state.

Jason Gonzales is a reporter covering higher education and the Colorado legislature. Chalkbeat Colorado partners with Open Campus on higher education coverage. Contact Jason at jgonzales@chalkbeat.org.

Inside a Colorado bill to provide extra funding to school districts serving migrant students

2024-03-16T00:37:32+00:00

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All Colorado school districts that have enrolled any migrant students since the Oct. 1 school funding cutoff date would get extra money — between $15,000 and $750,000 per district — under a draft bill approved unanimously on Friday by the powerful Joint Budget Committee.

But districts where the new arrivals have caused a net increase in students — meaning the district has more students now than on Oct. 1 — would get the most extra money. Those districts could get as much as an additional $4,500 for every newly arrived student.

The bill allocates $24 million to be distributed by May 31 to districts that have enrolled what it calls “new arrival students,” or students who moved to the United States less than a year ago, are not proficient in English, and are attending a U.S. school for the first time.

The city of Denver alone has served more than 39,000 new arrivals from Venezuela and other South American countries since it began keeping track more than a year ago, including families with children who have enrolled in public schools.

The details of how the $24 million would be doled out are somewhat complicated. First, there is a tiered system of lump sum payments to school districts based on the number of new arrival students they’ve enrolled since the October count. Districts would get:

$15,000 if they’ve enrolled between one and five new arrival students
$30,000 if they’ve enrolled between six and 10 new arrival students
$75,000 if they’ve enrolled between 11 and 30 new arrival students
$125,000 if they’ve enrolled between 31 and 50 new arrival students
$200,000 if they’ve enrolled between 51 and 100 new arrival students
$400,000 if they’ve enrolled between 101 and 200 new arrival students
$550,000 if they’ve enrolled between 201 and 500 new arrival students
$750,000 if they’ve enrolled 500 or more new arrival students

On top of that, districts with a net increase in enrollment would get $4,500 per student. Here’s where it gets complicated: Districts with a net increase would either get $4,500 for each migrant student they’ve enrolled or $4,500 per student based on the net increase, whichever is lesser.

If the $24 million isn’t enough to cover the costs, the bill says state officials can reduce the $4,500 per student to a lower dollar amount. If calculations show there will be leftover money, state officials could increase the $4,500 to a higher dollar amount.

State Rep. Emily Sirota, a Denver Democrat who sits on the budget committee, said in a text message that she’s happy that the bill could provide relief for districts statewide that are dealing with a “very out of the ordinary influx of new to country students arriving.”

Lawmakers have been working on the bill for over a month, debating various ways to dole out the $24 million. Sirota said the tiered funding proposal acknowledges districts incur fixed costs to educate any and all newly arrived students.

Friday’s vote by the budget committee finalized the language of the bill, but it has yet to be filed for consideration by the full Colorado General Assembly.

“I know my colleagues, our school districts, and our educators are going to be very excited to shepherd this bill across the finish line in the coming weeks,” Sirota said.

The funding is less than what school districts get for each student enrolled on Oct. 1: $10,614 on average. However, budget committee members wanted to earmark the $24 million to provide some relief for districts struggling with the extraordinary influx — money the districts would never get otherwise. (Students who stay enrolled next year will be factored into the school funding formula, and school districts will get money for those students.)

“This sudden influx has strained existing school infrastructure and staffing, led to overcrowded classrooms, stretched resources, and increased complexity to the student learning environment,” the bill says.

The bill also acknowledges that newly arrived students may need extra services, including English language development classes, mental health support, and more. Some may have been out of school for long stretches of time and need help catching up academically.

“New arrival students face unique challenges, including language barriers, cultural adjustments, and various academic backgrounds,” the bill says. “These unique challenges require specialized resources and support services.”

How much funding districts might get under the bill

Denver Public Schools and Aurora Public Schools have enrolled the most migrant students since the October count, according to data obtained through open records requests.

Denver has enrolled an additional 2,340 newcomer students, and Aurora has enrolled an additional 1,366 migrant students. Denver’s numbers were as of March 4, while Aurora’s were as of Feb. 29. The bill uses Feb. 29 as the date to calculate the difference between October count enrollment and how many students districts are serving now.

Accounting for students who left the districts between the October count and those dates, Denver had a net increase of 1,025 students, while Aurora had a net increase of 727 students.

Under the legislation, Denver Public Schools would get a lump sum of $750,000 for the 2,340 newcomers it has enrolled. The district would also get $4.6 million for the 1,025 net increase based on the $4,500 per student formula.

In Aurora’s case, the district would also get $750,000. And the district would get about $3.3 million for its total increase of students since the October count.

Most other districts that have enrolled more than 100 migrant students since the October count had either a much smaller net increase or a net decrease.

For instance, as of Feb. 29, the suburban Cherry Creek School District had enrolled an additional 532 newly arrived students since the October count. But the district has had a net decrease of 41 kindergarten through 12th grade students since Oct. 1.

Greeley-Evans School District 6 had enrolled 488 more migrant students, but only had a net increase of eight K-12 students. Adams 12 Five Star Schools had enrolled 389 additional students, but its school population only grew by 42 students.

And Jeffco Public Schools and Mapleton Public Schools had net decreases, despite enrolling 382 and 140 more new arrivals, respectively.

The student influx creates financial challenges for schools across the state, Brett Johnson, chief financial officer for Aurora Public Schools, said in an interview before the bill text was approved.

“There’s a real and specific impact of these 1,200 kids who have enrolled in our schools in terms of hiring new staff, repurposing classrooms for those schools,” Johnson said. “And those are real costs that are being incurred in real time.”

The challenges remain even in districts that have net decreases in overall enrollment.

A Cherry Creek spokesperson said the district has hired six staff members since January to support the new arrivals. Three of those hires are in newcomer classes and three are cultural liaisons who provide interpretation and other support to families who do not speak English.

Correction: This story has been corrected to update the per pupil figure districts get from the state.

Melanie Asmar is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Colorado. Contact Melanie at masmar@chalkbeat.org.

Yesenia Robles is a reporter for Chalkbeat Colorado covering K-12 school districts and multilingual education. Contact Yesenia at yrobles@chalkbeat.org.

The education bills that passed (and failed) in the 2024 Colorado legislative session

2024-05-10T20:35:02+00:00

Schools and money loomed large in the 2024 Colorado legislative session.

State lawmakers approved a new school funding formula 10 years in the making. They passed a “fully funded” K-12 budget, provided financial relief for districts enrolling an influx of newcomer students, and gave a big budget boost to public colleges and universities.

This year’s session, which wrapped on Wednesday, was the sixth in a row that both houses of the legislature were controlled by Democrats. Gov. Jared Polis is also a Democrat.

The new school funding formula prompted the most heated discussions. Lawmakers pushed it through in the waning days of the session, with the final vote taking place on the final day. The bill, which calls for $500 million in new spending over six years, follows a framework created by a 17-member task force but also includes compromises shepherded by sponsors.

The bill gained momentum after lawmakers ended the so-called budget stabilization factor, which withheld constitutionally mandated funding from K-12 schools in order to fund other priorities. Colorado is now in what lawmakers have called its “fully funded” era, though many advocates and district leaders say that schools still need more money.

College and university leaders raised similar concerns about their budgets, warning that they would need to hike tuition if the state didn’t provide more funding for their operations.

The powerful Joint Budget Committee, which has a heavy hand in crafting the state budget, provided millions more for higher education than Polis suggested. While the money will keep tuition increases lower, concerns about chronic underfunding remain.

Here’s a rundown, by topic, of education bills that passed (and a few that failed) this year. Some bills have already been signed into law by Polis, while others have not.

Student rights

Schools will be required to use a student’s preferred name under House Bill 1039. Refusing to use a student’s preferred name will be considered a form of discrimination.

Bullying based on a student’s weight, height, or body size will now be prohibited under House Bill 1285, which adds bullying related to physical appearance to the list of behaviors that are subject to school discipline policies and reporting requirements.

Preschool, public school, and college students will be allowed to wear objects of cultural or religious significance at their graduation ceremonies under House Bill 1323.

Students who are involved in the criminal justice system will have more support enrolling or re-enrolling in school and participating in school activities such as graduation ceremonies and sporting events per House Bill 1216. The state will also begin tracking attendance, dropout, and graduation rates for such students.

Student health

I Matter, a free therapy program for Colorado students started during the pandemic, will become permanent after lawmakers passed Senate Bill 1. I Matter provides six free telehealth or in-person counseling sessions to students in elementary through high school.

Students will be allowed to carry and administer naloxone, a drug that can be used to reverse opiate overdoses, at school without risk of discipline or confiscation under House Bill 1003.

By the 2027-28 school year, an external organization will provide state-funded training to mental health staff in at least 400 public schools with an emphasis on rural schools and students who lack access to mental health support, per House Bill 1406.

Senate Bill 7 creates a behavioral health first aid training program that will contract with a Colorado nonprofit organization to train educators to recognize and respond to the signs of mental health crises and substance abuse in teens.

A grant program that funds school-based health centers will be expanded to include behavioral, preventative, and oral health care services under Senate Bill 34.

A bill to create a task force to study how much time schools give students to eat lunch — and ways to increase that time — never made it out of committee and did not pass.

Student and teacher safety

A task force created by House Bill 1320 will investigate incidents of student aggression against teachers, the effects of special education staffing shortages, and insufficient funding for student wraparound services. The task force will make recommendations for improvements.

Middle and high school sports coaches at public and private schools will have to complete an abuse prevention training program under Senate Bill 113.

Carrying a firearm, openly or concealed, will be prohibited on the grounds of any school, college, or child care center — with some exceptions — under Senate Bill 131.

The Colorado Department of Education will contract with an outside organization to develop best practices for how schools respond to reports of harassment and discrimination per Senate Bill 162. Public schools must begin training their employees in the 2025-26 school year.

Higher education

House Bill 1340 creates a tax credit for students enrolled in college. This bill would fund at least two years of in-state college for students whose families make less than $90,000 a year.

Students between the ages of 17 and 26 who have experienced homelessness at any time during high school will get help paying for college under House Bill 1403.

Colorado colleges and universities that enroll a higher-than-average proportion of students who are the first in their family to go to college will be designated as first-generation-serving institutions under House Bill 1082.

Students who transfer from one university to another will be able to retain the credits they earned, among other rights for transfer students enshrined in Senate Bill 164

Senate Bill 51 fixes an oversight in a law passed last year that was meant to expand adult diploma programs to help the more than 300,000 residents who never graduated high school.

Child care and early childhood education

A pandemic-era team that helps Spanish-speaking child care providers become licensed will continue its work after Colorado lawmakers approved ongoing funding in House Bill 1009.

Colorado’s child care subsidy program will get an overhaul that’s meant to boost aid for some families, make the subsidies easier to access, and attract more providers to accept subsidies. House Bill 1223 will also cover full tuition for child care employees with kids in child care.

Nature-based preschool programs can become licensed child care centers under Senate Bill 78.

House Bill 1331 creates a $5 million grant program for academic enrichment programs that occur when school is not in session. The programs must serve public school students.

Students with disabilities

House Bill 1063 puts stricter guardrails on the use of shortened schedules for students with disabilities and will require the state to collect data on how often students miss part of the school day because they are sent home early or placed on modified schedules.

A bill that would have banned seclusion, which is the practice of shutting students inside a room alone, was defeated at the request of the sponsor. State data shows that young students with disabilities are disproportionately secluded.

Senate Bill 69 requires the state to create a training program for parents and special education advocates “in plain and easy-to-understand language” about individualized education programs, or IEPs, which detail the services schools must provide students with disabilities.

Teacher workforce

School districts experiencing a teacher shortage will be able to hire more retirees to fill vacancies without impacting those retirees’ pension benefits under House Bill 1044.

Rural school districts will be able to hire retired superintendents and principals without impacting their pension benefits under Senate Bill 99.

Teachers will have an alternative way to get endorsed to teach special education or early childhood education, two fields with persistent shortages, per House Bill 1087. Instead of completing a college program, teachers can participate in a new induction program.

Out-of-state school psychologists who want to work in Colorado schools will be able to more easily transfer their licenses under an interstate compact created by House Bill 1096.

House Bill 1264 creates an online portal for educators to post resumés and school districts to post job openings. The portal will also include information about career incentives, stipends, loan forgiveness programs, mentorship opportunities, and more.

Teacher training

House Bill 1446 creates a free, optional training program for science teachers that will include “instruction on interventions for students who are below grade level or struggling in science, children with disabilities, and students who are English language learners.”

Experienced teachers will get paid stipends to mentor novice teachers with fewer than three years of experience under an expansion of an existing program, per House Bill 1376.

Some student teachers will get stipends under House Bill 1290.

School funding

Colorado lawmakers earmarked $24 million to be distributed to school districts that enrolled migrant students after the Oct. 1 student count under House Bill 1389.

Lawmakers passed House Bill 1390 in an attempt to shore up a new state program that provides free school lunches to all students. The program is facing a funding shortfall, and the bill delays implementing certain parts of the program in order to save money.

Charter schools

Charter schools authorized by the state’s Charter School Institute can now ask to share in some of the proceeds of local voter-approved tax increases when the schools need funding for construction or building renovation projects, per House Bill 1154.

CSI-authorized charters will also receive so-called mill levy equalization funding — state funding equal to the voter-approved tax revenue received by district-run schools in the same communities — under House Bill 1394.

A bill that would have significantly changed how Colorado charter schools operate and made it easier for local districts to close them was defeated by state lawmakers.

History and research

House Bill 1444 provides two more years of funding for a History Colorado research program “regarding the physical abuse and deaths that occurred at federal Indian boarding schools in Colorado.” The bill prioritizes collecting oral histories from survivors.

Climate education

Colorado high school graduates will now be able to earn a “seal of climate literacy” on their diploma to show they have the skills for green jobs or a background in managing Colorado’s natural resources under Senate Bill 14.

Prison education

House Bill 1461 will allow incarcerated students to take full advantage of a law that grants them early release for earning college degrees.

Career education

Colorado employers that employ an apprentice for at least six months can now get a tax credit of up to $12,600 per apprentice under House Bill 1439.

House Bill 1365 allocates $3.8 million for a fourth round of Opportunity Now grants to address workforce shortages in infrastructure and building trades.

Book bans

Colorado lawmakers voted down a bill that would have made it harder to remove content from a school or public library. But the issue resurfaced later in the legislative session in Senate Bill 216 — with a notable omission. School libraries are not part of the bill that passed.

Melanie Asmar is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Colorado. Contact Melanie at masmar@chalkbeat.org.

How a pro-Palestinian protest has impacted a Denver college campus

2024-05-10T01:05:43+00:00

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On a windy afternoon this week, students on Denver’s Auraria Campus snapped pre-graduation pictures and walked to finals. Most seemed to pay little attention to the quiet encampment of pro-Palestinian protesters that has taken over the quad.

Over the last two weeks, the encampment has grown into the largest of any of its kind on a Colorado university campus, with dozens of tents and at times holding up to a thousand protesters. But the setting differs from the recent protests at private colleges that have attracted the most attention nationally.

The public campus that houses Metropolitan State University of Denver, the University of Colorado Denver, and the Community College of Denver is largely composed of commuter students who are from low-income backgrounds, which stands in contrast to private campuses with the most high-profile protests, such as Columbia University in New York City.

The campus protesters against the Israel-Hamas war and U.S. involvement in it are part of a nationwide movement of students who have called for universities to divest from any corporations operating in Israel, among other demands. But as at other colleges, some Jewish students say the encampment should be taken down and that the protest has disturbed the climate on campus and made them feel less safe.

The protests have put university administrators in the uncomfortable position of attempting to balance student safety and free speech.

While the Auraria encampment has been mostly quiet, demonstrators have participated in various disruptions such as taking over the student union. The protests even resulted in arrests when the camp first started. Students have also considered disrupting this week’s graduation ceremonies.

It’s caused discord on one of Colorado’s most diverse public campuses. And not all who are involved in the encampment are students.

Here are five stories from students, some who attend the colleges and some who go to college online, about what they think about the protests.

Encampment gives pro-Palestinian student organizer hope

Tom Chaney, 23, sat at the edge of the MSU Denver quad keeping a watchful eye over the encampment, which is a mix of students and community members. He’s been there since the encampment began about two weeks ago, and he keeps busy with camp logistics.

Tom Chaney, a communications major at Metropolitan State University of Denver, says students' response to the pro-Palestinian encampment has given the protest strength.

A few people have come by and yelled at the participants or even vandalized the camp, including tipping over portable toilets. Other protesters say people have come into the encampment and taken down tents or yelled at them.

But Chaney said the majority of students and community members have shown support. While he keeps watch, some even take time to draw or write statements in chalk.

The encampment has grown from a handful of tents to taking over most of the quad, said Chaney, a communications major at MSU Denver.

Chaney has been a pro-Palestinian organizer for over two years. The encampment is a way to raise awareness about what people there have faced before the war and since it began, he said.

He knows that as a commuter campus where many students also work, any support they can show is meaningful.

“It’s really kept us strong,” Chaney said.

Jewish student is on high alert amid protest

Morgan Shepherd, a junior at MSU Denver, has become more cautious over the last few weeks. He’s avoided protesters and given their encampment a wide berth when he visits the nearby Tivoli Student Union.

“I very much keep my head on a swivel,” he said. “It’s not the greatest situation.”

Morgan Shepherd, a junior at MSU Denver who is Jewish, has tried to steer clear of the pro-Palestinian encampment.

Shepherd, who is Jewish, doesn’t want to get caught in the middle of a confrontation between police and protesters, or stuck in a building that has been locked down. Reminders of the protest are everywhere — in sidewalk chalk messages around campus, on posters, and in the constant stream of text alerts on his phone.

Shepherd, a 20-year-old economics major from Aurora, views some of the protest slogans and imagery as antisemitic, including posters calling for intifada, an Arabic word for uprising. He said a previous intifada entailed years of suicide bombings that killed Israeli civilians. To him, the word is a battle cry for revolution against Israel.

“It’s just the scale of what they’re calling for that is more astonishing than anything,” he said.

Shepherd has never been to Israel, but has family there. One of his aunt’s relatives, an Israeli soldier, was captured during the fighting in Gaza after Oct. 7.

“They think he’s dead,” said Shepherd.

One student stresses privilege of ability to protest

Lucia Feast, 20, took a mid-morning final on Wednesday and then was back in the encampment about an hour later.

A Gender, Women and Sexualities studies major at MSU Denver, Feast felt drawn to the protest because not everyone has the privilege to participate, she said. She feels a responsibility to speak out about the human rights issues in Gaza that stem from the war. She said she couldn’t idly standby as tens of thousands were killed and millions more were displaced.

Lucia Feast outside the Auraria Campus encampment. Feast says she wants to use the privilege that she has to protest to advocate on behalf of others.

“I have more space for personal risks than most people and I want to use that when I can,” Feast said.

The Auraria campus is also a place where oppression has happened in the past, she said, including the displacement of the area’s residents. That connection makes the Israel-Hamas war real for students, many who come from traditionally underrepresented backgrounds, said Feast, who is white like many of the protesters.

And the protesters’ call for financial transparency from the university is important because tax money and student tuition go directly to the institution, she said.

She said the politics of the war are long and complicated, but she wanted to help lend a voice for those who couldn’t speak out against the war.

“It became pretty clear what I’ve had to do and put on the line to support those people,” she said.

‘People have absolutely no clue what Israel’s like’

Sam, a senior at the University of Colorado Denver who asked that his last name not be used in order to protect his privacy, first interacted with pro-Palestinian protesters on the Auraria campus last fall. That’s when a group of them gathered in front of the Golda Meir House Museum, where Israel’s first prime minister lived for a time.

Sam

When Sam and his friend held up an Israeli flag, some of the protesters yelled, “You’re going to burn in hell” and called them names, he said.

“This is a hate mob right here,” he recalled thinking. “I was just like, ‘What is going on?’”

Sam has not generally worried about his safety amid campus protests. But he does think the encampment he’s passed this spring on the way to and from his computer science classes should be cleared.

“Our school has a no-camping policy so it should be shut down,” he said.

Sam, who’s originally from Miami, transferred to the University of Colorado Denver from the University of Florida two years ago. He’ll graduate after he takes one class during the summer term.

Sam said protesters’ narrative about Israel doesn’t match with what he saw there during a high school trip and later during an internship in the country on airport navigation.

“It’s not some crazy country that’s oppressing people,” he said. “It made me realize that people have absolutely no clue what Israel’s like.”

Pro-Palestinian camp influences student’s college plans

Sky Childress, 18, moved to Denver less than a month ago. She saw a TikTok about the encampment and decided she needed to act.

She’s been a constant at the protest ever since. MSU Denver is a public campus where Childress felt she could participate. Childress attends Arizona State University online.

Sky Childress on the Auraria Campus. Childress said the deaths of children during the Israel-Hamas war are what concern her the most.

Remote students don’t have many options to voice their opinions at campuses, she said.

“There’s people all across the country that are sympathetic to our cause, and I really liked that,” she said. “And I wasn’t even at my own school.”

She said protesters have tried to be thoughtful, such as donating uneaten food to homeless shelters. She also said even if the protesters plan disruptions, they’re mindful that some students are studying for finals at this time.

Childress said the encampment has resonated with her. But she also said that what she cares about most is that children are dying in large numbers in the war. Behind the encampment are over 10,000 white flags that signify the kids who have died in the conflict — symbols of the war’s toll that have fueled her commitment to the encampment.

With all she’s learned, she plans to enroll at one of the Auraria campus colleges in the future. And she’s watching closely how university presidents react to their demands before she makes a decision.

Ann Schimke is a senior reporter at Chalkbeat, covering early childhood issues and early literacy. Contact Ann at aschimke@chalkbeat.org.

Colorado law benefitting incarcerated students wasn’t working as intended, so lawmakers made a fix

2024-05-08T18:36:43+00:00

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Some incarcerated Colorado students who committed nonviolent offenses have taken college classes for the last year with the understanding they would earn an early release.

But because of a conflicting law on the books, a law passed last year never worked as intended. Instead, state Rep. Matthew Martinez, a Monte Vista Democrat, said he got letters from incarcerated students and calls from families across the state because incarcerated family members couldn’t shave off as much time as promised from their sentences for earning an associates, bachelor’s, or master’s degree.

“There’s just been a lot of heartache that their student had made significant progress on their degree,” Martinez said. “And then they were being told that they weren’t able to receive the maximum amount of time.”

Martinez and the Colorado General Assembly say they’ve fixed that problem this year, allowing students to get up to two years off their sentence. House Bill 1461 has passed both chambers and awaits Gov. Jared Polis’ signature.

Under the conflicting state law, people incarcerated in the state’s prisons can only get up to 30% of their sentence forgiven. Martinez said the state corrections department was only granting students 120 days off their sentences, when the law passed last year should have allowed them to get between six months and two years shaved off.

About 270 incarcerated students are taking college classes and eligible for a sentence reduction, Martinez said.

Under an expansion of the Second Chance Pell program, more incarcerated students are eligible to get federal funds to attend college. Colorado is one of the first states in the nation to also employ incarcerated professors to help educate students in prison.

House Bill 1461 clarifies that the state wants to give incarcerated students who committed a nonviolent offense more of an incentive to get a college education. For earning a college certificate, students can get six months of forgiveness. For earning an associate or bachelor’s degree, they can get one year. And for earning a master’s degree, students can get two years reduced from their sentence.

The “technical cleanup” bill restores hope and inspiration to students and families, Martinez said. And he said it shows that education can help students find a way out of prison, as well as stay out.

“This is something that we can do that can not only get families back together, but really reduce the recidivism here in the state of Colorado,” Martinez said.

NAEP test results show big declines in math, wide gaps among Colorado students

2022-10-24T04:01:00+00:00

Colorado students posted the lowest scores in more than a decade on the test known as “the nation’s report card,” with the steepest declines in middle school math and with Hispanic students losing the most ground. And while Colorado students posted better reading scores than did students in 27 other states, that was largely because other states lost even more ground.

The learning loss from 2019 to 2022 on the National Assessment of Educational Progress, known as NAEP, points to the devastating impact the pandemic has had on the education of children in almost every pocket of Colorado and the nation.

While research has already shown that academic progress reversed, NAEP results released Monday provide the most detailed and authoritative accounting yet, with data coming from a representative set of students nationwide and allowing for comparisons across states and some cities.

“The results are appalling and unacceptable,” U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona said. “This is a moment of truth. How we respond will determine our standing in the world.”

This year’s results reaffirm what Colorado education leaders and teachers already knew thanks to statewide assessments: Students fell behind.

But parents, teachers, and students are working hard to rebound, said Joyce Zurkowski, Colorado Department of Education chief assessment officer.

“There are some indications that things are on the way back up,” she said. “But there’s work to do.”

What is NAEP?

Mandated by Congress, the national assessment tests math and reading skills in fourth and eighth grades roughly every two years among a random sampling of students — about 450,000 students in 10,000 schools in 2022. The administrators break down scores by state and for select cities that vary with each test.

Denver was one of 26 urban districts that NAEP sampled last winter. Outside of those cities, NAEP does not issue district scores.

Unlike state exams, the NAEP tests are low stakes for students, teachers, and schools. But the NAEP test offers a valuable look at the progress of the nation.

“We knew results would reflect historic disruptions to schools,” said Peggy Carr, commissioner of the National Center for Education Statistics, which organizes the test. “NAEP results should give us all pause. They also remind us how essential schools are for our children and families.”

Colorado dip in math skills

The Colorado Measure of Academic Success, or CMAS, standardized tests show students recovering ground from 2021 but still below pre-pandemic levels in most cases. Similar to NAEP, the state’s test scores show particularly concerning drops in middle school math scores and draw attention to the impacts on students who transitioned to more complex material in a highly disrupted environment.

NAEP shows fourth grade Colorado math scores declined steeply. Proficiency dropped by one-quarter, from about 44% of students in 2019 to 36% of students this year. Eighth grade math proficiency fell by about the same proportion, from 37% of students in 2019 to 28% this year.

Colorado reading skills did not decline as much. On the fourth-grade test, 38% of students tested proficient, down from 40% in 2019. In eighth grade, 34% of students tested proficient, compared with 38% in 2019.

In Denver, reading scores declined similarly. Fourth-grade proficiency scores fell from 32% to 29%, and eighth-grade scores fell from 29% to 28% — which may not be statistically significant — from 2019.

Denver fourth-grade math proficiency dipped from 35% of students in 2019 to 28% this year. Eighth grade proficiency also fell, from 29% in 2019 to 22% of students this year.

In both Colorado and Denver, Hispanic students experienced greater declines in most grades and subjects than did other student groups. The pandemic pummeled Colorado’s Hispanic families, who have suffered higher death rates and more job losses. An estimated two-thirds of Colorado children without internet access are Hispanic, and many of them had parents working essential jobs and who could not stay home with them.

Zurkowski said learning gaps among Hispanics remain an area of “significant concern.” The state has some of the largest gaps in the nation between Hispanic and white students.

Students faced many challenges during COVID

The pandemic imposed hardships and barriers to student learning: switches between remote and hybrid classes, quarantines and other disruptions, spotty internet access, and general instability. Students also experienced major stressors, like parents losing jobs and caregivers falling ill and dying.

Melissa Snyder, a Cherry Creek School District fourth grade teacher, said student absenteeism has soared since the start of the pandemic.

“There’s a lot of pieces to the puzzle,” said Snyder, who teaches at Pine Ridge Elementary. “Everything with COVID is so much more complex.”

Lorelei Jackson, a Denver Language School eighth grade math teacher, said teachers had to choose which lessons to teach and students are missing skills they would normally have learned.

“We wanted to make sure that we were focusing on what was going to be the most impactful for students,” she said. And now, “we’re seeing those gaps.”

A Chalkbeat analysis found mixed evidence on the link between remote learning and changes in state test scores, with some correlation in math and fourth-grade reading but none in eighth-grade reading. More granular research has shown that students who experienced more virtual learning tended to fall further behind.

The Colorado education department didn’t require districts to report changes in learning mode, which sometimes varied weekly, but its staff did try to track who was in-person, remote, or hybrid using district websites and Facebook pages. Using state data, the COVID-19 School Data Hub estimates that Colorado students on average spent 28% of their time learning in person during the 2020-21 school year.

Many rural districts ran a near-normal school year while larger urban and suburban districts spent more time in remote learning. Even during in-person learning, frequent quarantines and absences due to illness created major disruptions.

Mary Hulac, a language arts teacher at Greeley’s Prairie Heights Middle School, said the disruption still resonates among students and saps them of motivation for school and even outside activities.

“They’re afraid of risk and maybe being wrong or being rejected,” she said.

How can Colorado rebound?

Last year, Colorado leaders mapped out how to spend $180 million of $1.5 billion in federal relief money for schools. The rest went directly to school districts. The state focused its funds on grants for instructional materials, tutors, after-school programs, and training, according to Scott Jones, Colorado Department of Education chief strategic recovery officer.

The money helps get students one-on-one help to address areas where they are falling behind, Jones said. He called for patience in letting those investments work for students.

“This is not going to be a swift return,” He said. “We’re definitely looking at how we look at the work over a length of time and supporting districts even as the extra funds are spent and expire in 2024.”

Denver Public Schools has invested some of its federal COVID funding in tutoring and expanding summer school. The district distributed some money to schools directly to use as they saw fit. Many used it to hire extra staff.

The district also set aside $12 million for services such as speech therapy or small-group reading for students with disabilities to make up for what they may have missed during remote learning. But at the end of last school year, much of that money remained unspent.

Denver is focused on acceleration, which means teaching students at their grade level with support, rather than on remedial lessons. Whether that will work is a subject of nationwide debate.

Nicholas Martinez, of the advocacy organization Transform Education Now, said Denver hasn’t approached the issue with enough urgency.

“These are not new problems,” Martinez said. “Your ZIP code defining your opportunity is not new. Looking at the data and having an honest conversation means we have to do better.”

Melanie Asmar, Matt Barnum, and Erica Meltzer contributed to this report.

How will Colorado’s new funding formula affect rural districts? It depends.

2024-05-03T22:52:40+00:00

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As Speaker Julie McCuskie stood at the House dais in the Colorado Capitol on Tuesday, a typically rambunctious chamber listened intently.

The Dillon Democrat explained how her Summit County school district has the property wealth and voters to raise taxes to support schools, including for transportation, technology, and capital projects. But when she visited Center Consolidated School District in the San Luis Valley, which is in a rural area, has low property wealth, and less local tax money to fund schools, McCluskie said she found educators there operated with much fewer resources.

The story, meant to rally support for a rewrite of the state’s school funding formula, showcased why some communities need more help from the state, she said.

“We have an obligation, we have a responsibility, to think about all four corners of this state,” McCluskie said. “Our decisions need to be to equitably share state resources so that every single kid gets a fair shot.”

Throughout the last few weeks, McCluskie and other rewrite supporters have argued this point — that the proposed formula changes would give more money to districts serving students with the most needs, and then prioritize higher funding for small and rural districts like Center. So far, lawmakers have agreed. The bill passed the House a day after McCluskie’s speech on a 54-10 vote, with one lawmaker excused, and will now be heard in the Senate.

But the immediate financial impact on district budgets, especially on rural schools the formula is designed to help, would likely be a mixed bag, according to superintendents.

Most districts would get more funding but a few others — including a handful of rural districts — would get less money over time, compared to the current formula. And those slated to get an increase would still have other financial pressures, such as the end of federal COVID relief funding or, in some districts, declining enrollment.

“There are still some unknowns,” said Michelle Murphy, the executive director of the Colorado Rural Schools Alliance, which represents rural schools. “But there’s a whole lot of excitement and hope.”

School funding formulas create perceived winners, losers

For years, smaller districts have complained that larger districts, especially those with high property wealth, benefit the most from the current formula.

The rewrite, proposed in House Bill 1448 and more than a decade in the making, flips the current 30-year-old formula and creates a new set of perceived winners and losers.

Currently, Colorado sets a base per-pupil funding amount. Then it uses factors such as district enrollment, cost of living, and the number of students living in poverty as weights to determine actual per-pupil funding for each district. The higher a district’s enrollment, cost of living, and number of students living in poverty, the higher its per-pupil funding.

The proposed formula would first send money to districts based on the number and type of students they are serving. Districts would get a set amount of dollars for each student, similar to the current formula, and then additional dollars based on student characteristics, including whether students are in special education, are learning English, or are considered at-risk based on low family income.

The proposed formula then considers the size of a district and the cost of living there.

To support changes, the bill calls for the state to spend $500 million more over six years’ time — or an annual increase of about $83 million. The state would use either general fund revenue or education savings.

The bill also creates a funding floor so no district gets less money than in the 2024-25 year.

More money for most rural schools

Like McCluskie said at the dais, Center is one of the districts that would benefit from the new formula.

Superintendent Carrie Zimmerman said she believes the district would get a few hundred thousand dollars more, which would provide many benefits.

The extra money would mean she could hire a licensed teacher in every classroom who has the training to work with kids who need the most intensive support. She also said it might mean smaller class sizes for students.

The money would also help Center schools recruit teachers and help them pay for long commutes in the valley. In addition, the extra funding would help the district provide or maintain after-school and summer programs, she said.

Zimmerman said about 80% of the district’s families live below the poverty line. About 40% of the students also are English language learners.

Meanwhile, Gunnison Watershed School District, which is projected to receive one of the highest funding increases through the proposed formula, faces challenges due to the impending expiration of pandemic relief money in September.

The school district, which geographically is the size of Rhode Island and Delaware combined, also pays more for gas to transport students and to bring in contractors to fix problems like a broken HVAC.

The end of COVID aid also puts the district at risk of losing staff who help students improve their math and reading skills, as well as counselors, said Leslie Nichols, the district’s superintendent.

Gunnison isn’t alone. Other districts have leaned heavily on federal funding, in part because their state funding has been so low. East Otero School District Superintendent Rick Lovato said the new formula would allow him to keep positions he’d otherwise have to cut.

Meanwhile, Kermit Snyder, Rocky Ford superintendent, said a bigger issue for him is declining enrollment.

“Without the formula change, we’d be in a greater fiscal emergency,” he said.

School funding change doesn’t address all concerns

The changes haven’t received universal support.

Districts that won’t get as much additional money as others say the proposed formula fails to account for the challenges they face.

Telluride School District Superintendent John Pandolfo said by flipping the cost of living factor, his district stands to get less money over time. Telluride is in a rural and mountainous area, but is one of the more affluent in the state due to the city’s famous ski resort.

Pandolfo said he’s a firm believer in funding student needs, but he can’t support the measure when it so negatively impacts his district.

Teachers in his district can barely afford rent, he said. He added that he’s already successfully asked voters for tax increases and is unsure whether asking for another would be reasonable. Plus, local ballot measures, even when they’re successful, make the area only more expensive and harder for teachers and some families to afford, he said.

Pandolfo also raised a longstanding concern about Colorado education funding: The state does not spend nearly enough money on its schools. He said changing the formula doesn’t fix that problem.

No district has the money it needs from the state, he said, which means no student “is learning to the level that they can and should be learning.”

Back at the dais in the state Capitol, McCluskie acknowledged that shortfall and said she supports, in theory, asking voters statewide to raise taxes for schools.

But she said the time is now to act on the formula.

“We need more money for public schools,” she said. “But it is time to make a commitment to equity.”

School funding formula rewrite clears major House vote

2024-05-01T00:20:19+00:00

A proposed rewrite to Colorado’s school funding formula cleared a major hurdle on Tuesday when House members approved the measure on an initial voice vote, bringing the rewrite another step closer to replacing a 30-year-old system.

The vote to approve the measure means the rewrite will likely clear its final House vote, during which only minor changes are allowed. The bill will then be sent to the Senate.

The bill calls for $500 million in new funding to districts phased in over a six-year period, or about $83 million a year, starting in the 2024-25 school year.

Sponsors say it would dole out more state funding to districts serving higher numbers of students with disabilities, students from low-income families, or students who are learning English as a second language. The current school funding formula gives more funding to districts with higher costs of living, a factor that would still be considered in the new formula but would be diminished.

The bill’s initial approval on the House floor underscores the work by its sponsors, led by Speaker Julie McCluskie, a Dillon Democrat, to find compromise with opposition on issues. The most significant concerns have come from larger districts and the state’s largest teachers union, with both groups sharing concerns that some districts would get more funding and others would get less, as well as doubts about the financial sustainability of propping up the changes.

McCluskie said during a Tuesday news conference that she’s tried to meet district leaders’ concerns and work with the union.

The most significant changes to the original bill would allow for triggers that pause phasing in the formula, and the money it would require, if certain factors happen, such as a reduction in projected state revenue. McCluskie has said the increase in state funding for schools would come out of education savings or recurring general fund revenue.

Others include a task force to study how local property tax referendums affect school funding, and the removal of two studies that sparked concern among union leaders.

She said sponsors understand this is a big change but will drive funding to students who need it the most.

“The bill currently encompasses a dramatic reimagining of our school finance formula that is much more student-centered and drives funding to the kids who need additional resources, supports, interventions, and smaller class sizes,” McCluskie said.

Rural and small districts would benefit the most

The bill changes how the state funds schools by first sending more money to districts based on the student characteristics.

The formula would then factor whether districts are smaller or rural districts, as well as a districts’ cost of living expenses. Under the formula, rural districts would benefit the most, while larger, wealthier districts would get less additional money over time. The bill ensures no district loses money through a provision that holds district funding at next year’s levels.

A consensus of district leaders say the existing formula, adopted in 1994, is inadequate for the needs of Colorado’s education. But widespread agreement on a formula rewrite has been difficult, and even getting a bill introduced this year has been a decade-long process. This rewrite has brought together many districts in support.

The bill would especially send millions more to rural and small districts that face higher costs for goods and services and more difficulties recruiting teachers. Those schools have historically not benefited as much from state funding under the current formula. Small and rural districts also have more trouble raising local property tax revenue to support education.

Districts such as Denver, Greeley, Mapleton, and Lewis-Palmer support the bill because they say the formula would place student needs at the front of the funding model.

“This is a substantial investment in education in all the places that we know is most needed,” said Chuck Carpenter, Denver Public Schools chief of finance during a recent bill hearing. Carpenter served on a 17-member committee that helped provide recommendations for the rewrite and has guided how lawmakers crafted the legislation.

Amendments try to address concerns

Several larger districts, such as Boulder, Adams 12, Littleton, Cherry Creek, and Jefferson, have voiced opposition to the rewrite, although McCluskie and sponsors have offered numerous amendments that they hope ease concerns.

While no districts will lose money, some leaders such as Erin Kane, Douglas County School District superintendent, have said that their district would get less overall funding in the future. Kane worries the funding formula would make it harder for her district to recruit teachers and would mean less funding for students in her district who need more help.

Some districts instead asked lawmakers to increase the base amount of funding all districts get per pupil, instead of rewriting the formula to increase funding for students with higher needs. Bacon and sponsors said changing the formula addresses how to distribute money in a fairer manner, although she acknowledged that state funding is still not adequate.

Adams 12 officials also said the funding formula doesn’t address problems with local tax measures that can create further inequities among districts. Mill levy overrides, which are voter-approved tax measures for education, can raise widely different amounts depending on the property wealth of an area. Some districts with a greater number of residents with lower income also have a tougher time asking voters for property tax increases.

Teachers unions have expressed concerns about the sustainability of spending $500 million more over the next six years. The Colorado Education Association, which represents over 40,000 teachers statewide, opposes the bill and has called for lawmakers to ask voters statewide to approve dedicated funding to schools to grow how much the state spends each year on education.

McCluskie also introduced an amendment that would allow wealthier districts affected by cost of living formula changes to go to voters so they can raise more funding. Another change would create a working group to study the mill levy override system and state matching grants and recommend changes.

And a Tuesday amendment introduced by lawmakers that would have stripped out funding for charter school facilities failed.

Sponsors have removed two studies from the bill that union officials said mirror model legislative language from the American Legislative Exchange Council, a conservative group that supports vouchers and shares legislative drafts with state lawmakers.

Teachers union officials said the studies would open the door to funding private schools with public dollars, although bill sponsors said that wasn’t the intent. And Democrats have opposed school voucher legislation over the years.

Colorado’s largest teachers union says it opposes school funding formula rewrite

2024-04-26T00:37:11+00:00

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The state’s largest teacher’s union has joined opposition to a bill that would overhaul how Colorado funds schools.

The Colorado Education Association originally wanted lawmakers to amend the bill when officials first released it. But on Tuesday the union decided to officially oppose House Bill 1448, which would overhaul a 30-year-old system that is widely considered to not meet school or student needs.

The union says it’s concerned the bill includes wording that could open the door to funding private schools with state dollars, although the bill doesn’t include language to support vouchers and Democratic lawmakers have been staunchly against such a move. The union also argued there needs to be sustainable funding for the formula rewrite and has criticized the process behind the bill as too hasty.

CEA represents over 40,000 teachers statewide and is a powerful lobbying force on education-related legislation. Their move to fight the bill could present a significant political challenge for the bill’s backers.

The union has launched a statewide campaign calling for educators to voice their opposition to the legislation. But CEA President Amie Baca-Oehlert said she’s open to further conversations with lawmakers and that the union’s position isn’t set in stone.

“We are continuing to work on this because ultimately we are committed to ensuring that our schools, students, and educators have the resources that they need,” Baca-Oehlert said.

Other opponents of the bill include the American Federation of Teachers Colorado and districts like Boulder, Douglas County, Adams 12, Cherry Creek, and Littleton.

The bill calls for $500 million in new funding to schools phased in over a six-year period. It also changes how the state funds schools by first sending more money to schools based on the students they serve. Then it provides money for smaller and rural districts, and also factors in districts’ cost of living expenses.

Baca-Oehlert said she supports the idea that the formula should provide more for students with the greatest needs. But she said she’s worried about studies the bill calls for that mirror model legislative language from the American Legislative Exchange Council, a conservative group that supports vouchers and shares legislative drafts with state lawmakers.

The studies would look at how the state spends money on students and analyze school and district needs based on student enrollment, according to sponsors.

House Speaker Julie McCluskie, a Democrat and another bill sponsor, said sponsors wanted to better understand how the new resources will be spent to support students. At the same time, she indicated she’d remove the references to the studies from the bill.

“While I adamantly disagree with the misunderstanding that this is ‘backpack funding’ or a pathway to privatizing public schools, I appreciate the feedback from CEA,” she said.

Baca-Oehlert and others have worried about whether the state would be able to support the big increase in spending that the bill calls for without asking voters for an education-specific tax referendum.

McCluskie has said the new formula would be funded through either education savings or growth in revenue the state already collects, but hasn’t provided more details. But if state tax revenue declines, it would threaten Colorado’s ability to phase in the formula.

Even though there’s widespread agreement that the current school funding system is badly outdated, efforts to actually revamp it have proven difficult because such a big overhaul might create winners and losers. That dynamic has reemerged: Some districts have worried about losing money over the long-term under the proposed rewrite.

Larger districts, especially those with a higher property tax base, wouldn’t get as much money as the current formula. Lawmakers have included a provision that would ensure their funding levels do not dip below next budget year levels.

Rural school districts would stand to benefit the most by far from the new formula and the $500 million that’s to be spent on the formula. Rural districts and the Colorado Rural Schools Alliance support the bill. Various other advocacy groups, including Democrats for Education Reform and the conservative Ready Colorado, also back the legislation.

Supporters of the bill have said the changes send more money to the students who need it most and will support increases in student achievement. They’ve said the rewrite creates more equitable funding for students across the state and supports districts who face the steepest challenges.

The proposal represents the culmination of years of work and follows many recommendations released by a 17-member task force in February.

In addition to McCluskie, the bill’s sponsors include Democratic Sen. Rachel Zenzinger, vice chair of the Joint Budget Committee, Senate Minority Leader Paul Lundeen, and Assistant Majority Leader Jennifer Bacon of Denver.

Colorado adult education providers say they may lose grant funding and have to trim classes

2024-04-17T01:04:00+00:00

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Students who attend The Learning Source’s Pueblo location share some common goals — they want to learn English or get their high school education.

Yet they have varied ideas about what they want to do with that education. Yadira Granados, 28, wants to expand her businesses. Yessica Gallegos, 37, wants to someday get a business degree, possibly at Colorado State University Pueblo. And both want to help their kids.

“When I travel, I want to understand the people that talk to me,” Granados said. “And I want to talk with my children.”

Providers of adult education in Colorado say they value these diverse outcomes. But requirements for the federal grants that fund their work are more narrowly focused on getting adult students ready for the workforce and demonstrating the success of those efforts. In line with that philosophy, Colorado officials are now asking local providers for more workforce-related data about their programs as a condition for passing along federal adult education funding.

Some providers said they don’t have that data, which means they may be forced to forgo the federal grants and rely solely on the sparse state funding available for adult education that’s not linked to job readiness. If that happens, they fear, classes like the ones that Granados and Gallegos take at The Learning Source Pueblo could soon disappear.

Josh Evans, The Learning Source’s CEO, said thousands of Colorado adults could lose out.

About 300,000 Colorado adults do not have a high school diploma, according to state numbers.

“We’re talking about individuals who have a good amount of barriers to employment and self sufficiency,” Evans said. “And this is just increasing those markers of difficulty for them.”

Few basic adult education resources

Many students want more out of an adult education program than just job skills, said Paula Schriefer, president and CEO of the Spring Institute, which helps refugees and immigrants learn English and get a basic education.

“They want to be able to talk to their neighbors. They want to help their kids in school. They want to be able to communicate with doctors. They want to be able to go to the pharmacy and fill a prescription,” she said. “And the reality is there’s just not a lot of funding to help people who might have those kinds of goals.”

Colorado does provide money for students like Grandaos and Gallegos who strive for more than just a job, but it has been far less than other states. In 2020-21, a ProPublica analysis showed Colorado spent $7 per eligible adult. Last year, lawmakers doubled funding, to about $3 million statewide.

That’s why the federal Adult Education and Family Literacy Act grant is such a valuable stream of money for providers.

The grant’s focus is to get adults basic skills that lead to college or employment. And the federal government already makes it hard for many adults to be considered for this money.

But adult education providers who use the grant say the bigger issue is one that the state’s Adult Education Initiatives office created with the new documentation requirements.

They say that in February, the office changed, without notice, application requirements for what providers must prove to be eligible to receive funding within the next grant cycle.

The state says organizations must show data about students, such as the median income and the employment rate of those who complete programs, before the state distributes the federal funding.

The Colorado Department of Education said in a statement that the federal requirements have always been in place. The department maintains it is following the grant application rules as specified by the federal government.

But providers say they do not have that information readily available, and that will keep them from using the federal grant in the future.

In a letter dated March 12 to the Colorado Department of Education and Gov. Jared Polis, adult education providers say they’re worried that the state is leaning too heavily on this information to qualify them for the grant.

The letter is signed by representatives from Jefferson County Public Schools, Metropolitan State University of Denver, Emily Griffith Technical College, and the Spring Institute, and others.

Evans, whose nonprofit organization uses the grant, said his organization has only loosely tracked the information, and it is unreliable. He said it’s unfair to make organizations show a history of data that his organization and others haven’t needed to report on.

“There’s multiple programs that were running this program in good faith for four years, and now they’re ineligible,” he said.

Organizations across the state said they are bracing for cuts. The Learning Source estimates it will likely need to close about five locations, reduce services offered, and lay off 20 to 40 instructors due to reduced funding. And Jefferson County Public Schools foresees closing two locations and displacing 13 instructors and about 1,000 adult learners.

Adult education providers raise other issues

The organizations say there are other issues with the Adult Education Initiatives office, and that getting information from the office has been difficult.

In a second letter sent April 1, eight adult education providers listed concerns that include later-than-expected payment of state grant money that’s left them a short window to spend the funds on adults. The letter also says the office has failed to meet its own self-imposed deadlines.

Communication from the Adult Education Initiatives office has been “sorely lacking,” they added.

“Immediate action is needed to streamline funding processes, improve communication and collaboration, and provide essential technical assistance and training to support program success,” the groups said in the letter.

A Colorado Department of Education spokesman said in a statement that it “welcomes feedback from our community.” The department held a meeting with adult education providers on April 11.

Schriefer said few providers across the state say the office is working effectively. The department acknowledged communication issues during the meeting, she said, and she wants to see the relationship improve, because conflicts make accessing limited funding harder.

This article has been updated to clarify that the Colorado Department of Education is following federal grant requirements in selecting grant applicants.

After his release from a Colorado prison, David Carrillo continues to educate students on the inside

2024-04-11T00:52:10+00:00

This story was reported in partnership with Open Campus.

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David Carrillo often envisioned himself walking into a diner just like Jim’s Burger Haven in Thornton. Or maybe browsing in Walmart or some other store.

He had heard so many stories about others out on parole getting overwhelmed in new situations, especially after almost three decades in prison. He wanted to be prepared for his release at the end of January from the Colorado Territorial Correctional Facility.

“I would kind of visualize myself walking through these different areas and being OK,” he said during an interview last week.

So far, as he’s transitioned into his new life, there have been very few moments where he’s felt uncomfortable, Carrillo said after eating Jim’s classic smash burger and fries. Sure, he has had to figure out his style — he really likes Levi’s — and the grocery brands he likes to eat and favorite restaurants.

But Carrillo, 49, has eased into exactly what he said he wanted to do before his release — continuing to teach and “pay it forward.”

After becoming one of the first incarcerated professors in the country to teach other incarcerated students, Carrilllo was released after Colorado Gov. Jared Polis granted him clemency in part due to his work as an Adams State University educator. Carrillo got back to the classroom just a week out of prison.

He works at Transcendence Recovery, a substance recovery center started by a colleague Carrillo served time with, where he said he gets to work with people struggling with addiction and help them “lift themselves up whenever they’re ready.”

People walk on campus at Red Rocks Community College in Lakewood, Colorado.

He also works part-time at Red Rocks Community College assisting with the adult basic education certificate program the college is offering to students in prison. And this summer, he’ll rejoin Adams State as an adjunct professor teaching incarcerated students.

This time, though, he isn’t wearing the same green uniform as his students.

“I’m just hopeful that something great happens for all the people that I know and don’t know so they can get an opportunity to find another chance at life,” he said.

At the beginning of April, Chalkbeat Colorado and Open Campus caught up with Carrillo after his exit from prison. Here’s what he had to say about his reentry, goals as a teacher, and how he views his story:

‘A lot of discovery’ since he was released from prison

Carrillo had gone through the shock of a changing world once before. When he was younger and got out of juvenile detention as a teenager in the 1990s, he remembers getting overwhelmed by everything that changed after a year.

“Everything seemed so weird and strange to me,” he said.

This time, even after almost 30 years, the biggest shock was that he wasn’t as shocked by life on the outside.

He’s had at least one moment where he felt uncomfortable since his release. In a diner in Florence on the day he got out, he met with family and friends for breakfast. He ate with silverware and not a plastic spork for the first time in decades. He doesn’t even remember what he ordered because it was so amazing to be eating with his sister, but he said he felt anxiety creep up when a group of prison guards from the nearby federal penitentiary walked in to eat too.

He said his sister noticed a change in his mood. They wrapped up the meal and left.

Moments like that are rare, he said. Still, he has needed to navigate shopping for himself, although his sister offers her advice. He didn’t have a style, he said, because he wore a green prison uniform for almost his entire life. He also sought out healthier food than what he ate on the inside.

He also said he has to remember that he can use Google to get immediate answers to his questions rather than having to ask a friend or family member to look something up for him.

“There’s a lot of discovery going on,” Carrillo said.

Work as an educator continues to be a big part of his life

Through Transcendence Recovery, Carrillo is learning how the business operates and has earned a certification to be a recovery coach that allows him to work directly with clients, he said.

In his part-time work with Red Rocks, he’s assisting faculty with an adult basic education certificate program. About 20 incarcerated students in the Colorado Department of Corrections are currently earning the certificate, which will allow them to work as GED tutors and peer mentors inside.

Carrillo said he’s excited to be part of an initiative that increases access to education for those inside: “It feels awesome to be able to Zoom back in on Fridays to help teach the program and to let everybody see me.”

The adult education certificate program is partially a response to staffing shortages within the corrections department. GED staff also have to act as guards, which takes time away from teaching.

Training incarcerated people as educators helps ensure that interruptions don’t derail incarcerated student’s education.

“Motivation is a hard thing to maintain inside,” he said. “And so when programs stop for an extended period of time, it’s kind of hard to maintain any kind of consistency and any motivation.”

He’s also excited to be part of the Adams State program in the summer. He will be teaching incarcerated students live on Zoom as well as working with students in the university’s print-based correspondence program.

He can relate to his students’ struggles

Students trying to learn in prison face numerous challenges, and Carrillo knows exactly what they are going through.

One of the ways he has prioritized helping students during Zoom is by ensuring they get as much feedback as he can possibly provide them. He hasn’t gone back in since he was released. He enjoys being able to connect with his former students and others virtually, but he wishes they were out too.

Communication with people on the outside can be difficult, he said, and when he was completing his MBA through correspondence courses, most professors were willing to answer questions. But sometimes it would take a long time to communicate over snail mail.

“I hope to be able to answer my students as promptly as possible,” he said. “I want to give them a better opportunity to have timely information for their tests and everything like that.”

Teaching has opened up doors

Carrillo said that he started making better choices 15 years ago when he decided he wanted to take a different path. Those choices helped him build both a professional and personal network, including with corrections staff members.

David Carrillo talks to his Intro to Macro Economics class on Monday, Nov. 27, 2023 at Colorado Territorial Correctional Facility in Cañon City, Colorado. Carrillo was incarcerated for 30 years, but was released after receiving clemency.

“All of this stuff, the education and other programs, has allowed me to walk out here and find a job. I still have a multitude of opportunities that if one happens to fall through,” Carrillo said. “Education on the inside, it also opened up more doors than just job opportunities.”

He’s been invited to speak at a conference in Washington D.C. this summer. That’s also a first – it’ll be his first trip since he was released.

“That wouldn’t have happened if it wasn’t for the education that I did, and then becoming the first adjunct professor inside of DOC (the Colorado Department of Corrections.)”

His peers cheered when they heard he received clemency

He’s not sure just how much educating himself weighed into the decision, but it did help him change.

Carrillo said he was young when he went to prison. He didn’t have much of an education. Over the years, as he decided to dedicate himself to learning, he grew as a person. He never actually expected his release to happen even as he prepared himself for the possibility.

His incarcerated peers cheered when they heard the news about his clemency.

“They were happy for me, but for themselves, they saw that there’s opportunity here,” he said. “If that can happen for somebody with my background, what’s possible for them?”

From left, Larissa Pettigrew, Lauren Hughes, David Carrillo, Jim Bullington and Dr. Nick Saenz pose for a photograph.

Education changed the way Carrillo saw the world and the world saw him

In 1994, at the age of 20, Carrillo was sentenced to life without the possibility of parole. While having a felony conviction generally shuts doors, it was inside that Carrillo said he found opportunity through education.

“Here’s an individual who was your stereotypical DOC inmate who should have spent the rest of his life in the penitentiary. If you knew my story from day one, I was that guy,” he said. “And, man, look at what happened after I decided to do that complete 180 with the way I saw the world and with the way the world saw me. It’s awesome. I guess that’s the story, right?”

Jason Gonzales is a reporter covering higher education and the Colorado legislature. Chalkbeat Colorado partners with Open Campus on higher education coverage. Contact Jason at jgonzales@chalkbeat.org.

Charlotte West is a reporter covering the future of postsecondary education in prison for Open Campus. Contact Charlotte at charlotte@opencampusmedia.org and subscribe to her newsletter, College Inside.

Colorado lawmakers pitch rewrite of unpopular school funding formula that’s older than Nikola Jokic

2024-04-12T02:44:46+00:00

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Colorado would significantly boost funding to rural districts and to those serving large numbers of students in poverty and English learners under a school funding overhaul unveiled Thursday.

Supporters of House Bill 1448 hope it sends more money to the students who need it most — and that the extra money will eventually improve student achievement.

“Our job is to make sure that we are delivering state funding in a way that ensures the kids with the greatest needs are getting the greatest help,” said Speaker of the House Julie McCluskie, a bill sponsor, during a Thursday news conference.

The effort comes after years of debate about the best way to rewrite a 30-year-old school funding formula. Education advocates and school leaders widely agreed the formula was outdated and unfair. But changing it was politically challenging because no district wanted to get less so that others could get more.

Supporters hope this bill will overcome those hurdles by using $500 million in new money to phase in the formula over six years — or about $83 million a year. Colorado is finally funding education according to state constitutional requirements after years of underpayment. McCluskie said increases in local property tax revenue and declining enrollment have relieved pressure on the state budget, and she feels confident the state can pay for the changes over time.

The new funds means no district will get less than what it does under the current formula.

The bill has the backing of a diverse coalition of superintendents and is sponsored by leadership from both parties.

In addition to McCluskie, a Democrat, lawmakers backing the bill include Senate Minority Leader Paul Lundeen, a Monument Republican and longtime player in school finance debates; Sen. Rachel Zenzinger, vice chair of the Joint Budget Committee; and Assistant Majority Leader Jennifer Bacon, who previously served on the Denver school board.

Still, the bill faces a tight timeline for approval — the session ends May 8 — and questions about sustainability.

Bret Miles, executive director of the Colorado Association of School Executives, which represents superintendents across the state, said his membership will dissect the bill, ask questions, and raise any concerns. CASE is a powerful interest group at the Capitol and has put the brakes on past efforts to rewrite the formula.

“There is a possibility, as a really diverse group of districts statewide, that we don’t come together with one position on all of this,” Miles said “This is that big and that complex.”

New formula aims to focus on student needs

The bill closely follows a framework recommended by a 17-member task force in February. The group wanted to provide more for districts serving students with greater needs, districts with low property wealth, and districts that are small or rural.

Currently, Colorado sets a base per-pupil funding amount. Then it uses factors such as district size, cost of living, and the number of students living in poverty as weights to determine actual per-pupil funding for each district.

Colorado also gives districts additional money on top of the formula for students with disabilities, those learning English, and gifted and talented students. But increases in funding for these categories of students hasn’t kept pace with increases in students needing extra services.

Traditionally, cost of living has accounted for a disproportionate share of school funding — $1.3 billion this school year, compared with just $482 million for students living in poverty. That’s out of roughly $9 billion in total state education funding.

The new formula aims to put more money toward student needs and less toward cost of living. And in allocating per-student funding, it creates weighted factors not just for students living in poverty, but also for English learners and students with disabilities.

Districts would get 25% more for each student with one of those characteristics. If a student meets two or three criteria, districts would get more money for each criteria.

Under the bill, smaller and rural districts would also get extra funding based on their location and size.

Under the proposed “locale factor,” districts classified as remote would get the most extra funding, up to 25% more based on their location. Suburban and city districts would not get any extra money under the locale factor. The “size factor” would be based on a district’s enrollment. Only districts with fewer than 6,500 students would get additional money — about 85% of Colorado’s school districts.

Districts with a higher cost of living, as determined by a state formula, would continue to get additional funding like they have in the current formula. The proposal would cap how much districts could get under the cost of living factor to leave more money for student factors. The cap in the bill is higher than recommended by the task force, potentially reducing opposition from more affluent districts.

Colorado’s public school finance bill — a different bill than the proposed overhaul — calls for per-pupil funding to increase to $11,450 in the 2024-25 school year. In 2023-24, per-pupil funding is $10,614.

A legislative analysis of how the proposal would impact Colorado districts in the 2025-26 school year found that Denver Public Schools would get $165 more per pupil than what it’s projected to get under the current formula, while its suburban neighbor Jeffco Public Schools would get $146 more.

Adams 14, which serves a high-poverty community with many English learners, would get an additional $463 per student. High-poverty rural districts such as Rocky Ford and Center would see similar increases. Douglas County, an affluent suburban district, would see $85 more per student.

“At the end of the day, if we ask the question, ‘Does this help or does this harm student achievement?’ I think we’ll come up with the right answer,” said Lundeen, the Senate’s minority leader. “And I think this formula is on the right pathway to helping student achievement.”

Funding bill gets early support, but questions remain

Behind the scenes, McCluskie received support this week for the proposal from several superintendents, including Greeley School District 6 Superintendent Deirdre Pilch, who was in attendance of the Thursday news conference announcing the bill.

In a Tuesday letter, the group of 36 superintendents told McCluskie that the rewrite shouldn’t be delayed and urged lawmakers to take action this year — despite several ongoing studies related to school funding.

The superintendents who signed that letter include those for Denver Public Schools, Mapleton Public Schools, and Colorado Springs School District D11. It also included numerous rural district leaders such as those in Alamosa, Wiggins, and Summit. None of the schools would stand to lose money over time within the recommendations.

“We must not allow more generations of students to pass through our schools without addressing the glaring inequities in this outdated formula,” the superintendents said in the letter.

Pilch said the money would greatly benefit the Greeley district because it educates many students from low-income backgrounds and those who are learning English. The extra money allocated through the new formula would allow Greeley and rural districts to offer extended learning, health services, family services, food pantries, laundry facilities, and parenting education classes that help adults learn English and support their kids, she said.

“We’re long overdue for a change in school finance,” she said. “We have an opportunity because of the courage of our state legislature.”

Members of the task force that released recommendations in February also praised the effort.

“I would hope that we can come to agreement that this is an important investment to be making for kids,” said Brenda Dickhoner, CEO of conservative education advocacy group Ready Colorado.

Riley Kitts, Democrats for Education Reform state director, said Colorado needs a formula “that is rooted in modern data and rooted in modern policy.”

Still, widespread support for the measure isn’t guaranteed. Miles, of the school executives association, said he expects many other members will want to know specifics of the bill and how they affect their students.

Lawmakers should evaluate the numbers closely to understand if the proposal provides money for districts with more students with higher needs like they want, said Tracie Rainey, Colorado School Finance Project executive director.

And she wants to see how the state will fund the increase after underfunding schools for years. To increase school funding for next year and get rid of an annual withholding known as the budget stabilization factor, lawmakers have had to dip into education reserves.

“I think that the question now is: Do the numbers play out to represent the policy objectives that they have outlined in this bill?” Rainey said.

Chalkbeat Colorado Bureau Chief Melanie Asmar and National Editor Erica Meltzer contributed.

There’s a new student debt relief plan from Biden. Here’s what you need to know.

2024-04-09T21:00:58+00:00

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President Joe Biden’s first attempt to provide widespread relief from student loan debt failed, but now you may have another shot.

Five different types of borrowers would get relief under a new debt relief plan announced Monday by the Biden administration. The White House estimates over 30 million student loan debt holders nationwide would be eligible for debt relief under the plan that’s been in the works since the fall.

The new plan announced on Monday follows less than a year after the U.S. Supreme Court nullified a previous Biden plan to cancel up to $10,000 for most borrowers.

Over 43 million Americans hold over $1.6 trillion in federally backed student loan debt. Late last year, after the Supreme Court decision, those Americans restarted payments that had been on hold since near the start of the pandemic.

The cancellation of student loan debt has been a big goal of the Biden administration, although like its first push to cancel student debt, advocates and the administration expect pushback and legal challenges to the new plan.

Here’s what you should know about Biden’s newest student debt relief plan:

Am I eligible for relief under Biden’s plan?

Compared to the Biden administration’s first attempt for broad cancellation of debt, this new plan would provide more targeted relief. Here’s who would qualify:

People who owe more money than originally borrowed: First, the plan would potentially help over 25 million people who owe more money than they originally borrowed. Many have made years of payments. The Biden administration expects about 23 million would get relief on their unpaid interest.

The new plan would cancel up to $20,000 of unpaid interest on eligible borrowers’ loans, regardless of income. Low- and middle-income borrowers who have enrolled in the Saving on a Valuable Education or an Income Driven Repayment plan would be eligible to get all of their unpaid interest forgiven since they began paying on their loans.

The federal government said this type of forgiveness would be automatic.

Borrowers who are currently eligible for loan forgiveness programs but have not enrolled: The plan would also give debt relief for borrowers eligible for loan forgiveness programs but who are not enrolled. The U.S. Department of Education said too many borrowers “have historically not been able to overcome paperwork requirements, bad advice, or other obstacles.”

Long-time borrowers: The plan would provide relief for people who have been paying their student loans for more than 20 years by waiving undergraduate school debt for those borrowers. The plan would also forgive graduate school debt for people who have held that debt for 25 years or more.

Students who left college but got little from their degree: The Biden administration wants to also help people who left colleges that either lost the ability to get federal funds or cheated students. Those students left college with what the education department called in a news release “mountains of debt” but few job prospects. The administration has proposed to waive loans for them, as well as students who attended institutions that closed and didn’t provide value.

Borrowers experiencing financial hardship: Lastly, the Biden plan would cancel student debt for borrowers experiencing hardship that’s prevented them from paying back their loans, such as as a child care or medical expense. For this category, the administration is exploring automatic debt forgiveness or an application process.

Do I need to do anything to get relief?

The short answer is: not yet.

As of right now, the plan hasn’t received final approval. The education department will first allow for public comment and review of the new plan, which is expected to take about 30 days. There’s no firm date on when the plan would take effect.

Borrowers should continue to pay off their loans. But they can prepare themselves by familiarizing themselves with the status of their loans on studentaid.gov, and by paying attention to communication from their servicers about any changes.

What’s the White House already done on debt?

The Biden administration stressed it’s already provided extensive relief to people across the country.

Significantly, about 2.5 million people who have long-term student loans have gotten their debt canceled, according to the education department.

In states such as Colorado, that amounts to over 43,000 residents who have recieved about $2.3 billion in debt relief. Across the country, other examples include 53,000 Indiana borrowers, 50,000 Tennessee borrowers, and 157,000 New York borrowers who have had their loans canceled, according to the education department.

What are responses to the new debt relief plan?

The plan wouldn’t impact all borrowers, but the new Biden plan is a big step forward in providing relief to borrowers struggling to pay off interest, according to advocacy group Young Invincibles, which works with young people to elevate their voice on topics important to them.

“Forgiveness for accrued interest is a massive step forward,” said Emmett Blaney, a Young Invincibles policy coordinator for the Rocky Mountain region. “I think that there are folks out there who have been paying down who have not even touched their principal and they’ve been paying really diligently on their student loans trying to pay them back. The interest rates are just an insurmountable barrier.”

Colorado advocacy groups in favor of student debt relief also celebrated the plan.

“By turning debt relief into a reality, young people can soon spend more of their income on necessities like groceries and rent—ultimately making it easier for young people to build lives in communities across the state,“ said Natasha Berwick, political director at New Era Colorado in a statement.

What’s in Colorado’s budget for K-12, early childhood, and higher education?

2024-04-05T21:01:20+00:00

Colorado’s 2024-25 budget proposal cleared the Senate on Friday morning, giving the bill approval from both chambers and paving the way toward sizable investments in K-12 and higher education next year.

The bill includes money to help districts with an influx of migrants, more money for special education, and tuition increases that fall below inflation.

The Senate approval of the $40.6 billion budget bill ends two weeks of debate in the upper and lower chambers to add amendments to the proposal. During the final stretch to approve what’s known as the long bill, the powerful Joint Budget Committee will consider amendments and then send the bill to Gov. Jared Polis who has the ability to veto line items within the budget before his signature.

For lawmakers from both aisles, the big win for the year will be the long-anticipated end to the so-called budget stabilization factor, or a process of withholding required funding to K-12 education spending to use elsewhere. Since 2009, the process has held back over $10 billion from schools.

Joint Budget Committee Vice Chair Sen. Rachel Zenzinger, an Arvada Democrat, said it’s a joyous moment for her to say lawmakers are fully funding schools. The budget and the school finance act are the only two bills lawmakers must pass before they adjourn in May.

“Of all the budgets that I have proudly helped to craft over the years, this one will stand out in my memory years from now,” Zenzinger said. “I am pleased to see that we have reached this milestone in the process.”

Here’s what else is included within the 2024-25 budget proposal for early childhood, K-12, and higher education:

More money for K-12 education — The long bill provides over half a billion more in funding for K-12 education statewide, bringing total program spending to about $9.7 billion next year.
Relief for districts helping newcomer students — An influx of migrant students have come to Colorado and districts have needed more resources to help them. In the budget, Colorado will spend $24 million to backfill some money spent by districts addressing the needs of those students.
The state meets its special education funding obligation — Colorado lawmakers have chipped away at increasing statewide special education funding for years. Next year, lawmakers want to spend $34.7 million more on special education, bringing total funding up to $375.6 million and meeting what’s required by the state.
More money for at-risk students — While the state’s school finance bill will delay a new method to calculate at-risk students, the long bill does add another $1.6 million for those students who are more likely not to graduate from high school.
Big budget increase for higher education institutions — Colorado universities worried initial budget numbers wouldn’t take into account inflation and a need to pay workers more. The budget doesn’t provide the entirety of what they asked for, but increases spending by $134.9 million, or about 10%, bringing total spending on college and university budgets and student financial aid to $1.6 billion next year.
Tuition increases stay below inflation — The money for colleges means less of a need to increase tuition. Colleges and universities will be allowed to raise tuition by 3% for in-state and 4% for nonresident undergraduate students.
More state money for UPK — Colorado will spend $53.8 million more next year on its universal preschool program next year, but overall spending will drop mostly due to the end of federal stimulus money. The early childhood department will spend $769 million, down from $808.9 million this year.
Budget prepares for the end of federal pandemic relief funds — Federal money sent to states to provide aid during the pandemic will expire in September. The budget prepares the state for the loss of that funding, including within K-12 education.

Colorado needs to strengthen college and career connections for students, report says

2024-04-02T21:47:47+00:00

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While more Colorado students are taking college-level and career education classes in high school, a new report says that trend hasn’t correlated to many more students going to college.

To better help students, the report from the Keystone Policy Center recommends that Colorado do more than just expose students to career and college options through its myriad programs. It needs schools to help students map out steps after high school so they’re better prepared for a “competitive, fast-changing, and at times chaotic world,” the report says.

Van Schoales, senior policy director for the Keystone Policy Center, said there are still difficulties getting students from K-12 to college, even if schools have the tools to connect students to college and career experiences at an earlier age.

Given the investments and time going into these programs, “you would think that there would be more college success,” Schoales said, “and there’s not as strong a correlation as you might expect.”

To improve the effectiveness of programs intended to prepare high school students, the report focuses on available statewide data, success stories in rural and urban parts of the state, and several recommendations that include new reportable data.

Colorado has created numerous programs in high school to connect students to college or career programs. Those include apprenticeships and opportunities for high school students to take college classes.

Students who achieve some sort of education beyond high school are poised to fare better economically than students with only a high school diploma.

Yet the report shows only 28.6% of low-income graduates earned a certificate or degree four years after graduating high school. Only about 50% of all students in Colorado go to college, 10 percentage points below the national rate. And the report says the growth of college- and advanced-level classes and career education programs hasn’t correlated to a much higher number of students getting to college.

Districts are trying. In their report, titled “Rural and Urban Perspectives on Post-Secondary Preparation,” the authors cited two examples of a school and district that are not only offering programs, but also helping students design what’s next for themselves.

Denver’s CEC Early College, the report says, has rigorous programs that open students’ eyes to life after graduation, require completion of college financial aid documents, and focus on personalized counseling to help as many students as possible connect to their career goals.

And Center Consolidated School District, a rural district in Southern Colorado, mixes exposure to college-level programs with helping students create a strategy for when they leave, the report says.

The district uses the state’s planning framework to help students create academic and career goals. It then follows up with projects and seminars that help students see beyond high school walls.

Not every school has taken on this work, Schoales said. For those that have, however, the state can seek to improve the system by better documenting what is and isn’t working for students.

Colorado officials want to help more Coloradans find personal and economic value in the education they get.

And the report acknowledges the state has identified goals that include encouraging more students to prepare for next steps, working with college advisers to make next steps easier for students, and developing partnerships to remove barriers.

This year, that’s been a focus for lawmakers who have pushed to reshape workforce education. They’ve also filed legislation that expands apprenticeships and other career education opportunities, while also studying the programs to recommend policy changes.

The report says the state can provide more data on dual and concurrent enrollment programs. The state can try to better understand high school programs and career and college outcomes, the report says.

It also recommends tracking what’s happened to Colorado’s high school students after they leave high school to understand how programs help them in college or in a career.

State officials could then make adjustments from there or stand up programs that are working, Schoales said, because available data doesn’t point to Colorado achieving its intended goal, especially for students of color and from low-income families.

Colorado budget would boost funding for higher education, end maneuver that shortchanged schools

2024-03-27T00:50:03+00:00

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Next year’s $40.6 billion Colorado state budget proposal unveiled on Tuesday aims to provide a big boost to K-12 schools and colleges and universities across the state.

K-12 funding would increase nearly 7% to about $9.7 billion next year. Average per pupil spending would increase by about 7%, or $780, to $11,450 next year.

Higher education funding would get an even bigger increase, 10%. But the total amount of state money going to colleges and universities — about $1.6 billion next year under the proposal — is far less than the funding allocated to K-12 schools.

For the first time since 2009, the budget proposes to “fully fund” K-12 schools by eliminating a maneuver that withheld education funds to pay for other priorities. The end of what’s called the budget stabilization factor marks a turning point for the state and schools.

The budget proposal was crafted by the powerful six-member Joint Budget Committee, using recommendations issued by Gov. Jared Polis in November as a starting point. The budget committee once again prioritized education in a budget that also features increases to Medicaid reimbursements and more money for state workers.

The proposal’s introduction kicks off lengthy debate in the House and Senate over amendments to the budget. Budget committee members typically reject most of those amendments from fellow lawmakers before sending it back to them for final approval.

Joint Budget Committee members have faced challenges wrangling this year’s budget due to an unexpected $170 million shortfall, and last week held marathon sessions to pare down some priorities.

Although the budget writers made cuts and used one-time revenue to fill holes, they were able to preserve K-12 spending and provide far more for higher education funding than what was called for in Polis’ November budget proposal.

K-12 education gets full funding

Colorado lawmakers are required to continually adjust funding for schools based on the rate of inflation plus growth in the state’s student population. But for years the state has withheld money that should have gone to schools, through the budget stabilization factor — over $10 billion since 2009.

Lawmakers have said they do not want to keep pulling money away from schools. They hope to meet their obligation from now on. But even without withholding money from schools, the state’s education funding for next year would fund schools at 1989 levels, adjusted for inflation.

Still, many school funding advocates see this year’s proposal as a step in the right direction for the state, even as they push for more funding in future years.

The budget also provides enough money for the state’s Healthy School Meals for All Program, a new program that provides free school meals for all students but is facing a funding shortfall, because more kids than expected are taking part. The state would spend $56.1 million to ensure the state doesn’t have to cut back the program.

Lawmakers will cover $15.1 million of the program cost next year through general fund revenue. The rest will come from tax money dedicated to the program.

Colorado would also fully fund state-authorized charter schools at a level similar to other schools, bringing total spending to $49.2 million. Unlike district-authorized charter schools, state-authorized charter schools are not required to get a cut of locally raised tax money.

Along with the budget, committee members also will file a separate bill that will provide $24 million this year for newly arrived immigrant students. Colorado schools are grappling with an influx of newcomers, and the bill will call for providing more money for districts serving students who enrolled after the Oct. 1 funding cutoff.

Meanwhile, the separate school finance act, which outlines education spending and was filed on Friday, adds a new formula for funding rural schools. In previous years, lawmakers have used one-time allocations to direct more money to rural districts.

The school finance act and budget are the only two pieces of legislation lawmakers must pass before they adjourn in May.

Next year, a new permanent recurring factor would add $32.7 million next year to total education funding to be distributed based on student enrollment within a rural district, defined as a district with fewer than 6,500 students.

However, the school finance act doesn’t make bigger changes to the school finance formula. Advocates have called for lawmakers to overhaul the state’s school funding formula. Earlier this year, they received recommendations that call for almost half a billion dollars annually to be pumped into a formula overhaul.

The recommendations call for phasing in the formula changes, but it’s a large sum for the state next year and in subsequent years, especially when lawmakers have proposed dipping into reserves next year to pay for K-12 education increases. So far, no bill has been filed calling for changes to the state’s education funding formula.

The school finance act would also hold off on changing how the state calculates which students are considered “at risk,” meaning students living in poverty and facing other challenges outside of school. Districts receive more money to educate at-risk students.

The state was considering rolling out the new formula this fall to use socioeconomic factors, including eligibility for Medicaid, food stamps, and other government assistance, along with data from the U.S. Census about community poverty, to calculate how many of a district’s students are at risk.

Instead, the school finance bill would push using the new calculation into the 2025-26 budget year.

Lawmakers make big investment in colleges and universities

Joint Budget Committee members held off for weeks on making any decision on higher education budgets to see if they could increase funding well beyond Polis’ $48.2 million recommendation. The proposal nearly triples that amount.

Lawmakers plan to set aside $139.4 million more next year for college and university operations and student financial aid: $114.3 million more for operations, and $25.1 million for student financial aid.

The state would also spend $1.5 million in financial aid for youth experiencing homelessness.

Under the proposal, colleges and universities would be allowed to raise tuition by up to 3% for in-state undergraduate students. Institutions would be able to increase nonresident undergraduate student tuition by no more than 4%.

In a December letter, Colorado public college and university leaders said they would need $161.4 million more next year to meet inflation and wage increases. This is the third year colleges and universities have banded together to ask for more money beyond Polis’ budget proposal.

Even with the extra funding next year, concerns remain about the rising tuition burdens on students, especially because Colorado students pay more on average than students at peer universities in other states. And Colorado also spends less on average for higher education than other states.

University of Northern Colorado becomes the state’s newest Hispanic Serving Institution

2024-03-21T21:34:25+00:00

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Almost 18 months ahead of school leaders’ expectations, the University of Northern Colorado has been federally recognized as a Hispanic Serving Institution, meaning at minimum a quarter of its students identify as Hispanic.

The Greeley school will now be eligible for federal grants to help more Hispanic students further their education. About 26% of UNC’s students are Hispanic, according to fall 2023 numbers. The school joins 16 other Colorado schools that have met the federal threshold.

Hispanic people are one of the fastest growing groups in the state. About 40% of the Greeley area identifies as Hispanic according to recent Census Bureau data, and about 60% of the students in the Greeley-Evans School District are Hispanic. But Hispanic students have been underrepresented at UNC and haven’t graduated at the same rate as their white peers. National data shows 44% of Hispanic students graduate within six years, compared to 54% of white students.

Since 2020, when the school revamped its strategic goals, school leaders have worked to grow the number of Hispanic students to better reflect the surrounding area’s population.

The school’s Hispanic population has grown in the last 10 years and ranged from 16% to 23% of the school’s population. Since 2020, the school has been just shy of 25%.

To attract students, Tobias Guzmán, Northern Colorado’s vice president of diversity, equity, and inclusion, said the school made changes to academics to be more reflective of Hispanic cultural contributions in fields of study. The school has also focused on making students feel more culturally welcome, including changing menu items in cafeterias and creating Hispanic murals on campus.

“The work is not done,” Guzmán said.

Guzmán said the school will use grants to expand research into what more UNC needs to do to serve students as well as give more students research opportunities. The school also wants to expand programs such as mentoring that help students graduate.

“Our determination and passion is there,” he said. “We want to work on the kinds of things that dismantle the barriers that we have for students.”

New report lays out roadmap for improving how Hispanic students in Denver are educated

2024-03-19T19:43:31+00:00

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Unequal resources across schools, a lack of Latino teachers and leaders, and a “perpetual undervaluing” of Latino culture are among the barriers facing Hispanic students, families, and staff in Denver Public Schools, a new report found.

Called the La Raza Report and released publicly Tuesday, the report was commissioned by the district to identify barriers and opportunities in the community, and to understand their impact.

The Denver school district, the largest in the state, has more than 45,000 students who identify as Hispanic or Latino — 51.8% of all students. The population had been increasing but started declining at the start of the pandemic. The report also highlights that gentrification has shifted the population within the city and contributed to resegregation.

Denver Superintendent Alex Marrero said at a press conference Tuesday that nothing in the report was surprising. Data on student outcomes over the years has been heavily reported. He said the report gives the district a roadmap to help students feel like their voices are heard.

“It was painful to hear or read, I should say, the lived experience of some of our Latino students who, even amongst their Latino groups, really expressed a lack of sense of belonging,” Marrero said. “That was painful, that was painful, because it’s something that is a reality.”

The Denver-area company that wrote the report, the Multicultural Leadership Center, LLC, spent months conducting focus groups, research, surveys, and other analysis.

Research on the district spanned a 15-year period, from 2008 to 2022. The research group put together 51 focus groups with over 600 participants to capture student, family, and teacher perspectives. It also conducted a survey with over 3,000 participants.

The work does not include perspective on the recent influx of migrant students into the school system because the research predated it.

In one of the more pointed sections, the report authors identified “the brown ceiling” as a barrier the district should better understand.

“Included in the brown ceiling is the finding that employees feel that the district, rather than capitalizing on its human capital to ensure equity and excellence for Latino students, frequently requires that Latinos ‘act white,’ ignore their Latino cultures and suppress the cultural assets they bring to the district,” the report states.

The report also identified cultural resilience and the persistence of various community groups as a strength that has led to positive changes in the district. Some of those changes, like curriculum and programs for culturally and linguistically responsive teaching and more opportunities for students to become bilingual, will help new Spanish speaking migrant students arriving recently, the report said. Previous generations had to fight for such opportunities, it notes.

The report concludes with 35 recommendations for the school district and the city. The recommendations range from systemic, including asking the city to help plan for a continued influx of immigrant families and students, to specifics that call for reviewing transportation options for West and Lincoln high schools.

The recommendations also note the district must find a better way to ensure that resources to schools in the district are being equitably distributed.

“We really hope that this is a chance for DPS and the City and County of Denver to be able to say we now know where we’re going,” said Steve DelCastillo, the Multicultural Leadership Center’s principal investigator. “We’re at a crossroads, we’re going to make the right decisions, and years from now people are going to look back and say that was a differentiating point for DPS and most importantly, for the Latino community.”

Marrero said he expects to take up the recommendations that relate to the district.

First steps will be to hire someone within the next week or two to lead the district’s newly launched Latinx success team, he said. The position will help the district dig deeper into the recommendations.

Among the recommendations:

For the district: To coordinate with local foundations, non-profit organizations, and higher education institutions to establish student tutoring programs funded by Denver employers.
For the district: To work with the city and the Regional Transportation District, or RTD, to develop a transportation system for students and families who need it, “even in those areas where providing such a service may not be cost-effective but is socially just.”
For students: To develop a strategy for increasing recruitment and participation in the Seal of Biliteracy program, which allows students to learn and demonstrate proficiency in English and another language. The seal is awarded at graduation and is meant to show colleges and employers that the student has demonstrated proficiency in two languages. Given that many DPS students already speak more than one language, the report says this program should be promoted more.
For parents: To develop a districtwide bilingual parent leadership institute focused on understanding the DPS educational system and the roles parents can play in the children’s education, including working with teachers and administrators. The institute must also include a multicultural component, including parents of color who “can use this venue to work on the issues related to cultural conflicts within groups and among the various cultural groups.”
For teachers: To expand the pool of Spanish-speaking teachers from various subject matter areas and to increase opportunities for concurrent enrollment, which allows students to simultaneously earn high school and college credit.
For school leaders: To establish a Latino Leadership Pipeline and a Latino Leadership Mentorship Program. Another recommendation is to consider redrawing the boundaries for West High School and to periodically review all boundaries to account for gentrification and other population shifts.
For the central office: Cultural sensitivity and cultural competence training for all central office employees. “Staff have reported overt and covert racist remarks,” the report states.

Read the report below:

Correction: This story has been updated to correct the last name of Steve DelCastillo.

Yesenia Robles is a reporter for Chalkbeat Colorado covering K-12 school districts and multilingual education. Contact Yesenia at yrobles@chalkbeat.org.

Colorado transfer students would get help with retaining college credits under new bill

2024-03-13T21:41:10+00:00

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Two years into college during the pandemic, Larry Blackshear wanted a little bit of normalcy.

Hoping a move closer to home would help, he decided to transfer in 2022 from Colorado State University Pueblo to the University of Colorado Denver — a 15-minute drive from where he grew up in Aurora.

But even though he wanted to pursue the same Spanish and political science degrees he studied in Pueblo, not all of his credits transferred with him. Of the 82 credits he had earned, only 64 were accepted at the Denver university.

“If CU Denver had accepted my credits,” Blackshear, 23, said, “I’d be preparing to graduate at the end of this (school) year.”

Instead, he’s likely a year and a half away from earning his degree. And, while he’s not sure of the exact amount, he estimates he’s spent thousands of dollars trying to catch up.

Colorado was a pioneer in working to remove such obstacles with transfers, but students statewide still run into problems when they try to switch between public colleges, pointing to the need to update rules to reflect changes in the way students earn credits and progress through college.

State leaders hope new legislation will provide that update, so that students like Blackshear don’t lose time, money, and credits when they decide to change schools.

Senate Bill 164 includes three different parts to bolster the state’s transfer system. The bill is a priority of the Colorado Department of Higher Education and is sponsored by a bipartisan group of lawmakers.

The bill would update the state’s student bill of rights — a list that says what students can expect from colleges — for the first time since 2008. The updates would include a requirement that schools tell students whether their credits transfer and what a transfer to another school entails. They would also have to clarify that students have the right to appeal if an institution decides their credits won’t transfer, and the legislation lays out a process for an appeal.

The bill would require colleges to give students information about college costs, including fees and other expenses.

And the bill would require a state report on transfer outcomes, such as how many students transfer statewide and how transfer credits were applied by colleges toward a student’s transcript.

Colorado’s pioneering transfer policies falling short

Colorado was an early adopter of common course numbering, which standardizes certain class numbers across colleges and universities, so that they’re more easily recognized by the receiving college and the credits transfer seamlessly. The state also has other policies for transfer students, such as agreements between two-year and four-year colleges and universities that help students stay on track to earning a degree.

But not all Colorado colleges have such agreements, especially when students transfer between four-year universities. And the system hasn’t evolved fast enough to keep up with changes over the past decade, said Kim Poast, the Colorado higher education department’s chief student success and academic affairs officer.

More students are taking college courses in high school, and the state has more workforce training programs that teach college-level skills. State leaders have also recognized that students move between colleges and universities in ways not accounted for within the current system, which is built around the idea that most students would move from community college to a four-year university. Students take much more winding paths than that and can end up attending multiple universities before they graduate, Poast said.

Statewide groups have also taken notice of issues with the state’s transfer system, especially as national data has shown more than a third of all students transfer. Colorado’s The Attainment Network recently released policy suggestions for the state to update its transfer policies, such as ensuring certain credits transfer into programs and collecting data on how the system works.

Poast said the state worked with two national organizations to create recommendations for updates, some of which are reflected in the new legislation.

The goal of Senate Bill 164 is to help more students when they run into issues and identify and fix where schools are running into issues applying transfer credits, Poast said.

“I think it’s so important for students to have agency and be able to see how to navigate that system in the most effective way possible,” she said.

Barriers cost students time and money

Katherine Harvey’s experience typifies the challenges the new legislation seeks to address.

Harvey, now 27, graduated from the University of Colorado Boulder in 2019. But she took a winding route. She started college in California, then transferred to Front Range Community College. She had some credit from Advanced Placement courses in high school, but her California credits didn’t transfer properly.

She ended up having to retake a math class, because her California math class counted for only 2.7 credits. She needed three to meet graduation requirements.

When she eventually transferred to CU Boulder, the school again needed to independently review all of her transcripts, including the credits she earned from Front Range. This time, she kept a detailed record that she gave to advisers.

“Even though that was like all within Colorado, it was so confusing, and I never really got guidance,” she said. “And then you’re paying extra money, and you’re a poor college student.”

The bill is expected to be heard in committee for the first time on March 20. It has support from colleges and advocacy groups statewide, although several are asking for changes.

Katie Zaback, Colorado Succeeds’ vice president of policy, said the bill is a step in the right direction. But her organization wants to see a requirement that the state publicly report information, such as the challenges schools encounter with accepting credits and how the state is responding to those issues. Colorado Succeeds brings together business leaders to advocate for improving education and training.

For Blackshear, the changes can’t come fast enough. He’s not sure when he will graduate. And financial aid he once relied on has run dry, meaning he has to find more money for college.

He plans to testify in support of the bill, because he doesn’t want other students to run into the same issues he has faced. He hopes his testimony can show that the transfer system needs updates to help students who are falling through the cracks, most of whom are students of color and the first in their family to go to college, he said.

“I hope that my story is able to alert students about the challenges and perils of transferring from institution to institution without having all of the knowledge that they need to be successful,” he said. “And I hope it can show just how detrimental the transfer processes are.”

Lawmakers eye fix so Colorado colleges can launch adult education diploma program

2024-02-07T21:09:00+00:00

Update: This bill was signed into law by Gov. Jared Polis on March 6.

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Colorado’s effort to help the more than 300,000 residents who never graduated high school has been on hold due to an oversight when the law expanding adult diploma programs was written last year.

But the state’s community colleges may soon be able to get the Adult Education and Literacy Grant Program started, thanks to a bill quickly moving through the legislature that fixes a technical problem that’s kept schools from moving forward with the program.

Senate Bill 51 would allow the State Board of Community Colleges and Occupational Education or a college district board of trustees to create a graduation standard. It would also roll over unspent money from the last year.

The program hit a snag because community college leaders were unsure who they should work with to create criteria for what adults should know to get their high school diploma. The program called for colleges to work with a school district, but the majority serve an area that includes numerous school districts — and college leaders said they wanted to be responsive to the needs of the region, not just one school district area.

In addition, Colorado does not have a statewide standard for what an adult should know to get a high school diploma.

“What we’re doing is we’re making a quick amendment that is needed for our community colleges and local district colleges to have the flexibility that they need in order to tailor their curriculum, as well as ensure that their curriculum aligns with the diverse needs of our adult learners,” said state Sen. Rachel Zenzinger, an Arvada Democrat who is co-sponsoring the bill, during an education committee hearing last week.

The program is meant to provide a boost to Colorado’s adult education programs.

Community colleges educate about half of the state’s adults trying to get a high school diploma.

But schools needed to work with multiple school districts to confer a degree. College leaders reported it became difficult to get students diplomas because districts focus on serving younger students, and when district leaders left, new ones weren’t always aware of the partnership. The program allowed colleges to set out on their own.

The program also tripled spending statewide on adults without a diploma.

Colorado was the last state in the nation to begin funding adult education when it created a grant program in 2014. Even with last year’s infusion of $2 million more a year for adult education programs — bringing the statewide total to $3 million — Colorado still funds its programs at some of the lowest levels in the country.

The hope from supporters is that the program will get more adults to good-paying jobs. On average, adults without a high school diploma earn about $682 a week, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That’s compared to $852 a week for residents with a high school diploma.

Colorado lawmakers hope these nine bills will bolster workforce education

2024-03-08T01:07:06+00:00

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Colorado lawmakers hope a package of bills this year will help connect more residents to training that helps them land in-demand jobs with good wages.

Lawmakers believe the nine bills, once they’re all filed, will improve the state’s disjointed workforce education system. They also hope the proposals will help get more residents job training at little to no cost.

The proposals include the continuation of a statewide workforce training grant program; a study to analyze how well the state’s various career programs serve students; an expansion of Colorado’s apprenticeship program; and funding for workforce grant programs, such as paying for businesses to start workforce training programs.

Gov. Jared Polis said during a news conference Thursday that the proposals address the state’s need for more skilled workers, and noted that there are nearly two job openings for every unemployed person.

“There’s often a mismatch between unemployed Coloradans and the jobs that are open today and pay well,” Polis said. “And that’s really what the strategic approach of bipartisan pieces of legislation will help close.”

To a certain extent, the bills follow the recommendations in a report released this year on improving workforce education in Colorado. One overarching theme of the report (which state lawmakers commissioned in 2023) is the importance of making the end of high school and the beginning of college seamless enough that students leave with skills relevant to careers. This concept is known as the “Big Blur.”

Polis wants Colorado to be a leader in offering students this type of education, especially since most Colorado jobs that offer high pay and salary growth require some sort of training beyond high school.

Polis said the bills will be funded through a combination of state and federal money.

In particular, a statewide analysis of workforce programs would be helpful to see where the gaps and opportunities are in the state, including ensuring students in rural and remote areas have the ability to take advantage of these programs, said House Speaker Julie McCluskie, a Dillon Democrat.

“We are laying the groundwork to set Colorado learners on a path to success by improving access to these programs,” she said.

A bipartisan group of lawmakers have already filed some of the bills, while they were expected to file others on Thursday. Here’s more on what the proposals would do:

Lawmakers want to provide a final round of $3.8 million in funding for the Opportunity Now grant program that’s specifically focused on building and construction trades. Opportunity Now is an $85 million grant program funded by federal pandemic relief dollars. The goal has been to offer communities funding to come up with local solutions to get residents college education and workforce skills that translate to jobs. The bill also would create an annual $15 million tax credit to improve training.
Through a new study, Colorado lawmakers plan to explore the effectiveness of the state’s workforce programs, such as high schools with a fifth-year option, technical programs, and early college.
Lawmakers want to expand apprenticeship programs. The state would use $2 million to help businesses start or expand opportunities, $2 million for those who help support the administration of apprenticeship programs, and $30 million in annual, refundable tax credits to offset apprentices’ wages.
Senate Bill 104 would align high school career education programs with what the state offers in apprenticeship programs.
House Bill 1097 would make it easier for members of military families to get licensed in fields such as teaching or health care if they have credentials in another state.
Senate Bill 50 would create a pilot program that helps pay for the creation of business and nonprofit workforce training programs.
Senate Bill 143 would evaluate whether workforce programs, such as industry apprenticeships, meet an education standard and require programs to have a standard.
House Bill 1264 would create an online portal to assist K-12 teachers with career incentives, job postings, and applications. Lawmakers have filed similar legislation in recent years to help teachers, especially because of shortages statewide.
House Bill 1231 would provide money for the construction of three new colleges focused on health and veterinary care. The state is facing worker shortages in those areas. The bill would also provide money to help renovations at Trinidad State College.

Colorado lawmakers reup effort to recognize colleges serving large share of 1st-generation students

2024-03-05T23:57:43+00:00

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Colorado lawmakers are once again pushing to create a designation for colleges and universities that enroll a higher-than-average proportion of students who are the first in their family to go to college.

House Bill 1082 would allow schools to qualify for the designation if their share of these “first-generation students” matches or exceeds a statewide average of these students enrolled in Colorado institutions. About 36% of students enrolled at Colorado’s public higher education schools in 2021 were the first in their family to go to college.

The bill doesn’t say how schools should support these students, and institutions of higher education that receive the designation wouldn’t receive additional state funding. But students who testified in favor of the bill said such a designation would tell them that certain colleges are particularly well-suited to help them succeed, given the diverse challenges they often face.

A similar proposal in the Colorado General Assembly failed last year. The sponsors of this year’s bill said it takes into account concerns they heard about last year’s legislation. For example, this year’s bill doesn’t just rely on how many students schools enroll, but also whether they’re working with national organizations to support students who have no family background in attending college.

Rep. Rick Taggart, a Grand Junction Republican and co-sponsor of the bill, said the state must focus on students who have the hardest time getting to graduation. And as an adjunct professor at Colorado Mesa University in Grand Junction, he’s seen how college can help students who are the first in their family to attend, especially for those from rural parts of the state.

“First-generation students have great potential and they just need our help and guidance and mentoring to grow and prosper,” he said.

The bill cleared the House Education Committee last week. School leaders who were against the bill last year have dropped their opposition.

Colleges and universities would also qualify if they have a First Scholars Network designation from the Center for First-generation Student Success, or a similar group.

The center works with colleges and universities nationwide to provide training, data, and expertise on how to support first-generation students through things like early move-in days, mentors, or specific workshops for students. The center’s network includes 349 institutions nationwide, including Colorado State University Fort Collins and the University of Colorado Denver.

Colorado Mesa University student Liban Shongolo, whose family moved to Colorado from Kenya, said the school has provided academic and financial support to him as a first-generation student. He told state lawmakers that students in his position want to use their education to give back to the state.

“We’re going to great places in life and we’re bettering our communities,” he said. “That’s what we’re here for.”

But while a designation is a way for students to understand their options, what matters most is how schools support them, said Diane Schorr, Center for First-generation Student Success director of first-generation advocacy and initiatives.

Different groups of first-generation students have various challenges that can’t be solved under an umbrella designation. Some are relatively old, or have kids, or are from certain racial groups underrepresented on college campuses. Schools should understand what’s best to help those students, she said.

Schorr also said Colorado would be one of the first states to create a designation. But she also pointed out that among other things, supporting students means providing more money for them.

“While it’s great that they acknowledge the work, there doesn’t seem to be additional funding to support the work,” Schorr said.

Last year, university leaders at schools with relatively low concentrations of first-generation students worried that such a designation would shift state money away from their schools. Like last year, this year’s bill does not affect their funding.

The state does provide funding for schools based on their total student enrollment, as well as their demographics, such as how many students of color or students from low-income backgrounds are enrolled and graduate. Yet that funding calculation hasn’t greatly shifted how much money individual schools get.

CU Boulder and CSU Fort Collins push enrollment deadlines amid FAFSA delays

2024-02-29T18:30:00+00:00

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Colorado’s two largest universities will push the deadline for students to confirm their enrollment by a month to June 1.

The announcements Thursday by the University of Colorado Boulder and Colorado State University Fort Collins follow a difficult Free Application for Federal Student Aid season marred by glitches. The problems delayed when families could apply, and colleges haven’t received the information they use to help families determine if a school’s financially right for them.

“We are here to support our students,” said Amy Hutton, CU Boulder associate vice chancellor for enrollment management. “We really want to make sure that they have the support and the time they need to make the right decision.”

The U.S. Department of Education switched to a new FAFSA form this year, but the rollout has been slow and problematic. Families and students typically can start filling out the FAFSA in October.

But the federal government delayed the application period this year until Dec. 31 to create a new form. The federal government then announced a delay of student records that schools use to send out aid awards to families.

The Better FAFSA, as it is now known, has been easier and faster to complete. Nonetheless, some students, such as those whose parents don’t have Social Security numbers, have had issues finishing the form. The federal government has created a workaround for those families.

Typically, about 17 million students nationwide fill out the FAFSA; so far, about five million have completed the form.

Colleges across the state and U.S. began to shift numerous deadlines as FAFSA issues persisted.

Hutton said moving the deadline will give students, especially those who are the first in their families to go to college or who have higher financial need, more time to consider their financial options.

The state’s two premier public universities aren’t alone in announcing more flexibility for students amid FAFSA delays. Other Colorado public higher education institutions have already announced changes.

For example, Fort Lewis College already pushed its enrollment deadline to June 1. Other schools, especially regional institutions, traditionally are more flexible in admissions, but also have changed other deadlines this year, such as registration or when students need to submit housing applications.

Pushing the confirmation deadline is more consequential for larger schools such as CU Boulder and CSU Fort Collins because they compete for a more selective pool of students.

Heather Daniel, CSU Fort Collins director of admissions, said the May 1 enrollment deadline has been like a “national holiday” when students announce where they planned to attend college. Schools use the enrollment confirmation deadline as a way to understand the size of the next year’s incoming freshmen, which helps them plan.

Pushing the deadline by a month also will impact students. The tighter schedule gives them less time to complete pre-enrollment tasks, Daniel said.

“It might mean a quicker turnaround for students to be able to complete next steps, like signing up for orientation, registering for classes, and getting their housing,” Daniel said. “It’s just a matter of adjusting and, most importantly, accommodating students and families through the process. That’s our primary focus.”

Statewide, other schools have tried to find ways to help families navigate this year.

Fort Lewis College President Tom Stritikus said schools statewide have shared information to figure out what’s best for their students. The national FAFSA problems have prompted the school to extend housing deposit deadlines and work study applications.

Additionally, the school’s professors have reached out to prospective students to help with the college-going process, Stritikus said. He doesn’t want students to leave high school without knowing they have support from the college.

Fort Lewis also has worked with students already enrolled who need help filling out the FAFSA again. The school has extra money set aside to ensure they are guaranteed aid for next year.

“We fundamentally believe students are at the center of everything we do,” Stritikus said. “So, let’s be as flexible as we can.”

Metropolitan State University of Denver, which offers more flexible enrollment, has told students it will work with them through FAFSA challenges.

Vaughn Toland, MSU Denver chief enrollment officer, said many of the school’s students apply well into the summer. The school has extended financial aid eligibility deadlines.

“We’re gonna get this figured out and we’re here to support you,” Toland said.

The school, which is the most diverse Colorado institution and has a high number of students who are the first to go to college, has tried to communicate it will be flexible if students run into individual issues.

Kerline Eglaus, MSU Denver executive director of financial aid and scholarships, said she wants students to know they won’t get left behind because many deadlines are fluid.

“And that’s given them some peace of mind,” she said.

But students should attempt to fill out the FAFSA, school leaders said.

The form is the only way students can truly understand their financial options for school, Hutton said.

“I always recommend students fill out the FAFSA and see what aid is available to them so they can make an informed decision about where they want to attend and their ability to succeed when they do,” Hutton said.

Colorado bill to curb book bans in school and public libraries voted down in education committee

2024-02-29T02:06:09+00:00

Colorado lawmakers on the Senate Education Committee voted against a bill that would have made it harder to remove content from a school or public library.

Senate Bill 49 had undergone numerous changes after concerns from Colorado school districts that the bill was too prescriptive and would trample on their ability to make policy decisions that are unique to their community.

State Sen. Lisa Cutter, a Jefferson County Democrat and co-sponsor of the bill, held off on asking for a vote on the bill on Monday to introduce amendments after a three-hour committee hearing.

But on Wednesday, the Senate Education Committee voted against the bill with a 5-2 vote, after voting 4-3 against the amendment to the proposal.

Cutter said after the hearing she thought changes she made were enough to get the bill approved.

“We’ve made a lot of accommodations and, honestly, I am not 100% sure why it didn’t pass,” she said.

The most significant pushback came from the Colorado Association of School Boards, which represents over 1,000 school board members across the state. But Cutter said the amendments were enough for the association to drop its opposition.

During testimony, Hilary Daniels, the association’s staff attorney, said the original bill interfered with Colorado’s local control provision, which allows boards to tailor educational policy to meet the needs of their community.

The law also would have been redundant, she said.

“Local boards of education are fully aware of First Amendment constitutional law, which prohibits them from removing school library books for partisan or discriminatory reasons,” she said. “These legal parameters are already included in CASB (Colorado Association of School Boards) sample policy regarding public complaints about instructional materials, which districts use to inform their own policies.”

School board members from across the state who represent the association said many schools have already created their own policies that address pieces of the legislation, including who can and cannot challenge a book. Those policies help protect content and staff, they said.

Cutter and other lawmakers worked through those concerns on Tuesday, and the amended bill brought forward on Wednesday said schools and libraries shall create a process — if they do not already have one — that addresses pulling a book or other library material, such as films, audiotapes, or computer software.

The bill would have also created protections for librarians, school administrators, and volunteers. Under the bill, only residents who live within a library district or have children within a school would have been able to request the removal of a book.

Content also wouldn’t have been able to be reconsidered for removal more than once every five years.

“I’m actually particularly disappointed that we didn’t at least consider the portion that had to do with public libraries,” Cutter said. “I would have liked to have at least addressed that.”

Librarians and other advocacy groups such as the ACLU of Colorado and the Colorado Association of Libraries testified that the proposal would have protected content and librarians.

From January to August 2023, Colorado libraries heard eight challenges of 136 titles, according to the American Libraries Association. Book bans also surged across the nation during the same time period, and other states have passed laws prohibiting bans.

The most sweeping challenges have come from a handful of conservative organizations.

Colorado Education Association President Amie Baca-Oehlert said most of the books challenged were written by or about a person of color or a member of the LGBTQ+ community.

“This political tactic has dire consequences for children, who research shows greatly benefit from seeing people like themselves in books and in their classrooms,” she said.

Cutter said she will explore whether she can reintroduce the bill and “see if we can figure out what the issues were.”

Most Colorado community college students don’t get a four-year degree, new data shows

2024-02-22T22:17:54+00:00

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Most community college students say they want a four-year degree. But nearly nine out of 10 Colorado community college students don’t go on to earn a bachelor’s degree, new data shows.

Just 13% of Colorado community college students transfer and finish with a bachelor’s degree six years after starting college, the national measure used to track graduation rates. And the rate is even lower for older students, students of color, and those from low-income backgrounds.

The data is included in a study published earlier this month by the Community College Research Center at Teachers College, Columbia University, the Aspen Institute College Excellence Program, and National Student Clearinghouse Research Center. The study has been published regularly since 2017.

Colorado’s rate is lower than the 16% national figure, and places it in the bottom half of states when it comes to helping community college students obtain a bachelor’s degree, according to the report. Nonetheless, no state is doing a good job at serving these students, said Tania LaViolet, director of research and innovation at the Aspen Institute College Excellence Program.

“Not a single state supports more than a quarter of their community college students in completing a bachelor’s degree,” she said. “That’s unacceptable.”

The data is based on students who were first-time college goers during the 2015-16 academic year. (Colorado doesn’t track most of the information within the report.)

For the first time, researchers who worked on the latest version of the study were able to track what outcomes looked like by race, ethnicity, and income.

The data shows that about a third of all Colorado community college students transferred to a four-year public institution. Of that group, only 40% made it to graduation — even though almost three-quarters of all transfers stick with their four-year diploma track into their second year.

The state is even less effective at helping students of color, older students, and students from low-income backgrounds get a four-year degree. Of the state’s community college students, schools awarded a bachelor’s degree to:

9% of Black students.
11% of Hispanic students.
7% of students who were 25 and older.
10% of students who are from low-income backgrounds.

Meanwhile, about 19% of all white students and 26% of all Asian American students who started at a community college went on to earn a bachelor’s degree.

The authors offer several strategies states could use to help these students, many of whom struggle with the high cost of college or barriers to finding reliable child care, housing, or transportation. The report says states can better track students, create more transfer options, boost dual enrollment opportunities, and do a better job helping students encountering life or academic challenges.

The report’s authors question how well schools support community college students who want to enroll in and graduate from a four-year university. Most states, including Colorado, don’t share very much information about transfer students.

“We’ve got to think about how we can support students both beforehand and then once they transfer to the four-year institution,” LaViolet said.

Colorado has some long-standing guaranteed transfer programs, which ensure credits transfer toward a four-year degree, and the number of agreements between community colleges and universities has increased in recent years.

The authors said dual enrollment opportunities help more students stay on track to getting a four-year degree. These programs allow high school students to take college classes and earn college credit before they graduate high school.

Colorado has offered dual enrollment opportunities for years, and lawmakers are looking at ways to better the state’s fragmented dual enrollment system for high school students and improve workforce training.

In total, 29% of Colorado’s community college students with dual enrollment experience end up eventually getting their bachelor’s degree six years later, more than double the overall rate statewide.

A little more than half of all students with dual enrollment experience end up transferring to a four-year university. And then about half of those students end up graduating.

LaViolet said the data shows dual enrollment does help, but shouldn’t be the only solution.

“It’s evident in the data that they are not making it through to transfer as efficiently as we would like, and then to completion at the four-year institution as efficiently as we would like,” LaViolet said. “So there will be no silver bullet.”

Colorado bill would require schools to call students by their preferred name

2024-02-16T05:45:38+00:00

A bill drafted by young Coloradans would require educators statewide to call students by their preferred name upon request.

Sponsors said the legislation is an effort to support transgender youth and protect them from bullying. The Colorado Youth Advisory Council, a group of 40 students from across the state, helped state lawmakers draft the bill.

During an almost-four-hour committee hearing Thursday, supporters of House Bill 1039 said the bill would curtail discrimination against transgender students and create a more inclusive environment statewide. Opponents said the bill would infringe on educator and parent rights, as well as create problems in classrooms and spur potential legal issues.

House Education Committee members approved the bill by a 7-to-4 vote along party lines, with Democrats voting in favor and Republicans voting against the measure.

State Rep. Stephanie Vigil, a Colorado Springs Democrat sponsoring the bill, said many transgender youth feel like their self-expression hasn’t been respected by school districts.

State Rep. Brianna Titone, an Arvada Democrat, and Democratic state Sens. Faith Winter, of Westminster, and Janice Marchman, of Loveland, are also sponsoring the bill.

“Colorado prides itself so much on being welcoming, where people are free to be themselves and how they live,” Vigil said to the education committee members. “We feel like it’s important to act on that.”

House Bill 1039 would require Colorado public schools to adopt policies to ensure educators honor a student’s request to be called by a preferred non-legal name.

Under the bill, students would not have to legally change their name for an educator to call them by that name. The bill ensures schools would conform to non-discrimination laws.

The bill is supported by groups such as One Colorado, an LGBTQ+ advocacy organization, and the Colorado School Counselors Association.

During the hearing, numerous transgender youth testified that district policies often don’t honor who they are. They said many educators insist on using students’ legal names. The students said they’ve dealt with bullying and terrible treatment, and the bill, if passed, would help them in the classroom.

“The steps that we’re taking would create an environment where being transphobic is not tolerated,” said Theo Martin, an 18-year-old student at Lewis-Palmer High School.

Martin said in an interview that he testified on Thursday because his friend committed suicide five months ago after intolerable treatment at school.

Martin said he’s also personally experienced intolerance. Educators have used his legal name as a way to disrespect him, and a fellow student threw a basketball at him and broke his nose when he came out, Martin said. He added that legally changing his name is a costly and difficult step.

Seventeen-year-old Sam Charney said they want the same rights as other students. They said it’s been an uphill battle to get their school to recognize their identity.

“A legal name change is expensive and most people don’t have access or the ability to do that,” Charney said. “This will give the students the tools to be able to live their authentic self.”

Opponents included numerous far-right, parents rights, and Christian groups. Several charter school advocates also spoke against the bill.

Opponent Donna LaBelle said she worried that students would start changing their names several times a month, which would confuse teachers. She also said children’s legal names are important to parents.

“You probably remember how important that decision was to give someone their name,” she said.

In voting against the bill, House Minority Leader Rose Pugliese, a Colorado Springs Republican, said she wanted proponents to know she heard their experiences, but she voted no because the bill doesn’t require schools to tell parents if their children ask to be called by a preferred name.

Correction: This story has been updated to remove a description of the bill that incorrectly said the bill would include preferred names on unofficial student records. An amendment to the bill removed that language.

Colorado leads the nation in college-educated residents, but gaps remain

2024-02-06T01:11:06+00:00

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Colorado leads the nation in the percentage of residents who have some type of college-level education, with 62.9% having a certificate, certification, or degree, according to a new report

That’s the big takeaway from the latest Lumina Foundation’s A Stronger Nation report, which tracks post-high school educational attainment of residents across the country. (Lumina is a funder of Chalkbeat. See our funders here, and read our ethics policy here.)

In a Monday news release, Gov. Jared Polis said he’s proud but knows the state can do better.

“We want to ensure that every Coloradan has the opportunity to get the skills they need to fill good-paying jobs that power our economy,” he said in the release. “This landmark report shows that Colorado is moving in the right direction.”

Colorado has benefited from college-educated residents moving to the state over the years, helping make up for lower college-going rates among its high school graduates. The state has also struggled to get its residents of color to and through college.

Colorado has for years been one of the highest educated states in the nation. The rate of residents with some form of college education increased to 62.9% in 2022, up from 60.5% of residents in 2021, according to the Lumina data. A foundation news release says year-to-year variation in state rates is not unusual, and there’s no single explanation for yearly changes.

But the data is different for Colorado high school graduates. While some Colorado high school students are able to get a few college credits while in high school, or even graduate with an associate degree, a good portion never make it to a college campus.

In 2021, the number of Colorado high school students who went to college was more than 10 percentage points below the national average, at 49.9%. The national average is 61.8%.

Katie Zaback, vice president of policy with Colorado Succeeds, said the new data is good for the state. But she said the state can’t celebrate yet.

The data has gaps in differentiating between those who graduated from a Colorado high school and those who move here from elsewhere, she said, which could paint a different picture about opportunity in the state.

“People who were born and raised and went to the school system in Colorado — those numbers probably wouldn’t look the same if we were able to really focus on those students,” said Zaback, whose organization brings together business leaders to advocate for improving education and training. “We know that people who move into the state tend to have much higher levels of education.”

Colorado also has large gaps in which residents finish college, with white and Asian students well above their peers. About 65% of white and 73% of Asian residents have a college education, the report shows.

A little over a third of Hispanic residents have earned a college certificate, certification, or degree. That’s compared to about two out of five Black residents.

The data shows Colorado has made progress in educating more Black and Hispanic residents in the last year. Only a third of Native American residents have completed college. That rate dropped from 35.5% in 2021 to 33.7% in 2022.

Zaback said Colorado has an opportunity to focus more on closing gaps among its residents. Those conversations are especially crucial as Colorado is focusing more on the value that a degree can bring to a resident’s life, she said.

“This is the real conversation that Colorado needs to be focused on right now, is what we are doing to help ensure that we’re closing equity gaps in those attainment rates,” Zaback said. “Because what it means is that only certain populations have access to the economic security that Colorado’s economy has given so many people.”

Why some Colorado lawmakers say funding for K-12 schools is at 1989 levels

2024-02-05T21:26:48+00:00

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Colorado is nearing the end of the Budget Stabilization Factor era.

Since 2009, Colorado lawmakers have channeled over $10 billion from schools to other priorities, a policy called the “BS Factor.” Gov. Jared Polis and lawmakers want to stop diverting money from schools to “fully fund” the state’s obligation in the proposed 2024-25 budget.

But, some Democratic lawmakers argue Colorado won’t be spending at 2024-25 levels. Instead, they point to 1989. And no, not the Taylor Swift album.

“Just because we’ve paid off the budget stabilization factor and we are finally fully funding our schools, we are actually fully funding them at 1989 levels,” said state Sen. Rachel Zenzinger, an Arvada Democrat and vice chair of the powerful Joint Budget Committee, at Chalkbeat’s Legislative Preview event last month. “So we still have some more work to do.”

Here’s why, they say: When you adjust for inflation, Colorado’s spending next year would be about the same as 34 years ago.

I’m proud that we're finally paying off the BS factor for K-12 funding. But, eliminating the BS just gets us back to 1989 funding levels. That's a pretty far cry from "fully funding." #copolitics pic.twitter.com/7UtbSWQCWB
— Rep. Chris deGruy Kennedy (@Kennedy4CO) January 11, 2024

In 1989, Colorado spent $4,629 per student. Next year, the state projects to spend $11,319 per student.

Schools need to stretch the money further than in 1989, according to Tracie Rainey, Colorado School Finance Project executive director, a school funding advocate.

Because how much we spend on education doesn’t account for the changes that the nation, the state, and their communities now hold districts accountable for, such as more testing and higher standards, Rainey said.

School funding (Colorado’s version)

For nearly 30 years, Colorado has ranked below most of the country in school funding, Rainey said.

Coloradans have created tax policies that lowered their property tax bills, and decreased what was spent for statewide services — including education, she said.

Voters adopted the Gallagher Amendment in 1982 to reduce housing assessment rates. Then in 1992, voters approved the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights, otherwise known as TABOR. The constitutional amendment limits government spending and requires voter approval for certain taxes. Any excess dollars collected above the TABOR cap must be returned to taxpayers.

With less money going toward schools, voters in 2000 approved Amendment 23 to return education spending to 1989 levels. The provision required per-student spending to increase by inflation plus 1% each year until 2011. After that, per-student spending would increase each year by at least the rate of inflation.

As Colorado neared its goal, the Great Recession hit. A year later in 2009, Colorado lawmakers began to funnel money away from K-12 education through the Budget Stabilization Factor, known at the time as the “negative factor,” to fund other crucial obligations.

That’s why, with the factor’s end, Colorado is now back to 1989.

It’s almost over now. But what’s next?

Last week, the state received recommendations from a School Finance Task Force on a new formula to fund schools. The formula hasn’t seen a major update since 1994.

The new formula will require the state to spend $474 million more dollars on schools, although the task force recommends phasing in the new formula starting this year. Lawmakers say money will be tight if they want to eliminate the BS Factor and fund other priorities.

The school funding formula answers the question of how to divvy up state dollars. But there’s another question, too: what’s an “adequate” level of funding?

What do schools need to account for the years of shifting expectations, including providing Information Technology services, required testing, student mental health care and an increase in English learning students?

Additionally, teachers statewide have called for salary increases, with the state struggling to keep many educators in the classroom, and districts facing other challenges, like the rising cost of health care and benefits.

Colorado has for years used grant programs to offset some costs for school districts, Rainey said. But there are haves and have nots — many large school districts have grant writers but some small districts have superintendents filling in on bus routes, she said. And, grants also expire.

Now, the state will await two adequacy studies, due by January 2025, that will give lawmakers a better idea of what districts need financially to teach students.

It’s important work, because what’s adequate for a district changes based on the community, Rainey said. For instance, Cherry Creek has high schools with thousands of students, while 100 districts have less than 1,000 total students.

“I would hope that when this analysis is done, lawmakers see what that base level of funding should be so that every student, no matter what district they’re in, has an amount that reflects what they need in order to meet the expectations that the state is holding them to,” Rainey said. “And I think that’s going to be a really important benchmark.”

Even then, Colorado lawmakers could still face funding challenges.

If the adequacy studies say the state must spend a lot more on education, lawmakers would then need to debate how to raise revenue, Rainey said. A referendum sent to voters would be the fastest way to increase state funding, but tax increases are unpopular with voters.

“We would need state level leadership from the governor to legislators on down to support this so voters would say, ‘Yes,’ " she said.

New recommendations would overhaul Colorado’s school funding formula. Now, lawmakers have to figure out how to pay for it.

2024-02-03T01:20:17+00:00

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A proposed overhaul of Colorado’s school funding formula is being hailed as long overdue, though lawmakers are wondering how they’ll pay for it and some education advocates say it’s only a partial answer to decades of underfunding.

Under the proposal, Colorado schools would get more money to meet the needs of English learners and students with disabilities, and rural districts would get more funding to address their challenges.

If adopted, it would be the first major change in 30 years to how Colorado divvies up funding to schools. The proposal, released this week, is the work of a 17-member task force that managed to reach agreement on thorny issues that have tanked previous efforts to reform the current formula, which is widely viewed as out-of-date and unfair.

“With the formula change, the state can really target those resources to the kids who need the most,” said task force member Brenda Dickhoner, CEO of the conservative education advocacy group Ready Colorado. “We are really moving away from a one-size-fits-all educational model to a really individualized model that takes place in a variety of different types of educational settings. And I think that is what’s going to close our achievement gaps.”

But the new formula would require about $474 million to implement — a roughly 8.9% increase in state education funding — when lawmakers already expect a tight budget year and want to spend money on other priorities, including higher education.

And some proposed changes could get pushback. Even task force members disagreed on some details, such as how to fairly account for higher costs in different parts of the state. State Sen. Rachel Zenzinger, an Arvada Democrat who will co-sponsor the school finance act, said she’s open to the recommendations. But she also wants to better understand how the new formula — which would permanently increase education funding — would affect spending in future years, especially because the state would need to use its savings to pay for the changes.

“I originally thought that we should definitely not do anything this year,” said Zenzinger, vice chair of the legislature’s Joint Budget Committee. “Now having read the report, I’m more open to contemplating changes that we can make this year.”

What does the formula do?

In a letter from the task force, Chair Chuck Carpenter, who also serves as Denver Public Schools chief financial officer, said the legislature charged the group with creating a “simpler, less regressive, more adequate, understandable, transparent, equitable, and student-centered” school finance formula. The task force brought together a bipartisan collective of advocacy groups and educators from across the state.

Carpenter said the state’s formula was created before the current understanding of what public schools should be, including greater expectations involving standards, testing, and curriculum.

The task force report said it expects the legislature to consider the recommendations as a whole.

“Hopefully the work of this task force will lead to substantive changes or at least incremental improvement,” he said in the letter. “Our work need not and will not be the final word.”

This is the latest of many efforts to rewrite the school finance formula over the last decade. The current formula gives far more weight to district characteristics, such as district size and whether the cost of living is high, than it does to factors like how many students live in poverty. The result is that some wealthy districts end up with more state funding than poor ones.

But efforts to change the formula have faced stiff political headwinds because no district wants to get less money. Lawmakers created the task force after a previous school finance committee disbanded without recommending a formula rewrite.

The new formula would increase base student funding, so nearly every district would get more money. It also would dramatically increase how much more districts get for each student from a low-income household, each English learner, each student with a disability, and each gifted student.

Overall, districts serving students with higher needs, districts with low property wealth, and small, rural districts would come out ahead.

Districts with a higher cost of living still would get more money, but not as much as in the current formula. How to account for those differences could see more debate. Thirteen of the state’s 178 districts are projected to lose money under the recommended formula, including Douglas County, Boulder Valley, Littleton, Cheyenne Mountain, Academy 20, Poudre, and Aspen. These districts all serve more affluent communities, though for years they have pointed out they have to pay teachers more to live there and spend more on basic services.

Task force member Riley Kitts, Democrats for Education Reform’s senior director of policy and government affairs, said the group reached a strong consensus on most of the changes, which he called long overdue.

The task force is also working on studies to determine how much Colorado should spend on K-12 schools if it wants to see better outcomes. Those studies are due by January 2025.

Kitts said he believes the studies shouldn’t hold up a formula change this year.

Lawmakers and education leaders are reviewing the report

The recommendations come as lawmakers have committed to “fully fund” K-12 education for the first time since the Great Recession. That means ending the practice of holding back money — more than $10 billion in the last decade — to pay for other budget priorities.

Even doing that requires dipping into education reserves. At the same time, federal pandemic aid is expiring, revenue is down slightly, and lawmakers are struggling to pay for behavioral health, affordable housing, and a slew of other priorities.

Ultimately, lawmakers, especially the powerful six-member Joint Budget Committee, will decide whether they can afford to start the phase-in this year.

In a statement, a spokesperson for Gov. Jared Polis said districts serving students with higher needs have been short changed for years, and the governor looks forward to conversations with legislators, school districts, and others about the best way to make a difference for students through the formula this year.

Senate President Stephen Fenberg, a Boulder Democrat, said in a statement he is grateful for the recommendations and members will dig in to see what’s feasible for implementation this year.

House Education Chair state Rep. Barbara McLachlan, a Durango Democrat, said her initial read left her pleased because it tries to address funding issues for rural schools. If it can’t be adopted this year, she hopes to at least see a plan for when it would be.

“Let’s use the work and not ignore it,” she said.

Senate Minority Leader Paul Lundeen, a Monument Republican, called the work an “incremental — miniscule — step in the right direction.”

Lundeen said he’d prefer to see money fund students at the school level, instead of left to districts to distribute. And he would have liked to see money for schools that are getting strong results educating students.

Lundeen wouldn’t commit to supporting the formula changes.

“I’m working diligently to make it better,” he said. “I’m not going to say yes to something that is subpar to where I think it can get.”

Some education advocates have reservations. Tracie Rainey, Colorado School Finance Project executive director, said she wants to see the results of the adequacy studies first. Those might suggest different funding levels than those in the current recommendations.

Analyses that account for regional cost differences put Colorado about $2,000 below the national average in per-student spending. Rainey said half a billion dollars more won’t get Colorado to the national benchmark.

“If they can wait to do things until they get the adequacy study, then the state can really build out a roadmap and a plan because you have all the information,” Rainey said. “You still don’t have a lot of information.”

And Amie Baca-Oehlert, Colorado Education Association president, said that the formula illustrates statewide underfunding of K-12 schools. She wants Colorado lawmakers to talk about how to increase revenue for schools, “because the state needs the right revenue to do this.”

“Our hope is that this just continues to build the momentum to help voters understand and stand with us when we go to the ballot for a revenue fix for education,” she said.

New FAFSA delay is a ‘gut punch.’ What can Colorado families do now?

2024-01-31T21:49:57+00:00

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Colorado students who plan to go to college this fall are facing yet another financial aid delay.

On Tuesday, the U.S. Department of Education announced it wouldn’t be able to send Institutional Student Information Records in batches to colleges and universities until “the first half of March,” adding more frustrations to a new Free Application for Federal Student Aid process that started three months behind. The records, which colleges and universities use to calculate aid students can expect to receive from a school, were supposed to be sent by the end of January

For Colorado students and families, the holdup means they won’t get crucial information that helps them decide which school they can afford until weeks before the May 1 acceptance deadline — with national groups calling for schools to push that date back.

Here and nationally, college experts worry these delays will further harm students who need the most financial support to get to college. National Association of Financial Aid Administrators President and CEO Justin Draeger said in a Tuesday statement that schools are scrambling, especially as some families still can’t fill out the new Better FAFSA released late last month.

“These continued delays, communicated at the last minute, threaten to harm the very students and families that federal student aid is intended to help,” he said.

As Colorado families and students are asked to wait even longer for information that helps them make one of the bigger financial decisions in their life, here’s what they should know.

Why the delays?

This year, the federal government rolled out a new platform for families to fill out the FAFSA. The Better FAFSA, as it’s known, however, was released months late — in December instead of October.

For those families who have been able to fill out the form, the new process has been shorter and easier. But technical glitches have marred the experience.

For instance, during the first week, most families had trouble logging in and the form was only available for part of the day. And students whose parents don’t have a Social Security number still haven’t been able to complete the form.

Now, students and families will have to wait even longer for the federal government to transmit information to schools.

Once colleges and universities get that information, they’ll need possibly from two weeks to a month to get financial aid award letters sent, said Marty Somero, University of Northern Colorado office of financial aid director.

This year, students eligible for Pell grants, or free federal money for college, should get more thanks to updated calculations. The changes slow down the process, Somero said. Colleges and universities need to test systems to ensure they’re sending out the correct financial award to students.

That means it could be April or even mid-April before families get all the information they need to choose whether they can afford a college or university.

It’s a tight timeline for schools and families, especially if schools need to ask parents and students for more information or updates. Schools want to try to move fast, Somero said. They also need to get it right.

“We’ve got to do our due diligence and make sure everything is correct as it comes in before we start making a commitment to a family,” Somero said.

What can families and students do while they wait?

Right now, counselors and financial aid administrators are asking for even more patience.

Vinny Caricato, KIPP Colorado Public Schools KIPP Forward director, said this is a “gut punch” for students and families who have already felt anxious and frustrated with the FAFSA this year.

“We’re in this together,” he said.

The good news is that this gives more families a chance to fill out the form, especially those who have had trouble, such as parents who don’t have a Social Security number, said Natasha Garfield, Denver Scholarship Foundation scholarships director.

Counselors also say they’re trying to help students and families so they don’t feel overwhelmed. Caricato said families have plenty of other things on their plate, so financial aid experts want to be as helpful as possible.

While counselors and schools will continue to communicate next steps, Garfield also said families and students should feel empowered to ask questions.

“We want students to ask the questions that they have and not feel like they’re alone or that they’re in a situation that is different from what their peers are experiencing because, unfortunately, everyone is in this position,” Garfield said.

Caricato said he worries about students who are the first to go to college in their family and who are from lower-income backgrounds during this time.

Despite their frustrations, he said he wants students to keep any goals they have to further their education because college has benefits for them and their long-term financial freedom. Families also shouldn’t feel like they need to make a knee-jerk decision. Top options for students should provide financial and academic support so they can eventually earn their degree.

“We really want them to make a good choice, a well rounded option,” Caricato said. “They have to go to a place that’s providing them the right support.”

Will colleges and universities push back enrollment deadlines?

It’s possible.

On Wednesday, eight national groups that include NASFAA, the national financial aid administrators organization, called on universities and colleges to provide students flexibility in when they have to decide on college, similar to how they pushed back deadlines during the pandemic.

“We all want students and families to have the time they need to consider their financial options before making enrollment decisions.” the organizations said in a statement.

There’s also more than just a decision deadline that might need to shift.

Somero said on-campus foundation scholarships that need student financial information might need to be pushed back. Northern Colorado officials are working with donors to communicate the issues and delays, he said.

And Northern Colorado has pushed back its deadline to submit paperwork to be considered for maximum school aid to June.

Garfield said she’s had conversations with Colorado colleges and universities about whether they will push back deadlines. She said colleges have tried to maintain deadlines, but that could change.

“The colleges really do understand. They want students to enroll,” she said. “So it’s in their interest to partner with students and families to figure all of this out.”

Can a high school climate literacy seal help connect students to green jobs?

2024-01-30T00:50:00+00:00

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Colorado lawmakers hope to pass legislation this year that will help students show they have an understanding of climate literacy when they graduate high school.

Senate Bill 14 would allow Colorado districts to provide a seal of climate literacy when awarding a high school diploma if students study or gain skills related to the environment. Proponents say it would fill a growing demand to learn about the climate and help graduates show they have the skills for green jobs or a background in managing Colorado’s natural resources.

For students to earn the seal, they would need to complete coursework or demonstrate certain skills determined by districts and complete a project.

State Sen. Chris Hanson, a Denver Democrat, sponsored the bill to help schools across the state recognize students for participation in programs and classes that are already taking place statewide. Those programs could include what students learn in Future Farmers of America, science classes, apprenticeships programs in green jobs, or learning about energy conservation and resource management.

He said the seal would help students get skills for jobs that are expected to grow by 10% in the next five years, including installing solar panels, electric chargers, heat pumps, or heating and cooling systems. He said those jobs support Colorado’s pledge to reach its climate goals.

“Young people, they recognize and want to make sure they understand the complexities of climate issues,” Hanson said.

The bill cleared its first hurdle Monday during a Senate Education Committee with a party-line 4-3 vote. State Sen. Paul Lundeen, a Monument Republican, voted against the bill because of concerns that the program would pull focus away from the core mission of getting Colorado students proficient in English, math, and science.

However, educators who attended the hearing said the climate programs they already teach have helped students make stronger connections in other subjects.

The seal wouldn’t be the first of its kind. Colorado also has a seal of biliteracy that schools can give to students who have attained proficiency in two or more languages.

The bill, also sponsored by Rep. Barbara McLachlan, a Durango Democrat, provides about $22,700 in annual statewide funding that the state will use to support schools issuing the seal of climate literacy.

Approved classes to earn the climate seal include Advanced Placement physical, life, or earth sciences, or a career education program geared toward climate literacy, such as learning trades in alternative energy like solar farms. The state will also develop a report about the seal to understand how schools teach about climate literacy.

South Routt School District Superintendent Kirk Henwood, who leads the district near Steamboat Springs, said during the committee hearing that the seal would allow the district to provide recognition for work that it already does, such as teaching students about land management in an area with a long agricultural history.

“Having a seal of climate literacy furthers our efforts to ensure that our high school graduates have the verified skills and knowledge needed to enter the workforce and postsecondary education opportunities,” he said. “Understanding the climate and environment is critical to sustain a rural way of life where land and water are literally the building blocks of our world.”

Colleges across the state also have climate programs, Hanson said, and the seal would help students continue their education by demonstrating their understanding of climate literacy to colleges and universities.

The seal would also help Colorado students connect to jobs, including in supporting a new statewide partnership that looks to strengthen the state’s emerging climate sector.

In an announcement on Monday, colleges and universities across the state announced a new partnership with the CO-WY Engine, an initiative that helps advance Colorado and Wyoming’s ability to address, analyze, and monitor the region’s climate.

The investment by the U.S. National Science Foundation’s Regional Innovation Engines program will spend $160 million over 10 years to support that work, including growing the workforce needed for new or existing jobs, according to the announcement.

Colorado universities and colleges want $161.4 million more. Can they also make cuts to become more efficient?

2024-01-23T20:12:27+00:00

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For the third year in a row, Colorado’s public college and university leaders have written a letter to the state legislature’s powerful Joint Budget Committee asking for more money than what’s proposed in Gov. Jared Polis’ budget.

Polis wants to increase Colorado’s higher education budget next fiscal year by $42.7 million. In the letter, 15 college and university leaders asked for quadruple the increase: $130.8 million more for their operations next year, plus another $30.6 million for state financial aid. The December letter says the money will help schools increase employee pay and battle inflation without needing to make cuts. Otherwise, they’ll need to raise tuition beyond 2% for in-state and 6% for out-of-state students.

The call for more money comes after Polis said he would work with colleges and universities to keep tuition low and create “greater efficiency,” specifically in administrative costs and ensuring state money goes toward instruction. The Joint Budget Committee has the final say on whether to increase the funding beyond the governor’s request. They have provided schools with more money beyond Polis’ proposal in the last two years.

Colorado’s college and university leaders said they agree with the governor that they need to be good stewards of state money, and they’ve made many cuts since the Great Recession as state investment in higher education dwindled — Colorado funds higher education near the bottom for full-time students. According to a state study, Colorado institutions are more than $900 million below the average funding of their national peers.

Administrative costs might include positions that schools use to comply with federal regulations and reporting requirements, or support for mental health and diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts, according to Tom Harnisch, State Higher Education Executive Officers Association vice president of government affairs. Information technology services are administrative costs.

Nationally and statewide, it’s tricky to calculate how much colleges and universities spend on administrative costs, because each school calculates them differently or not at all, said Richard Vedder, an economist with Ohio University. For example, the Colorado Community College System doesn’t tally administrative costs for its 13 schools. But even if the number is squishy, some research shows the national average spending on administrative costs is 20%, he said.

Recent research suggests administrative costs aren’t a big driver of driving up costs on campuses and reducing affordability to students. Regional colleges and community colleges also tend to be more efficient because they usually have smaller budgets and less wiggle room to spend, Harnisch said.

As Colorado has begun to invest more in higher education in recent years, school leaders have said they’ve found savings in administrative costs while adding services that help students get to and through college.

Some Colorado Community College System schools have cut programs and turned to online instruction to keep costs down. At the CSU System, CSU Fort Collins officials regularly analyze their budgets to shift expenses to other priorities — they’ve reallocated $70 million over 15 years — and the system finds ways to share costs across schools, such as IT expenses.

CSU Fort Collins spends about 7% on administrative costs compared to 22% at peer institutions, said Tony Frank, the CSU System president. Other system schools — CSU Global and Pueblo — have similar cost breakdowns.

Frank said running a university means constant reevaluation, and if school leaders say there’s nothing else they can rework in their budgets to better higher education for students, then “they probably ought to fire all of us.”

Yet efficient spending doesn’t always translate to student results.

Colorado colleges and universities are under pressure to help get more students to graduation and make sure students who don’t graduate aren’t saddled with debt. Colorado also has a workforce shortage and needs more workers who are college educated for the jobs available.

The administrative services that help students get to and through college, like academic or mental health counseling, drive up expenditures, said Dustin Weeden, a SHEEO associate vice president.

That matters because just like in K-12, some students are going to cost more to educate and support, Weeden said. Students who are the first in their families to go to college or come from low-income backgrounds might need more help to graduate.

“The conversation then becomes what is the adequate level of funding needed to educate them,” he said.

To get more students to graduate, Garcia said schools have needed to increase student services as well as pay staff competitive wages.

JBC members have indicated they want to give colleges and universities more money, with Republicans and Democratic members of the committee saying they would like to fund higher education and maintain college affordability.

Legislative leaders also echoed that support, with House Speaker Julie McCluskie, a Dillon Democrat, saying she’s deeply committed to funding higher education.

Once the JBC writes the state budget, the Colorado House and Senate will submit amendments and vote on the budget. The Joint Budget Committee will then ensure it has a balanced budget for a final vote and signature by the governor.

Much will depend on what the state can afford. There are other competing high cost issues this year, including the end of the budget stabilization factor. The state has used the budgetary maneuver to withhold money that should go to K-12 schools to pay for other priorities.

Frank said he commended the governor and other lawmakers for considering increasing state funding for colleges and universities while also demanding that schools make sure state money benefits students the most.

He stressed that pay raises outlined in the letter are important to maintain the quality of instruction and services at schools for students.

“Once that starts to spiral, it’s hard to recruit students,” he said.

Colorado celebrates the first 300 students to get their associate degrees after they dropped out of a four-year university

2024-01-22T23:55:00+00:00

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Colorado state leaders on Monday celebrated the first 300 students to receive an associate degree through a program meant to award students who earned at least 70 college credits but never finished their four-year degree.

Colorado is believed to be one of the first states in the country to offer this type of program, which was launched in 2021 through $1 million in pandemic relief funds.

The state estimates that more than 25,000 former college students statewide may be eligible for an associate degree under the Colorado Re-Engaged Initiative, or CORE. Several thousand students are also expected to become eligible to take part in the program each year, according to a news release from Gov. Jared Polis’ office.

“CORE is a great opportunity for Coloradans to get a degree and advance their careers,” Polis said in the release. “So many Coloradans who are forced by their circumstances to step away from education have invested so much time and money, yet don’t have the degree to reflect their hard work. I am proud that Colorado is providing students and institutions with the tools they need to help Coloradans get degrees and fill in-demand, good-paying jobs.”

So far, seven colleges and universities have participated in the program, including:

Colorado State University Fort Collins
Colorado State University Pueblo
Fort Lewis College
Metropolitan State University of Denver
University of Northern Colorado
University of Colorado Colorado Springs
University of Colorado Denver

Western Colorado University plans to take part in the program starting this year.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that students who have completed some college, but did not earn a degree make about $935 a week on average. Meanwhile, an associate degree increases weekly pay by about $70 more a week.

The governor’s office said the program also increases the number of Coloradans with a degree or certificate and helps them secure employment in higher paying careers. The program also may entice former students to return to college, the release says.

Lawmakers and school officials across the state have applauded the impact of the program.

Beth Myers, an associate vice chancellor at CU Denver, said it’s life-changing for students.

“I heard one graduate tell her mother that her coursework wasn’t for nothing,” Meyers said in the news release. “It was worth the investment.”

Colorado se convierte en uno de los primeros en emplear a un profesor encarcelado

2024-01-17T01:15:36+00:00

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Esta historia es un reporte realizado en colaboración con Open Campus.

CAÑON CITY, COLORADO – Una tarde a finales de noviembre, frente al salón de clases lleno de estudiantes, David Carrillo se paró en un pequeño podio y les hizo preguntas a 17 estudiantes sobre terminología macroeconómica.

Durante el curso de dos horas, Carrillo, el profesor adjunto en la Universidad Estatal de Adams (Adams State, por su abreviatura en inglés), mantuvo sus manos en sus bolsillos mientras les enseñaba a los estudiantes con uniformes verdes, algunos de color brillante y otros que el tiempo había desgastado. La sesión fue rápida, solo con tiempo suficiente para que los estudiantes contestaran las preguntas o le hicieran preguntas a él. Una de las lecciones del día: operaciones bancarias.

“Los bancos monitorean todas sus transacciones en su hoja de balance, pero usan un tipo de herramienta contable específica para monitorear todo esto. ¿Cuál es la herramienta contable?” Carrillo preguntó a los estudiantes.

Como sus estudiantes en las Instalaciones Correccionales del Territorio de Colorado, Carrillo, de 49 años de edad, también tiene un uniforme verde. Ocupa un puesto extremadamente inusual en la prisión: es un profesor encarcelado que enseña un programa universitario.

David Carrillo.

Una nueva iniciativa en Adams State—una de las primeras de su tipo en el país—se enfoca en emplear como profesores a personas encarceladas con títulos universitarios, en lugar de traer educadores de afuera. El programa ofrecido a través de la universidad con sede en Alamosa ofrece a las personas encarceladas con títulos universitarios experiencia y capacitación a la vez que ayuda a abordar la falta de personal que puede afectar negativamente a los programas educativos en prisiones.

Carrillo sabe por experiencia propia el poder de la educación—supuestamente nunca iba a salir de la prisión. Pero en diciembre, el gobernador de Colorado Jared Polis otorgó un perdón a Carrillo por el papel que desempeñó en un asesinato en 1993. Carrillo saldrá en libertad este mes después de 29 años en gran parte debido a su labor estudiando y encontrando una manera productiva de pasar su condena.

Carrillo, cuyo nuevo apodo en la prisión es “Profesor”, quiere que sus estudiantes tengan las mismas oportunidades que los ayudarán a reiniciar sus vidas.

“Poder ayudar a estos hombres para que se den cuenta de que son capaces de hacer mucho más—esa es la recompensa final”, dijo Carrillo, quien obtuvo su maestría a través de Adams State en 2021.

Una idea casi nunca vista en la prisión

El programa de Adams State empezó con una propuesta inusual de Leigh Burrows, directora adjunta de programas para prisiones en el Departamento de Correccionales de Colorado. En 2022, contactó a la universidad y preguntó: ¿Estarían dispuestos a contratar a un profesor encarcelado para que enseñe en su programa de negocios en las Instalaciones Correccionales del Territorio de Colorado?

Al personal de Adams State le encantó la idea, con la condición de que al instructor le pagaran lo mismo que a los otros profesores adjuntos que dan clases en su campus principal en Alamosa. La idea—contratar a un profesor encarcelado para que enseñe a estudiantes encarcelados y pagarle un salario como afuera—casi nunca se ha visto en entornos correccionales.

“Mucha gente pensó que estábamos locos”, Burrows dijo.

La mayoría de las personas en prisiones de Colorado solo ganan 80 centavos al día, así que tardarían 17 años en ganar los $3,600 que Carrillo recibe por una sola clase. Salarios más altos ayudan a las personas encarceladas para que ahorren y cubran necesidades básicas cuando salen en libertad. La pobreza con frecuencia puede impulsar decisiones que causan que regresen a la cárcel.

Los estudiantes miran la información impresa para la clase de Introducción a la Macroeconomía.

Un par de otros estados están experimentando con contratar a profesores encarcelados. En Maine, Colby College contrató a un profesor encarcelado para que enseñe un curso de antropología por Zoom sobre el encarcelamiento masivo a estudiantes universitarios que no están encarcelado. Y representantes de otros departamentos estatales de correccionales han expresado interés en el programa de Colorado, Burrows dijo.

Actualmente, seis universidades enseñan cursos en prisiones de Colorado, incluidas tres instituciones públicas que inscriben a un total de 311 estudiantes en programas universitarios. Y los programas universitarios en prisiones están preparándose para crecer en los próximos años, especialmente porque en julio los estudiantes encarcelados empezaron a cumplir requisitos para obtener la Beca Pell—la asistencia federal financiera para estudiantes con bajos ingresos—por primera vez en casi 30 años.

Pero los programas educativos en las prisiones enfrentan una serie de desafíos: las universidades a veces tienen dificultades para contratar profesores calificados, y las instalaciones correccionales cada vez tienen menos personal. Después de varios años de falta continua de personal, alrededor del 13 por ciento de los puestos para agentes correccionales en Colorado están vacantes, según una vocera del departamento de correccionales de Colorado.

La idea de Burrows de usar el talento que existe detrás de las rejas ayuda a mitigar esos problemas. Los profesores encarcelados ya están en el lugar, lo cual elimina la necesidad de que el personal correccional tenga que acompañar a profesores externos. También crea oportunidades que permiten que los estudiantes ya graduados como Carrillo pongan sus conocimientos y habilidades profesionales en práctica—y ganen un salario digno al hacerlo.

Los estudiantes encarcelados también se benefician al tener profesores que entienden sus experiencias.

Clinton Hall, uno de los estudiantes de Carrillo, dijo que la oportunidad de tomar clases de él es mejor que estudiar con otros profesores que nunca han estado encarcelados. Hall y Carrillo viven en el mismo grupo de celdas, y es fácil encontrar al “Profesor” cuando necesita ayuda.

“En cualquier momento que tengo una pregunta o necesito aclarar algo sobre mi trabajo, o solo quiero profundizar un poco más, puedo ir caminando [a verlo]”, Hall dijo.

También le gusta que Carrillo entiende si sus estudiantes enfrentan desafíos específicos por estar encarcelados. Si hay un cierre obligatorio, por ejemplo, Carrillo trabaja con el personal de la prisión para tratar de reprogramar la clase o compartir la tarea con los estudiantes.

Desde el centro izquierda, Clint Hall y Evelyn Roldán, miran hacia arriba y escuchan a David Carrillo, profesor adjunto de la Universidad Estatal Adams, durante la clase de Introducción a la Macroeconomía.

Además, se ha comprobado que estudiar adentro de la cárcel reduce la reincidencia. Para 2019, alrededor de un tercio de las personas que salían de prisiones en Colorado regresaban en los tres primeros años.

En el caso de Carrillo, los beneficios de estudiar también desempeñaron un papel clave para que saliera de la prisión. Polis dijo que el camino de Carrillo para obtener su título y trabajar como profesor contribuyeron a su decisión de perdonarlo.

“Es evidente que pusiste una tremenda [cantidad de] trabajo mientras estabas encarcelado para cambiar tu perspectiva y alcanzar tus metas educativas”, Polis escribió en un carta para Carrillo.

La experiencia de Carrillo también destaca la importancia de las oportunidades profesionales para las personas encarceladas, dijo Lauren Hughes, directora del programa para prisiones en Adams State.

“David cuarteó las barreras y continuará trabajando para romperlas todas a fin de que más personas regresen a casa a través de las oportunidades educativas y laborales”, dijo. “Es una persona a la vez, como crear un movimiento lentamente, y conforme vamos expandiendo esto a más personas sé que seguiremos observando este tipo de resultado”.

Burrows dijo que su meta es contratar a dos profesores más para finales de 2024, empezando este verano cuando una mujer encarcelada con un título de abogacía enseñe un curso de leyes empresariales en el programa de licenciatura de Adams State en las Instalaciones de Correccionales para Mujeres de Denver.

Una segunda oportunidad después del aislamiento

En 1994, a los 20 años de edad, Carrillo recibió una condena de cadena perpetua sin oportunidad de salir en libertad condicional por su complicidad en un asesinato. El año anterior, estuvo presente cuando mataron a alguien. Las leyes de Colorado lo consideraron igual de culpable que el otro adolescente, su hermano, quien jaló el gatillo.

“Entré y salí del sistema desde que era niño”, dijo. “Soy generacional a esto”.

Casi una década después, en 2002, Carrillo se encontró aislado en una celda casi del tamaño de un espacio para estacionar un automóvil. Había pasado años involucrado con pandillas en la prisión. Sentado solo, decidió que necesitaba un cambio que tenía que empezar con él mismo.

“Mi perspectiva fue muy angosta por mucho, mucho tiempo”, dijo.

Aunque el Carrillo de 20 años nunca se hubiera imaginado a sí mismo al frente de un salón de clases, la transición de estudiante a profesor no fue difícil. Ya había liderado varios programas de autoayuda, y recibido bastante apoyo, incluidas clases del Colegio Comunitario Red Rocks para obtener su certificado de educación para adultos.

Carrillo dijo que la educación le ayudó a cambiar su visión de la vida. Ha encontrado una pasión por aprender y enseñar a otros.

Adams State espera poder emplear a más estudiantes graduados en sus propios programas en el futuro, dijo Hughes, la directora de programas para prisiones. Actualmente, Hughes dijo que alrededor de 100 personas en prisiones del país están trabajando para obtener su maestría a través de Adams State como Carrillo.

El programa con materiales impresos por correspondencia para la maestría de 36 créditos cuesta $350 por crédito, para un total de $12,600, además de los libros. Y, no hay fondos estatales ni federales para ayudar con un título de posgrado, así que los estudiantes tienen que pagarlo directamente.

El otoño pasado, Adams State recibió un subsidio de $150,000 de la Fundación Mellon que se usará para contratar a un coordinador de programas, desarrollar un plan de estudios para la capacitación de profesores encarcelados, y crear un nuevo programa de posgrado en humanidades.

Hughes, quien estuvo encarcelada en el pasado, dijo que pudo asistir gratis a la universidad cuando estaba en la cárcel gracias a un programa de estudios en la prisión respaldado con fondos privados en Nueva Jersey. Muchas personas encarceladas no tienen los recursos ni el apoyo de su familia para financiar sus propios estudios, y ella espera recaudar fondos para ofrecer más apoyo a los estudiantes.

El estado también quiere ayudar a más personas encarceladas para que obtengan su diploma de high school y así puedan tomar cursos universitarios como los que Carrillo enseña. Pero Colorado está enfrentando una falta continua de maestros en sus 19 prisiones estatales alrededor del estado.

En diciembre, había 31 puestos vacantes de 140 puestos para maestros en el estado, Burrows dijo. Algunos de esos maestros se jubilaron, otros renunciaron porque los obligaron a trabajar en puestos de guardia cuando las instalaciones no tenían suficientes agentes correccionales, y las instalaciones han seguido enfrentando desafíos para contratar a personal desde la pandemia.

El Departamento Correccional de Colorado quiere ampliar el uso de profesores encarcelados más allá de los muros del Centro Correccional Territorial de Colorado.

Por eso Burrows también está trabajando para establecer una ruta que capacite a maestros pares que puedan ayudar a las personas a estudiar para el examen de equivalencia de high school por sí solos y luego cursar estudios universitarios. Como resultado, “varias personas han obtenido su GED que de otra forma no lo hubieran obtenido debido a la duración de su condena”, dijo. Tradicionalmente, mientras más años tenga un persona para completar su condena, más abajo figura en la lista para tomar clases para el GED.

Burrows dijo que recientemente publicó un anuncio en el sistema televisivo del departamento diciendo que estarán buscando a personas que tengan de todo, desde un título asociado hasta una maestría, para que ayuden con servicios de tutoría de pares y enseñen. El anuncio produjo mucho interés.

“Ahora no puedo ir a una instalación sin que alguien se me acerque y me pregunte lo que necesitan hacer”, dijo.

Cuando tus estudiantes son tus compañeros de vivienda

Al principio, Burrows escuchó inquietudes en el departamento de correccionales de que contratar a Carrillo y permitirle supervisar a otros prisioneros podría crear una dinámica de poder que daría lugar a la explotación. Pero eso no ha sido un problema.

“En la casa de celdas, mis amigos siguen bromeando conmigo como siempre”, Carrillo dijo. “Igual me lanzan críticas”.

Carrillo dijo que no le importa que sus estudiantes tengan acceso a él las 24 horas. De hecho, hay un estudiante del cual Carrillo no podría deshacerse aunque quisiera: su compañero de celda Sean Mueller.

Los dos han vivido juntos por más de 13 años. Hasta cuando Mueller enfrentó desafíos con sus propios estudios, observó cómo Carrillo obtuvo su certificado de asistente legal, luego un título asociado, una licenciatura y finalmente una maestría.

Mueller dijo que pensar a corto plazo, el orgullo y la avaricia hicieron que terminara en la cárcel. Ahora, está pensando a largo plazo, en parte gracias a la influencia de Carrillo.

La clase de Carrillo ayudará a que Mueller de un paso más para obtener un título asociado y su libertad. El año pasado, los legisladores en Colorado aprobaron una ley que reduce el tiempo de condena de aquellos prisioneros que cometieron un delito no violento si obtienen un título universitario.

Carrillo dijo que le encantaría seguir enseñando.

Mueller será uno de los primeros en el estado en poder aprovechar la nueva ley después de obtener su título, dijo.

Mueller probablemente no sea el último. Hall, quien vive en el mismo grupo de celdas que Carrillo, dijo que la clase de Carrillo está “aumentando en popularidad y potencia”.

“Tenemos a hombres que preguntan: ‘¿Cómo te metiste a esta clase?’” Hall dijo.

Antes de que Carrillo recibiera la noticia de su libertad condicional el 31 de enero, dijo que le gustaría mantener su trabajo como profesor en la prisión aunque lo dejaran en libertad.

“No esperaba esto”, dijo. “En su momento estaba guiando a hombres a este lugar. Ahora estoy haciendo todo lo posible por guiar a hombres para que salgan”.

Chalkbeat Colorado se asocia con Open Campus en para cubrir de la educación superior.

Jason Gonzales es un reportero que cubre la educación superior y la legislatura de Colorado. Comunícate con Jason por correo electrónico a jgonzales@chalkbeat.org.

Charlotte West es una reportera que cubre el futuro de la educación postsecundaria en prisiones para Open Campus. Comunícate con Charlotte por correo electrónico a charlotte@opencampusmedia.org y suscríbete a su boletín de noticias, College Inside.

Traducido por Alejandra X. Castañeda

Colorado becomes one of the first to employ an incarcerated professor

2024-01-04T12:00:00+00:00

Leer en español.

This story was reported in partnership with Open Campus.

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CAÑON CITY, COLORADO — On a late-November afternoon, at the head of a cramped classroom, David Carrillo stood at a small podium and quizzed 17 students on macroeconomic terminology.

For the two-hour class, Carrillo, the adjunct professor teaching for Adams State University, mostly kept his hands in his pockets as he lectured students in green uniforms, some bright and others faded with time. His lecture came rapid-fire, allowing just enough time for students to answer questions or let them ask a question of him. One of the lessons on that day: banking.

“Banks keep track of all of their transactions on their balance sheet, but they use a specific type of accounting tool to keep track of all this. What’s that accounting tool?” Carrillo asked his class.

Like his students at the Colorado Territorial Correctional Facility, Carrillo, 49, also wears green. He holds a position that is extremely rare in prison: He’s an incarcerated professor teaching in a prison bachelor’s degree program.

Gov. Jared Polis granted David Carrillo clemency in December. He will get out of prison later this month.

A new initiative at Adams State — one of the first of its kind in the country — focuses on employing incarcerated people with graduate degrees as college professors, rather than bringing in instructors from the outside. The program offered through the Alamosa-based university gives incarcerated graduates experience and training while helping to alleviate the staff shortages that can hinder prison education programs.

Carrillo knows firsthand the power of education — he was never supposed to get out of prison. But in December, Colorado Gov. Jared Polis granted Carrillo clemency for his role in a 1993 murder. Carrillo will walk free later this month after 29 years thanks in large part to his work to educate himself and find a productive way to do his time.

Carrillo, whose new prison nickname is “Professor,” wants his students to have the same opportunities that will help them restart their lives.

“To be able to help these guys realize that they are capable of doing so much more — that’s a reward right there,” said Carrillo, who earned his MBA from Adams State in 2021.

An idea almost unheard of in prison

The Adams State program began with an unusual proposal from Leigh Burrows, associate director of prison programs for the Colorado Department of Corrections. In 2022, she approached the university and asked: Would they be willing to hire an incarcerated professor to teach in their business bachelor’s program at Colorado Territorial?

Adams State staff jumped at the opportunity, on the condition that the instructor be paid the same as adjunct professors teaching on its main Alamosa campus. The idea — hiring an incarcerated professor to teach incarcerated students and paying him outside wages — is almost unheard of in correctional settings.

“A lot of people thought we were insane,” Burrows said.

Most people in Colorado prisons only make 80 cents a day, so it would take them around 17 years to earn the $3,600 that Carrillo gets for a single class. Higher wages help incarcerated individuals build savings to help cover their basic needs when they are released. Poverty can often be a driver of decisions that land people back in prison.

College programs in prison are expected to grow, so hiring incarcerated professors is one way to expand the state's roster of instructors who can teach inside.

A few other states are experimenting with hiring incarcerated faculty. In Maine, for instance, Colby College has hired an incarcerated instructor to teach an anthropology course on mass incarceration to outside undergraduates via Zoom. And officials from other state corrections departments have expressed interest in Colorado’s program, Burrows said.

Six colleges currently teach in Colorado’s prisons, including three public institutions that enroll a total of 311 students in degree programs. And college programs in prison are poised to grow over the next few years, especially since in July incarcerated students became eligible for Pell Grants – the federal financial aid for low-income students – for the first time in nearly 30 years.

But prison education programs face a number of challenges: Colleges sometimes struggle to recruit qualified faculty and correctional facilities are increasingly short-staffed. After several years of ongoing shortages, about 13% of Colorado’s correctional officer positions were vacant, according to a Colorado corrections department spokeswoman.

Burrows’ idea of utilizing the talent that exists behind bars helps mitigate those issues. Incarcerated faculty are already on site, eliminating the need for correctional staff to escort outside professors. It also creates opportunities that allow incarcerated graduates such as Carrillo to put their professional knowledge and skills into practice — and earn a living wage while doing so.

Incarcerated students benefit, too, by having professors that understand their backgrounds.

Clinton Hall, one of Carrillo’s students, said the opportunity to take a class from him is better than learning from other professors who have never been incarcerated. Hall and Carrillo live in the same pod, and it’s easy to find “Professor” when he needs help.

“Anytime I got a question or I need some clarification on my work, or I just want to kind of dig in a little bit more, I can walk over,” Hall said.

He also likes that Carrillo understands if students encounter challenges unique to being incarcerated. If there’s a lockdown, for example, Carrillo works with prison staff to try and reschedule the class or get the assignment out to students.

From center left, Clinton Hall and Evelyn Roldan, look up and listen to Carrillo as he teaches. Hall said Carrillo understands the daily challenges of prison.

And, education inside is proven to reduce recidivism. As of 2019, around one-third of people getting out of Colorado prisons went back within three years.

In Carrillo’s case, the benefits of education also played a key role in getting out of prison. Polis said that Carrillo’s journey to educate himself and work as a professor contributed to the clemency decision.

“It is evident that you have put in tremendous work while incarcerated to change your mindset and pursue educational goals,” Polis wrote in a letter to Carrillo.

Carrillo’s experience also highlights the importance of professional opportunities for people inside, said Lauren Hughes, the director of Adams State’s prison education program.

“David cracked the barriers and we will continue working towards breaking them all down to get more people home through education and employment opportunities,” she said. “It’s a one-person-at-a-time, slow movement-building kind of work, and as we expand this to more individuals I know we will keep seeing this kind of result.”

Burrows said her goal is to hire two additional instructors by the end of 2024, beginning this summer with having an incarcerated woman with a law degree teach business law in the Adams State’s bachelor’s program at Denver Women’s Correctional Facility.

A second chance after solitary confinement

In 1994, at the age of 20, Carrillo received a life without parole sentence for his complicity in a murder. The year before, he was present when someone was killed. Colorado law at the time considered him just as guilty as the other teenager – his brother – who pulled the trigger.

“I’ve been in and out of the system since I was a kid,” he said. “I’m generational to this.”

Carrillo said education helped change his view on life. He's found a passion for learning and teaching others.

Almost a decade later, in 2002, Carrillo found himself in a solitary confinement cell barely the size of a parking space. He had spent years involved in prison gangs. As he sat alone, he decided he needed a change that had to start with him.

“My worldview was very narrow for a very, very long time,” he said.

Although the 20-year-old Carrillo never would have imagined himself at the front of a classroom, the transition from student to professor wasn’t hard. He had already led several self-help programs, and received plenty of support, including classes from Red Rocks Community College to get his adult education certificate.

Adams State hopes to eventually employ more graduates of their own programs in the future, said Hughes, the prison education director. Currently, Hughes said around 100 people in prisons across the country are working towards their MBA through Adams State like Carrillo did.

The 36-credit print-based MBA correspondence program costs $350 per credit for a total of $12,600, plus textbooks. And, there is no state or federal funding to assist with a graduate degree, so students have to pay out of pocket.

Last fall, Adams State received a $150,000 grant from the Mellon Foundation that will be used to hire a program coordinator, develop a training curriculum for the incarcerated instructors, and create a new graduate program in the humanities.

Hughes, who is herself formerly incarcerated, said she was able to attend college for free while she was inside because of a privately funded prison education program in New Jersey. Many incarcerated people don’t have the resources or family support to fund their own education, and she’s hoping to do fundraising to be able to offer more support to their students.

The state also wants to help more incarcerated individuals earn high school equivalency diplomas so they can take college classes like the ones Carrillo teaches. But Colorado is facing an ongoing teacher shortage across its 19 state-run prisons.

As of December, there were 31 vacancies out of 148 teaching positions around the state, Burrows said. Some of those teachers retired, others have quit because they were conscripted to work custody positions when facilities were short on correctional officers, and facilities have faced ongoing recruitment challenges since the pandemic.

The Colorado Department of Corrections wants to expand using incarcerated professors beyond the walls of the Colorado Territorial Correctional Facility.

So Burrows is also working to build a pipeline to train peer teachers who could help people study for the high school equivalency exam on their own and then go on to college. As a result, “we’ve had a number of individuals get GEDs who would not have gotten them otherwise because of their sentence length,” she said. Traditionally, the more years a person has left to serve, the lower they are on the list to take GED classes.

Burrows said she recently put out an ad on the department’s television system announcing that they are going to be looking for individuals with everything from an associate to master’s degrees to assist with peer tutoring and teaching. It’s generated a lot of interest.

“Now I can’t go into a facility now without having someone come up to me and ask what they need to do,” she said.

When your students are your roommates

Initially, Burrows heard concerns within the corrections department that hiring Carrillo and allowing him to supervise other prisoners could create a power dynamic that allows for exploitation. But that hasn’t turned out to be a problem.

“Back at the cell house, my friends, they still joke with me as always,” Carrillo said. “They’ll still throw potshots.”

Carrilllo said he doesn’t mind that his students have access to him 24/7. In fact, there’s one student Carrillo couldn’t get away from even if he wanted to: his cellmate Sean Mueller.

The two have lived together for over 13 years. Even as Mueller struggled with his own education, he watched as Carrillo earned a paralegal certificate, then an associate degree, a bachelor’s and finally his master’s.

Mueller said a short-term mindset, pride, and greed got him into prison. Now, he’s thinking about the long-term in part thanks to the influence of Carrillo.

Carrillo’s class will help Mueller get one step closer to an associate degree and his release. Last year, Colorado legislators approved a law that deducts time off a sentence for prisoners who committed a nonviolent offense if they earn a college degree.

Carrillo said he would love to continue teaching.

Mueller will be one of the first in the state to be able to take advantage of the new law after he earns his degree, he said.

Mueller will likely not be the last. Hall, Carrillo’s podmate, said Carrillo’s class is “gaining popularity and momentum.”

“We’ve got guys who are asking, ‘How do I get into this class?’,” Hall said.

Before Carrillo received the news that he’ll parole on Jan. 31, he said he’d like to keep his job teaching at the prison if he ever got out.

“I didn’t expect this,” he said. “Once I was leading guys into this place. Now, I’m doing my best to lead guys out.”

Chalkbeat Colorado partners with Open Campus on higher education coverage.

Jason Gonzales is a reporter covering higher education and the Colorado legislature. Contact Jason at jgonzales@chalkbeat.org.

Charlotte West is a reporter covering the future of postsecondary education in prison for Open Campus. Contact Charlotte at charlotte@opencampusmedia.org and subscribe to her newsletter, College Inside.

Science scores, low tuition, ‘full education funding’ highlighted in Polis’ annual speech

2024-01-12T01:04:49+00:00

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In his annual State of the State speech Thursday, Gov. Jared Polis thanked lawmakers for agreeing to end a longstanding Colorado practice of withholding money from K-12 schools to balance the state budget. His words were met with a standing ovation.

“This has been a long time coming,” Polis said, “and we are thrilled to fulfill our commitment to voters and enter a new era of full education funding in Colorado.”

Since 2009, the state has withheld more than $10 billion from Colorado schools through a mechanism known as the budget stabilization factor. Last year, lawmakers passed a provision within the state’s education funding bill to eliminate the withholding.

While the provision isn’t binding, Polis, along with both Democratic and Republican leaders, have said they wanted to keep that promise.

Polis said in his speech that this year’s promise to fund schools without taking away money would mean better teacher pay, more learning opportunities for students, increased training for teachers, and better resources in classrooms.

State lawmakers on the powerful Joint Budget Committee, which helps craft the state budget, echoed Polis. State Sen. Barbara Kirkmeyer, a Weld County Republican, said she and fellow JBC members plan to make sure that education is funded responsibly and sustainably.

“We’re not going to go back to where we are balancing our budget on the backs of students,” Kirkmeyer said in an interview. “It’s not going to happen. Not in my time.”

What else did Polis say about education in his speech? Here are some highlights.

What Polis means by ‘greater efficiency’ in higher education

What Polis said: “We are working with higher education institutions to keep tuition low through innovation and greater efficiency.”

What that means: Higher education budgets are again a topic of concern this year among lawmakers after the governor’s November budget proposal, especially because Colorado students pay more to go to an in-state public university than the national average.

Polis’ budget set aside $39.7 million more for college and university budgets and financial aid. Another $3 million would be used to support the college attendance of youth who have experienced homelessness.

Joint Budget Committee members have said they want to give more state money to colleges and universities on top of what Polis has proposed, especially because school leaders have said they’ll have difficulty keeping tuition rates at the mandated 2% increase for in-state students and 6% increase for out-of-state students next year.

While Polis’ priorities help shape the budget, ultimately the General Assembly adopts a budget in March or April that is actually written by the six legislators on the Joint Budget Committee.

During a news conference after his State of the State address, Polis said “greater efficiency” would include analyzing administrative costs at schools and ensuring state money goes toward teaching students.

Kirkmeyer said she’s disappointed in the amount of money Polis earmarked.

“The reality is if we don’t cover basic core costs at our institutions of higher education,” Kirkmeyer said. “Then the tuition has to go up. And I’m with him on let’s keep the tuition down. But let’s not, as one of our university presidents said, bleed out higher education, because that’s what he is doing.”

Colorado Senate President Stephen Fenberg, a Boulder Democrat, said Democrats have been supportive of higher education and ensuring they can be strong to train the workforce.

“But we also do agree that we need to take a hard look,” he said. “There are limited resources. And so yes, we do need to partner with our institutions and make sure that they are providing services and degrees in a manner that’s efficient and that’s worth the investment.”

Science instruction gets a boost

What Polis said: “Last year we also passed bipartisan legislation to help more students and educators access the resources they need to improve math achievement … Now we need to expand out of school opportunities to boost science achievement too.”

What that means: The state has focused on boosting resources to improve reading and math instruction in recent years.

Not all students statewide take the test, but 2023 statewide science results show about a third of students in fifth and eighth grade met or exceeded standards. About a quarter of all students in 11th grade met or exceeded standards on the test.

Last year, Colorado set aside $28 million to increase math resources statewide, including for after-school programs and tutoring.

This year, the governor updated his budget proposal in January to include $8 million to support science education.

About $3 million will go to schools to improve curriculum and training for educators. Another $5 million would fund out-of-school academic support for Colorado students.

Colorado House Speaker Julie McCluskie, a Dillon Democrat, said as someone who graduated college with a chemistry degree, she’s very supportive of the focus.

“We’ve got to make sure we’re nurturing young minds in the sciences to be sure they’re ready for those careers,” she said

Polis promises to expand workforce training

What Polis said: “Right now there are about two job openings for every unemployed Coloradan. We want every person in Colorado to be able to build a good life and a good career on their own terms, and we are creating many different ways to do that.”

What that means: Polis and lawmakers made an investment last year in expanding free training programs across the state in certain fields such as health care, firefighting, law enforcement, and education.

The goal from the state is to train more Coloradans for in-demand jobs. Some of those industries, however, don’t pay as high, and the state’s free training program is meant to help subsidize that education so students aren’t saddled with debt by choosing those careers.

Polis said during his speech that the program has already served over 3,500 students. Polis has his eyes on expanding other opportunities, too, such as apprenticeships that help students learn on the job.

“We want to go even further, increasing the number of state government apprenticeships by 50% and supporting the creation of 100 new apprenticeship opportunities in the private sector — both by June 30 of this year,” he said.

Polis’ November budget proposal included $2 million in grant funding and $30 million in tax credits to expand apprenticeship programs. And he wants $2 million more in Opportunity Now grants, as well as $30 million in tax credits to support the state program. The program helps develop public-private partnerships focused on workforce development.

Five things to know about how Colorado leaders propose to reshape workforce education

2024-01-16T22:42:57+00:00

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Apprenticeships. Courses that count for both high school and college credit. The opportunity to earn an associate’s degree alongside a high school diploma.

Over the years, Colorado has created these programs and more to help prepare students for college and careers. However, a new report commissioned by state lawmakers shows that the programs aren’t offered consistently at schools across the state, that they haven’t worked with one another, and that not enough families know about them.

The report offers 13 recommendations to streamline a fragmented system. Lawmakers are expected to take up a few of the recommendations during this year’s session, and the report should guide further conversations about connecting students to the workforce.

The report came out of a bill co-sponsored by state Rep. Jennifer Bacon, a Denver Democrat, in 2022. The bill created a task force — nicknamed the 1215 task force, after the bill number — to develop recommendations to improve what the state has offered.

“What we found in the 1215 task force was that we actually have five or six different programs that have their own structures and systems, and the institutional barriers are getting in the way of doing better by way of supporting students,” Bacon said.

State Sen. Rachel Zenzinger, an Arvada Democrat, said adopting the task force’s recommendations would mean more accountability for the work that’s happening statewide and would help decision makers understand what is and isn’t working for students.

“This is the moment we pull it all together and have a conversation,” Zenzinger said.

Below are five things to know about the report, including why it was commissioned, what it concluded, and the roadmap it provides for state leaders.

Colorado aims to further the ‘Big Blur’

Colorado has acute worker shortages, and most jobs require some form of college.

The 1215 task force’s report is meant to help the state do better at carrying out what policymakers call the “Big Blur” — that is, making the end of high school and the beginning of college seamless. Colorado is among the first in the country to take up this work.

Under these programs, students get skills in high school that make it easier for them to learn a career field in college. And when they graduate, they could get a job in that field, or what they learned during high school and college would make them more employable. Ideally, employers would help with that training.

A fifth-year of high school, dual enrollment, and apprenticeship programs all fit under the “blur.”

So do programs such as two-year and four-year college partnerships to earn an associate’s and then a bachelor’s degree, and high school efforts that partner with businesses to help students learn skills in specific fields such as cybersecurity or welding.

Bringing everything under one roof

Zenzinger said Colorado has numerous workforce programs, but no comprehensive direction for them.

The 1215 Report calls for fixing that. It recommends that state lawmakers change statutes to bring these programs “under one umbrella to reduce administrative burden” and make the system more accessible for school districts and students.

State House Speaker Julie McCluskie, a Dillon Democrat who also sponsored the 2022 bill, said this is likely to be one of the first changes lawmakers make.

Twelve state-supported programs would come under common administration, including the fifth-year high school programs, dual enrollment for high schools students to enroll in community college, and the state’s teacher recruitment program.

Such a step would also attract employers to participate in programs such as apprenticeship, or help regions of the state focus on specific workforce needs, the report says.

Better communicate with students

To participate in “Big Blur” programs, students need to know and learn about them. But the state doesn’t make that easy.

The 12 programs are spread out among various pages on the Colorado Department of Education’s website. And career and technical education is administered through the Colorado Department of Higher Education, which has a separate website.

The report calls for a new strategy to make Coloradans aware of what’s available and to have that in one place, so that students and residents can find out what works for them. The state would also do a better job communicating the benefits of these programs to high school students and adults.

“The most valuable career navigation offerings are tailored to individuals’ interests and talents, are available in multiple languages, and include fully accessible interactive tools and services,” the report says.

One statewide report and more accountability

What’s working the best for the state?

Although the state tracks data on how the programs serve students, it’s difficult to look at how well these programs collectively are achieving their goals. To that end, the report recommends that the state begin to set certain measurable goals for all of the programs.

The state should also begin to evaluate how these programs have helped Colorado over the long term and develop a public-facing dashboard to report on their performance, the report says. Along with the 12 programs, the dashboard would also likely include information about career education programs administered by the state’s community college system.

The information could lead lawmakers to end or increase funding for some of the programs, Zenzinger said.

What the report says about funding and equity

Each of the programs under study is funded through a different source. Some operate as grant programs with a timeline for the program to end.

The report calls on lawmakers to create a dedicated revenue stream for workforce training programs that would increase each year with inflation and take into account how well different groups of students are able to learn. The report also recommends money to cover costs of expanding these programs.

The weighted funding would help ensure that residents from different backgrounds get access to these opportunities, including students of color and those who have fewer financial resources.

The report says the state should consider incentives to high schools that reduce gaps between certain populations, and support for students who have the toughest time getting workforce opportunities while in school.

2024 Colorado General Assembly: The people’s guide to following education issues

2024-01-13T00:16:33+00:00

Every January, 100 men and women elected to the Colorado General Assembly gather in Denver for 120 days and make decisions that affect students and teachers in the classroom, university administrators trying to balance their budgets, and parents and students having to make tuition payments.

Legislators only have to pass two bills before they adjourn in May: a balanced budget and the school finance act. Both have profound implications for educational opportunity.

They also tackle many more education issues, from student discipline to teacher shortages, from standardized tests to career training.

But it can be hard for ordinary citizens to understand how ideas turn into laws.

To explain the lawmaking process and the opportunities for public input, we’ve prepared this guide to the legislative session.

Here’s how you can get involved:

How a bill becomes a law

Think Schoolhouse Rock’s “I’m Just a Bill.”

Legislators get ideas for bills from a lot of places. A legislator might have a passion for a particular topic. The governor’s office or state department leaders might request a policy change. An interest group or concerned parents might ask a lawmaker to help solve a problem.

Lawmakers work with bill drafters — nonpartisan legislative staff — to write a bill. Once a lawmaker introduces it, leaders in either the House or the Senate assign it to a committee, usually one with relevant expertise.

Most education bills go to the education committee, but a bill on youth mental health might land first in the health committee or one on police in schools might be heard by the judiciary committee.

A few committees — most infamously the State Affairs committees — are known as “kill” committees, where leadership can send controversial bills, especially those from the opposing parties, to ensure they don’t reach the floor.

A bill must win committee approval to proceed to the full House or Senate. Some bills might need to go through more than one committee.

Bills must get approved twice in the first chamber, before heading to the next chamber and doing it all over again. Bills can be amended at any point in the process, and both chambers must sign off on the same final form of a bill.

Then the governor must sign it into law.

Who has a vote on the Colorado education committees

The House Education Committee has 11 members, seven Democrats and four Republicans. Find the committee schedule, documents, and live and archived audio at the committee website. Members are:

Chair Rep. Barbara McLachlan, a Durango Democrat
Vice Chair Rep. Matthew Martinez, a Monte Vista Democrat
Rep. Jennifer Bacon, a Denver Democrat
Rep. Mary Bradfield, ranking member, a Colorado Springs Republican
Rep. Eliza Hamrick, a Centennial Democrat
Rep. Anthony Hartsook, a Parker Republican
Rep. Meghan Lukens, a Steamboat Springs Democrat
Rep. Dafna Michaelson Jenet, a Commerce City Democrat
Rep. Rose Pugliese, a Colorado Springs Republican and assistant minority leader
Rep. Don Wilson, a Monument Republican
Rep. Mary Young, a Greeley Democrat

The Senate Education Committee has seven members, four Democrats and three Republicans. Find the committee schedule, documents, and live and archived audio at the committee website.

Chair Sen. Janet Buckner, a Denver Democrat
Vice Chair Sen. Janice Marchman, a Loveland Democrat
Sen. Rhonda Fields, an Aurora Democrat
Sen. Chris Kolker, a Centennial Democrat
Sen. Paul Lundeen, ranking member, a Monument Republican
Sen. Mark Baisley, a Woodland Park Republican
Sen. Janice Rich, a Grand Junction Republican

Find the names and contact information of all current Colorado lawmakers here. And find maps of current legislative districts here.

Can you speak on a bill or submit testimony?

If you’re interested in having your perspective heard, there are a few ways to get involved.

You can speak on the bill in person or remotely, or submit a written statement to the committee. The sign-up process is not difficult. Just fill out this online form.

Speakers are generally limited to two to three minutes, so think about how to make your point quickly and clearly.

Want to know the schedule?

The full schedule of the House and Representatives can typically be found on the Colorado General Assembly’s landing page.

The session schedule should be posted daily and gets updated as bills move through the process.

Here’s how to look up Colorado General Assembly bills

You can go to the Colorado General Assembly’s bill search page. There you can search by a bill number, the sponsor, or a topic.

When you click on a bill, you’ll see information such as a summary of what the bill does, the full text of the bill, and other relevant information, such as a fiscal note that explains how much passing the law would cost the state. Often the description of a bill in the fiscal note is easier to understand than the bill language itself.

You can also search through tabs near the bottom of the page that include the bill’s history, when it’s scheduled to be heard again, any amendments, and a summary of the committee votes.

What’s the Joint Budget Committee and why is it so important?

The six-member Joint Budget Committee is the most influential committee in the Colorado General Assembly. Why? Because it writes the budget that guides the state’s priorities. The committee members this year are four Democrats and two Republicans. The chair is state Rep. Shannon Bird, a Westminster Democrat.

Yes, Gov. Jared Polis does submit a budget every November. And those priorities guide the Joint Budget Committee’s work. But the committee ultimately writes the budget that gets submitted to the Colorado General Assembly for approval.

Other lawmakers also have a chance to submit budget amendments that reflect their own spending priorities — but lawmakers need to pass a balanced budget and the Joint Budget Committee will strip out amendments that endanger that goal.

The budget shapes every facet of state government, including K-12 and higher education spending.

Learn more about the budget process here.

Need a refresher on what happened last year? We rounded up the most important education issues of the 2023 session.

Want to know more about how lobbying affects the legislative process? Check out our deep dive on education lobbying from 2022 in collaboration with data reporter Sandra Fish.

Have questions? We’re listening at co.tips@chalkbeat.org.

Watch Chalkbeat Colorado’s 2024 Legislative Preview

Watch Chalkbeat Colorado’s annual discussion of key education topics likely to surface during the upcoming legislative session.

We were joined by:

Sen. Janet Buckner, an Aurora Democrat and chair of the Senate Education Committee
Sen. Rachel Zenzinger, an Arvada Democrat and vice chair of Joint Budget Committee
Rep. Jennifer Bacon, a Denver Democrat and House Assistant Majority Leader
Rep. Barbara McLachlan, a Durango Democrat and chair of the House Education Committee
Rep. Rose Pugliese, a Colorado Springs Republican and House Assistant Minority Leader

A special thanks to our event sponsor, the Colorado Education Association. And thank you to our event partners, Young Invincibles and the Morgridge College of Education at the University of Denver.

Five tips on filling out the new Better FAFSA

2024-01-09T01:28:43+00:00

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The rollout of the new Free Application for Federal Student Aid has been anything but smooth.

Technology issues have frustrated families since the federal government’s Dec. 31 soft launch of the FAFSA, which is usually available in October.

The Better FAFSA, as the new form is known, has been redesigned to include fewer questions. The federal government intends it to be faster for students to fill out, leading to higher completion rates.

But there have been technical difficulties.

“The form is simpler,” said MorraLee Keller, senior director of strategic programming at the National College Attainment Network, a nonprofit focused on increasing college access and attainment, especially among students of color and those from low-income backgrounds. “I think the user experience of getting into the form is maybe the tougher hurdle.”

Issues have included the new application only being available for limited hours. Families and students have gotten stuck waiting for screens to load and have reported difficulty submitting the form. It’s left families anxious after months of waiting for the form, because the FAFSA is a crucial part of the college-going process. Filling out the FAFSA opens up student aid, scholarships, and grants. The potential financial help gives families an idea of which college or university they can afford.

After the rocky launch, counselors from inside and outside of Colorado provided tips on successfully filling out the Better FAFSA.

What you need to know about the Better FAFSA

The federal government said in a Monday news release it’s addressed issues that have made the experience difficult. It will continue to make technical updates as needed.

The new Better FAFSA comes after years of advocates calling for a simplified FAFSA to cut down the number of questions on the form. This year, the federal government made it happen by cutting the number of questions from over a hundred to under 20 for most people. Fewer questions should mean an easier form that takes less time to complete.

The federal government also says more students will be eligible for federal student aid because of expanded income eligibility. The federal government announced on Monday the form is now accessible 24 hours a day.

The government says the form should take about an hour, but make sure you aren’t in a rush. Clear your schedules for a few hours, just in case.

Families and students can also return to the form if they run into issues by saving their progress.

Should families wait to fill out the form?

This depends on who you ask.

While the U.S. Department of Education has said families have plenty of time, Keller said families should do it as soon as possible. About half of all families who fill out the FAFSA typically do so from October to December, and the delay means less time with counselors who can help with the logistics.

Although colleges won’t get students’ FAFSA information until February, many students need the FAFSA for other scholarships and free financial aid opportunities.

“You need to attempt to get your FAFSA completed as quickly as possible,” Keller said.

Families should ready their documents

Despite the rocky start, the federal government announced over one million students have filled out the form since its launch. Families and students who plan to fill out the form should be ready.

Families should gather student and parent Social Security or A-numbers and financial documents such as bank and savings accounts or investment information.

Need help? Check with a counselor.

Many schools will begin holding FAFSA nights in the coming weeks. If you’re in the Denver area, Natasha Garfield, Denver Scholarship Foundation’s director of scholarships, said the foundation will be holding several information sessions.

The FAFSA events are a chance for families and students to connect with counselors o who can give advice and answer questions.

Garfield said parents and students shouldn’t hesitate to reach out to counselors even if they don’t go to an event.

Counselors across the state are paying attention to communication from the federal government about glitches in the system.

Families can also reach out to the Federal Student Aid helpdesk to troubleshoot problems, Garfield said.

When will families hear from schools?

The federal government will send the information to schools in February, Keller said.

Families should receive information from schools about potential financial aid information by late February or in March as long as nothing gets delayed, Keller said.

“Students will have their information hopefully by this spring to be able to make their decisions for next year,” she said.

Presos de Colorado podrían ser liberados temprano si asisten a la universidad

2023-02-23T12:00:00+00:00

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Chalkbeat Colorado es un noticiero local sin fines de lucro que informa sobre las escuelas públicas en Denver y otros distritos. Suscríbete a nuestro boletín gratis por email en español para recibir lo último en noticias sobre educación.

Las personas encarceladas por delitos no violentos en Colorado podrían obtener una reducción de su sentencia si obtienen un grado o diploma universitario.

Los que apoyan el Proyecto de Ley 1037, que el Comité Judicial de la Cámara aprobó por 11 -2 votos, dicen que ayudará a los presos de Colorado a encontrar nuevas oportunidades, reducirá la probabilidad de que reincidan después de ser liberados, y también le ahorrará dinero al estado.

El proyecto de ley les ofrecería incentivos a los presos del estado para que aprovechen subvenciones (grants) federales que tendrán disponibles a partir de este próximo verano. El gobierno federal también ha ampliado el número de universidades que pueden educar a estudiantes encarcelados, lo que abre la puerta a más oportunidades.

El Representante estatal Matthew Martínez, demócrata de Monte Vista que auspicia el proyecto de ley, le dijo al Comité Judicial que la ayuda financiera elimina la mayor barrera a la que se enfrentan los estudiantes encarcelados que quieren ir a la universidad.

“Estamos consiguiendo que vuelvan a la normalidad y realmente marcando una diferencia en sus vidas”, afirma Martínez, que anteriormente dirigió el programa de educación penitenciaria de la Adams State University. La senadora estatal Julie Gonzales, demócrata de Denver, también apoya el proyecto de ley.

Bikram Mishra, que testificó ante el comité, dijo que durante sus 10 años en un centro penitenciario de Colorado su familia le ayudó a pagar sus estudios universitarios. Eso le cambió la vida, dijo, y quiere que otras personas en prisión tengan acceso a la universidad.

“Queremos ayudar a las personas a mejorar y estamos tratando de asegurar que estén listas para la sociedad,” dijo Mishra.

Si se convierte en ley, Colorado les permitiría a los estudiantes condenados por delitos no violentos reducir seis meses de su sentencia a cárcel si obtienen un diploma o certificado universitario. Esta ley también les permitiría descontar un año de su sentencia si se gradúan con un título de dos años (asociado), cuatro años (BS/BA) o maestría.

Algunos legisladores republicanos y demócratas, sin embargo, abogaron durante la audiencia por aumentar la cantidad de tiempo que los estudiantes encarcelados obtendrán a fin de ser liberados temprano. A algunos les preocupa que un año menos de sentencia no fuera suficiente para atraer a los estudiantes a los programas universitarios y que, en su lugar, buscaran programas de corta duración.

El proyecto de ley dividiría el dinero que el estado ahorraría liberando a los estudiantes encarcelados temprano entre las instituciones de enseñanza superior y el Departamento Correccional de Colorado.

Los representantes republicanos Matt Soper de Delta y Stephanie Luck de Penrose votaron en contra del proyecto de ley, en parte porque quieren que el Departamento de Correcciones de Colorado se quede con mayor parte de los ahorros.

Pero todos los miembros del comité, incluso los que querían ver cambios, dijeron que apoyan la idea de motivar a las personas encarceladas a obtener una educación. Ellos dijeron que el testimonio de los presos que se convirtieron en graduados de universidad les hizo apoyar el proyecto de ley.

Martínez dijo que los datos muestran que los graduados tienen menos probabilidades de reincidir, especialmente si obtienen un diploma de cuatro años o una maestría. Eso también significa menos costos para la sociedad, dijo. En 2018, Colorado tuvo una de las peores tasas de reincidencia del país — La mitad de todas las las personas previamente encarceladas regresaron a la cárcel en los primeros de tres años. Los estudios nacionales, sin embargo, muestran que las personas encarceladas reinciden menos si tienen acceso a una educación.

Christie Donner, directora ejecutiva de la Colorado Criminal Justice Reform Coalition, dijo que permitir que las personas encarceladas puedan aprender mientras están en la cárcel va más allá de los ahorros para el estado. El proyecto de ley representa el inicio de más conversaciones para asegurar que las personas encarceladas vean un futuro para sí mismas, dijo ella.

“La educación te ayuda a verte a ti mismo de otra manera”, dijo Donner, “Cambias tus ambiciones, tus esperanzas, tus sueños, y todas esas cosas buenas. Es realmente profundo. Y es mucho mejor que trabajar haciendo placas de matrícula para autos o barrer el suelo o trabajar en la cocina. La gente puede encontrar una vida totalmente nueva”.

Jason Gonzales es reportero que cubre temas de educación superior y la legislatura de Colorado. Chalkbeat Colorado colabora con Open Campus para cubrir temas de enseñanza superior. Para comunicarte con Jason, envíale un mensaje a jgonzales@chalkbeat.org.

Muchos estudiantes en Colorado van a la universidad mientras crían a sus hijos. Con frecuencia se sienten como extraños en la escuela.

2023-09-13T18:16:01+00:00

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Deysi Parga Macias enfrentó un dilema el otoño pasado durante la primera semana de clases en la Universidad de Colorado en Boulder (conocida como CU Boulder).

No podía encontrar cuidados infantiles para su hijo, Ramiro, y sus abuelos, quienes supuestamente lo iban a cuidar, estaban enfermos.

Macias, en ese entonces de 19 años de edad, entró en pánico. Su laboratorio de bioquímica solo permitía cuatro ausencias antes de reprobar la clase—pero faltar a solo una de las clases la haría sentirse como un fracaso. Desesperada, le envió un mensaje electrónico a su profesor antes de la clase preguntándole si podía traer a su hijo, quien en ese momento tenía un año y medio.

“Dije: ‘Lo siento, y sé que esto no es profesional’”, Macias dijo.

Ese día, los estudiantes del laboratorio iban a recolectar muestras en el arroyo de Boulder y analizar los resultados. Por suerte, su profesor aceptó que Ramiro viniera ya que era un entorno más seguro que en el laboratorio. Mientras Macias trabajaba, Ramiro jugó con rocas, tirándolas al agua.

“Pensó que era solo un día más [jugando] afuera”, dijo.

Deysi Macias lleva a su hijo al automóvil para dejarlo en la casa de sus abuelos.

Macias, quien ahora tiene 20 años y está estudiando su tercer año en CU Boulder, hace todo lo posible por mantener separadas su vida de madre y sus clases universitarias, aun cuando les menciona a sus profesores durante los primeros días de clase que tiene un hijo.

Usualmente no ve otros niños pequeños en CU Boulder. Muchos estudiantes no se identifican con la vida que ella tiene.

Es una experiencia aisladora.

“Cada vez que les digo a mis profesores que soy madre y que estoy estudiando una carrera me dicen: ‘Eres mi primera [madre-estudiante]’”, dijo.

¿Cuántos padres-estudiantes hay en los colegios y universidades de Colorado?

Muchos colegios comunitarios y universidades públicas en Colorado no saben cuántos estudiantes son padres en sus instituciones.

Datos censales de la Encuesta sobre la Comunidad Estadounidense 2021 analizados por la oficina demográfica de Colorado sugieren que los padres constituyen un poco menos de un tercio de los estudiantes universitarios de grado (undergraduate, en inglés) en todos los colegios comunitarios y universidades del estado.

Esas cifras son similares a los datos nacionales reunidos por el Instituto para la Investigación de Políticas sobre la Mujer en 2016: alrededor del 22 por ciento de todos los estudiantes de grado eran padres. El instituto encontró que el 42 por ciento de todos los estudiantes en colegios comunitarios y solo el 17 por ciento de los estudiantes en universidades públicas de cuatro años eran padres.

Colorado, como muchos estados, no requieren que los colegios y las universidades mantengan estas cifras. Algunas universidades, incluida la Universidad Estatal de Colorado (CSU, por sus siglas en inglés) en Fort Collins, han usado encuestas voluntarias para tener una mejor idea. Pero sigue siendo un cálculo aproximado.

“No sabemos si tenemos 50 padres-estudiantes o 5,000”, dijo Lisa Chandler, subdirectora de servicios para estudiantes adultos y veteranos en CSU Fort Collins.

A algunos administradores les preocupa que preguntarles a los estudiantes si tienen hijos pueda ser una violación de reglas federales diseñadas para prevenir la discriminación. Defensores dicen que la falta de datos concretos puede limitar los servicios y esfuerzos de alcance para que los estudiantes reciban ayuda durante su carrera universitaria, especialmente porque este es un grupo que no tiene mucho tiempo para buscar ayuda.

La fotografía de Ramiro aparece en el gorro de graduación de high school de Macias en su hogar en Arvada, Colorado.

Los padres-estudiantes mantienen calificaciones promedio más altas, pero tienen una probabilidad 10 veces menor de graduarse, según el instituto de investigaciones de políticas sobre la mujer. También tienen mayor probabilidad de ser estudiantes negros y con bajos ingresos, asumir más deudas de préstamos estudiantiles y enfrentar desafíos para encontrar vivienda.

Para los padres-estudiantes es importante triunfar porque quieren ganar salarios más altos que les permitan mantener a sus familias. Y Colorado tiene el objetivo de que más de sus residentes—especialmente aquellos de comunidades diversas—obtengan la capacitación postsecundaria que necesitan para conseguir trabajos que paguen bien. Macias, por ejemplo, estudia bioquímica y quiere ser médica.

En años recientes, los colegios comunitarios de Colorado, con más padres-estudiantes, han proporcionado recursos alimenticios y conectado a estudiantes con vivienda, cuidados infantiles y apoyo financiero. Mientras tanto, las universidades de cuatro años ofrecen menos servicios.

Los cuidados infantiles son la prioridad para muchos de los padres-estudiantes

Antes que Macias se inscribiera, investigó qué escuelas ofrecían más ayuda para padres-estudiantes. CU Boulder le dio becas, y Macias logró reunir suficiente dinero para pagar por sus estudios universitarios. También planeó usar la vivienda para estudiantes de posgrado y familias en la universidad con el objetivo de tener más espacio para ella y Ramiro, vivir en el campus, conocer amigos y ser independiente.

Hubo mucho que no se esperaba como la primera estudiante en su familia en asistir a la universidad y como madre primeriza.

El alquiler en la vivienda para familias terminó siendo más de lo que podía pagar. Tuvo momentos difíciles durante su primer año para pagar por los muebles y otros artículos para el hogar—hasta cosas tan pequeñas como una cortina de baño y artículos de aseo personal. Macias calcula que un mentor de high school gastó alrededor de $1,000 para ayudarla a amueblar su apartamento. Su mamá le cocinaba y también traía comida y otros productos para la vida diaria. Su hermana ayudaba a cuidar de Ramiro cuando Macias tenía clases.

Macias trata de encontrar ropa para vestir a su hijo en su hogar en Arvada, Colorado.

Macias ahora está viviendo con la abuela paterna de su hijo. La ubica a pocos minutos de parientes que la ayudan a cuidar de Ramiro porque dijo que no puede pagar por la guardería en CU Boulder. También hace que sea más fácil cuando ella y el papá de Ramiro comparten la crianza del niño.

En Colorado, los cuidados de un niño pequeño que ya camina pueden costar en promedio cerca de $1,360 al mes en un centro y alrededor de $960 en un hogar que funciona como guardería, según el libro de datos Kids Count 2023 de la Fundación Annie E. Casey.

Los estudiantes de CU Boulder pagan según la edad de su hijo y la frecuencia con que asisten a la guardería. Un estudiante puede pagar hasta alrededor de $1,900 al mes por la atención cinco días a la semana para un bebé. El horario diurno no abarca las clases nocturnas ni las sesiones para estudiar.

La universidad realizó una encuesta entre estudiantes de grado en 2021 para entender mejor cómo ayudarlos a todos. Solo un tercio de todos los estudiantes contestaron la encuesta, y alrededor del 3 por ciento de los participantes dijeron que eran responsables de cuidar a niños u otros adultos, según dijo la universidad.

Otros servicios para padres en el campus incluyen un centro de salud y bienestar y apoyo para la salud mental, espacios para que los estudiantes cansados duerman una siesta y salas separadas para la lactancia.

Macias dijo que ya no usa la mayor parte de los servicios que CU Boulder ofrece. Los cuidados infantiles siguen siendo su mayor desafío. En un mundo perfecto, dijo que la escuela proporcionaría cuidados gratis, porque los estudiantes universitarios no tienen mucho dinero.

La estudiante universitaria de bioquímica trabaja en una clase virtual, “Recursos de habilidades académicas”, en una sala de estudios en el Edificio Duane de Laboratorios Físicos en la Universidad de Colorado en Boulder.

Los colegios comunitarios ofrecen más apoyo integrado

Las instituciones que atienden a estudiantes mayores suelen pensar más sobre las necesidades de los padres. Aurora Community College envió encuestas voluntarias a estudiantes y aprendió que cerca del 35 por ciento tienen responsabilidades como padres, dijo Reyna Anaya, directora principal de asuntos estudiantiles y decana de éxito estudiantil.

Las encuestas ayudaron a que la escuela desarrollara más ayuda. La escuela tiene estaciones con refrigerios para niños, un mercado gratis para que padres obtengan comida y áreas con juguetes. Hay consejeros disponibles para dar apoyo.

El campus de Colorado Mountain College (CMC) en Rifle organiza Viernes Familiares donde los estudiantes e integrantes de la comunidad pueden traer a niños al campus para aprender mientras sus padres toman clases, dijo Tinker Duclo, vicepresidenta y decana del campus en CMC Rifle.

Pero las instituciones universitarias de cuatro años también están haciendo más para ofrecer servicios a padres en sus instalaciones. Por ejemplo, la Universidad Estatal de Colorado en Fort Collins cuenta con una guardería sin necesidad de hacer cita en su biblioteca que se paga con las cuotas de los estudiantes. Y como muchas otras escuelas, CSU ofrece fondos federales para subvencionar los cuidados infantiles.

El cambio de un colegio comunitario a una universidad

Zeke Dominguez, 41, está nervioso de transferirse a la Universidad Estatal de Colorado de Front Range Community College el próximo año. Como un padre soltero de una niña autista de 11 años, su segundo intento de cursar estudios universitarios le ha proporcionado mucho de lo que necesita como padre, pero no sabe bien qué pasará en una institución más grande.

Dominguez estudió ciberseguridad en 2012 en la Universidad de Phoenix, una institución con fines de lucro. Su hija nació alrededor de esa época. Pasó meses en el hospital, y Dominguez tomó una pausa de sus estudios por un semestre pero se sintió abrumado cuando regresó a estudiar. Tuvo que salirse de la escuela.

“No tenía ningún sistema de apoyo”, dijo. “No era para nada como lo que tengo ahora”.

Los colegios comunitarios han aumentado sus servicios en años recientes para los padres-estudiantes.

Front Range reúne a los padres-estudiantes para que se apoyen entre ellos. Dominguez también se conectó con el programa TRIO de la escuela, un programa federal para guiar a los estudiantes desfavorecidos que se usa en muchos colegios comunitarios y universidades. Aunque el programa no es solo para padres-estudiantes, lo ha conectado con tutores y ayudado a aprender cómo abogar a favor de sus necesidades como padre, por ejemplo al comunicarse con profesores o decanos para que no tenga que abandonar clases cuando se retrasa.

La escuela también ofrece subsidios federales para los cuidados infantiles, dijo, y si Dominguez tiene algún problema, el personal de Front Range trata de ayudarlo a conectarse con recursos comunitarios.

Es importante para Dominguez completar sus estudios. Quiere obtener un título en bellas artes que le permita la flexibilidad de trabajar y cuidar a su hija. Las demandas de su trabajo anterior como chef no fueron compatibles con sus responsabilidades de padre.

Planea ampliar su trabajo en fotografía—solía tomar fotos de comida cuando era chef. También quiere explorar sus opciones profesionales, como al vender los cuadros que pinta.

Mientras se prepara para CSU Fort Collins, le preocupa perderse en una institución tan grande.

“Realmente somos un fantasma”, dijo. “No nos ven”.

Estudiantes caminan por el campus de la Universidad de Colorado en Boulder el 30 de agosto de 2023.

El creciente enfoque de la educación superior en los padres-estudiantes

En otros lugares, algunos estados han logrado dar seguimiento a los padres-estudiantes. Oregón e Illinois obligan a los colegios comunitarios y universidades a recolectar datos sobre padres-estudiantes para ayudarlos a que reciban lo que necesitan, según dijo Nicole Lynn Lewis, fundadora y directora ejecutiva de Generation Hope. Esta agencia sin fines de lucro aboga a favor de políticas que apoyen a los padres-estudiantes y respalda a las escuelas en sus esfuerzos.

Las instituciones también quieren aumentar el apoyo que ofrecen. La Universidad Estatal de Norfolk, una universidad históricamente negra en Virginia, ha estado trabajando con Generation Hope este último año para aumentar sus servicios, como salas de lactancia y grupos de padres. La escuela ofrece cuidados infantiles por las tardes/noches. Los líderes de la universidad también están desarrollando pautas sobre la presencia de niños en el campus y cómo los profesores y el personal administrativo pueden ayudar a los padres-estudiantes.

Los padres-estudiantes quieren sentir que forman una mayor parte de la vida en el campus y que los tomen en consideración, dijo Andrea Neal, vicerrectora adjunta de la Oficina de Participación Académica en la Universidad Estatal de Norfolk. Pequeñas cosas como espacios para estacionarse o acceso fácil a pañales en el campus los hacen sentirse incluidos, dijo.

Universidades más grandes como la Universidad Estatal de Ohio también están tratando de encontrar maneras de atender a los padres-estudiantes.

Traci Lewis, directora del Programa de Experiencia Universitaria Integral para el Éxito de los Padres-Estudiantes, dijo que la Universidad Estatal de Ohio hace que los padres y sus hijos sean parte de la vida universitaria. La escuela organiza una semana de bienvenida para padres-estudiantes con casas inflables (también conocidas como brincolines) para sus hijos, ofrece cuidados infantiles durante reuniones de clubes, y permitirá que los estudiantes caminen con sus hijos en el desfile de homecoming este año.

Los padres-estudiantes en la Universidad Estatal de Ohio reciben una guía integral con recursos de apoyo, pero la universidad también proporciona consejeros que ofrecen ayuda más personalizada. Además, la escuela ofrece asistencia financiera de emergencia.

Los padres-estudiantes necesitan abogar por sí mismos

Macias se siente agotada, pero raramente deja que eso detenga su actitud positiva.

Ha encontrado maneras de sentirse como una parte mayor del campus. Quiere ser un ejemplo para otros estudiantes de primera generación y otras estudiantes latinas en las ciencias. Ha encontrado amigos que la apoyan. Se ha unido a clubs como la Organización de Colorado para Oportunidades y Derechos Reproductivos de la [Mujer] Latina.

Se toma los días difíciles con calma porque está decidida a terminar sus estudios.

Macias, izq., escucha mientras America Ramirez, directora de programas en la Organización de Colorado para Oportunidades y Derechos Reproductivos de la [Mujer] Latina (COLOR, por sus siglas en inglés), habla durante la “Feria para involucrarse” en el campus.

“La vida no espera a que tú estes bien”, Macias dijo.

Macias trabaja en la Oficina de Alcance y Participación Preuniversitaria de CU Boulder y ofrece visitas guiadas a estudiantes de high school. El programa también organiza visitas con una noche de estadía.

Ha conocido a cientos de estudiantes, dice. Pero durante el verano, una joven la contactó para que leyera el ensayo que había preparado para ingresar a la universidad.

La adolescente, quien estaba por iniciar su penúltimo año de high school, había escrito que estaba embarazada. Quería estudiar ciencias igual que Macias. Documentó sus temores de decirle a su familia sobre el embarazo y de nunca entrar a la universidad.

Lagrimas corrieron por las mejillas de Macias mientras permanecía sentada frente a la estudiante. Las dificultades de la joven eran las suyas. Finalmente no se sintió tan fuera de lugar.

“Le dije que se mantuviera enfocada y siguiera avanzando. Que terminara con fuerza, con tanta fuerza como pudiera porque habrá mucha ayuda”, dijo. “Desafortunadamente, no van a venir y encontrarte como madre. Tienes que encontrar la ayuda tú misma”.

Jason Gonzales es un reportero que cubre la educación superior y la legislatura de Colorado. Chalkbeat Colorado se asocia con Open Campus para cubrir la educación superior. Comunícate con Jason enviándole un mensaje electrónico a jgonzales@chalkbeat.org.

Colorado cuenta con grandes brechas de quién termina la universidad. ¿Puede un esfuerzo pospandémico cambiar esta tendencia?

2022-09-15T11:59:00+00:00

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Reginaldo Haro-Flores sabía que terminar la universidad iba a ser una batalla cuesta arriba.

Ya que fue el primero en su familia en asistir a la universidad, enfrentó desafíos para pagar la colegiatura, comprar libros y otros materiales y balancear un trabajo mientras seguía ayudando a mantener a sus padres, quienes cuestionaban el valor de una educación universitaria.

Haro-Flores se inscribió en la Universidad del Norte de Colorado (UNC, por sus siglas en inglés) en 2016, junto con una creciente cantidad de coloradenses latinos que se encaminaron a la universidad en la última década. Pero como muchos en su generación, Haro-Flores nunca completó sus estudios, lo cual contribuyó a una brecha persistente en la graduación universitaria.

Aunque un grupo más diverso de estudiantes se inscribió en la universidad, las brechas étnicas y raciales de Colorado entre los estudiantes con licenciaturas y estudios de posgrado casi no cambió entre 2010 y 2020, según datos del Censo.

Las brechas son aún mayores entre las personas que están cursando estudios superiores. En 2020, casi el 60 por ciento de los residentes blancos tenía algún tipo de certificación universitaria, incluidos certificados industriales. Pero solo el 38 por ciento de los residentes negros y 25 por ciento de los residentes latinos lo tenían.

Aunque otros estados también muestran brechas, el Estado Centenario cuenta con algunas de las mayores en el país entre los estudiantes negros y latinos y sus compañeros blancos.

La diferencia probablemente aumentará cuando el impacto total de la pandemia se entienda claramente debido a que estudiantes se salieron de la escuela o eligieron no seguir asistiendo a la universidad. Un mercado laboral próspero también ha causado que las personas se cuestionen si vale la pena endeudarse a largo plazo por un título universitario.

Haro-Flores nunca pensó que su experiencia imitaría estas tendencias estatales. En 2018, enfrentando dificultades para pagar la colegiatura, dejó de asistir a la universidad. El estatus migratorio de sus padres significaba que tenía pocas opciones para obtener asistencia financiera. Se volvió a inscribir en UNC en 2019, pero la pandemia lo obligó a salirse otra vez. No le gustaban las clases virtuales y quería encontrar un trabajo de tiempo completo para ayudar a sus padres, quienes habían perdido sus trabajos temporales en bodegas y viveros por recortes de personal.

Durante cierto tiempo, Colorado ha querido cambiar su estrategia de importar una gran cantidad de trabajadores con estudios universitarios para producirlos aquí mismo. Parte de su estrategia este año incluye invertir $49 millones de fondos de asistencia federal por la pandemia con el objetivo de ayudar a los residentes que nunca completaron sus estudios para que regresen a la universidad y se gradúen.

La necesidad es urgente, ya que la demanda de más trabajadores con capacitación universitaria, junto con el creciente costo de vida en Colorado, han complicado los esfuerzos de los empleadores para contratar y retener empleados.

El exsenador estatal Mike Johnston dijo que el estado ha dependido por mucho tiempo de atraer talento de otros lugares.

“Le hemos sacado provecho a esta estrategia lo más posible”, Johnston dijo. Johnston es presidente y director ejecutivo de Gary Ventures, una organización filantrópica dedicada a promover una mejor preparación escolar, el éxito entre los jóvenes y la movilidad económica.

“Ahora vamos a tener que equipar a nuestros propios jóvenes con las habilidades que necesitan para ingresar a los trabajos que tenemos, que les darán el ingreso que necesitan para pagar por la vivienda que tenemos”, dijo.

Reginaldo Haro-Flores levanta la mano durante una clase sobre administración deportiva este mes en la Universidad del Norte de Colorado en Greeley.

Los antiguos desafíos chocan con los nuevos

Chalkbeat Colorado examinó las tendencias de la asistencia a la universidad como parte de Chasing Progress, un proyecto de Colorado News Collaborative sobre la equidad social, económica y en salud de los coloradenses negros y latinos.

Las bajas tasas de asistencia a la universidad en Colorado tienen antecedentes profundos y causas complicadas. En general, solo la mitad de todos los graduados de high school se inscriben en la universidad. Los estudiantes negros y latinos que se gradúan de high school, quienes con frecuencia asisten a escuelas con menos recursos y reciben menos apoyo, asisten en porcentajes mucho menores. Cuando sí van a la universidad, muchos no completan sus estudios. Y, por años, el estado no ha invertido suficientes fondos en la educación superior, lo que significa que las universidades tienen menos dinero para apoyar a los estudiantes hasta que se gradúan.

Datos censales publicados este año muestran que en 2020 el 48 por ciento de los residentes blancos tenían una licenciatura o estudios de posgrado. Ese porcentaje es 21 puntos porcentuales mayor que el porcentaje de adultos negros y 31 puntos porcentuales mayor que el de los latinos.

Datos estatales muestran que esas desigualdades aumentan cuando se comparan otros tipos de estudios superiores, como los certificados industriales y títulos asociados.

Colorado está buscando apoyar a 700,000 residentes con estudios universitarios parciales pero sin un título para que regresen a la universidad.

La pandemia todavía presenta desafíos. A nivel nacional, la tasa de inscripciones en universidades se redujo en casi 1 millón de estudiantes desde que COVID empezó.

El estado necesitará convencer a más residentes de que los estudios universitarios importan, aunque trabajos de nivel básico ahora ofrecen salarios más altos que nunca.

Más gente se cuestiona si un título universitario vale la pena y el riesgo de endeudarse mucho para pagarlo, dijo Iris Palmer, subdirectora de colegios comunitarios en New America. Este instituto de investigaciones aboga a favor del acceso equitativo a la educación.

“Eso está empezando a degradar lo que la gente piensa sobre la educación superior”, dijo.

El estado busca equipar al 66 por ciento de los residentes con un certificado universitario o superior para 2025, pero la combinación de problemas hace que este objetivo parezca más difícil de alcanzar que nunca.

Sin acceso a trabajos que paguen más, se está dejando atrás a la mayoría de los residentes negros, hispanos e indoamericanos de Colorado, dijo Courtney Brown, vicepresidenta de impacto y planeación con Lumina Foundation. La fundación promueve el acceso más equitativo a la enseñanza superior y ha ayudado a estados para que fijen metas. (Lumina proporciona respaldo financiero a Chalkbeat. Haz clic aquí para ver una lista de otras entidades que nos respaldan y lee nuestra norma de ética.)

Reginaldo Haro-Flores se despide de Alexis Vallejos-Diaz después de una sesión de mentoría en la biblioteca de la Universidad del Norte de Colorado.

Cómo hacer que los estudiantes terminen lo que empezaron

Líderes en Colorado están dando pasos para crear más oportunidades.

El estado ha estado animando a las escuelas de high school para que agreguen cursos de nivel universitario que ayuden a sus estudiantes a obtener certificados. Creó una beca en 2014 para ofrecer asistencia con la colegiatura y otros recursos para estudiantes que los necesitan.

En los últimos dos años, el estado nombró a un director estatal de equidad para que se enfoque en reducir las brechas persistentes y reunir a los legisladores y líderes comunitarios en la creación de un plan que aproveche fondos de asistencia por la pandemia para conectar a estudiantes universitarios con oportunidades laborales.

Aunque esos programas han tenido éxito, el estado sigue quedándose corto, dijo Angie Paccione, directora ejecutiva del Departamento de Educación Superior de Colorado.

Por eso el estado agregó más programas. Parecen prometedores, Palmer dijo. Por ejemplo, 30 universidades y colegios comunitarios adoptaron el programa Termina lo que Empezaste, el cual se diseñó con base en una exitosa iniciativa del Colegio Comunitario de Pueblo. El estado busca beneficiar a más de 9,000 estudiantes para 2026.

El programa proporciona ayuda financiera para que los estudiantes regresen a la escuela y asesoría para crear planes individuales, además de maneras de cumplir con los planes y encontrar un trabajo después de que terminen sus estudios. Los asesores también ayudan a los estudiantes para que encuentren ayuda en el colegio o universidad, o fuera de ellos, que ofrezca apoyo para poner comida sobre la mesa o cuidar a sus hijos.

Aunque el dinero es un enorme incentivo, es crucial ayudar a los estudiantes para que crean que pueden terminar la universidad, dijo Richie Ince, director del programa de Pueblo: Regreso para Ganar. Él y su equipo se comunican con cada estudiante cada dos semanas para aconsejarlo, animarlo o conectarlo con recursos.

“Creo que somos muy exitosos debido a ese toque personal y solo porque estamos pendientes de ellos, realmente desde el momento en que regresan hasta el momento en que terminan”, Ince dijo.

El programa de Termina lo que Empezaste hizo que Haro-Flores, ahora de 24 años, regresara a la escuela. Se enteró del programa a través de uno de sus exconsejeros de high school. La asistencia financiera y asesoría que ha recibido casi parecen demasiadas buenas para ser verdad, dijo.

No hubiera regresado a la escuela por tercera vez sin el programa y sus fondos, dijo. Los coordinadores de Termina lo que Empezaste en UNC le dijeron que lo ayudarían con lo que necesitara. Así ha sido, Haro-Flores dijo. Ahora se siente seguro de que podrá terminar su licenciatura en ciencias del deporte.

“Este es el momento”, dijo.

Espera graduarse en 2024 y trabajar en la industria del deporte o en administración.

La ayuda que Reginaldo Haro-Flores ha recibido a través del programa Termina lo que Empezaste en UNC lo ha motivado a terminar su licenciatura en ciencias del deporte.

¿Puede mantener Colorado este esfuerzo?

Quienes abogan a favor de la educación superior dicen que Colorado también debe terminar lo que empezó al promover que los estudiantes terminen la universidad. El estado, el cual subfinancia seriamente la educación superior en comparación con otros estados, según demuestran estudios, debe seguir invirtiendo más dinero para mantener el buen camino.

A Paccione, la directora ejecutiva de educación superior del estado, le gusta decirles a los legisladores que “inviertan en los estudiantes ahora o páguenles después”.

“Si no inviertes en los estudiantes ahora, estos son los mismos estudiantes que terminarán en nuestro sistema público de seguridad social”, dijo. Estudios confirman esto.

Estudios también demuestran que vale la pena que un estudiante invierta en una educación universitaria. Michael Itzkowitz, quien trabaja para el centro intelectual de izquierda Third Way, dijo que los datos en años recientes permiten que las escuelas destaquen qué tan buenos son sus programas para que los estudiantes obtengan un trabajo y cuánto valen la pena. Cerca del 86 por ciento de todos los programas universitarios públicos producen, en cinco años, una ganancia en lo que los estudiantes gastan en su educación, dijo.

Y también hay beneficios sociales. Alfred Tatum, vicepresidente de asuntos académicos en la Universidad Estatal Metropolitana de Denver (MSU Denver, por sus siglas en inglés), dijo que la universidad ayuda a los estudiantes a conectarse con servicios de salud, participar más cívicamente y contribuir más a los impuestos estatales. En lugar del objetivo general de educar a la población en general, los líderes estatales deben tomar en cuenta cómo las personas que se gradúan de la universidad mejoran sus comunidades, dijo.

Pero comunicar esos beneficios a los estudiantes puede ser difícil cuando a algunos les preocupa el costo.

Durante las últimas dos décadas, la carga de pagar por la educación universitaria en Colorado se ha transferido más a los estudiantes y sus familias. Los ingresos de la colegiatura financian el 74 por ciento de los presupuestos universitarios para títulos de cuatro años y el 38 por ciento de los presupuestos de los títulos de dos años. Esos porcentajes son más altos, en promedio, que en la mayoría de los estados.

Janine Davidson, presidenta de MSU Denver, y John Marshall, presidente de Colorado Mesa University, dijeron que los legisladores deben invertir adecuadamente en las universidades para que puedan reducir los costos de sus estudiantes y mejorar los servicios de apoyo para aquellos estudiantes que necesitan más ayuda para terminar la universidad.

Sin una fuente constante de ingresos, a los administradores y al personal de las universidades les preocupa que los esfuerzos de Colorado se debiliten cuando los fondos federales únicos se acaben.

Esperan que las historias de éxito, como la de Darryl Sharpton, destaquen la importancia de seguir invirtiendo.

Sharpton, de 46 años, ha intentado varias veces en tres estados terminar la universidad. Ahora piensa que finalmente lo logrará. En el Colegio Comunitario de Aurora, ha encontrado más apoyo que nunca.

Está estudiando para obtener su título en ciencias de la computación. La educación superior le ha permitido desarrollar una perspectiva diferente, sobre su propio potencial y lo que vale.

“Quiero [tener] una carrera, no solo un trabajo”, Sharpton dijo, quien anteriormente trabajó entregando productos farmacéuticos.

“Hay tanta gente que quiere que triunfes”, dijo. “Mi escuela realmente me está cuidando ahora”.

Tina Griego, una periodista de Colorado News Collaborative, contribuyó a este reportaje.

Jason Gonzales es un reportero que cubre la enseñanza superior y la legislatura de Colorado. Chalkbeat Colorado se asocia con Open Campus para su cobertura sobre la educación superior. Comunícate con Jason a jgonzales@chalkbeat.org.

En Colorado, una ciudad rural espera que su universidad comunitaria les ayude a sobrevivir el fin de la era del carbón

2021-02-24T21:59:06+00:00

Hasta en la oscuridad de la noche, el pueblo de Craig está cubierto por el denso humo de la planta de carbón.

Por generaciones, el carbón ha sido una presencia constante en este pueblo al noroeste de Colorado. Pero para el 2030, las calderas de Craig Station se apagarán cuando Colorado cambie a energía renovable.

El carbón no solo fue combustible para el estado de Colorado, sino que también para la economía de Craig. El cierre de la planta dejará sin trabajo a 600 trabajadores y costará un montón de empleos de apoyo.

Los líderes de Craig, que está a unas 40 millas al oeste de Steamboat Springs, ven una pequeña ventana de oportunidad para fomentar una nueva base económica, ofrecerles empleos de reemplazo a los residentes, y asegurar que la ciudad sobreviva.

La planta de carbón Craig Station fue construida a fines de la década de 1970.

Ellos tienen la esperanza de que la universidad comunitaria Colorado Northwestern Community College tenga un rol clave reeducando a los trabajadores desplazados y fomentando una base laboral diversa. Los líderes de la institución han adoptado el optimismo de la ciudad. Pero los límites en fondos para la universidad amenazan esa visión de impulso.

Los líderes de la ciudad y de la universidad están apostándole a un futuro que podría no suceder. Pero mantienen la esperanza aunque las probabilidades sean desalentadoras.

Ya han empezado los cambios en la universidad comunitaria, donde talleres de costura y cursos de CPR una vez atrajeron a los estudiantes. Ahora la institución quiere ofrecer capacitación y cursos como paleontología, ciberseguridad y enfermería para atraer tanto a estudiantes jóvenes como a adultos a mitad de su carrera que están buscando un futuro alejado del pasado de Craig.

Hasta ahora, algunos trabajadores del carbón se han matriculado con la esperanza de tener nuevas oportunidades. Pero agregar programas nuevos y reclutar más estudiantes requiere dinero y socios comerciales que ahora no existen, y no hay un plan claro todavía para llenar esas brechas.

Si la universidad y la ciudad no logran sus metas, Craig podría terminar como esqueleto de lo que antes era. Y como pueden testificar muchos que entienden la vida en esta área, el final de este estallido puede incluir la amenaza de que desaparezca completamente.

“Había un pueblo donde me crie, no lejos de Livingston, Montana,” dijo Kathy Powell-Case, la decana de educación profesional y técnica del colegio universitario. “Era un pueblo de mineros. Ya no existe. Y yo pienso, ¿se estará convirtiendo esto en algo como que hay edificios aquí y allá y nada más? Eso es lo que me pregunto.”

Una economía nueva y diversa en Craig

Por décadas, el carbón ha ayudado a definir a Craig.

Los residentes dependían de eso para ganarse la vida. Los empleos pueden empezar en unos $60,000 anuales y no se requiere una educación universitaria. Todo el mundo conoce a alguien que ha trabajado en la planta o en las minas de carbón. Eso va a terminar pronto.

Los residentes han dependido del carbón para ganarse la vida. Por toda la comunidad hay letreros de apoyo para la industria de carbón, mientras que los líderes locales esperan que la energía renovable sea parte del futuro de la ciudad.

La Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association Inc. anunció a principios de 2020 que irá cerrando Craig Station en fases para cumplir la visión del estado de reducir las emisiones de carbón, que la primera unidad cerrará para el 2025 y que la planta cerrará por completo en el 2030. La planta abrió sus puertas en 1979.

Craig Station y las dos minas de carbón cercanas que la suplen emplean casi un 10% de la fuerza laboral del Condado de Moffat. Las compañías también representan un 44% del total en impuestos sobre la propiedad pagados en el condado.

Peter Brixius, Administrador de la Ciudad de Craig puede ver el precipicio económico que se avecina.

Cuando él fue contratado en 2018, dijo que pensaba que la ciudad de 9,000 residentes necesitaba diversidad. Craig, que es una ciudad de tamaño grande para el noroeste de Colorado, es la cabeza del Condado de Moffat y un oasis moderno. Tiene los únicos dos supermercados en el condado - un Wal-Mart y un City Market.

Dos autopistas estatales intersectan en Craig, aunque hay más probabilidad de detenerse porque un venado está cruzando la calle que por el tráfico.

El Noroeste de Colorado es un área famosa por la caza, y los residentes de Craig comparten sus aceras y patios con los venados de la región.

La mayoría del año, el turismo pasa la ciudad por alto. Pero en la autodenominada “capital de la caza de alce en el mundo,” cada otoño la temporada de caza causa un revuelo momentáneo.

Sin carbón, por otro lado, el futuro parece incierto.

El Gob. Jared Polis ha dicho que las comunidades rurales no estarán solas cuando el estado cambie a fuentes de energía renovable.

Craig es una de las 11 comunidades de Colorado cuya base de impuestos y trabajos mermará para el 2030 cuando se deje de usar carbón. La Oficina de Transición Justa del estado creó un plan que pide que los gobiernos federal y estatal apoyen a las comunidades rurales de Colorado a redefinir su futuro y a reclutar inversiones comerciales.

Sin embargo, el plan no cuenta con financiamiento, y no está claro de dónde provendrán las nuevas inversiones, especialmente ahora que la pandemia de COVID-19 está afectando a las comunidades y gastando los impuestos en todos los niveles.

Planes para una nueva economía

No esperando por ayuda externa, Brixius y otros funcionarios de la ciudad están definiendo cómo transicionar su economía. La ciudad contrató a una compañía que se especializa en planificación de ciudades a largo plazo.

“Afortunadamente, esto no va a ser una situación en la que estamos abiertos un día y cerrados el próximo,” Brixius dijo. La ciudad no va a poder reponer los impuestos que recibe de la planta y las minas de una sola vez. “El programa es en fases — necesitamos que sea así porque de otro modo no podremos aguantar el golpe.”

Los funcionarios tienen la esperanza de crear una ciudad más atractiva para el turismo. El monumento nacional al dinosaurio está a pocas millas en auto al oeste, y Craig tiene sus propios tesoros paleontológicos, que incluyen un programa y una exhibición en la universidad comunitaria. La ciudad está embelleciendo los varios bloques del centro y muy pronto tendrá un área recreativa renovada en el Río Yampa — uno de los últimos ríos de flujo libre en Colorado.

Además del turismo, el plan incluye adoptar la energía renovable, por ejemplo las fincas solares, agregando cosas atractivas como un centro recreativo, mejorando el tránsito público en la región, y buscando usos alternativos para el carbón. Los funcionarios también le ven potencial a extraer otros minerales preciosos para uso en electrónica y manufactura.

Craig también expandirá la señal de Internet de alta velocidad este año. De hecho, ya las conexiones de banda ancha han abierto la posibilidad de trabajo remoto para personas que siempre han vivido en Craig y ha aumentado la esperanza de que compañías de tecnología consideren ubicarse allí.

La ciudad puede presumir de su buen costo de vida: Las casas son más baratas que en las montañas Front Range de Colorado y que en Steamboat Springs. Y la cercanía de Craig a la naturaleza también podría atraer nuevos residentes.

Sentado en su oficina, el Administrador de la Ciudad Peter Brixius discute su futuro económico mientras se aleja de la industria de carbón.

“No estamos caminando por ahí con las cabezas bajo la arena diciendo ‘Tranquilos, que todo va a funcionar bien,’” dijo el Alcalde Jarrod Ogden . “Nosotros nos vamos a encargar de que así sea.”

El plan también busca promover y expandir los programas en el Colorado Northwestern Community College. Pero industrias como la solar todavía no están en la región. Y agregar programas universitarios requiere dinero, y es posible que no se materialicen los nuevos trabajos en industrias nuevas.

Un rol grande para un pequeño campus satélite

Justin Duzik, de 42 años, ha trabajado en maquinaria pesada de las minas y en la planta eléctrica toda su carrera laboral. Pero no va a jubilarse antes de que cierre la planta.

“Con la incertidumbre que se avecina, la empresa Tri-State tiene un programa en el que ellos pagan para que uno vaya a la universidad,” Duzik said. “Yo recientemente empecé a aprovecharlo porque no se sabe cómo va a ser el futuro.”

Duzik representa una de las primeras olas de trabajadores que están en camino a la universidad para volverse a capacitar. Duzik va a obtener dos grados universitarios, un diploma asociado en tecnología aplicada y otro en administración de empresas.

Tiene esperanza de trabajar en energía solar si esa industria llega a Craig, o ayudar con maquinaria en los ranchos, o unirse a uno de los negocios que quizás se traslade a esa área — porque no se quiere ir.

Estudiantes de enfermería del Colorado Northwestern Community College Jade Prophet, a la izquierda, y Cami Gardetto trabajan en el laboratorio de simulaciones de la universidad.

Duzik creció en Craig y ha pasado la mayor parte de su vida ahí. Está casado y tiene tres hijos varones.

“Me encantan los espacios abiertos”, Duzik dijo. “No todos prefieren el ritmo acelerado de una ciudad, y este lugar te da oportunidad de relajarte, de disfrutar el campo abierto y no tener que estar en tráfico.”

Él tiene la esperanza de que la universidad atraerá a otras personas. “Eso es algo que pudiera realmente ayudar a nuestra comunidad, recibir esa educación,” dijo Duzik, “y quizás algunas de estas otras compañías o empresas nuevas o algo así vendrán a nuestro área, porque aquí tenemos una tremendamente capacitada fuerza laboral.”

Las universidades comunitarias siempre han moldeado el área donde prestan servicios, dijo Cecilia Orphan, profesora asistente de estudios superiores de la University of Denver.

“Su misión es realmente alinearse con las necesidades de su comunidad, sean las que sean,” ella dijo.

Esas instituciones podrían ofrecer programas similares a su misión de reeducar a los soldados después de la II Guerra Mundial, o podrían educar a estudiantes para que continúen sus estudios en una institución de cuatro años.

Para que Craig sobreviva, la universidad necesita involucrarse más en el futuro de la ciudad, dijo Sasha Nelson, directora de capacitación para trabajadores y programación comunitaria de la institución.

Nelson adornó orgullosamente su oficina con un edredón morado y blanco que ella misma diseñó y cosió. A ella le apasionan las clases de enriquecimiento que siguen siendo muy populares, como la de costura de colchas y edredones (quilting).

Pero a Nelson le quedó muy claro que las clases de enriquecimiento no van a fomentar la nueva economía de Craig. Como la anterior asistente del jefe de redacción del periódico Craig Daily Press, Nelson dijo que siempre ha observado lo frágil que puede ser el futuro de la ciudad.

Los cambios que Nelson ha ayudado a traer les ofrecen a los residentes un un grupo de cursos a prácticos a corto plazo en temas como programación de computadoras y salud que les ayudarán a adquirir destrezas nuevas.

Opciones en expansión

Y para quienes necesiten capacitación nueva, la escuela ha expandido sus opciones.

Este año la universidad agregó un programa de ciberseguridad con un grant de $500,000 de la Oficina del Fiscal General de Colorado. El estado considera que los empleos en tecnología son una industria en crecimiento que las comunidades del estado pueden aprovechar.

Pero agregar programas cuesta mucho dinero. Se espera que el programa de ciberseguridad cueste unos $175,000 anuales, y mientras más equipos y pericia requiera un programa, más cuesta iniciarlo. Una posible expansión a un programa de capacitación para pilotos, ubicado en el campus Rangely de la universidad, podría costar tanto como $1.5 millones.

La Conservadora de Paleontología del Colorado Northwestern Community College Liz Johnson describe el trabajo que los estudiantes están llevando a cabo para recuperar huesos de dinosaurios en el campus de la universidad en Craig. La universidad se convirtió en un Depósito de Fósiles Federal de la Oficina de Administración de Tierras en Colorado después de que un instructor encontrara huesos de un hadrosaurio en 2014.

Las universidades comunitarias reciben la mayor parte de sus fondos del estado, el cual asigna dinero para los programas existentes, no para iniciativas nuevas. El campus de Craig tiene un presupuesto de operaciones de solo $6.2 millones que incluye costos como ayuda financiera, administración y seguros, según el estado.

El Vicepresidente de Servicios a los Estudiantes John Anderson dijo que lanzar programas nuevos requiere comprar equipos, desarrollar cursos, y contratar instructores calificados. En palabras sencillas, dijo, “se requiere dinero para asegurar que tenemos todo eso”.

La universidad no tiene un modelo para empezar un programa desde cero y sin respaldo financiero. Hace dos años creó un programa de paleontología, que continúa operando con fondos que provienen estrictamente de la matrícula.

Este programa de paleontología, uno de los pocos programas en EEUU que brinda capacitación práctica sobre excavaciones para buscar dinosaurios — y uno de los pocos lugares en el mundo en el que uno puede sentir las frías y suaves escamas de la piel de un hadrosauro fosilizado — graduará sus primeros tres estudiantes este año. No obstante, para expandir el programa la universidad probablemente tendrá que hacerlo por sí sola.

No quiere terminar como los dinosaurios

En cierto modo, Craig tiene la esperanza de que su pasado será la clave de su futuro.

Los dinosauros podrían ser una fuente de trabajos y turismo, y también el aura del Lejano Oeste de una región en la que se dice que Butch Cassidy y la Pandilla Salvaje solían pasear por sus estepas y barrancas.

El Museo del Noroeste de Colorado ha comisionado una pintura en acuarela de 16x10 pies y se espera que sea la más grande del mundo, por lo que asegura estar en el Guinness World Records. La pintura de Israel Holloway, que está casi terminada, incluye un vaquero a caballo casi a tamaño real.

Paul Knowles, a la derecha (Director Asistente del Museo del Noroeste de Colorado), con el artista local Israel Holloway en el museo de Craig. Con el declive en la industria de carbón local, y en un esfuerzo por ayudar a poner a Craig de manera positiva en el mapa, el museo comisionó a Holloway para crear la pintura de acuarela más grande del mundo. La pintura está protegida con un toldo de plástico hasta el momento de revelarla.

Estos proyectos tienen el potencial de atraer visitantes y dólares, y la universidad comunitaria puede capacitar a los trabajadores para una nueva industria turística. Craig sobrevivirá si puede identificar el factor de impulso de su próximo auge económico y se prepara para ello, dijo Dan Davidson, director del museo.

“Todos los auges y declives con el paso de los años han sido el producto de un recurso natural,” dijo Davidson, cuya familia se mudó al Noroeste de Colorado como granjeros. “Ninguno de esos se ha manejado. “Ninguno de esos ha sido manufactura. “Ninguno de esos ha sido turismo.”

Vic Updike, un comerciante exitoso de la ciudad, dice que entiende la urgencia de crear un flujo sostenible de empleos en Craig.

Updike había anticipado trabajar en fincas en Craig, igual que su papá. Un declive en la economía local en los años 80 lo hizo imposible. Para crear una mejor vida en su ciudad, Updike primero tuvo que irse. Estudió calefacción, ventilación y aire acondicionado en el Denver Institute of Technology.

Más tarde regresó a Craig y compró la empresa Masterworks Mechanical, que ya tenía 30 años de operaciones.

Vic expandió su negocio hasta Steamboat Springs y Baggs, Wyoming. Mientras más dinero llegue de afuera, mejor, él dijo.

“Yo no soy especial y no soy tan inteligente,” dijo Updike. “Pero les digo esto porque cuando si uno está buscando quién reemplace la planta, no va a encontrar otra planta de electricidad. Lo que necesitamos es otros 15 negocios como Masterworks, quizás no haciendo exactamente lo mismo que nosotros, pero vendiendo lo que hacemos en Craig para que los dólares de Denver, o de donde sea, lleguen acá.”

Su compañía trabaja con la universidad comunitaria cada dos años para ofrecer capacitación avanzada a los trabajadores. Él dice que cada dos semanas también ofrece sesiones para empleados nuevos, muchos de ellos sin experiencia.

Craig tendrá que adaptarse para sobrevivir, dijo Updike. Eso es lo que la gente de la ciudad siempre ha hecho durante épocas difíciles. Updike cree que los líderes de la ciudad, la universidad, y la gente misma van a dar un paso al frente. Pero la determinación no importará si los dólares no llegan.

“Hay una razón por la que los dinosaurios ya no están caminando por ahí,” añadió Updike. “Cuando la dieta cambió, ellos no pudieron cambiar y por eso se extinguieron.”

Este artículo es el segundo en una serie de dos, producidos como parte del Higher Education Media Fellowship at the Institute for Citizens & Scholars. El Fellowship respalda artículos nuevos sobre temas relacionados con carreras postsecundarias y educación técnica.

Milly Suazo ha traducido este reportaje.

¿Los padres quieren que Colorado tenga exámenes estandarizados? Depende a quién se le pregunte

2021-02-17T20:07:48+00:00

Uno de los debates que está tomando importancia en la sesión legislativa de Colorado en 2021 es si se deben tener exámenes estandarizados en medio de una pandemia, y está dividiendo las opiniones de los defensores de la educación y también de los funcionarios electos.

¿Pero qué quieren los padres? Para indicar que el público general está de acuerdo con ellos, los grupos de defensa han publicado resultados de encuestas que han llegado a conclusiones opuestas.

Una encuesta de 600 votantes registrados comisionada por la organización Democrats for Education Reform (el grupo afiliado con Colorado Succeeds) y el grupo conservador de defensa Ready Colorado encontró que un 62% de los encuestados apoya dar exámenes estandarizados si no se usarán para sancionar a las escuelas o maestros cuando el desempeño estudiantil sea deficiente.

“A los padres les preocupa mucho la pérdida de aprendizaje este año y la calidad de enseñanza que están recibiendo sus hijos”, dijo Leslie Colwell de la Colorado Children’s Campaign. La organización no estuvo involucrada en la encuesta, pero citó los resultados en un comunicado de prensa pidiendo que el estado mantenga los exámenes este año.

Otra encuesta de más de 700 votantes activos comisionada por la Colorado Education Association (el sindicato de maestros más grande del estado), la Colorado Association of School Executives (que representa a los superintendentes), la Colorado Association of School Boards, y la Colorado Rural Schools Alliance encontró que un 58% de los encuestados quiere que este año se cancelen los exámenes, conocidos como CMAS.

“Como madre y educadora, sé que muchos padres quieren saber cómo les está yendo a sus hijos en la escuela”, dijo Amie Baca-Oehlert, presidenta de la Colorado Education Association. “Pero los exámenes CMAS no nos darán la respuesta”.

Para suspender los exámenes, Colorado necesitará un permiso del gobierno federal o se arriesga a perder millones en fondos federales. Una de las primeras decisiones importantes de Miguel Cardona, el nominado a Secretario de Educación del Presidente Biden, será si se emitirán esos permisos o no. En su audiencia de confirmación esta semana, Cardona dio señales mixtas, diciendo que no tiene sentido traer a los estudiantes de enseñanza a remoto a la escuela solamente para darles un examen, pero que es importante tomar en cuenta la pérdida de aprendizaje.

Ese es el mismo debate que se está dando en Colorado.

La Senadora Estatal Rachel Zenzinger, demócrata de Arvada, tiene planes de presentar una legislación para que el Departamento de Educación de Colorado pida un permiso del gobierno federal. Obtener ese permiso pondría a la legislatura “al volante”, dijo ella, y espera que sus colegas estén de acuerdo en cancelar los exámenes.

“Si uno analiza bien por qué queremos dar este examen, qué información estamos buscando, la respuesta más común que escuchará es que la gente quiere saber lo siguiente: ¿Hubo pérdida de aprendizaje?” dijo ella. “Pero cuando recibamos los resultados de ese examen, ¿qué tan útiles nos resultarán?”

Los exámenes están programados este año para abril y mayo, más tarde de lo acostumbrado, y hasta en años normales los distritos escolares no reciben los resultados hasta el verano. Los presupuestos del estado y los distritos escolares ya estarán definidos para esa fecha, dijo Zenzinger, y los estudiantes del próximo año se ubicarán en grupos de lectura y matemáticas basándose en su desempeño al empezar el año escolar, no en los resultados de los CMAS de la primavera anterior.

Los distritos escolares de Colorado han dicho que será sumamente difícil administrar los exámenes, ya que requerirá que recuperen y preparen las miles de computadoras portátiles enviadas a la casas de los estudiantes para poder aprender a remoto. Los requisitos de distanciamiento social y cuarentena también podrían hacer que tome más tiempo administrar los exámenes. Y ellos anticipan que menos estudiantes tomen el examen (especialmente aquellos que estén todavía aprendiendo a remoto debido a las inquietudes de salud de las familias), lo cual hará que los datos no sean fiables.

Quienes apoyan continuar con los exámenes dicen que es esencial hacerlo para evaluar la pérdida de aprendizaje y que los padres puedan tomar decisiones informadas, y para que los funcionarios estatales designen recursos a las comunidades más fuertemente afectadas.

Katy Anthes, Comisionada de Educación de Colorado, ha prometido $52 millones de la última ronda de fondos federales de alivio por el coronavirus para programas como tutorías, programas después de la escuela y escuelas de verano, pero los detalles no se han definido todavía.

Los exámenes estandarizados fueron cancelados el año pasado, y por lo tanto la información más reciente es del 2019.

“¿Por qué no saber en qué nivel están los estudiantes en lectura y matemáticas y decir que no nos molesta estar tres años sin información?” Preguntó Colwell. “A mí eso me parece una falta de consciencia.”

A fines del último mes, una mayoría de ambos partidos en la Junta de Educación del Estado estuvo a favor de dar los exámenes estandarizados este año.

“Si nos importa la equidad, nos tiene que importar la información”, dijo Rebecca McClellan, demócrata de Littleton y miembro de la junta. “Si no podemos definir dónde estamos atrasados, no podremos enfocar la ayuda donde se necesita”.

El Gobernador Jared Polis también parece apoyar los exámenes, y un portavoz de su oficina escribió que Polis “cree que es crítico que los padres, educadores, comunidades y formuladores de política entiendan cómo el virus de COVID-19 ha afectado el aprendizaje de los estudiantes en todo el estado, especialmente los estudiantes en desventaja económica”.

La opinión pública varía dependiendo de cómo se haga la pregunta. La encuesta de Keating Research (comisionada por personas que apoyan lo exámenes) inicialmente preguntó si los exámenes se debían administrar “dadas las interrupciones que han enfrentado las escuelas”, y encontró que un 46% de los encuestados dijeron que sí, un 41% dijeron que no, y un 13% dijeron no estar seguros. Si el examen fuera explícitamente separado de la responsabilidad de las escuelas y los maestros, el apoyo aumentó a un 62%.

Amplias mayorías estuvieron de acuerdo con la idea de que es importante tener una prueba a fin de año para determinar cuánta fue la pérdida de aprendizaje, enfocar la ayuda a quienes la necesiten más, reducir las brechas académicas por raza e ingresos, y ayudar a los padres y formuladores de políticas a tomar decisiones informadas.

Al preguntar otra vez si los exámenes se deben usar este año, el apoyo fue aún mayor.

La encuesta de Harstad Strategic Research, respaldada por el sindicato y el distrito, preguntó a qué cosas las escuelas les deben dar la mayor prioridad. Cincuenta y tres por ciento de los encuestados dijeron que lo más importante es la instrucción en un salón de clases, otro 37% dijo que es la salud social y emocional, y solamente un 7% dijo que lo más importante son los exámenes estandarizados.

Luego se les preguntó: “Debido a los retos que ha presentado el coronavirus, ¿cómo debe el estado manejar los exámenes estandarizados esta primavera?” Cuando la pregunta se hizo de esa manera, 58% de los encuestados dijeron que los exámenes se deben cancelar y 38% dijo que se deben tomar como de costumbre. Entre los padres de las escuelas públicas, un 77% de las madres quiere cancelar los exámenes, mientras que solamente un 52% de los padres quiere lo mismo.

Keating y Harstad son compañías de encuestas en Colorado, y ambas han recibido calificaciones de B/C de FiveThirtyEight.

En una conferencia de prensa organizada por los que se oponen a los exámenes, Laura Martinez (madre de Adams 14 y líder de la organización comunitaria Coloradans for the Common Good) dijo que sus hijos batallaron por el atraso en el comienzo del año escolar y tuvieron dificultades para tomar las clases a remoto, pero ella no piensa que la respuesta está en un examen estandarizado.

“Considerando todo lo que ocurrió este año, yo pongo en duda los beneficios de reemplazar el tiempo de instrucción con otro examen,” dijo Martinez.

Nota de redacción: Esta noticia fue actualizada para reflejar mejor el orden de las preguntas en las encuestas.

Milly Suazo ha traducido este reportaje.

Pensó que la universidad estaba fuera de su alcance. Aquí te contamos cómo lo logró.

2023-02-14T17:00:00+00:00

Read in English.

La madre de Sabastian Ortega lloró cuando él le dijo que había sido aceptado en la Colorado School of Mines. Él pensó, mientras hablaban por teléfono, que ella estaba llorando de alegría. No lo estaba.

En cambio, a su mamá le preocupaba que la familia pudiera pagar sus estudios: sin ayuda económica del estado, solo la inscripción es $20,600 anuales para estudiantes residentes. Y vivir en el campus puede costar unos $40,000.

“Me afectó mucho”, dijo Ortega. “Acabé llorando cuando colgué la llamada, porque me preguntaba: “¿Cómo voy a pagar por esto?” Se preguntaba después de la llamada: “¿Qué voy a hacer?”

Gracias a un consejero de la secundaria, Ortega solicitó numerosas becas y finalmente consiguió una beca completa para asistir a la Colorado School of Mines, una escuela de ciencias e ingeniería ubicada en Golden. Pero Ortega, de 21 años y ahora estudiante de tercer año, es uno de los pocos habitantes de Colorado con bajos ingresos que ha podido asistir a la universidad pública más selectiva de Colorado.

Entre las universidades públicas, la Mines tiene la sexta tasa de inscripción más baja de estudiantes con beca Pell del país según un análisis de Education Reform Now. En 2020, más de una cuarta parte de todos los estudiantes universitarios de primer año de Colorado recibieron becas Pell, pero en la Mines, solamente un 13.4% tenía esas becas.

Para calificar para una beca Pell, los estudiantes tienen que demostrar necesidad financiera. Entre los beneficiarios del programa Pell, los datos federales muestran que cerca de un 93% son de familias que ganan $60,000 o menos al año.

La proporción de estudiantes que reciben becas Pell en una universidad se ha convertido en un indicador indirecto de cuántos estudiantes de bajos ingresos asisten a una institución. La cantidad de estudiantes con becas Pell es importante porque muestra el grado en que esa institución está ayudando a estudiantes de todas las clases sociales a encontrar oportunidades.

Cómo pagar por la universidad

¿Necesitas más información sobre ayuda financiera? La Solicitud Gratuita de Ayuda Federal para Estudiantes, conocida como FAFSA por su nombre en inglés, ayuda a los estudiantes a obtener dinero gratis para pagar la universidad. La FAFSA te dirá si tienes derecho a una beca Pell, por ejemplo.

Aquí te mostramos por qué debes llenar la FAFSA — aunque todavía no sepas con certeza si vas a ir a la universidad.

Para obtener más información sobre la ayuda financiera en la Colorado School of Mines, los estudiantes o los padres pueden llamar a la oficina de ayuda financiera al 303-273-3301 o al número sin cargos 1-888-446-9489. También puedes enviar un correo electrónico a finaid@mines.edu.

Y habla con tu consejero de universidad en la secundaria. Él o ella te puede ayudar a encontrar más apoyo y a entender cuáles son tus opciones.

Los líderes de la universidad quieren que la Mines sea más representativa de la composición económica y demográfica del estado. Muchos de sus esfuerzos para conseguirlo — por ejemplo, presionando para que las escuelas K-12 ofrezcan más clases avanzadas de matemáticas y ciencias, estableciendo un programa federal para ayudar a los estudiantes a asistir a la Mines y animando a los estudiantes de pocos ingresos a unirse como comunidad — están todavía en sus inicios. Los administradores dijeron que hubo conversaciones durante años sobre lo que había que hacer, pero que fueron lentos en actuar.

Una lista de metas que la universidad espera lograr en 2024 y más allá incluye llegar a ser “accesible y atractiva para estudiantes calificados de todos los orígenes.” La cantidad de becas Pell ilustra lo lejos que está la escuela de lograr esa meta, y los administradores reconocen que hay trabajo por hacer para conectar a los estudiantes de bajos ingresos con una educación que ofrece una de las inversiones con más retorno económico del país.

El presidente Paul Johnson, que ha dirigido la universidad desde 2015, ha enviado un mensaje a los administradores para “redoblar los esfuerzos para resolver esto”, dijo Sheena Martínez, vicepresidenta adjunta de vida estudiantil para equidad y participación. El puesto de Martínez es nuevo y tiene por objeto elaborar estrategias para ayudar a los estudiantes de minorías raciales y a los que de bajos ingresos. Ella dijo que universidad la escuela está construyendo los cimientos que ayudarán a los estudiantes en los años venideros.

“Estamos trabajando para ser de elite, pero no elitistas”, dijo Martínez. “Y si hablas con estudiantes que provienen de áreas poco representadas, te dirán que históricamente no han visto a la Mines como un lugar disponible para ellos”.

Sabastian Ortega ganó una beca completa para asistir a Colorado School of Mines.

La preparación para una escuela como la Mines empieza desde temprano

Ortega empezó a interesarse por la ciencia, la tecnología, la ingeniería y las matemáticas (STEM) en la escuela intermedia. La secundaria Odyssey Early College and Career Options de Colorado Springs le preparó bien, dice. Cuando se graduó, ya tenía suficientes créditos para un título asociado de universidad.

Su experiencia en la secundaria no es la que tienen todos los estudiantes, dijo.

“La cuestión es que, si no tomas ninguna clase universitaria durante la secundaria, ya estás atrasado”, dijo Ortega.

Los líderes de la Mines saben que esto es un problema. La Mines requiere que los estudiantes tengan conocimientos previos en clases avanzadas como trigonometría, precálculo y química.

Muchos estudiantes de Colorado nunca toman esas clases, y los administradores de la Mines se están comunicando cada vez más con las escuelas secundarias para animarlas a incluir clases rigurosas y que otorguen créditos universitarios en matemáticas o ciencias, dijo Lori Kester, vicerrectora asociada de manejo de inscripción.

“Estamos tratando de comunicarnos con los orientadores de las escuelas secundarias y asegurar que encaminen bien a los estudiantes desde temprano para que puedan ser admitidos en la Mines”, dijo Kester. “Eso es realmente crítico para nuestro éxito”.

Los líderes de la Mines han creado algunas oportunidades para preparar a los estudiantes de pocos ingresos y lograr que se interesen por la universidad. Pero tienen limitaciones.

Programas como The Challenge Program preparan a los futuros estudiantes con clases de matemáticas y ciencias y seminarios sobre el manejo del tiempo y el estrés. La universidad ofrece programas de tutoría en la escuela intermedia DSST: College View Middle School, en el suroeste de Denver y donde casi todos los estudiantes proceden de familias de minorías raciales, y envía a estudiantes de la Mines a trabajar como voluntarios en escuelas de todo el estado.

La universidad también cuenta con un programa de verano que les permite a estudiantes de undécimo y duodécimo grado de minorías raciales, de primera generación o de bajos ingresos vivir y aprender en el campus.

Las iniciativas más recientes incluyen el programa Upward Bound Math Science Program en la escuela Alameda International Jr./Sr. High School. Se trata de un programa financiado con fondos federales en el que muchas universidades de todo el país han participado por décadas para ayudar a los estudiantes en desventaja.

Incluso cuando las escuelas empujan a los estudiantes hacia los programas STEM, es difícil conseguir que ellos persistan en ese campo, dijo Analise González-Fine, directora de iniciativas universitarias de la red de escuelas chárter DSST. La escuela se enfoca en desarrollar las destrezas en el campo STEM, pero muchos estudiantes quizás nunca terminen en una universidad como la Mines, dijo ella.

Alrededor de un 55% de la clase graduanda de 2022 de la escuela tenía intenciones de ir a una universidad STEM. Y un 25% de los estudiantes de familias de pocos ingresos dijeron que irían a una universidad STEM, dijo González-Fine.

Sabastian Ortega trabaja durante una clase sobre los procedimientos estándar de operación para los parámetros de calidad del agua. Él sabía que quería estudiar en la Colorado School of Mines y convertirse en ingeniero medioambiental, pero el alto costo de asistir a la universidad era un problema.

Ortega estuvo a punto de tomar un camino diferente — como tantos otros

Cuando llegó el momento de solicitar admisión a las universidades, Ortega no tenía otra opción — solamente solicitó admisión a la Colorado School of Mines. Él sabía que quería ser ingeniero medioambiental especializado en recursos de agua.

Participó en los programas de la Mines, por ejemplo, el Challenge. No obstante, las finanzas no funcionaron. Consideró unirse a la Guardia Nacional o dejar la universidad por un año para trabajar y ahorrar.

“Sentía que era la única forma de pagar la universidad”, dijo Ortega.

El costo de asistir a la Mines es sin duda el mayor factor decisivo para los estudiantes que quieren asistir a esa universidad, dijo Ortega.

Jill Robertson, directora de ayuda financiera, dijo que la universidad tiene programas de grants para los residentes de Colorado basadas en mérito (no en necesidad económica). La institución también ha redoblado sus esfuerzos para encontrar donantes que ofrezcan becas y ayudas para esos estudiantes.

La universidad también se ha asociado con las universidades comunitarias del estado, donde los estudiantes pueden obtener créditos para un diploma de la Mines pero sin tener que pagar la matrícula de la Mines.

Robertson dijo que la universidad ha tratado de limitar los aumentos en la matrícula anual para que coincidan con la tasa de inflación. Sin embargo, el estado gastado menos en educación superior en las últimas tres décadas, y por lo tanto todas las universidades del estado han aumentado sus precios de matrícula.

Hace diez años la universidad les cobraba alrededor de un cuarto menos por semestre a los residentes del estado. Los aumentos han perjudicado aún más a los estudiantes de bajos ingresos del estado, especialmente cuando las becas Pell solamente pagan hasta unos $6,900 al año, mucho menos que el costo anual para asistir. Por otro lado, las ayudas estatales solamente cubren una parte del costo para los residentes.

“Realmente tratamos de mantener el costo en un nivel razonable”, dijo Robertson. “Pero educar ingenieros realmente buenos es caro.”

Sabastian Ortega hace una pregunta durante una clase de ingeniería civil y medioambiental en la Colorado School of Mines. Él ha visto cómo sus amigos de orígenes similares a los suyos abandonaron la universidad en mayor proporción que sus otros compañeros.

No basta con admitir estudiantes. También necesitan apoyo.

La mayoría de los estudiantes de la Mines se gradúan en seis años, alrededor de un 83%, según datos federales. Pero en ese mismo plazo, la cifra de estudiantes de bajos ingresos que se gradúan de la Mines es menos, cerca de un 75%. Y la Mines no es la única universidad en la que eso ocurre. Las tasas de graduación de los estudiantes con becas Pell son más bajas en las universidades de todo el estado.

Ortega dijo que vio cómo amigos con antecedentes similares abandonaban los estudios en mayor proporción que sus amigos con mejor nivel económico. Muchos no podían equilibrar sus trabajos con la pesada carga de estudios, dijo. Los estudiantes de minorías raciales que quedan son mayormente estudiantes internacionales.

“Uno de mis amigos, su papá es dueño de una empresa petrolera”, dijo Ortega. “Por eso es difícil establecer una conexión cuando se trata de esa parte de su vida”.

La universidad ha empezado a reunir a estudiantes de primer año de orígenes similares para que puedan formar una comunidad que entienda sus luchas, dijo Martínez. La esperanza es que los estudiantes tengan un grupo de compañeros que les ayude en el camino.

Ortega dijo que ha visto que la escuela también se enfoca más en su Programa Multicultural de Ingeniería, que comenzó en 1989. Desde que él empezó en la Mines, ha visto más eventos y más administradores que aparecen para hablar de servicios financieros, de tutoría o de consejería, dijo.

“Creo que por fin se han dado cuenta de que tienen realmente que ayudar a estos estudiantes”, dijo Ortega. “Creo que se han dado cuenta de que para ayudar de verdad a estos estudiantes, tienen que lograr que ellos por fin sientan que pertenecen aquí”.

Ortega también intenta poner de su parte. Trabaja en la oficina de ayuda financiera varias veces a la semana. Su objetivo es que los futuros estudiantes de entornos como el suyo sepan que tienen un sitio en la Mines.

No quiere que ninguna mamá se preocupe o llore por el costo de la universidad, porque hay opciones. También intenta decirles a los estudiantes y padres que Mines ayudará a los estudiantes a conseguir trabajos que les darán dinero y contribuirán a cambiar el mundo.

“Es algo que me hubiera gustado que mi mamá tuviera”, dijo Ortega, “que alguien le dijera ‘todo va a salir bien’”.

Jason Gonzales es reportero que cubre temas de educación superior y la legislatura de Colorado. Chalkbeat Colorado colabora con Open Campus en periodismo sobre el tema de educación superior. Para comunicarte con Jason, escríbele a jgonzales@chalkbeat.org.

La tasa de graduación entre los varones hispanos de Colorado no compara con la de sus compañeros. Las universidades de Colorado pueden hacer más para sacarlos adelante.

2021-12-13T15:01:00+00:00

Read in English.

Las diferencias son sorprendentes.

Cada año, por ejemplo, miles de estudiantes de la Universidad de Colorado en Boulder inician el camino para obtener un diploma universitario de cuatro años. Seis años después, cerca del 69% lo ha conseguido.

¿Pero qué tal con los varones hispanos? Solo el 58% se graduó.

La historia es la misma en la universidad Colorado State, donde se gradúa el 70% de todos los estudiantes, pero solamente un 58% de los varones hispanos.

Y en la Metropolitan State University of Denver (MSU Denver), las cifras son devastadoras. De cada cinco varones hispanos que empezaron sus estudios universitarios en 2013, solamente uno obtuvo un diploma de cuatro años.

Las cifras en bruto nos muestran la realidad. En 2013, 249 varones hispanos se matricularon en MSU Denver con la meta de obtener un diploma de cuatro años. Para el 2019, solo 46 de ellos lo lograron. Y 203 de ellos no.

La gran diferencia en la obtención de diplomas de universidades en Colorado por parte de los varones hispanos no ha mejorado mucho en la última década, incluso con el aumento en la matrícula de estudiantes hispanos en las universidades.

El porcentaje de varones hispanos que van a la universidad es el más bajo de todos los grupos de estudiantes en Colorado, y todos los factores que hacen más difícil llegar al campus — falta de presupuesto, obligaciones familiares, rutas poco definidas y falta de mentores — les persiguen en la universidad.

“Estamos en un punto en el que una parte valiosa de nuestra comunidad está en un agujero negro”, dijo Nathan Cadena, director de operaciones de la Denver Scholarship Foundation, una organización que ayuda a los estudiantes de Denver a matricularse y graduarse de la universidad. “Y da miedo. Tenemos que hacer algo al respecto”.

La falta de acción amenaza los sueños de los estudiantes jóvenes — y la prosperidad económica del estado. Los líderes de Colorado quieren que un 66% de los residentes tengan un diploma de universidad o un certificado universitario para 2025. Pero a pesar de ser la segunda población más grande del estado, solamente una cuarta parte de los hispanos tiene más que un diploma de secundaria. Los varones hispanos, incluso más que las mujeres hispanas, enfrentan mayores barreras para obtener una educación.

Estos resultados no son inevitables. Alrededor del país, algunas instituciones han eliminado estas brechas casi por completo desarrollando sistemas que ayudan a los estudiantes antes de que tropiecen, recompensando a los profesores por hacer más para conectarse con los estudiantes y creando comunidades que acogen a los estudiantes en el campus. Los esfuerzos comienzan con un mensaje claro de los líderes: que este trabajo es una prioridad y no una idea que se les ocurrió después.

5:51 a.m: Luis Hernández, a la derecha, mira las noticias mientras su mamá, Mariela Hernández, limpia la cocina antes de que ambos se vayan a trabajar a una fábrica de cartuchos de tinta y tóner. Su mamá y Luis trabajan en el primer turno del día para que él pueda ir a la Universidad Estatal Metropolitana de Denver.

Las instituciones University of Colorado-Denver, MSU Denver, Adams State University, y Colorado State University of Pueblo han sido designadas como instituciones de servicio a los hispanos, lo cual significa que al menos una cuarta parte del estudiantado está compuesta por estudiantes hispanos.

Sin embargo, Wil Del Pilar, vicepresidente de política universitaria en The Education Trust, dijo que el hecho de matricular más estudiantes hispanos no significa que las universidades estén haciendo lo correcto con ellos, especialmente cuando son tan pocos los que llegan a graduarse.

“Yo diría que la mayoría de las instituciones, incluso en Colorado, no están sirviendo a los hispanos, sino que están matriculando a los hispanos”, dijo Pilar. “No están atendiendo las necesidades de esos estudiantes porque no están invirtiendo en los servicios necesarios para asegurar que lleguen a graduarse”

Los estudiantes hispanos se pasan por alto

Tras dos años terribles en la Colorado State University, Carlos Fernández-Pérez estaba dispuesto a tirar la toalla y abandonar Fort Collins antes de su tercer año. La universidad había sido un reto duro a pesar de que él había obtenido buenas notas en la secundaria. Luego, el cambio a clases virtuales del año pasado por la pandemia de COVID estuvo a punto de descarrilarlo.

Se mudó a su casa en Denver y se las arregló para tomar clases en línea, trabajar a tiempo parcial en DoorDash y cuidar a su hermanita menor de 4 años. Fue demasiado, y pensó que tendría que dejar la universidad.

“Iba a tomarme un descanso”, dijo Fernández-Pérez.

Los estudiantes que hacen una pausa en sus estudios universitarios a menudo no regresan. Por eso, cuando Fernández-Pérez no volvió a solicitar su beca de la Latin American Educational Foundation, Jim Chávez, director ejecutivo de la organización, se preocupó. Se puso al teléfono y convenció a Fernández-Pérez de que siguiera estudiando.

Nadie en CSU le tendió la mano como lo hizo Chávez, dijo Fernández-Pérez.

Fernández-Pérez dejó sus estudios en CSU y entonces se matriculó en MSU Denver. Eso le permitió lograr un mejor balance entre los estudios y la familia. La matrícula también era menos costosa.

El apoyo de Chávez y de la fundación de becas le ayudó a superar una época difícil y de transición.

“Es importante que los estudiantes sepan que alguien realmente se preocupa”, dijo Chávez, “alguien que dedica tiempo y quiere que el estudiante tenga éxito y está ayudando a asegurar que persiste y continúa estudiando.”

El porcentaje bajo de graduación entre varones hispanos es un problema de todo el estado

En MSU Denver, Fernández-Pérez siente que ha encontrado un mejor espacio para él. La institución es un 30% hispana — el doble de la proporción de Colorado State o University of Colorado Boulder — y se enorgullece de atender a estudiantes no tradicionales cuyas vidas son a veces complicadas.

Aun así, las opciones de los estudiantes en las instituciones son un tema importante. Fernández-Pérez dejó una universidad que tiene una de las tasas de graduación más altas para los varones hispanos y se matriculó en la institución que tiene uno de los porcentajes más bajos. En 2019, un 58% de los varones hispanos en Colorado State se graduaron en seis años, en comparación con solo el 18% en Metro.

Estadísticamente, ese traslado pudo haber puesto en riesgo la educación de Fernández-Pérez.

En ambas instituciones — y en casi todas las universidades de cuatro años de Colorado, grandes o pequeñas, selectivas o de acceso abierto — existe una brecha de aproximadamente 10 puntos en la tasa de graduación de los varones hispanos y la tasa de todos los estudiantes.

Los líderes de educación superior dicen que están trabajando para reducir la brecha. Colorado State ha aumentado sus servicios de apoyo y alcance a los estudiantes de secundaria en un intento por convertirse en la próxima Institución de Servicio a los Hispanos en el estado, lo cual significa que está matriculando al menos un 25% de estudiantes hispanos.

La universidad ha empezado a pensar más en cómo conseguir que los estudiantes se gradúen, dijo Mary Pedersen, directora académica de la universidad.

Los funcionarios de la universidad ofrecen servicios de tutoría adicional y apoyo diario, como por ejemplo comidas y ayuda financiera.

CSU Pueblo, Colorado Mesa University y Adams State University también tienen programas que ayudan a los estudiantes.

CSU Pueblo recientemente abrió un centro para conectar a los estudiantes con recursos. La universidad capacita a los profesores sobre cómo ayudar a los estudiantes y ofrece programas de mentoría por profesores y estudiantes.

MSU Denver ha ampliado sus iniciativas y ofrece ayuda financiera, orientación académica y mentorías. Las tasas de graduación de todos los estudiantes aumentaron y se duplicaron para los varones hispanos en una década, del 9% al 18%. Pero la tasa sigue estando muy por debajo de la de otras universidades.

Luis es un estudiante de primer año en MSU Denver, y espera convertirse en dentista después de graduarse de universidad. Trabaja tres días a la semana mientras asiste a clases a tiempo completo.

Reconociendo la función que desempeñan los campus como MSU en la educación de los estudiantes en desventaja, Colorado ha modificado la forma de enviarles dinero a esas instituciones. Pero dado que Colorado financia la educación superior con una de las tasas más bajas de la nación, ese cambio aún no cubre las necesidades (dicen los funcionarios de la universidad), especialmente en las instituciones más pequeñas que reciben menos fondos por estudiante que CU Boulder y CSU.

Los programas limitados generalmente atienden a cientos de estudiantes, no a las decenas de miles que podrían beneficiarse.

¿Qué pasaría si el tipo de apoyo individual que ayudó a Fernández-Pérez a recuperar el rumbo existiera para todos los estudiantes? ¿Y si estuviese disponible dentro de la universidad? Fuera de Colorado, algunas instituciones han demostrado que pueden cambiar la trayectoria de los estudiantes muchísimo prestándole atención a los pequeños detalles.

Georgia State lleva cuenta del éxito de los estudiantes

Al igual que MSU Denver, Georgia State es una universidad urbana — en Atlanta — que atiende en su mayoría a estudiantes de color, entre los cuales muchos son los primeros de sus familias en ir a la universidad y corren el riesgo de no graduarse nunca.

Para llegar a un mayor número de estudiantes que necesitan apoyo, la escuela usa un sistema de análisis predictivo para determinar si un estudiante podría estar enfrentando problemas y ha ampliado drásticamente la cantidad de reuniones de orientación con los estudiantes. La escuela gradúa cerca de la mitad de sus estudiantes, y durante una década ha reducido la brecha en las tasas entre los grupos raciales.

Georgia State invierte unos $2.5 millones anualmente en este esfuerzo, pero los funcionarios han encontrado que la universidad gana mucho más en matrículas reteniendo a los estudiantes que de otro modo hubiesen abandonado los estudios.

El personal universitario se comunica con los estudiantes cuando sus sistemas tecnológicos muestran que podrían estar teniendo problemas, ya sea porque las calificaciones están bajando o si no se han inscrito en una clase, dijo Timothy Renick, director del National Institute for Student Success at Georgia State.

La universidad también brinda apoyo financiero de manera proactiva, dijo Renick. Antes de que ocurra una dificultad económica, la escuela depositará dinero en la cuenta del estudiante para que no se preocupe por las finanzas, dijo.

“Nuestra filosofía es que el apoyo a los estudiantes sea la norma y no la excepción”, dijo Renick.

UC Riverside desafía el status quo

En las principales universidades públicas de Colorado, Colorado State University y University of Colorado Boulder, las tasas de graduación son más altas para todos los estudiantes que en las instituciones menos selectivas, incluso para los varones hispanos. Los estudiantes de todos los orígenes llegan más preparados y a menudo tienen menos obligaciones familiares y más estabilidad financiera. Las universidades también gastan más por estudiante en su educación.

Un conjunto de investigaciones también sugiere que asistir a una universidad más competitiva está asociado con una mayor probabilidad de graduarse.

Pero a diferencia de en algunas de las universidades públicas menos competitivas del estado, en CU Boulder y Colorado State las tasas de graduación de los varones hispanos se han mantenido estables durante la última década, aunque han aumentado levemente para los demás estudiantes.

Las universidades con admisión selectiva, como University of California, Riverside, son un ejemplo de cómo mejorar las tasas de graduación.

Sus funcionarios trataron de cambiar la cultura del campus para ayudar a todos los estudiantes a sentirse más conectados con la universidad. Kim Wilcox, Presidente de UC Riverside, dijo que la primera prioridad de todo el personal debe ser ayudar a los estudiantes.

“Una universidad está formada por personas con mucho talento, pero muy competitivas”, dijo Wilcox. “Si se destaca a alguien que hizo algo realmente bueno, todos los demás querrán hacer lo mismo para obtener el mismo reconocimiento.

“Como líder, hay que destacar el éxito. Y cuando los tienes, tienes que amplificarlos.”

La universidad gradúa un 77% de sus estudiantes y solamente tiene pequeñas brechas en las tasas de graduación entre ciertos grupos, como los estudiantes hispanos.

Wilcox dijo que los estudiantes de primer año a menudo toman clases en su primer año con los mejores profesores de la institución. La universidad también ofrece muchos clubes y actividades extracurriculares en las que los estudiantes pueden encontrar pequeñas comunidades que los harán sentir bienvenidos y cómodos.

Wilcox dijo que los programas pequeños por sí solos no pueden aumentar el éxito de los estudiantes.

“Hay que trabajar según la escala”, dijo. “La escala en una universidad pública grande no tiene nada que ver con ningún programa. Casi la mitad de la institución somos latinos — eso es 13,000 estudiantes — ¿cómo vas a crear un programa para 13,000 estudiantes?

“Se llama universidad.”

Los mentores hispanos lideran el camino

Muchos de los que están presionando para aumentar las tasas de graduación son hombres hispanos. Inevitablemente, el trabajo se siente personal. Sin embargo, son muy pocos. Es una de las razones por las que los retos que enfrentan los varones hispanos en los campus siguen siendo tan amplios y persistentes, dijo Pilar, de The Education Trust.

“Es difícil crear el ímpetu necesario para que la gente quiera enfocarse en esta población porque estamos muy poco representados”, dijo Pilar.

Ante la escasez de financiamiento y la inercia institucional, los hispanos que se han graduado de universidad han desarrollado redes a fin de abrirles puertas a los estudiantes de hoy y ayudarlos cuando tengan dificultades. Ellos aconsejan a los estudiantes sobre retos, como por ejemplo irse lejos de casa, lograr un equilibrio entre trabajo y estudios, o cómo encontrar una comunidad de amigos.

Alonso Chávez Gasca, de 24 años, dijo que al principio se sintió desconectado cuando se matriculó en Colorado State University. Pero rápidamente se unió a una fraternidad latina, encontró mentores, trabajó en el campus ayudando a otros estudiantes, y después de graduarse se convirtió en mentor con INSPiRE, una organización con sede en Denver que ayuda a los estudiantes a realizar sus sueños de ir a la universidad.

“Para mí, los mentores hacen que la graduación se sienta asequible y alcanzable”, dijo Chávez Gasca. “Y soy mentor porque me veo a mí mismo en esos muchachos. Sus historias son mi historia. Ayudarles a ellos me ayuda a reabastecer a mi comunidad, y les da a los estudiantes la inspiración de que gente como yo se puede graduarse y tener éxito”

¿Qué impide que los varones hispanos vayan a la universidad?

2022-05-06T20:00:44+00:00

Read in English.

¿Qué barreras enfrentan los varones hispanos al entrar a la universidad y graduarse?

Esa es la pregunta que los líderes de la Denver Scholarship Foundation le hicieron a varones hispanos. Ellos contestaron con una lista que incluye falta de fondos, información, apoyo y atención individual, además de responsabilidades familiares.

Nada de esto fue sorprendente. Sin embargo, a los líderes de la fundación les llamó la atención el fuerte sentido de obligación que los estudiantes sienten por su comunidad y familia, y cómo éste bloquea la ambición individual.

“No es fácil para los jóvenes latinos,” dijo Nate Cadena Jefe de Operaciones de la fundación. “Hay ciertos roles, ciertas expectativas, ciertas normas culturales... que no necesariamente invitan al individualismo, especialmente si eso los aleja de su familia extendida o comunidad. Hay un lenguaje no hablado de su cultura — su comunidad — que no necesariamente alienta el individualismo ni la exploración.”

La fundación, que ayuda a os estudiantes del área de Denver a navegar la universidad, ha enviado aproximadamente un 82% de sus becados a la universidad. Por otro lado, aumentar los porcentajes de asistencia a la universidad y graduación de los varones hispanos ha demostrado ser difícil. Por ejemplo, el porcentaje de mujeres hispanas que han recibido ayuda de la fundación y llegado a la universidad es el doble de los varones.

Para entender mejor el problema, los líderes de la Denver Scholarship Foundation encuestaron a hombres hispanos con una variedad de experiencias en tema de universidad. La fundación habló con gente que nunca ha asistido a la universidad, con quienes dejaron de asistir, y con los que se graduaron.

“Ellos mencionaron que es importante sentir que les están hablando de manera individual,” dijo Cadena, “De sus respuestas se puede extraer muchísima información. Pero gran parte reforzó lo que ya pensábamos y sabíamos”.

La lucha por lograr que los varones hispanos vayan a la universidad es un importante tema para el estado.

Aproximadamente dos de cada cinco varones hispanos que se gradúan de una secundaria de Colorado irán a la universidad. Una vez en la universidad, la mayoría no se gradúa. En las universidades públicas de Colorado con programas de cuatro años, solo se gradúa un 41% de los hombres hispanos. En las universidades comunitarias más pequeñas, se gradúa menos de una tercera parte.

Estas cifras determinan las grandes brechas en Colorado de quién tiene una educación universitaria y quién no. Aproximadamente un 61% de todos los residentes de Colorado tienen una credencial universitaria, en comparación con solo una cuarta parte de los residentes hispanos.

Cadena dijo que es necesario resolver ese problema, especialmente porque 1 de cada 5 residentes de Colorado se identifica como hispano.

Cadena agregó que lograr que más varones hispanos vayan a la universidad es un asunto de oportunidad y libertad para ellos individualmente y para sus familias. Esto rompe los ciclos de pobreza generacional. Se han hecho estudios que demuestran que las personas con educación universitaria tienen mejor acceso a atención médica. Los residentes que tienen un grado universitario también tienen un mayor potencial de ingresos y más habilidad para hacer lo que quieren en su vida.

“Si permitimos que esto continúe, es como si nos resignáramos a ello. Estamos diciendo que eso está bien”, dijo Cadena. “Eso es inaceptable”.

La fundación encontró que los estudiantes que nunca fueron a la universidad escucharon en algún momento de su niñez que no tendrían dinero suficiente para eso. Nadie les dijo que un buen desempeño académico les podía ayudar. El informe compilado por la fundación dijo que muchos de los encuestados sintieron que ir a la universidad no era algo que ellos podían lograr.

Los que nunca terminaron su carrera con frecuencia tomaron decisiones basadas en malos consejos recibidos desde la niñez, según el informe. Algunos fueron a universidades lejos del hogar, nunca se conectaron a la comunidad universitaria, y no recibieron la información, o los servicios de salud mental necesarios para terminar la carrera.

Los varones hispanos que sí se graduaron reportaron haber contado con apoyo de la familia. O que decidieron continuar la universidad a pesar de los costos, y tuvieron profesores o mentores que vieron su potencial. Esos estudiantes tuvieron el beneficio de haber sido alentados desde temprana edad.

Cadena dijo que los encuestados sabían que la universidad les daría acceso a una mejor vida.

Los que fueron a la universidad hablaron de expandir su red de colaboración y sus prospectos de empleo. Los que nunca asistieron a la universidad dijeron que harán lo posible para que sus hijos vayan para así tener más oportunidades. Ese grupo predominantemente se convirtió en empresarios con trabajos de esfuerzo intenso, pero a un costo para su salud y su tiempo.

Cadena dijo que el hecho de que todos los grupos reconocen el valor de una educación universitaria amerita que se les ofrezca ayuda personalizada a los estudiantes. También dijo que la encuesta indicó la posibilidad de sacar a las personas de sus normas.

“Hubo un reconocimiento de que la universidad rompe ciclos,” dijo Cadena, “y rompe ciclos generacionales.”

La universidad es cara. Llenar la FAFSA te puede ayudar con los gastos.

2022-10-13T23:33:26+00:00

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El mes de octubre marca el inicio de la temporada para solicitar ayuda financiera y uno de los períodos más importantes para determinar si un estudiante de secundaria irá a la universidad.

La Solicitud Gratuita de Ayuda Federal para Estudiantes (Free Application for Federal Student Aid, o FAFSA), cuyo plazo de solicitud comenzó el 1 de octubre, ayuda a los estudiantes a calificar para obtener grants y préstamos federales o becas para pagar por la universidad. Llenar la FAFSA ayuda a los estudiantes a darse cuenta de que la universidad es una opción, dijo la directora ejecutiva del Departamento de Educación Superior de Colorado, Angie Paccione.

Alrededor de un 85% de los estudiantes que van a la universidad llenan la FAFSA, dijo.

“Sabemos que, si vas a ir a la universidad, completas esa FAFSA porque quieres asegurarte de obtener todo el dinero que puedas”, dijo Paccione. “Al mismo tiempo, los estudiantes que la llenan se dan cuenta de a qué escuelas pueden ir porque saben cuánto dinero van a tener disponible”.

El shock del precio de la matrícula es una de las principales razones por las que los estudiantes que quieren ir a la universidad acaban por no hacerlo. Sin embargo, para los estudiantes provenientes de familias de ingresos medios y bajos, el costo real de matrícula resulta ser mucho menor después de aplicar la ayuda financiera.

Llenar la FAFSA ayuda a los estudiantes y a las familias a tener una idea realista de lo que podría costar la universidad. Además, ayuda a los estudiantes y a las familias a decidir de manera informada si podrán afrontar ese gasto.

Los estudiantes y las familias tienen hasta el 30 de junio para presentar la FAFSA a fin de recibir ayuda para el próximo año universitario. Mientras más temprano los estudiantes y las familias envíen la solicitud, más fácil será resolver cualquier problema que pueda surgir.

A menos que un estudiante califique como independiente, los que tienen 24 años o menos probablemente tendrán que llenar el formulario con la información de su familia. También hay opciones para los estudiantes que no tienen la información de su familia o que son indocumentados.

Colorado ha luchado durante años para que los estudiantes llenen el complicado formulario. El año pasado, solo un 46% de los estudiantes que se graduaron de secundaria en el estado completaron la FAFSA, un porcentaje muy por debajo del promedio nacional del 57.5%.

El estado se ha enfocado más en aumentar esas cifras educando sobre el tema de ayuda financiera y requiriendo que las escuelas les notifiquen a los padres y a los estudiantes las ventajas de llenar la FAFSA. Esto es parte de un plan a largo plazo para que el porcentaje de estudiantes que completan la FAFSA en Colorado aumente a un 80%. Un grupo de trabajo también ha pedido que el formulario se convierta en un requisito para graduarse de la secundaria.

A continuación, los expertos en ayuda financiera ofrecen varios consejos para llenar el formulario.

Empieza el proceso ahora, aunque no sepas si vas a calificar.

Joe Donlay, Director de Ayuda Financiera de la Universidad Estatal de Colorado, aconseja que las familias y los estudiantes no esperen para llenar la solicitud.

El proceso de llenar el formulario puede llevar tiempo, ser abrumador, y a veces, parecer invasivo. El formulario pide una serie de datos financieros, como documentos de impuestos y los saldos en cuentas bancarias de cheques y de ahorro. El gobierno federal también podría darle seguimiento, y esto incluye pedir documentos adicionales.

Al final, el proceso puede valer la pena, porque abre a los estudiantes a una variedad de dinero para ir a la universidad, dijo Donlay.

Él aconseja que las familias llenen el formulario aunque sientan incertidumbre. Aunque el gobierno federal no les conceda dinero a los estudiantes y sus familias, alguien más podría hacerlo.

Sin la FAFSA, es posible que los estudiantes no tengan acceso a dinero gratuito, como grants o becas para ir a la universidad. Además, dijo Donlay, algunos podrían también calificar para préstamos de poco o ningún interés para pagar por la universidad.

“La FAFSA es realmente la clave”, dijo Donlay.

Donlay dijo que, para empezar, los estudiantes y las familias deben visitar FAFSA.gov. El sitio web federal explica con detalles cómo iniciar el proceso.

Las familias y los estudiantes cuentan con ayuda.

Sin embargo, no deberían pensar que tienen que enfrentar el proceso por su cuenta.

Ellos pueden preguntarles a los orientadores de secundaria qué documentos deben tener a la mano. Los padres y los estudiantes también deben estar atentos a eventos nocturnos de ayuda financiera organizados por las escuelas secundarias; en estos eventos podrán obtener ayuda adicional o hacer preguntas. Y pueden hacer listas de verificación para mantenerse organizados.

Los orientadores y los expertos en ayuda financiera también pueden facilitar el proceso hablando con las familias sobre la importancia de la FAFSA, poniéndoles en contacto con talleres y dándoles seguimiento.

Diana Madriz, directora asistente de acceso a la universidad en la Denver Scholarship Foundation, dijo que cuando trabaja con familias, para hacer el proceso lo más fácil posible suele preguntar sobre la vida en el hogar y lo que se aplica y no se aplica a los estudiantes.

Por ejemplo, si un estudiante o sus padres no son ciudadanos estadounidenses, es probable que necesiten ayuda para llenar los formularios de ayuda financiera y que deban consultar a un experto.

Sin embargo, la ciudadanía o el estatus legal de los padres no afectan que un estudiante obtenga ayuda financiera. El formulario no hace esa pregunta sobre los padres.

Madriz dirige a los estudiantes que no están aquí legalmente a la Solicitud de Ayuda Financiera del Estado de Colorado (Colorado Application for State Financial Aid, CAFSA). Esos estudiantes no son elegibles para la FAFSA porque ésta requiere contar con estatus legal en Estados Unidos, pero ellos de todos modos podrían obtener alguna ayuda a través de la CAFSA.

Al final, Madriz dijo que una gran parte de llenar el formulario es aliviar los temores y las preocupaciones y contestar muchas preguntas sobre las circunstancias individuales.

“Hemos tenido situaciones en las que creo que las familias sienten temor a compartir información”, dijo Madriz. “Pienso que es importante que nunca hablemos en términos absolutos, porque las cosas cambian todo el tiempo. Pero creo que podemos compartir lo que sabemos con las familias”.

Los orientadores tampoco deben tener miedo de hacer preguntas o pedir ayuda

Cuando se trata de finanzas, la situación de cada familia es diferente.

Cendy De la Torre, gerente de eventos de Denver Scholarship, dijo que los orientadores pueden hacer preguntas de manera cuidadosa a fin de fomentar la confianza de las familias o los estudiantes que podrían mostrarse reacios a llenar el formulario.

Ella agregó que preguntar sobre la situación legal, o si los miembros de la familia están distanciados, puede ser un tema difícil. Por eso, dijo que fomentar confianza es un elemento esencial para ayudar a las familias o a los estudiantes a llenar la solicitud. Su consejo es que los orientadores hablen en términos hipotéticos en lugar de hacer preguntas directas, permitiendo que los estudiantes y las familias sean quienes tomen la iniciativa de hablar sobre sus circunstancias.

Añadió también que los educadores y orientadores no son los únicos que ayudan a las familias. “Somos muchos los que pasamos por esos mismos retos”, agregó.

Madriz y De la Torre dijeron que a menudo se encuentran con numerosas situaciones en las que no saben a ciencia cierta cómo ayudar a una familia con el formulario.

Donlay y los departamentos de ayuda financiera de las universidades de todo el estado están dispuestos a ayudar. Él dijo que los funcionarios de ayuda financiera de las universidades pueden recomendar cambios en las palabras usadas en el formulario o en las preguntas financieras específicas en relación con la familia. Los orientadores no deben dudar en trabajar con las universidades, dijo.

“Siempre animamos al estudiante o a la familia a comunicarse con la oficina de ayuda financiera. Así nosotros podemos ayudar a determinar cuál podría ser la respuesta o la solución según esas circunstancias particulares”, dijo.

Los orientadores y las familias no deben sentirse desanimados si no consiguen resolver un problema.

Natasha Garfield, directora de becas de DSF, dijo que hasta los funcionarios de ayuda financiera, que han hecho este trabajo durante años y han capacitado a otros, a veces se encuentran con situaciones que parecen no tener solución. Sea cual sea la situación, las familias y los estudiantes pueden estar seguros de que la ayuda está ahí, aunque no haya una solución clara.

“Siempre son cosas que tenemos que superar y dar el todo para solucionarlas”, dijo.

Jason Gonzales es reportero que cubre temas de educación superior y la legislatura de Colorado. Chalkbeat Colorado trabaja con Open Campus en la cobertura de temas de educación superior. Para comunicarte con Jason, envíale un mensaje a jgonzales@chalkbeat.org.

Gobernador Jared Polis firma proyecto de ley para reducir los exámenes estandarizados. Ahora el gobierno federal tiene que dar su opinión.

2021-03-24T21:09:46+00:00

Es posible que los estudiantes de Colorado tomen mucho menos exámenes estandarizados este año — esto es, si los funcionarios de educación federales firman un acuerdo aprobado el martes en la Asamblea General de Colorado y firmado por el Gob. Jared Polis.

En vez de administrar el grupo completo de exámenes estandarizados que los estudiantes usualmente toman, los funcionarios de educación de Colorado buscarán un permiso para no tener que cumplir los requisitos federales. Si lo logran, este año no habrá exámenes de ciencia ni de estudios sociales, y los estudiantes tomarán un examen de matemáticas o de lectura/escritura, pero no ambos. Los exámenes no se usarán para evaluar el desempeño de los maestros ni para calificar a las escuelas.

Este proyecto de ley representa un acuerdo entre los sindicatos de maestros y distritos escolares, quienes querían cancelar los exámenes por completo, y los grupos de defensores de la educación, que querían que todos los estudiantes tomaran los exámenes de matemáticas y de lectura/escritura.

Los expertos nacionales en el tema de los exámenes dijeron que no saben de ningún otro estado que vaya a seguir la estrategia de Colorado. Y aunque algunos dijeron que este acuerdo proporcionaría suficiente información sobre el desempeño escolar — y quizás del aprendizaje individual de los estudiantes — otros dudan que el gobierno federal lo apruebe.

“El estado de Massachusetts le dará a cada estudiante la mitad de cada uno de los exámenes. Nueva York también está considerando eliminar una parte. Pero que yo sepa, Colorado es el único que está tratando de eliminar el examen completamente en ciertos grados/materias,” escribió en un email Marianne Perie, consultora de exámenes que ha trabajado con varios estados. “Me sorprendería que los federales lo permitan.”

Conseguir ese permiso federal es crítico para Colorado. En una carta enviada en febrero, los más altos funcionarios de educación federales dijeron que los estados deberán administrar los exámenes estandarizados pero ofrecieron flexibilidad para acortar el tamaño de los exámenes o expandir el periodo para tomarlos. Las directrices no mencionaron nada parecido al plan de Colorado.

El proyecto de ley pasó por la Asamblea General en menos de dos semanas. Los legisladores se movieron rápidamente porque la fecha límite para solicitar un permiso está muy cerca, dijo el viernes la Senadora Rachel Zenzinger, auspiciadora del proyecto y presidenta del Comité de Educación del Senado, y demócrata de Arvada.

Los legisladores demócratas originalmente tenían esperanzas de cancelar los exámenes del todo, pero llegaron a un acuerdo cuando quedó claro que tanto la administración de Biden como la de Polis estaban en oposición a ese esfuerzo.

Zenzinger aplaudió a la coalición que respaldó el proyecto de ley, y que incluyó a legisladores republicanos.

“Aparte de qué tan peligroso o impráctico sea administrar este examen, necesitamos de cierta manera limitada incluirlo (el examen) como parte de nuestra solicitud del permiso,” Zenzinger dijo.

Los estudiantes de Colorado típicamente toman exámenes estandarizados de matemáticas y de lectura/escritura en los grados tercero hasta octavo, y también un examen de ciencias o de estudios sociales, dependiendo de su grado. En Colorado, estos exámenes se llaman Colorado Measures of Academic Success, o CMAS.

Si el gobierno federal aprueba el plan de Colorado, los estudiantes en los grados tercero, quinto y séptimo tomarán el examen de lectura/escritura, y los de cuarto, sexto y octavo tomarán el de matemáticas. Los padres tendrían la opción de firmar para que sus hijos no los tomen. Y también podrían optar por que sus hijos tomen ambos.

El Senador Paul Lundeen, republicano de Monument, apoyó firmemente el proyecto de ley durante la sesión del senado el viernes. El acuerdo fue difícil para todos, dijo él, pero también retiene los exámenes para poder medir el aprendizaje de los estudiantes.

“Este proyecto de ley representa lo mejor de ambos mundos,” dijo Lundeen.

Él les pidió a los legisladores que animaran a los padres a pedir que sus hijos tomen ambos exámenes.

“Un niño tiene años de educación académica por venir, y es importante entender dónde están,” dijo él.

Un pequeño número de personas opuestas al proyecto de ley provenientes de ambos lados testificó en la Cámara y el Senado, y dijeron que ellos quieren una de dos cosas: que los exámenes se cancelen completamente o que se continúen sin cambios.

Algunos legisladores tampoco estuvieron de acuerdo. El Senador Bob Rankin, republicano de Carbondale, se opuso al proyecto de ley porque no incluye un examen de inglés en cuarto grado. Colorado está en medio de un esfuerzo más grande para mejorar la enseñanza de lectura, y las interrupciones de este año han causado más preocupación.

El Senador Jeff Bridges, líder de la mayoría y demócrata de Greenwood, dijo que los legisladores encontraron juntos la solución apropiada.

“Este no es el ideal de nadie, sino exactamente lo que Colorado necesita este año,” dijo Bridges.

Los funcionarios de educación del estado esperan presentar la solicitud del permiso esta semana. El Departamento de Educación de Estados Unidos no ha establecido un plazo para contestar las solicitudes. El periodo de exámenes de Colorado comienza la próxima semana.

Las directrices federales no mencionan eliminar materias básicas de grados alternos como una posibilidad, pero un informe sobre métodos de evaluación alternativos preparado a principios de este año por el Center for Assessment para el Council of Chief State School Officers explora la idea.

Hasta ahora Colorado es el primer estado en proponer la eliminación de exámenes en materias básicas, según el Collaborative for Student Success, un grupo de defensa nacional que quiere ver que la mayor cantidad posible de estudiantes tome los exámenes y cree que éstos se pueden usar para dirigir recursos a los estudiantes que necesiten ayuda.

“Tenemos algunas inquietudes en cuanto a si el plan de Colorado podrá lograr eso y estamos observando la situación de cerca,” dijo el grupo en una declaración. “Todavía está por verse si el Departamento de Educación aprobará lo que el estado está pidiendo.”

Joyce Zurkowski, jefa de evaluaciones del Departamento de Educación de Colorado, dijo que las opciones como hacer el examen más corto no son viables en Colorado porque ya el estado acortó bastante los exámenes CMAS en el 2018. Administrar el examen completo en grados alternos dará más datos válidos de qué tan bien los estudiantes están cumpliendo las expectativas académicas.

“Esto es un acuerdo razonable que ojalá resuelva la necesidad de tener datos de los estudiantes y a la misma vez reconocer los muchos, muchos intereses en competencia que las escuelas tienen que cumplir para satisfacer las necesidades académicas, sociales y emocionales de sus estudiantes — y de sus maestros,” dijo ella.

Cómo el estado usa la información dependerá en gran parte de quién participe, dijo Zurkowski, no solamente de cuántos estudiantes, sino también si representan bien todos los trasfondos raciales y étnicos de Colorado, a los discapacitados, y a quieres provienen de hogares bajo el índice de pobreza.

Andrew Ho, profesor y experto en exámenes de la Escuela Graduada de Educación de Harvard, dijo que darles exámenes a los estudiantes en cada materia en años alternos es un balance adecuado entre el deseo de tener información sobre el aprendizaje y el deseo de reducir un poco la carga de dar exámenes.

Una estrategia así proporcionaría suficiente información para saber cuáles escuelas están batallando más ahora que hace dos años, dijo él, lo cual debería ser el propósito principal de los exámenes ahora. Los padres perderían la oportunidad de ver un cuadro más completo sobre el desempeño de sus hijos, pero los que formulan políticas podrían ver dónde se necesita más ayuda.

Ho enfatizó que para tener una idea precisa de eso, los estados necesitan cambiar cómo analizan y reportan los datos de los exámenes, en particular porque el porcentaje de estudiantes que no los tomarán será mayor y decenas de miles de estudiantes no están en los sistemas escolares.

Al mismo tiempo, dijo Ho, Colorado debe determinar cómo resolverá las brechas de aprendizaje identificadas por los exámenes, especialmente con los $1,200 millones en fondos federales que recibirán las escuelas K-12 del estado mediante el último plan de alivio del Congreso por el coronavirus. Las escuelas que estén teniendo dificultades podrían recibir mucho más apoyo financiero.

Sin un plan así, Ho dijo que él no ve el punto de dar exámenes.

“Esta es una situación de ‘o lo aceptas o te callas’ para los defensores de los exámenes educativos,” dijo Ho. “La teoría es convincente y la oportunidad está ahí, pero ellos necesitan un plan porque hay mucha desconfianza.”

El reportero nacional de Chalkbeat Matt Barnum aportó a este reportaje.

Traducción por Milly Suazo.

Dos hermanos hispanos querían ir a la universidad en Colorado. Aquí te contamos por qué solamente uno lo logró.

2021-12-02T23:47:15+00:00

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La alarma de Jimy y Luis Hernández los despierta antes de que salga el sol.

Los hermanos intentan moverse en silencio por la casa de sus padres en el noreste de Denver para no molestar a sus hermanos.

Luis, de 18 años, podría ver las noticias o ayudar a su mamá a preparar el almuerzo antes de salir hermano a la fábrica de cartuchos de tóner donde trabaja a tiempo parcial para ayudar a pagar la universidad. Está matriculado en la Metropolitan State University (MSU) en Denver.

Jimy, de 21 años, suele no pasar por la cocina porque se apresura a prepararse para su trabajo a tiempo completo pavimentando asfalto en una empresa de construcción. Él quería ir a la universidad, pero no pudo encontrar la manera de lograrlo.

Las rutas opuestas de los hermanos destacan los retos que enfrentan los varones hispanos para poder entrar a la universidad... y también para graduarse.

En Colorado, la mayoría de los graduados de secundaria hispanos siguen un camino más parecido al de Jimy. Menos de la mitad va a la universidad - una tasa inferior a la de los varones negros y las mujeres hispanas.

Jimy Hernández, en el medio, camina por la cocina de su casa de Denver mientras su mamá, Mariela Hernández, prepara burritos de chicharrón para la familia antes de que todos salgan a trabajar.

Pero incluso cuando entran a la universidad, como Luis, las probabilidades siguen estando en su contra. Solamente un 41% de los hombres hispanos que asisten a las universidades públicas de cuatro años de Colorado consiguen graduarse, según datos federales recientes. En los colegios comunitarios, menos de un tercio se gradúa.

Y todo esto resulta en enormes disparidades. Entre los estados, Colorado tiene una de las poblaciones más educadas, pero solo una cuarta parte de los residentes hispanos tiene una credencial universitaria, la cifra más baja de todos los grupos. Esto es en comparación con un 61% de todos los residentes de Colorado.

Esta diferencia supone un alto costo para las finanzas de las familias en un estado en el que 1 de cada 5 personas se identifica como de origen hispano. Además, tiene implicaciones para la prosperidad del estado. Para que Colorado cumpla su propia meta de que un 66% de sus residentes tengan una credencial universitaria, es esencial conseguir que más varones hispanos se matriculen y terminen la universidad.

En Colorado y en todo el país, sin embargo, los varones hispanos uniformemente se han pasado por alto en lo que respecta a la educación superior, dijo Wil Del Pilar, vicepresidente de política de educación superior de Education Trust.

“No creo que se hayan enfocado en eso”, dijo Pilar. “Si uno no está representado en la mesa o no empuja a la gente a pensar en esta población de estudiantes, creo que a menudo se les olvida que existen.”

Obstáculos a la educación superior

Múltiples razones llevan a que los varones hispanos a menudo no puedan recibir una educación universitaria.

Una de las barreras es el dinero. En Colorado, las familias hispanas tienden a tener ingresos menores al promedio del estado. Muchos varones hispanos quizás son los primeros de su familia en ir a la universidad. Ellos no pueden dejarse llevar por la familia para saber cuándo empezar a prepararse, dónde solicitar o cómo conseguir ayuda financiera.

Y a esto se le añaden las expectativas de algunas familias de que ayuden a sostener el hogar o a cuidar de los hermanos.

Si llegan al campus, los varones hispanos podrían descubrir que no hay mucha gente que comparte sus experiencias y entiende sus retos. Menos de uno de cada 10 profesores son hispanos, algo importante para que los estudiantes se sientan bienvenidos y para ayudarles a conectar con mentores que puedan guiarles.

Un camino nuevo hacia la universidad

Desde que eran niños, los hermanos Hernández entendieron que la universidad era una expectativa.

Como inmigrantes del estado mexicano de Zacatecas, sus padres Mariela y Jaime les recalcaron que hay que aprovechar todas las oportunidades en Estados Unidos. La universidad les abriría nuevas carreras en campos que estarían bien pagados y les aseguraría que iban a trabajar duro con sus mentes y no con sus espaldas.

“Mi sueño siempre ha sido que mis hijos tengan una vida mejor que la que yo tuve”, dijo Mariela Hernández. “Quiero que crezcan y hagan lo que les gusta, que no tengan que trabajar tanto como yo. Quiero que tengan una vida bonita.”

Pero la trayectoria de los hermanos Hernández resalta cómo el sistema universitario de Colorado (y del país) produce resultados desiguales, incluso dentro de la misma familia.

Luis ayuda a su mamá, Mariela, a trabajar en una fábrica de cartuchos de tinta y tóner. Ella le ayudó a conseguir el trabajo para pagar sus estudios en la Universidad Estatal Metropolitana de Denver.

Tres años después de graduarse del Denver Center for International Studies en Montbello, Jimy Hernández tiene una rutina diaria que no había anticipado. En la secundaria, Jimy era un estudiante con desempeño mediano pero se esforzaba y disfrutaba de la escuela. Él sentía que la universidad podía estar en su futuro. Consideró entrar en un programa de soldadura o en especializarse en artes culinarias o en convertirse en barbero.

Sus padres estaban involucrados en su educación. Ellos iban a todas las reuniones de padres y maestros y le animaron a triunfar.

Jimy trató de mantenerse involucrado en la escuela y en las actividades extracurriculares. Tomó el examen ACT y completó los cursos usuales de secundaria. Le gustaba especialmente la historia.

Los maestros y los orientadores académicos sugirieron que solicitara admisión a las universidades. Pero esa sugerencia no vino acompañada de asesoramiento práctico individual. Al no tener ayuda, no sabía por dónde empezar.

“Para ser honesto, los orientadores académicos realmente ayudaron más como los estudiantes de honor y todo eso”, dijo Jimy.

Jesse Ramírez, cuya Organización INSPiRE brinda mentoría para ayudar a estudiantes a entrar a la universidad, dijo que ha encontrado que muchos varones hispanos como Jimy simplemente son pasados por alto. Quizás alguien les hable de la universidad, pero rara vez se les proporciona ayuda práctica, dijo Ramírez.

La clave, dijo, es trabajar con los estudiantes y recordarles la universidad como opción constantemente para que no se desanimen. “Nosotros podemos mostrarles que, sea cual sea su pasión, una educación universitaria puede resaltarla”, dijo Ramírez.

Él ha encontrado que también ayuda tener hombres hispanos exitosos como mentores.

Sin nada de eso, Jimy nunca completó la Solicitud Gratuita de Ayuda Federal para Estudiantes (FAFSA), que abre las puertas a becas, y también a préstamos y grants del gobierno federal. Él solicitó algunas becas y recibió $1,000, pero no pudo decidir a qué universidad ir.

No sabía que las universidades comunitarias ofrecen muchos de los programas que le interesaban por una fracción del costo de las instituciones privadas con fines de lucro. Tampoco sabía por qué era importante llenar la FAFSA.

Lincoln College of Technology, la única universidad que trató de reclutarlo (privada y con fines de lucro), estaba económicamente fuera de su alcance. Un asesor le dijo a Jimy que graduarse con un diploma de soldadura le costaría unos $60,000. Esa cantidad de dinero era abrumadora.

Jimy sabía que ir a la universidad le permitiría ganar más dinero más adelante. Los datos federales muestran que los hombres con diploma universitario de cuatro años ganan en promedio casi $1 millón más durante toda su vida laboral que los que solamente se graduaron de secundaria. Y los graduados de una universidad comunitaria también ganan más.

Los hermanos Jimy y Luis se relajan en la mesa después de un largo día de trabajo y estudios.

Pero la realidad de renunciar a un sueldo fijo y asumir una deuda mayor le llevó a optar por trabajar. Fue cambiando de trabajo y finalmente aterrizó en la empresa de pavimentación de asfalto, que le ofrecía un sueldo de $21 por hora con beneficios y la oportunidad de progresar. Y su mamá dijo que está orgullosa de él — y de todos sus hijos — por lo mucho que trabaja.

Jimy se siente orgulloso de que su hermano pequeño esté logrando sus objetivos y sigue alimentando sus propios sueños universitarios. Pero Jimy no sabe por dónde empezar para volver a estudiar o quién podría ayudarle a saber cómo hacerlo.

Él recuerda cuando tuvo que decirles a sus papás que no iba a ir a la universidad. Podía sentir la decepción de ellos.

“Mis papás realmente no podían ayudarme”, dijo. “Luego, mi mamá entendió.”

Cómo Luis encontró un camino

Entonces, ¿cómo Luis consiguió entrar a la universidad, especialmente cuando se encontró con muchas de las mismas barreras que su hermano?

Luis también trabajó duro y trató de mantenerse activo. Fue parte del grupo que preparó el anuario de la escuela y tomó clases de inglés AP, geografía AP, y otras clases de nivel avanzado y universitario.

Fue uno de los pocos afortunados de su secundaria, predominantemente hispana, en ir a la universidad. En el año escolar 2019-20, aproximadamente una cuarta parte de los estudiantes de DCIS Montbello decidió obtener una educación postsecundaria, en comparación con casi la mitad de los graduados de las escuelas públicas de Denver.

Luis, a la derecha, toma notas en su clase de la tarde sobre atención informada por el trauma, donde el tema de la lección del día era la resiliencia. Él ha obtenido apoyo a través del programa Pathways to Possible para estudiantes desfavorecidos. No cree que hubiera podido asistir a la universidad si no fuera por el programa.

Aunque Luis apenas sabía por dónde empezar, el personal del Programa Pathways to Possible de MSU Denver se comunicó con él y le orientó sobre dónde ir, cómo pagar por la universidad, cómo elegir las clases y cómo matricularse en ellas.

Eso marcó la diferencia.

Mariela y Jaime celebraron el día en que Luis empezó la universidad llevando a la familia a cenar a un restaurante mexicano. Mariela sigue hablando de lo orgullosa que está de Luis.

“Es una bendición”, dijo Mariela. “Estoy agradecida con Dios, con mi esposo y conmigo misma por todo el trabajo que hemos hecho para que esté ahí.”

La graduación no es una garantía

Antes de la pandemia, solamente 1 de cada 5 varones hispanos terminaba una carrera universitaria de cuatro años en MSU Denver.

En su defensa, los funcionarios de la MSU de Denver dicen que sus estudiantes empiezan la universidad con más responsabilidades y retos en el trabajo, la escuela, la familia y la vida, y todo eso pueden dificultar el camino hacia la graduación. Dicen que la universidad también recibe en general menos dinero del estado para educar a cada estudiante que otras escuelas.

Michael Benitez, que dirige la oficina de Diversidad, Equidad e Inclusión de MSU Denver, dijo que el precio de la matrícula universitaria siendo menor que el de muchas otras universidades estatales. Eso ayuda a reducir la deuda y la carga de trabajo de los estudiantes, dijo. La universidad también programa las clases para acomodar a los estudiantes que trabajan, dijo Benítez.

Aun así, los varones hispanos se gradúan en tasas más bajas que cualquier grupo, excepto los varones negros, a pesar de que muchos estudiantes se enfrentan a circunstancias de vida similares.

Para impulsar las tasas de graduación y reducir las barreras, la universidad ha creado programas como Pathways. El programa Pathways, financiado con los fondos federales para el alivio del coronavirus, conecta a los estudiantes con orientadores académicos, ofrece orientaciones para estudiantes de primer año y proporciona ayuda financiera.

Luis dijo que el programa marcó una gran diferencia con solo ayudarle a entrar por la puerta. Pero el programa es minúsculo, con solamente 125 estudiantes, su demanda es potencialmente enorme. Es injusto, dijo Luis, que haya tan pocas oportunidades como Pathways, un programa que podría haber ayudado a su hermano.

“Pienso mucho en ello”, dijo. “Es triste que no haya podido ir a la universidad, porque realmente quería ir.”

Luis es un estudiante de primer año en MSU Denver, y espera convertirse en dentista después de graduarse de universidad. Trabaja tres días a la semana mientras asiste a clases a tiempo completo.

Luis se matriculó en otoño en MSU Denver como estudiante de primer año para hacer un sueño realidad: ser dentista. Siempre le gustó que le limpiaran los dientes cuando era niño y cómo se sentía después. Está tomando clases relacionadas con la medicina y espera ir luego a la escuela de odontología. Las clases son duras, dijo, pero su preparación en la secundaria le ayudó.

Para continuar en la universidad, Luis trabaja tres días a la semana. Eso hace que los días sean largos, lo que complica su meta más inmediata: graduarse. Estadísticamente, se enfrenta a un riesgo.

Los varones hispanos de las universidades de Colorado se gradúan a niveles muy inferiores a los de sus compañeros. Entre las universidades estatales de cuatro años, la MSU de Denver tiene la tasa de graduación más baja para los varones hispanos.

Un éxito en Georgia

Una escuela que ha estado a la vanguardia graduando estudiantes de primera generación es la Georgia State University. Esta institución educa mayormente a estudiantes de color que son los primeros de su familia en ir a la universidad o que tienen bajos ingresos. Sus estudiantes hispanos y negros se gradúan al mismo ritmo que los blancos.

Timothy Renick, que dirige el National Institute for Student Success at Georgia State, dijo que la universidad lleva cuenta electrónicamente de los factores de riesgo que cada estudiente enfrenta a diario, y esto incluye no cumplir los plazos de entrega escolares o tener problemas financieros. La universidad toma en cuenta 800 posibles riesgos. Eso significa que si una crisis laboral o de vida interfiere con los estudios, la universidad puede tratar de intervenir.

“En vez de esperar que los estudiantes en cada uno de esos casos diagnostiquen el problema y acudan a nosotros en busca de ayuda, nosotros nos estamos comunicando proactivamente con ellos en un plazo de 24 o 48 horas después de detectar uno de esos problemas”, dijo Renick.

En Colorado, ninguna universidad lleva notas tan detalladas sobre los estudiantes.

Los días de trabajo, Luis y su madre entran a trabajar en la fábrica a las 6:30 am. Él usualmente trabaja hasta la hora de almuerzo y luego se dirige a la casa para hacer la tarea o toma el tren para ir a sus clases. Su gerente le da flexibilidad para trabajar de acuerdo con su horario de clases.

Luis se levanta a las 7 de la mañana hasta los días en que no trabaja.

Luis se pregunta si podrá mantener el intenso horario de trabajo y de estudios a tiempo completo, pero dice que se siente equipado para hacerlo.

Él trata de ayudar en la casa o pasar tiempo con sus hermanos menores. En los raros días que tiene tiempo para sí mismo, dice que le gusta “disfrutar un poco de la vida.” Usualmente eso incluye ver un programa de televisión.

Dice que rara vez se siente demasiado cansado. Se apoya en la fuerza de su familia y en su orientador del programa Pathways. Tomó un seminario de manejo del tiempo, y por eso se siente preparado para controlar su agenda.

Sin embargo, le preocupa si podrá mantener el programa a largo plazo y qué retos podrían desviarle del camino.

Modelo de conducta para una familia extendida

Después de un largo día, los hermanos Hernández a veces pasan el rato juntos en el sofá. Luis suele hacer tarea en su computadora portátil. Jimy podría estar viendo las noticias o navegando en su teléfono.

También pasan tiempo con sus dos hermanos menores, Alejandro, de 13 años, y Brian, de 14. Los hermanos Hernández mayores tienen las mismas expectativas universitarias de sus padres para sus hermanos menores.

“Siempre les digo que se queden en la escuela y que hagan algo por sí mismos”, dijo Jimy.

Y Luis espera poder ser un ejemplo a seguir para sus hermanos, así como para otros varones hispanos que aspiran a obtener algún día un título universitario.

“Tengo mucha presión por ser el primero en ir a la universidad”, dijo. “Pero mis primos y hermanos me admiran y ven lo que estoy haciendo. Quiero ser una inspiración para ellos.”

Is college worth it? A Colorado report aims to answer that question.

2023-12-15T21:04:24+00:00

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Is college worth it? It can be, but students need to have better information about what a college education can lead to.

According to a recent Colorado report, residents who complete college fare much better than their counterparts. In fact, those who finish a bachelor’s degree greatly outearn residents with only a high school diploma by several hundred dollars a week.

The annual 2023 Higher Education Return on Investment Report commissioned by lawmakers provides a high-level look at how Colorado students fare if they get a college certificate, associate degree, or bachelor’s degree. This year’s report shows the debt held by college graduates has dropped and in-demand jobs are expected to grow, but there are still pay gaps for college-educated residents.

The data shows white and Asian American graduates earn more than Black and Hispanic graduates.

The information in the report is crucial to help students make a decision about whether they should go to college, advocates said. They also say the state can go a step further by displaying more information that students can use, including which college programs benefit them the most.

TeRay Esquibel, Ednium: The Alumni Collective executive director, said the report helps build a collective understanding of what students can expect if they go to college. In recent years, students, especially those who are from low-income backgrounds, have questioned more and more whether to go to college due to high tuition and debt.

Esquibel said even more data can not only help students decide if they want to go, but decide which college to enroll in. His organization provides Denver Public Schools graduates resources to prepare themselves for college and careers.

He said he hears from students who want to understand whether they’re going to be able to take care of their family or give back to their community by going to college. They don’t want to be stuck with high debt and no support once they graduate.

“Students should be able to ask the question, ‘if I make this investment, what do I get out of it?’” Esquibel said. “I don’t know anybody that would make an investment of four years of time and potentially tens of thousands of dollars without being able to ask the question, ‘What can I expect?’”

Below are three takeaways from this year’s report.

Graduates are leaving with less debt

This year’s report reaffirms that higher education continues to be important.

About 91% of Colorado jobs with the potential to provide an income that can support a family of three require some education beyond high school — either a college certificate, associate degree, or bachelor’s degree.

Student debt, however, can cut into the ability of students to make enough money to support themselves.

The good news is that the total amount of debt among Colorado public college and university graduates has declined in recent years. Colorado students who earn a bachelor’s carried a debt load on average of $25,200 in 2022, down $1,300 from 2016. And community college graduates leave with about $12,900 in debt, down by $900 during the same time period.

Van Schoales, the Keystone Policy Center’s senior policy director, said the data surprised him, but shows there’s a greater return on going to college now. The nonprofit works with policy leaders on contentious topics to reach common ground.

“I think that’s a really bright light for Colorado,” he said.

Job growth in Colorado continues to look promising

Across Colorado, job growth among the top in-demand jobs will continue to grow by 1.3% over the next five years.

The healthcare and social assistance job sector — which includes nurses and youth and family social workers — is expected to see the greatest increases, growing by over 35,000 jobs.

But Colorado has struggled to fill many jobs, with two available jobs for every unemployed person.

Katie Zaback, Colorado Succeeds vice president of policy, said she hopes the data is shared widely throughout the state and in a way that’s helpful for students. Colorado Succeeds is a coalition of business leaders interested in improving education and training for students.

“We need to do more to help students understand what those programs are, what kind of jobs they lead to, and what the demand for different jobs are so that they can make smart choices about what they want to pursue,” she said.

There are still big gaps in who benefits the most

Colorado Black and Hispanic residents who graduate with a bachelor’s degree make less than their peers, the report shows.

The report says those wage gaps have marginally decreased in the last decade. But the state must also do more to bolster inclusion in the state’s workforce, according to the report.

Esquibel said equitable access to information about college should be a foundational key to getting more students from low-income backgrounds interested in what college has to offer.

He hopes the report isn’t just read by policymakers, he said, but displayed in a way that’s accessible to teachers, students, and families.

“We’re seeing a huge swath of students that are coming from low-income backgrounds dismiss college out of hand because nobody can give them a tangible sense of what their return on investment is going to be,” he said.

How researchers see AI helping university admissions officers comb through college essays

2023-12-08T17:00:00+00:00

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Every year, university admissions officers read and sort through tens of thousands of essays. It’s a long, arduous process.

Now, some researchers say an artificial intelligence tool may be able to help admissions officers sort through essays and recognize prospective students who might previously have gone unrecognized.

The application is a long way off from actually being used in the admissions process, but the group that includes researchers from the University of Colorado Boulder say it has the ability to pull out key traits of students, such as leadership qualities or the ability to persevere.

The possible use of AI in admissions, however, raises questions about how universities would responsibly use it, especially because college admissions officers have said essays might carry more weight in the wake of the Supreme Court decision eliminating the use of race-based admissions.

Sidney D’Mello, a CU Boulder professor in the Institute of Cognitive Science and Department of Computer Science who helped develop the system, said he and fellow researchers want to emphasize the responsible use of AI, including calling for transparency in how admissions decisions would be made.

“We’re certainly very, very firm on the fact that it’s really what we call human-centered AI,” he said, “where the human is really the one making the decisions” and the AI acts as a tool.

To develop the AI tool, D’Mello and researchers from the University of Pennsylvania used more than 300,000 anonymous, 150-word essays submitted to colleges in 2008 and 2009. Those essays focused on extracurricular activities and work experiences.

A group of admissions officers then read those essays and scored them based on seven characteristics. The researchers trained the AI system based on how admissions officers evaluated those characteristics within the essays.

The AI platform was able to identify those characteristics in new essays and assign qualities to applicants across different student backgrounds, including whether students demonstrated teamwork or intrinsic motivation.

D’Mello said the model also showed it has potential to avoid bias by being designed not to show a preference for any particular racial, gender, or socioeconomic background.

“This is really kind of blending what computers do best — they can find patterns in large volumes of data — with what humans do best and that’s finding the best in each other,” D’Mello said. “This is the core of how we’ve been trying to approach this.”

Many universities across the country are evaluating their admissions processes after the Supreme Court’s affirmative action decision banning race-based admissions. They want to ensure they build diverse classes while still complying with the law.

U.S. Department of Education guidelines encourage colleges to use materials such as essays to get a fuller picture of who students are, the communities they come from, and any adversity — including discrimination — they might have dealt with.

At the same time, Melissa Clinedinst, director of research initiatives and partnership with the National Association for College Admission Counseling, said schools still rank essays lower than a student’s grades for college admissions or test scores. Colorado has made test scores optional for students for students applying to public universities.

Clinedist said colleges are trying harder than ever to find ways to improve their admissions processes. She could see how AI systems might appeal to school officials who have to sort through thousands to tens of thousands of essays with only limited staff to do so.

AJ Alvero, a computational sociologist at the University of Florida who focuses on language, ethnicity, culture, and education, and who wasn’t involved in the study, but reviewed it at the request of Chalkbeat, said the researchers do a great job keeping the ethical issues of bias at the forefront of their study.

Getting to a point where universities could use AI systems might be a long way away, he said.

“A technical concern here could be, if and when universities adopt these tools, are they considering how student language is changing?” he said.

He also said universities would need to put accountability measures in place if there are errors and have staff on hand, such as a computer scientist, to handle any potential problems.

Alvero said schools would also benefit students by allowing more transparency in the application process. Transparency could also give researchers a better look at how to evaluate bias within school decisions and how to train the AI systems.

D’Mello and his fellow researchers hope to continue to develop the AI, including small testing in cooperation with universities.

“We really want to take a measure twice, cut once approach when it comes to high-stakes things such as this,” he said.

Counselors welcome the Better FAFSA. But its delay might have consequences for students.

2023-11-20T23:50:45+00:00

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After months of waiting, Colorado college advisors, families, and students finally know when the application for college financial aid will be available.

Last week, the U.S. Department of Education announced its shorter, simplified Free Application for Federal Student Aid, called the Better FAFSA, will be released by Dec. 31 and be available through June 30. The form, which determines eligibility for federal money and scholarships for college, is typically released in October. The Education Department said the delays are because it took some time to simplify the form.

FAFSA completion correlates to whether students head to college, and Colorado has had one of the lowest FAFSA completion rates in the country. Last year, about 47% of high school seniors completed the form, compared to 58.9% nationally.

To help make the complex form easier for students and families to fill out, the FAFSA will be narrowed down to fewer than 20 questions instead of more than 100. Advocates have called for a simpler form for years, and the Education Department expects an increase in students qualifying for federal aid because more students are expected to fill it out. But the delayed release means counselors have less time to work with more students.

Nationally and in Colorado, about half of all high school students who fill out the form do so from October to December, said Bill DeBaun, National College Attainment Network senior director of data and strategic initiatives. The other half fill out the form from January to June.

Vinny Caricato, who runs the KIPP Forward program at KIPP Colorado Public Schools, says his students are already preparing to fill out the FAFSA. The schools work with about 250 students and aim to have 100% completion.

So far, he’s had students create federal online accounts, called FSA ID, and portfolios with documents they will need to apply. He also has students use the Federal Student Aid calculator to get an idea of how much money they could qualify for.

Natasha Garfield, Denver Scholarship Foundation scholarship director, said the new timeline also has shifted the usual plan for FAFSA season. The Denver Scholarship Foundation aims to help Denver students get to and finish college through advising and scholarships.

Most schools and nonprofits are holding FAFSA events in January — later than usual — to help families apply. The Colorado Department of Higher Education has already held workshops for counselors to prepare them for what’s new, including guidance on the Colorado Application for State Financial Aid, or CAFSA. It helps determine financial aid awards for undocumented students at state institutions. Those students can’t apply for federal aid. The application will open at the same time as FAFSA.

Garfield said the organization is gearing up for a “very busy spring” helping students through the FAFSA and CAFSA. The staff at DSF worked with over 9,000 high school students and families last year. The organization also works with about 2,000 college students who need to renew their financial aid application.

Tiffany Gusbeth, Vice President of Student Success Services at the American Indian College Fund, worries about students feeling overwhelmed by how much they will need to do and consider.

Her organization works with Indigenous students nationwide, and she said her students are primarily first-generation students from low-income backgrounds who are less likely to make it to college.

She said many of the students she works with are interested in college, but don’t know about the financial aid process. Counselors have a limited time to get them the information they need.

“Motivation and momentum is really important,” Gusbeth said, “But once they’re about ready to graduate, they’re going to slip off the radar.”

Colleges’ financial aid letters might be available by mid-February at the earliest. Metropolitan State University of Denver officials estimate they will be able to notify students about aid offers in March and April. About a third of the school’s students qualify for federal aid.

Kerline Eglaus, MSU Denver’s executive director of financial aid and scholarships, said the school will be flexible with application deadlines, including for scholarships and its free college program.

The school has also sent out text message alerts to students about the FAFSA delay. Some current students were worried about when they would be able to renew their financial aid application, she said.

“We’ve just asked to please continue to give us grace,” Eglaus said. “Our offices are going to be working tirelessly to learn all of this new information to continue providing a level of knowledge that they (students and families) are used to getting from us.”

Higher education data breach threatens how well policymakers can track student progress

2023-11-13T23:05:23+00:00

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A major data breach at the Colorado Department of Higher Education that compromised personal information for tens of thousands of current and former students has also prevented the department from viewing important data.

At least a half dozen reports that advocates and policymakers rely on are delayed, with no clear timeline for completion. That might seem like a minor hiccup compared to the student records breach, but the lack of data analysis creates a blind spot as lawmakers head into the next session.

Keystone Policy Center Senior Policy Director Van Schoales, whose organization helps provide solutions to contentious policy debates, said the data helps advocates frame issues such as low college attendance so they can urgently push for changes.

“This data provides us guidance and helps us analyze what’s working so that we can make more effective investments for students,” Schoales said. “It’s pretty critical for the state’s economic development.”

It’s unclear when the state will be able to access its data, and an internal and criminal investigation is ongoing. The data breach occurred June 19, according to CDHE. The department provided public notification about the cyberattack on Aug. 4. The state had to recreate its databases from backups, according to a September letter to lawmakers.

The breach included names, Social Security numbers or student identification numbers, and other education records, according to the department. People affected includes anyone who went to a Colorado college or university between 2007-20 and or was enrolled in high school between 2004-20 is potentially impacted.

House Education Committee Chair state Rep. Barbara McLachlan, a Durango Democrat, said lawmakers have been briefed on the issues and the department has asked for help from the State Office of Risk Management. Colorado lawmakers often use the information to draft bills.

“We rely on these reports and the fact that all of that could be delayed, there might just be some late bills,” she said. “We just have to be flexible.”

For instance, the state would usually be able to release its concurrent enrollment report, which lawmakers use to determine whether college courses in high school are on track to helping all students. Without such data, making decisions to better the program is difficult, Schoales said.

It’s unclear when the state will be able to issue reports. Affected reports include:

The Master Plan dashboard that tracks higher education outcomes statewide and whether Colorado is meeting its goals. The dashboard currently displays information such as which student groups are graduating and with what degree or credential.
A report that details how many students are enrolled at Colorado institutions of higher education. The report helps explain enrollment trends.
The annual Concurrent Enrollment Report, which shows where and how high school students enroll in college classes. The state has made concurrent enrollment a major focus area as it tries to get more students to college, but without the report, policymakers can’t see gaps or successes.
The annual Financial Aid Report that tracks how accessible money for college is for students. Financial aid helps make higher education accessible for more students, and the report tracks what aid students receive.
The Post-secondary Progress and Success of High School Graduates report that tracks how Colorado high school graduates do in Colorado’s colleges and universities. The report examines whether students stay enrolled and which programs they graduate from.
A remedial and developmental report that tracks whether students need extra academic support in certain subjects once they enter college. The report is important to understand whether high schools are preparing students for college and whether the state’s policy on remedial education is working.

State Rep. Rose Pugliese, a Colorado Springs Republican who serves on the education committee, said Republican leadership sent a letter in late October to the department seeking more information about the breach and urging the state to do a better job notifying residents about it.

She hopes the breach leads to better data security, and worries that it will slow down bills to improve K-12 and higher education.

“We want to make the best decisions possible,” she said, “but we have to do that based on good information.”

Katie Zaback, Colorado Succeeds vice president of policy, said Colorado has a large trove of educational outcome data that shows how programs and policies are working in the state. The nonprofit Colorado Succeeds brings together business leaders to try to help make the education system better.

The reports are only the tip of the data the state collects, with Colorado having one of the richest data collections in the country, Zaback said. The department only publishes a fraction of the information about its programs.

The state would benefit from making more information public, she said.

“I really hope that this spurs an effort to kind of bring together those resources instead of continuing to spread them out, and where information can be shared more broadly,” she said.

Data breaches like in Colorado have become more frequent. Recently, hackers were able to access Jefferson County Schools and Denver Public Schools data. Other school districts, higher education institutions, and education groups nationwide have needed to contend with cybersecurity breaches.

The state has provided a hotline for those affected. You can call 833-301-1346 between 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Victims also can get 24 months of complimentary credit monitoring.

New MSU Denver program aims to train more male educators of color

2023-11-10T18:53:44+00:00

Every time the three educators-in-training leave Denver’s Green Valley Elementary School, students ask when they will be back.

They invite the three men to basketball practice and games. The students get excited to see them during special events like Trunk-or-Treat — and not just because they give big handfuls of candy.

In short, Joshua Barringer, Christopher Livingston, and Jordan Puch have become very popular. That may be in part because Green Valley students — most of whom are Black and Hispanic — often don’t get to interact with Black male teachers like Barringer, Livingston, and Puch.

“They love us. They always want to come up to us and give us a hug,” Barringer said. “It’s just amazing how the kids click with us and we only got here but so long ago.”

The three educators are part of a program called Call Me MISTER, which stands for Mentors Instructing Students Toward Effective Role Models and helps train men of color, especially Black men, to become educators. The program began at several South Carolina colleges and universities in 2000, and its goal is to increase the pool of teachers from diverse backgrounds, which has long been a challenge for K-12 education — less than 2% of all teachers nationwide are Black men, for example.

Call Me MISTER now operates in 12 states and has over 500 graduates.

This year, Metropolitan State University of Denver brought the program to its school of education. The school, Colorado’s second-largest teacher preparation program, hired Associate Professor Rashad Anderson to run the program, and launched Call Me MISTER with undergraduates Barringer, Livingston, and Puch.

Although it’s started small, university leaders and Anderson plan on the school becoming a hub for the entire state to train more men of color from low-income backgrounds to become teachers. Research has indicated that students benefit from having “same-race role models” as teachers.

Livingston, 22, a senior studying elementary education, said he’s loved watching how well the kids respond to him and his instruction, especially students who haven’t responded as well to other teachers.

“Not every educator can reach some students, and that’s something that we really take pride in,” he said. “And they’re happy about it. I know they’re ready for more of us to be here.”

Jennifer Buckland, Green Valley principal said the first time the men visited, “It was like LeBron James walked into the building.”

Buckland’s students get to see the MISTERs twice a week as they train to become teachers. She said seeing people who look like them represented in classrooms not only helps students learn, but also helps them see their potential. She said if she could, she would hire them immediately.

“Our students should be able to walk in and see someone that looks like them,” Buckland said. “Our students should be able to walk in and have a conversation with them and be taught by someone that understands them — that makes them want to be the best that they can be.”

Helping get Metropolitan State University’s MISTERs program off the ground was a big step for Barringer, Livingston, and Puch. They transferred from South Carolina State University to help establish the program at MSU Denver’s campus, which is the furthest west the program has expanded.

Call Me MISTER started at Clemson University, as well as historically Black schools Morris College, Claflin University, and Benedict College.

Barringer, Livingston, and Puch get tuition support, a place to live, and money to buy books and pay for licensure exams. They also get hands-on experience at schools like Green Valley, mentoring, and a network that supports their professional development.

Helping Anderson start the program at MSU Denver took a leap of faith, they said. But they knew under his guidance they could make the program successful.

While they’re adjusting to the colder weather, the transition as student educators at Green Valley has been easy. The program has trained the MISTERs to be ready for whatever happens in the classroom, said Puch, 22, who is a senior majoring in elementary education.

“To come in with that confidence and with that background experience already, I’m at the point where this is a breeze. This is lovely,” Puch said. “I’m more than just a teacher. I’m more than just a Black man. I’m a nurturer, a humanistic practitioner. I’m a father figure.”

Anderson aleft South Carolina State University for MSU Denver after he saw an advertisement that said “Changemakers Wanted.” The ad called to him.

MSU Denver’s goal is to expand and serve the region through a Mile High MISTER program. He hopes other schools will sign on to the program and MSU Denver will act as a hub to train more educators of color and especially Black men. He wants 12 MISTERs by next school year and two other higher education institutions in Colorado to sign on.

Elizabeth Hinde, a professor and founding dean of MSU Denver’s school of education, said the program adds a valuable support tool to the school’s roster of programs, Hinde said. About half of all students within the education school are of color, she said.

“Although this is a program to support all students of color, Black men especially need support in ways that others don’t,” she said.

Anderson said Barringer, Livingston, and Puch deserve praise for believing in what the program can become in Colorado and the impact they can have on kids.

“The only way that you can describe these three are visionary leaders,” he said. “They are revolutionaries. … There are not a lot of young people like them to do what they did.”

Barringer, a 20-year-old secondary education major, said he’s seen how his life experiences have helped him connect with students. He grew up with a single mother and he’s connected with a student who is going through the same situation.

“That just let me know that my work is just beginning,” Barringer said.

Proposed Colorado budget would fully fund K-12 schools for first time since Great Recession

2023-11-02T00:08:46+00:00

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Next year’s Colorado budget could mark the first time since the Great Recession that the state meets its constitutional obligations to fund K-12 schools.

Gov. Jared Polis released his proposed budget on Wednesday. It includes an additional $564.1 million for K-12 education and brings an end to what has been known as the budget stabilization factor, a mechanism that allows lawmakers to divert K-12 funding to other priorities.

Polis said the money would allow school districts to lower class size and pay teachers more. His budget also includes $42.7 million more for higher education institutions, financial aid, and student support.

Amendment 23 requires that K-12 funding increase every year by the rate of population growth plus inflation. But since 2009, through the budget stabilization factor, lawmakers have diverted over $10 billion that should go to K-12 schools. When they set this year’s budget, they promised to end the practice altogether next year.

Polis’ proposed budget sticks with that promise, though he warned that nothing is set in stone.

“It’s not a done deal in that sense because previous legislators can’t force the funding,” Polis said.

Polis is required to craft a budget proposal every year by Nov. 1. But the budget lawmakers adopt in March or April is actually written by the six legislators on the Joint Budget Committee.

Polis’ budget would bring total state spending to $43.5 billion and calls for new investments in housing, health care, renewable energy, and public safety in addition to education.

Polis’ 2024-25 fiscal year budget would increase K-12 funding to about $9.67 billion, or about 6% more than this year. The budget earmarks $705 more per student in funding, or an about 6.6% increase. Statewide, that would bring per pupil spending to $11,319.

The budget doesn’t factor in the effects of Proposition HH. If voters approve the complex property tax relief measure, school districts would have less money from local property taxes and the state would have to increase its own schools funding to make up the difference. However, there should be enough money in the state education fund, a sort of savings account, to cover that obligation.

If Proposition HH doesn’t pass, lawmakers could be debating property taxes again, with uncertain impacts.

The governor also wants $39.7 million more for college and university budgets and financial aid for students. Another $3 million would be used to support the college attendance of youth who have experienced homelessness.

Colleges and universities would also be allowed to increase tuition 2% for in-state and 6% for out-of-state students.

In previous years, college and university leaders have banded together to request more funding. Last year, higher education leaders said the governor’s budget didn’t include enough to cover inflationary increases, increased student services, and increased wages.

“Everybody always wants more money and institutions of higher education are no exception, but we’re confident that we can meet these goals,” Polis said.

Other K-12 and higher education highlights include:

$15 million to fully fund the state’s Charter School Mill Levy Equalization fund, bringing the total to $42 million. This money would provide state-authorized charter schools with similar funding to district-authorized charter schools, which benefit from additional local property taxes.
$8 million more focused on science, technology, engineering, and math grants to fund after-school enrichment and programming.
$4.3 million for universal preschool. About $3.3 million go to better the state’s technology systems after a rocky rollout. Another $1 million would go toward improving quality among providers.
$7.8 million to boost work-based learning in K-12 schools, $5 million to address statewide veterinary shortages, and $3.1 million for educational talent mentorship programs to help support teachers.
$2 million in grant funding and $30 million in tax credits to expand apprenticeship programs. Polis also wants $2 million and $30 million in tax credits to support Opportunity Now grants, or a program that helps develop public-private partnerships focused on workforce development.

For the last several years, Republicans have pushed for more school funding and accused the Democrats who control the legislature of expanding other government programs at the expense of schools. Democrats have said they want to increase school funding responsibly and sustainably — and the state only now has the resources to meet its constitutional obligations.

In a press release in response to Polis’ budget, Senate Minority Leader Paul Lundeen, a Monument Republican, referred back to that history.

“After years of Republican demands that we fully fund students — instead of growing state government, we are glad to see Governor Polis chose to follow our leadership and prioritize funding for students and teachers,” Lundeen said. “It is critically important that the budget proposal acknowledges that charter school students are public school students and deserve equal funding support.”

Polis’ budget was met with praise by the Colorado Education Association.

In a news release, the association, which represents nearly 40,000 educators, said the governor’s budget underscores the attentiveness to their concerns and an unwavering commitment to strengthening public education.

“We are ready to move into our fully funded era,” said Amie Baca-Oehlert, a high school counselor and president of the association. “We applaud Governor Polis for taking swift action to address the long-standing funding challenges faced by Colorado’s public schools.”

Polis will need to update his budget in January. That budget will then head to the Joint Budget Committee, which will craft a budget that will be voted on by the House and Senate. During that time, House and Senate members can propose amendments that will then be considered by the budget committee before the final budget is approved.

Colorado loan forgiveness program for teachers accepting applications through Oct. 31

2023-10-27T00:41:35+00:00

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Colorado teachers have a few more days to apply to the state’s temporary student-loan forgiveness program for educators, after the higher education department extended the deadline.

The program, in its second year, taps federal pandemic relief money to provide newer educators in the state with $5,000 to help reduce their student loan balances. The new application deadline is Oct. 31.

Lawmakers intended to hand out about 2,000 such awards. But the state has rejected more than half of all applicants, and so far only about 1,200 have received the aid.

Part of the problem, some educators say, is confusion between two Colorado loan forgiveness programs for educators. The one funded through federal pandemic relief money is for educators who started working after the 2019-20 school year. Most of the rejected applicants had been in the profession longer, and some thought they were applying for a similar but separate program approved in 2019 that’s for teachers at all levels of experience.

Nonetheless, the large number of applications points to wide demand for debt relief.

The newer loan forgiveness program was part of a $52 million package of measures funded by federal relief money to help Colorado address teacher shortages. It also included programs that provide aid for educators to pay for certification tests and stipends for student teachers.

Colorado lawmakers set aside $10 million for the loan forgiveness plan through December 2024. So far the Colorado Department of Higher Education has distributed about $6.25 million of that and expects to spend the rest in the latest round. Educators can apply for an award even if they previously received money.

Teachers have had issues navigating the program, and some educators haven’t completely filled out the required paperwork, according to department spokeswoman Megan McDermott.

“We believe that teachers and special service providers are busy in their classrooms and may not have the time to complete the paperwork,” said McDermott. “Also, there is confusion between the federal programs and the state of Colorado programs, which is confusing to educators determining which programs are available.”

In the first year, the pandemic-era program served only rural teachers or those in hard-to-recruit fields, such as math or special education, who were in their first few years on the job.

That year, 359 educators received $5,000 awards, according to the higher education department. Of that group, the state has data on 281 applicants. They represented 52 districts and were mostly teachers in their first two years on the job. Most had less than $51,000 in total debt.

To reach more teachers, lawmakers broadened eligibility this year by removing the stipulation that teachers must be from rural districts or teach in hard-to-recruit subjects. The updates also increased the income limits.

After that change, the state gave aid to 884 more applicants.

Many more — over 2,250 applicants — have had their applications rejected.

Sarabeth Smith, a 12-year educator in East Grand School District, said she didn’t realize she had applied for the program for newer educators. Both programs use the same online form.

She said the directions weren’t clear, and she didn’t get a reason for her rejection the first time she applied.

More educators need help, she said, and not just those within their first few years.

Smith said many educators in their seventh or eighth year of teaching have a hard time staying in the field because of financial constraints. She said she works multiple jobs and is paying off loans for her master’s degree.

She used a federal loan forgiveness program for teachers to help pay off her bachelor’s degree loans and is hoping for more help.

“Any help towards the professional is just always going to make it a little easier to keep teachers and attract new teachers,” she said. “We know these shortages are not getting any better.”

The state’s other loan forgiveness program, which began before the pandemic, was slated to last five years and help rural teachers and those who specialize in hard-to-fill subjects. It’s open to educators of all levels.

Lawmakers were forced to put that program on hold because of budget shortfalls. The program will distribute money in 2024 to this year’s applicants, according to the higher education department.

Instructions on the top of the current application form say: “The Original rural educator application is closed at this time. You can apply for the Temporary Educator program.” But they don’t specify that the temporary program is only for newer teachers.

The program for new teachers has received about 600 applications in the latest round, the state said when it extended the deadline. This may be the last application period, or there could be one more round in the spring, the higher education department said.

McDermott reminded applicants to answer all questions and to submit required items such as a copy of their teaching license, if applicable, and employment verification.

Also, applicants must include their student loan information for the state to be able to make the payments, she said.

Despite the confusion, the program has helped, said Frank Reeves, who retired as East Grand’s superintendent last year and is the director of operations and strategic partnerships of the Colorado Rural Schools Alliance.

Districts like East Grand that are in resort areas have less trouble recruiting teachers, he said. But housing is expensive, and teachers need help, especially with student loan payments that cut into their expendable income, he said.

“It’s been more incentive to keep people, not really attract,” Reeves said.

Meanwhile, research shows the longstanding federal loan forgiveness program for educators isn’t succeeding at helping districts keep teachers and attract new ones.

That program, established in 1998, forgives $5,000 of debt for teachers, and possibly more for teachers in certain subjects. But a study released this summer found that attrition patterns among participants were the same as for those who didn’t get loan forgiveness.

The program also ran into issues getting applicants to properly fill out the forms, and researchers recommended streamlining the process.

Shaped by pandemic hardships, more Colorado college students are sticking with school

2023-10-20T01:03:46+00:00

Stephanie Araiza tries to keep the tough days at the University of Colorado Boulder in context.

Her parents struggled to earn money during the pandemic because they weren’t getting as many hours. Unlike many who could do their jobs remotely or whose work was considered essential, they didn’t have a college degree.

That’s helped Araiza, 20, a junior who is studying integrated psychology and wants to be a doctor, keep her goals in mind. It’s also helped her keep her struggles to acclimate to the academic demands and find a community at CU Boulder in perspective — none of them can compare to the difficulties her family endured during the pandemic. She wants to graduate for her family, and also to ensure she can always find work.

“I personally want to pay them back back for all the sacrifices they made, especially during the pandemic,” said Araiza.

Araiza is one of a record number of students this year sticking with school from year-to-year at CU Boulder.

In the wake of the pandemic and deep disruptions to education, fewer graduating high school students have gone to college. But recently released retention numbers show that the share of students who are sticking with college is on the rise. The improvement reflects the ways institutions like CU Boulder have put more priority on supporting students, especially students of color. It also reflects the resilience of students like Araiza after enduringing pandemic hardships.

“I do feel like they’ve done better,” Araiza said of the school.

This year, 89% of CU Boulder students stayed enrolled into their second year, according to school numbers. And 81.7% of students entered into their third year. Each are all-time highs for the school.

The focus on retention, or the ability of schools to keep students enrolled on a yearly basis, has become crucial for CU Boulder and nearly every school in the state.

College leaders worry about an upcoming enrollment cliff, or the dropoff in college-aged students that would impact enrollment numbers. Keeping students on campus keeps enrollment up. Some college leaders in Colorado also worry about competition from other universities, especially out of state, impacting their pool of applicants.

But when school leaders like those at CU Boulder focus on retention, the benefits don’t just go to the institutions.

Retention efforts most benefit students, especially students of color and from lower socioeconomic backgrounds. Graduating opens up higher paying job opportunities. And students who only have some college are saddled with debt and federal labor data shows they make far less than graduates. Statewide, Colorado has over 700,000 residents with some college, but no degree.

Despite the positive overall trend at CU Boulder, the numbers show the university still hasn’t bridged the gap between students of color and white students, although the numbers improved for both groups.

About 82% of Black freshmen persisted into their sophomore year, up by 1.2 percentage points from the 2021 freshman class. Hispanic freshmen students stayed on campus into their sophomore year at a rate of 85.9%, up 4.3 percentage points from the previous class.

Meanwhile, about 91% of white students stayed enrolled into their sophomore year.

Retention rates were lower among freshmen during the 2021-22 academic year who are now juniors and spent most of their high school senior year in remote learning. About 69% of Black students and 74% of Hispanic students made it to their junior year. That’s compared to 84% of white students.

Luis Licon, a junior studying political science who is also running for CU System regent in 2024, said the school does a lot of general outreach to help students, although sometimes it’s not targeted enough to individuals who might be struggling. He’s felt the school has done a better job at recognizing the cultural backgrounds of students and making them feel like a part of campus.

“But I do feel like I can manage this, because I’ve experienced much worse,” Licon said, who at one point lived in his car.

Efforts to retain students focus on mentoring, housing

CU Boulder leaders began to take a deeper look at undergraduate retention about two years ago, because the school hadn’t historically helped enough students return every year, said Katherine Eggert, senior vice provost for academic planning and assessment.

The committee, called the The Buff Undergraduate Success Leadership Implementation Team, got school leaders talking for the first time to understand how best to support students from year to year, she said.

The committee has made some changes and plans for others. Changes in the spring included a published directory of tutoring resources and inclusive spaces. Priorities for this fall include streamlining academic advising and improving campus tutoring.

The committee also wants to make it more affordable for students from low-income backgrounds, and to refocus some support programs to provide consistent help to some students.

“The goal is just to serve our students better and that includes closing the gaps between student populations who need more help,” Eggert said. “We want everybody to have the same opportunities to succeed and if we’re not making those opportunities real we need to figure out why.”

Other Colorado schools have also increased student retention.

Fort Lewis College increased student retention from 59% last year to 63% this year among its freshmen. CSU’s retention is up by 1.4 points to 84.9%, and made strides retaining more students of color and those who are the first to go to college in their family.

Like CU Boulder, the University of Northern Colorado has also posted some of its strongest numbers. The school’s fall 2023 retention rate of 74.5% is its second-highest ever.

The school has focused heavily on student-to-student mentoring in recent years to help students with questions they have about college and how to get help, said Cedric Howard, Northern Colorado’s vice president for student affairs and enrollment services.

The school has also tried harder to address food and housing insecurity, as well mental health and anxiety, Howard said. The school wants students to feel like they belong on campus.

“I think all that has allowed students to feel that UNC is not just a place for them to learn, but it is actually a place for me to grow and develop as a person,” Howard said.

At CU Boulder, Paola Medrano, 19, a sophomore studying political science, said a sense of belonging has helped her feel like she can get to graduation. With the help of staff, she has participated in specialized programs on campus such as the McNeill Academic Program, which helps a cohort of about 400 students get academic advising, and Por La Cultura for Multicultural and Latinx students, where she’s made friends.

Like Araiza, Medrano also said the pandemic has had a big impact on her motivation to stick with college.

She watched as her parents struggled, especially her dad, who couldn’t get consistent work farming. She wants the security a college education can help provide. The pandemic made her determined to persevere.

“If I can go through that I can go through anything,” she said.

¿Quieres ir a la universidad? Aquí hay 5 consejos para ayudarte a pagar por una educación universitaria en Colorado

2023-10-18T19:43:12+00:00

Read in English.

¿Cómo voy a pagar por la universidad? Con frecuencia, no poder contestar esa pregunta hace que los estudiantes de Colorado no asistan a la universidad.

Por otro lado, los estudiantes rara vez pagan el precio completo. En cambio, hay numerosas opciones para que los estudiantes consigan dinero para la universidad, y en especial los programas gratuitos que Colorado ofrece para ayudar a los estudiantes a pagar por algunos créditos o por toda la carrera universitaria.

Estos son cinco consejos para ayudar a los estudiantes a conseguir dinero para la universidad:

Aprovecha los programas universitarios

Inscripción simultánea. Doble inscripción. Quinto año de high school. Colorado Promise. Career Advance.

Hay una inmensa cantidad de programas para elegir y pueden ser específicos, todo depende si todavía estás en high school, matriculado en una universidad o en un programa particular. Algunos programas solamente pagan por una cantidad designada de créditos universitarios. Otros pagan toda tu carrera universitaria.

Inscripción simultánea o doble — En casi todos los distritos de Colorado los estudiantes de high school pueden inscribirse gratuitamente en clases de nivel universitario mientras están en la high school. Las clases ofrecidas pueden variar de un distrito a otro. Algunos estudiantes pueden asistir a clases en su high school, tomar clases en línea o ir a un campus universitario. Los programas están muy extendidos por todo el estado y su objetivo es ayudar a los estudiantes a obtener desde unos pocos créditos hasta un diploma de grado asociado. En promedio, la mayoría de los estudiantes se inscriben en unas dos clases universitarias mientras están en la high school. Algunas opciones populares incluyen cursos introductorios como redacción en inglés, álgebra universitaria, psicología, comunicaciones o clases de administración de empresas.

ASCENT, P-TECH y Early College — ASCENT es una opción de quinto año para que los estudiantes asistan a la universidad mientras le extienden un año a su educación high school. Hay plazas limitadas para los estudiantes de todo el estado, y el quinto año de high school es gratuito para ellos.

P-TECH también es una opción gratuita pero menos común que les enseña conocimientos más técnicos a los estudiantes, como soldadura y otros oficios. Aunque cubre el costo de las clases universitarias ofrecidas, es posible que los estudiantes tengan que pagar el transporte o los libros.

Early College, que se ofrece en algunas high schools de distrito y escuelas chárter, permite que los estudiantes se gradúen en cuatro años con un grado asociado. No hay muchos en todo el estado.

Care Forward Colorado y Career Advance Colorado — Care Forward Colorado ofrece educación gratuita en los colegios comunitarios del estado en campos de salud, que incluyen enfermería, flebotomía, técnico(a) de emergencias médicas y asistente dental.

Career Advance Colorado comenzó este año como una expansión del programa de atención médica. Los campos de estudio elegibles para obtener educación gratuita incluyen educación, cumplimiento de la ley, bomberos y educación en la niñez temprana. Los programas de educación pagan dos años de educación en un colegio comunitario antes de que los estudiantes se trasladen a una universidad de cuatro años.

Es probable que estos programas terminen cuando se agote el dinero, y por lo tanto es una oportunidad que se ofrece por orden de llegada.

Programas University Promise — Algunas universidades de todo el estado, que incluyen la Universidad de Colorado en Boulder, el Fort Lewis College y la Colorado State University Pueblo, ofrecen inscripción gratuita para estudiantes que califican para recibir ayuda financiera federal. Cada institución tiene requisitos de elegibilidad. Por ejemplo, CU Boulder recientemente expandió su programa para estudiantes de ingeniería.

Planifica tus opciones

Como estudiante de primer año de high school, la universidad puede ser en lo menos que piensas. Y nadie está diciendo que debes tenerlo todo resuelto en estos momentos.

Por suerte, las escuelas de Colorado cuentan con orientadores que pueden ayudar a los estudiantes a entender qué es lo que sigue. Hablar con un orientador puede ayudar a los estudiantes a entender qué está disponible, dijo José Olivo, director de TRIO Talent Search de la Denver Scholarship Foundation.

TRIO es un programa federal que ofrece apoyo para los estudiantes de ingresos bajos, los primeros de su familia en ir a la universidad o los que tienen alguna discapacidad. El programa ayuda a los estudiantes a exponerse a la universidad, y esto incluye ayuda financiera y asistencia para prepararse para los exámenes de acceso a la universidad.

Esta fundación del área de Denver ayuda a los estudiantes a determinar sus aspiraciones universitarias, y aproximadamente un 85% de sus estudiantes asisten a una universidad de cuatro años. Olivo dijo que los orientadores se reúnen con los estudiantes cada año para ayudarles a entender mejor la universidad y la ayuda financiera.

“Nos gusta la práctica de ‘voy a darte toda la información posible para que tomes la mejor decisión por tu cuenta’”, dijo Olivo.

Los estudiantes de primer año de high school aprenden sobre lo que se necesitaría financieramente para ir a la universidad, que incluye saber qué programas universitarios de high school están disponibles, como ASCENT o doble inscripción. Los estudiantes de segundo año aprenden sobre becas, grants y préstamos. Los de tercer año aprenden más detalles sobre la ayuda financiera y los programas universitarios gratuitos. Finalmente, los de cuarto año reciben ayuda para llenar la Solicitud Gratuita de Ayuda Económica para Estudiantes, o FAFSA, las solicitudes de becas y las de admisión a la universidad.

Completa la FAFSA

El costo promedio de asistir a un colegio comunitario de Colorado es unos $5,000 anuales por colegiatura, libros y otros cargos administrativos. Según Landon Pirius, vicerrector de asuntos académicos y estudiantiles del Colorado Community College System, ese precio no suele ser el que los estudiantes pagan de su bolsillo.

En realidad, aproximadamente un 60% de los estudiantes de colegios comunitarios se gradúan sin deuda gracias a las ayudas estatales y federales, dijo.

“En efecto, los estudiantes de cierto nivel de ingresos pueden asistir gratuitamente a cualquier programa de un colegio comunitario”, dijo.

Los estudiantes no van a saber exactamente cuánto pagarán a menos que llenen la Solicitud Gratuita de Ayuda Federal para Estudiantes, o FAFSA. La solicitud está disponible en studentaid.gov.

La solicitud sirve para obtener becas federales que los estudiantes no tienen que devolver.

Colorado también concede grants a los estudiantes para ayudar a pagar por la colegiatura, los libros y otros gastos.

En las universidades de cuatro años, los estudiantes pueden usar ese dinero para compensar el gasto de colegiatura, que varía según la institución. Por ejemplo, en la Universidad de Colorado en Boulder, el campus principal del estado, el costo total de colegiatura, cargos, libros y alojamiento pueden ser de aproximadamente $31,774 al año para un residente de Colorado.

Algunos estudiantes inmigrantes no califican para la ayuda federal, pero sí para la estatal.

Los estudiantes indocumentados, incluidos los que califican para el programa Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, o DACA, pueden llenar la Solicitud de Ayuda Financiera del Estado de Colorado, o CASFA. Para ser elegible, el estudiante deberá haber vivido en Colorado durante al menos un año antes de graduarse de high school y por lo menos 12 meses antes de inscribirse en la universidad.

El programa ayuda a los estudiantes a acceder a colegiaturas estatales de menos costo, grants estatales y oportunidades de trabajo y estudio.

No olvides las becas y grants

Lamentablemente, no hay suficientes programas gratuitos en todo el estado para ayudar a cada estudiante.

Los estudiantes de cuarto año de high school especialmente no deben olvidar que hay numerosas becas disponibles para pagar por la universidad, según los expertos en ayuda financiera.

Algunas becas específicas de Colorado son la Daniels Scholarship y la Boettcher Scholarship. Las oficinas de orientación de las escuelas de high school también deben poder ayudar con un directorio de las miles de becas nacionales disponibles, que incluyen algunas como la beca Coca-Cola y la del Hispanic Scholarship Fund.

Siempre hay más ayuda

Los estudiantes ya inscritos en la universidad también pueden obtener más becas y ayuda a través de su universidad, dijo Olivo. Los estudiantes también podrían ser elegibles para otras becas nacionales después de declarar su especialidad, dijo.

“La mayoría de las universidades también tienen becas institucionales que les dan prioridad a los estudiantes que regresan a sus estudios”, dijo Olivo.

No siempre es una garantía, dijo Olivo, pero sugiere que los estudiantes que hablen con los orientadores del campus o con la oficina de ayuda financiera de la universidad si lo necesitan.

No está de más preguntar y puede ser que te den algo”, dijo.

Jason González es un periodista que cubre temas de educación superior y la legislatura de Colorado. Chalkbeat Colorado colabora con Open Campus para cubrir tema de educación superior. Para comunicarte con Jason, escríbele a jgonzales@chalkbeat.org.

Colorado’s expansion of high school diploma programs for adults hits a pothole

2023-10-12T22:16:34+00:00

Colorado lawmakers might soon consider how to fix an “oversight” preventing community colleges statewide from expanding adult high school diploma programs.

The issue, which involves the ability of colleges and school districts to collaborate on a graduation standard, puts the state’s expansion of adult high school diploma options in jeopardy. It also demonstrates how difficult it is for a state that was the last in the nation to fund adult education to actually help more adults get diplomas.

Of Colorado’s 4.5 million adults, more than 300,000 have no high school diploma. During this year’s legislative session, Democratic lawmakers prioritized bettering education for them. Advocates said this year’s law is supposed to give adult learners more options by allowing colleges to confer a diploma.

Senate Bill 7 — enacted this year to address adult education — increased how much the state spends, included digital literacy as a diploma prerequisite, and allowed community colleges to grant high school diplomas to adults. It also asked the colleges to work with local school districts to create diploma standards for adults.

But the counties that community colleges serve also contain many school districts, so picking a graduation standard became untenable, said Landon Pirius, vice chancellor for academic and student affairs for the Colorado Community College System.

“What we wanted was the college system to adopt a graduation standard as a system of community colleges, as opposed to each college picking one of their local district standards,” he said. “It was hard to manage and, frankly, we think it actually hurts the students.”

Colleges, school districts, and nonprofits offer adult education throughout the state. Before the law, community colleges would teach adults students, but only school districts could award them a diploma.

Colleges teach about a third of all adult education programs in the state. College leaders hope expanding adult high school programs would then help the students continue their schooling to earn a certificate or associates.

Originally, the bill asked colleges to set a diploma standard with the state. The bill was amended after Colorado Department of Education officials said there are no statewide adult high school diploma standards, said state Sen. Rachel Zenzinger, an Arvada Democrat who sponsored the bill. Diploma standards are left to school districts.

There was universal agreement in favor of the amendment to have colleges work with districts on a diploma, Zenzinger said.

The problem didn’t become apparent until after the bill was passed. College leaders worried they would have to craft diploma standards based on which region they served. They were also concerned about choosing one district to work with out of many, Pirius said.

Zenzinger wants to propose a change to the law during the 2024 legislative session. A solution hasn’t been figured out, but she said there’s widespread support to get the problem fixed in time for more grant money specified in the bill to come online.

“This was just an oversight in the language of the bill,” Zenzinger said.

Colorado was the last state in the nation to begin funding adult education when it created a grant program in 2014. Even with Senate Bill 7’s infusion of $2 million more a year for adult education programs — bringing the statewide total to $3 million — Colorado still funds its programs at some of the lowest levels in the country.

Paula Schriefer, president and CEO of the Spring Institute for Intercultural Learning, said there’s a huge need statewide for diploma and GED programs. The Spring Institute, which works with adults primarily on language acquisition, supported the bill.

Adults without a diploma tend to earn less than those who graduated high school, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. They also face higher rates of unemployment. About a third of adults without a high school diploma read at a sixth grade level, Zenzinger said.

The state has a small number of federally funded high school equivalency programs, Schriefer said. Schools such as Colorado Mountain College have started programs that support adults as they learn. Schriefer said she wants to see the law changed so community colleges, which have proven they can do the work to help adult learners, can get to educating Coloradans.

“We’d be fine with whatever they come up with,” Schriefer said. “We just want there to be multiple avenues through which our population here in Colorado can find an accessible way to get that credential.”

How a Colorado community college attracted more older students to college

2023-10-06T21:34:49+00:00

Colorado’s community colleges have struggled to enroll older adults since the start of the pandemic, but several schools have been able to work against that trend by helping them with their busy lives.

For example, Pueblo Community College leaders have found ways to cater to and begin to attract older students, or those who aren’t recent high school graduates. The school has leaned into using remote learning, creating flexible class schedules, and offering more child care options to help older adults.

Those changes have made it easier for older students to see themselves on campus, state and school leaders say, while also focusing on the increasing demand among high schoolers participating in concurrent enrollment — a program offered to high school students to take college level courses and even earn an associate’s degree.

“We’ve tried to look at the whole student and make sure that they have the financial resources that they need, but also all of the support services that they need to be successful,” said Patricia Erjavec, Pueblo Community College president.

Overall, the state’s community colleges, as of the end of September, are educating 8.5% more students over last year, or about 84,000 students, up from 78,274 at the same time last year.

Community college enrollment remains below 2019 levels, but concurrent enrollment has helped reduce the losses in the last couple years.

Statewide, concurrent enrollment has increased by 18.5% over last year, or an increase of 5,651 students. On average, most high school students enrolled in the program only take a couple courses.

Degree-seeking student enrollment at the state’s 13 colleges varied this year. Students seeking a degree increased by 2% over last year, or about 1,000 students.

Degree-seeking students include those that have just graduated from high school and students who are going to college after taking a break from school. The state has struggled to get the second group, especially students ages 21-39, to enroll.

The slower rebound in older adults enrolling statewide can likely be attributed to the state’s economy, said Landon Pirius, vice chancellor of academic and student affairs of the college system.

Older students tend to enroll at higher rates during economic downturns to get job training that opens up jobs with higher pay. But Colorado has a strong job market, with one job for every two residents.

Yet, some of the most in-demand jobs require a college education and the state has created new free college training programs in fields such as health care, law enforcement, firefighting, construction, and teaching.

The state must continue to cater to adults through flexible class schedules and support that takes into consideration that many adults come to college with bills to pay and families to support, Pirius said.

“I think we can get there, but I think our systems currently aren’t set up to support adult students as well as they are students who are straight out of high school,” he said.

Pueblo Community College has so far increased concurrent enrollment numbers by 30% this year over last year, second only to Red Rocks Community College.

Erjavec said the school has expanded what it offers to high school students.

The school has a new law academy and enrolled more criminal justice students. Pueblo Community College also started a Friday academy, where concurrent enrollment students come to the school every week. They get to see what it’s like at college, Erjavec said, and help spread the word about the benefits of concurrent enrollment.

Degree-seeking student enrollment among older students has increased by 3.5% over last year. Schools such as Pikes Peak, Front Range, and the Community College of Denver also have boosted enrollment.

Erjavec said the region’s economy might be playing into why it’s seeing interest from older adults. Pueblo has lagged behind the rest of the state in economic growth as a manufacturing city that’s experienced a shrinking of industry in recent years.

Because of the area’s economy, more students might be looking for new opportunities through going to college, Erjavec said.

Her goal is to make it easier for adults to be on campus or take classes.

“We serve a very low socioeconomic, rural area,” Erjavec said. “I always tell my team we get one chance to make sure that the students get the best academic experience they can.”

So far, changes have come without big financial investments, Erjavec said.

The school has relied more on bolstering its remote or hybrid learning options, which especially helps adults who can’t always be on campus because of work or family obligations, she said.

School officials also are thinking about how to provide support or academic services outside of normal school hours.

And the school also has a new child care center at its St. Mary’s-Corwin campus, and she hopes to grow on-campus child care options. The goal is to make students comfortable on campus and build trust that the college can work for them, she said.

“I think we have a good reputation,” Erjavec said. “Students know that and they count on that when they enroll with us.”

How CU Boulder is offering free college to some engineering students

2023-10-02T17:00:00+00:00

Engineering students from low-income families at the University of Colorado Boulder will be able to earn their degrees for free under an expansion of the school’s CU Promise program.

It’s the first time the university has created a free college program specific to one field. Lattice Scholars is propped up by a donation from local engineering firm Campos EPC and provides financial and academic support to low-income Colorado students who are the first to go to college in their family.

The program is significant because students from low-income backgrounds are underrepresented in STEM fields, and STEM degrees often lead to the kind of high-paying jobs that can change the economic trajectory of entire families.

The program provides free tuition to first-generation Colorado students whose families make less than $65,000 a year. Students don’t need to apply. Instead, the school identifies eligible full-time students through the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA.

Keith Molenaar, dean of the university’s College of Engineering and Applied Science, said the donation shows how business leaders can help more Coloradans from backgrounds that are less represented at CU Boulder and colleges across the state realize their dreams of higher education.

“We’ve shown we can do it,” Molenaar said. “We’re really looking forward to having other schools and colleges try to expand this across the university.”

This year, the school doubled the number of students who can qualify for the CU Promise program, which now serves about 3,500 students.

In a news release, school leaders said the expansion happened through donations and a new law this year that allows the school to enroll more out-of-state students who pay higher tuition if it provides more aid to Colorado students.

The Lattice Scholars program, however, is the first within a specific program and the first sustained by a major donation.

About 65 students this year are part of the Lattice Scholars program. Those students also get academic and advising support to help them finish college.

Mindy Zarske, an integrated design engineering teaching professor, said students learn about financial wellness, academic skills, and life after they leave the dorms. Students also get to connect with other scholars, which helps them form a network they can rely on, she said.

Zarske said it’s important to not only remove financial barriers for first-generation students, but help them get comfortable with navigating college life. That helps scholars “feel more empowered,” she said. Faculty and staff also learn how to better help students when money isn’t an issue.

“Are they able to focus better if we provide them with support? How does that help them persist? This is their dream and we want to get them there,” she said.

Marco Campos, whose foundation and engineering business Campos EPC donated to make the Lattice program happen, said it’s important for him to give back to diverse students who want to go into engineering. Campos graduated from CU Boulder’s engineering school as a low-income, first-generation student, so helping others with similar backgrounds is a mission of his.

He also said helping diverse students allows his company to find employees with different life experiences. He hopes other business leaders see the value in helping students.

“It’s just doing the right thing,” Campos said. “My hope is that this platform will serve as a big enough sounding board for one or two other companies, whatever it is, to get motivated.”

Want to go to college? Here are 5 tips to help pay for a Colorado education

2023-09-22T20:52:17+00:00

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How am I going to pay for college? Often, the inability to answer that question keeps Colorado students from heading to school.

Students, however, rarely pay the sticker price. Instead, there are numerous options for students to get money for school, especially the free programs Colorado offers to help students pay for some credits or college in its entirety.

Here are five tips to help students get money for college:

Take advantage of college programs

Concurrent enrollment. Dual enrollment. Fifth-year high school. Colorado Promise. Career Advance.

There’s a dizzying number of programs to sort through and they can be specific to whether you’re still in high school, enrolled in a certain university, or a particular program. Some pay only for a designated number of college credits. Others pay for your entire college bill.

Concurrent and dual enrollment — Students in high school can enroll in college-level classes while in high school in almost every Colorado district for free. The classes offered by schools can vary from district to district. Some students might attend classes at their high school, take classes online, or go to a college campus. The programs are widespread statewide and meant to help students earn a few credits up to an associate’s degree. On average, most students enroll in about two college classes while in high school. Popular options include introductory courses such as English composition, college algebra, psychology, communication, or business classes.

ASCENT, P-TECH, and early college — ASCENT is a fifth-year option for students to attend college classes while extending their high school education by a year. There are limited slots for students statewide and the fifth year of high school is free to them.

P-TECH is also a less common free option that teaches students more technical skills, such as welding or other trades. While this covers the cost of classes offered at the college level, students might still need to pay for transportation or books.

And early college, offered at a few district and charter high schools, allows students to graduate from high school in four years with an associate’s degree. There aren’t many statewide.

Care Forward Colorado and Career Advance Colorado — Care Forward Colorado offers free training at the state’s community colleges in health care fields, including nursing, phlebotomy, emergency medical technician, and dental assistant.

Career Advance Colorado kicked off this year as an expansion of the health care program. Fields of study eligible for free training include education, law enforcement, firefighting, and early childhood education. Programs in education pay for two years of community college before students move on to a four-year university.

These programs will likely end once money runs out, so it’s a first-come, first-served opportunity.

University promise programs — Some universities across the state, including the University of Colorado Boulder, Fort Lewis College, and Colorado State University Pueblo, offer free tuition to students who qualify for federal financial aid. Each school has eligibility requirements. For instance, CU Boulder recently expanded its promise program to engineering students.

Map out your options

As a high school freshman, college might be the last thing on your mind. And no one is saying you have to have it all figured out at an early age.

Luckily, Colorado schools have guidance counselors that can help students understand what’s next. Talking with a counselor can help students understand what’s available, said Jose Olivo, Denver Scholarship Foundation, director of TRIO Talent Search.

TRIO is a federal program that offers support to students who are low-income, the first to go to college in their family, or who have a disability. The program helps students get college exposure, including financial aid help and assistance preparing for college entrance exams.

The Denver-area foundation helps students figure out their college aspirations, and about 85% of their scholars end up at a four-year university. Olivo said counselors check in with students every year to help build their understanding of college and financial aid.

“We like to practice the approach of, ‘I’m going to provide you with as much information as possible for you to make the best decision for yourself,’“ Olivo said.

Olivo said students get information each year about college.

Freshmen learn about what it would take financially to get to college, including what high school college programs are available, such as ASCENT or concurrent enrollment. Sophomores learn about scholarships, grants, and loans. Juniors get a deeper dive into financial aid and learn about free college programs. And then seniors get help filling out the Free Application for Student Financial Aid, scholarships, and college applications.

Fill out the FAFSA

The cost of attendance at a Colorado community college averages about $5,000 annually for tuition, books, and fees. That price isn’t typically what students pay out of pocket, said Landon Pirius, the Colorado Community College System’s vice chancellor of academic and student affairs.

In actuality, about 60% of community college students leave without any debt thanks to state and federal aid, he said.

“In effect, you can attend any community college program for free for students of a certain income level,” he said.

Students won’t know exactly how much they will pay unless they fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA. The application can be found at studentaid.gov.

The application opens access for federal grants students don’t need to pay back.

Colorado also provides grants to students that help pay for tuition, books, or other fees.

At four-year universities, students can use that money to offset their tuition bill, which varies at institutions. For instance, at the University of Colorado Boulder, the state’s flagship campus, tuition, fees, books, and housing can cost about $31,774 a year for a Colorado resident.

Some immigrant students don’t qualify for federal aid but can still qualify for state aid.

Undocumented students, including those who qualify for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals or DACA, can fill out the Colorado Application for State Financial Aid, or CASFA. To be eligible, a student must have lived in Colorado for at least one year before they graduated from high school and at least 12 months prior to enrolling at the college.

The program helps students get access to lower cost in-state tuition, state grants, and work-study opportunity.

Don’t forget about scholarships and grants

Unfortunately, there aren’t enough free programs statewide to help every student.

Seniors, especially, shouldn’t forget that there are numerous scholarships available to pay for college, according to financial aid experts.

Some Colorado-specific scholarships include the Daniels Scholarship and the Boettcher Scholarship. High school counseling offices should also be able to help with a directory of the thousands of national scholarships available, including ones like the Coca-Cola scholarship and the Hispanic Scholarship Fund.

There’s always more help

Students already enrolled in college also can get more scholarships and help through their college, said Olivo. Students also might be eligible for other national scholarships once they declare a major, he said.

“Most schools also have institutional scholarships that give priority to returning students,” Olivo said.

It’s not always a guarantee, Olivo said, but he suggests students speak to campus advisors or the school’s financial aid office if they’re in need.

“I always tell students you have to A-S-K to G-E-T,” he said. “It doesn’t hurt to ask and they might give you something.”

Student loan payments will begin soon. Tell Chalkbeat how it will affect you.

2023-09-07T18:01:14+00:00

Sign up for our free monthly newsletter Beyond High School to get the latest news about college and career paths for Colorado’s high school grads.

For the first time in three-and-a-half years, student borrowers will need to pay on their loans.

The Supreme Court rejected the Biden administration’s student loan relief proposal earlier this summer, dashing many Americans’ hope for aid. Interest on the loans began to accrue on Sept. 1, and repayments are due in October.

More than 44 million Americans hold about $1.7 trillion in student loan debt. The student loan pause enacted during the COVID-19 pandemic freed up finances to help them save for the future, get ahead on bills, buy homes, or even get married. Now, some might struggle to fit the monthly bill back into their budgets or pay back their loans.

At the same time, new repayment options will give some borrowers a break. An estimated four million Americans have signed up for one of them. Lots of borrowers are figuring out the best decision on how to pay off loans now and over the long term.

As Americans prepare for repayment, Chalkbeat wants to know what this means to you. We’re especially looking to hear about how the pause affected them and how its end will change their lives.

We plan to use the results of the short survey below to inform our coverage.

If you are having trouble viewing this form, go here.

Many Colorado students juggle college and parenting. Often they feel like outsiders on campus.

2023-09-05T18:39:58+00:00

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Deysi Parga Macias faced a dilemma last fall in the first week of classes at the University of Colorado Boulder.

She couldn’t find daycare for her son, Ramiro, and her grandparents, who were supposed to watch him, were sick.

Macias, then 19, began to panic. Her biochemistry lab only allowed four absences before she failed the class — but missing even one would make her feel like a failure. Desperate, she sent her professor an email before class and asked if she could bring her then-year-and-a-half-old son.

“I said, ‘I am so sorry, and I know that this is unprofessional,’” Macias said.

Students in the lab were scheduled to collect samples at Boulder Creek and analyze the results. Luckily, her professor agreed to let Ramiro come since it was a safer environment than in a classroom lab. While Macias worked, Ramiro played with rocks and threw them into the water.

“He thought it was just another day out,” she said.

Macias carries her son to the car to be dropped off at her grandparents’ home.

Macias, now a 20-year-old junior at CU Boulder, tries her best to separate parenting and coursework on campus, even if she alerts professors on the first days of class that she has a kid.

She doesn’t usually see other young children at CU Boulder. Many students can’t relate to her life.

It’s an isolating experience.

“Every time I tell my professors that I’m a mom and I’m an undergrad, they say, ‘You’re my first,’” she said.

How many student parents are on Colorado college campuses?

Many public Colorado colleges don’t know how many students are parents on their campuses.

Census data from the 2021 American Community Survey analyzed by Colorado’s demographer suggests that parents make up a little less than a third of undergraduate students at all of the state’s colleges and universities.

That’s close to what national data collected by the Institute for Women’s Policy Research showed in 2016: about 22% of all college undergraduates were parents. The institute found 42% of all community college students and just 17% of students at public four-year universities were parents.

Colorado, like many states, does not require colleges and universities to keep these numbers. Some colleges, including Colorado State University Fort Collins, have used voluntary surveys to get a better sense. But it’s still an estimate.

“We don’t know if we have 50 student parents or 5,000,” said Lisa Chandler, CSU Fort Collins adult learner and veteran services assistant director.

Some administrators worry that asking whether students have children could violate federal rules intended to prevent discrimination. Advocates say the lack of concrete data can limit the services and outreach students receive to help them through college, especially because this is a group that doesn’t have a lot of time to track down help.

Ramiro’s picture is displayed on Macias’ high school graduation cap at her home in Arvada, Colorado.

Student parents carry higher GPAs on average but are 10 times less likely to graduate, according to the women’s policy research institute. They are also more likely to be Black and low-income, take on more student loan debt, and struggle to find housing.

It matters to student parents that they succeed because they want higher wages to support their families. And, Colorado has a goal to get more residents — especially those from diverse communities — the postsecondary training they need to land good-paying jobs. Macias, for instance, studies biochemistry and wants to become a doctor.

In recent years, Colorado’s community colleges, with more student parents, have provided food resources, and connected students to housing, childcare, and financial support. Meanwhile, four-year universities offer fewer services.

Daycare is the priority for many student parents

Before Macias enrolled, she researched the schools that would offer her the most help while parenting. CU Boulder gave her scholarships, and she pieced together enough to pay for college. She also planned to use the university’s graduate and family housing so she could have more space for her and Ramiro, live on campus, meet friends, and be independent.

There was so much she didn’t anticipate as the first student in her family to go to college and as a new mother.

The rent in family housing proved to be more than she could afford. She struggled at times through her first year to pay for furniture and other household items – even things as small as a shower curtain and toiletries. Macias estimates a high school mentor spent about $1,000 to help her furnish her apartment. Her mom would cook for her and also bought her groceries and other daily items. Her sister helped babysit Ramiro when Macias had classes.

Macias looks for an outfit for her son at her home in Arvada, Colorado.

Macias is now living with her son’s paternal grandmother. It puts her minutes away from family members who can provide child care because she said she can’t afford CU Boulder’s childcare facility. It also makes it easier when she and Ramiro’s dad co-parent.

In Colorado, child care on average can cost about $1,360 a month at a center and about $960 at a home-based business for a toddler, according to Annie E. Casey Foundation’s 2023 Kids Count data book.

CU Boulder students pay based on the age of their child and how often they attend daycare. A student can pay up to about $1,900 a month for five-day-a-week care for an infant. The daytime hours don’t cover evening classes or study sessions.

The school surveyed undergraduates in 2021 to better understand how to help all students. Only a third of all students took the survey, and about 3% of respondents said they are responsible for the care of children or other adults, according to the university.

Other campus services for parents include a health and wellness center and mental health support, nap pods for tired students, and dedicated lactation rooms.

Macias said she no longer uses most of what CU Boulder offers. Child care continues to be her biggest struggle. In a perfect world, she said the school would provide free care, because college students don’t have a lot of money.

The biochemistry major works on an online class, “Academic Skills Resources,” in a study room in the Duane Physical Laboratories Building at CU Boulder.

Community colleges offer more built-in supports

Schools that serve more older students tend to think more about the needs of parents. Aurora Community College has sent out voluntary surveys to students and learned about 35% have parental responsibilities, said Reyna Anaya, senior student affairs officer and dean of student success.

The surveys helped the school create more help. The school has snack stations for kids, a free market for parents to get food, and play stations with toys. Advisors are available for support.

Colorado Mountain College’s Rifle campus hosts Family Fridays where students and community members can bring kids on campus to learn while their parents take classes, said Tinker Duclo, vice president and campus dean at CMC Rifle.

But four-year institutions are also doing more to offer parent services on campus. For example, Colorado State University Fort Collins has drop-in child care at its library that is paid by student fees. And like many other schools, CSU offers federal grants to subsidize child care.

Moving from community college to university

Zeke Dominguez, 41, is nervous about transferring from Front Range Community College to Colorado State University next fall. As a single parent of an autistic 11-year-old child, his second try at college has provided him a lot of what he’s needed as a parent, but he’s not sure what to expect at the bigger college.

Dominguez studied cybersecurity in 2012 at for-profit University of Phoenix. His daughter was born at about the same time. She spent months in the hospital, and he took family leave for a semester but felt overwhelmed when he returned. He needed to drop out.

“I didn’t have any support systems, either,” he said. “It wasn’t anything like what I have now.”

Community colleges have increased services in recent years for student parents.

Front Range brings student parents together to support each other. Dominguez also connected to the school’s TRIO program, a federal program to guide disadvantaged students through college that’s used at many college and university campuses. While not only for student parents, the program has connected him to tutors and helped him learn to advocate for his needs as a parent, such as how to reach out to instructors or deans so he doesn’t have to drop classes when he gets behind.

The school also has federal grants for child care, he said, and if Dominguez has a problem, Front Range officials try to help connect him to community resources.

It’s important for Dominguez to finish his degree. He wants to get a bachelor’s in fine arts to allow him flexibility to work and take care of his daughter. The demands of his previous job as a chef didn’t mix well with parenting.

He plans to expand his work in photography — he used to shoot food photos while a chef. He also wants to explore his career options, such as selling his paintings.

As he gets ready for CSU Fort Collins, he worries that he will get lost at such a large school.

“We really are a ghost,” he said. “We’re not seen.”

Students walk around the UC Boulder campus Wednesday, Aug. 30, 2023.

Higher education’s growing focus on student parents

Elsewhere, some states have figured out how to track student parents. Oregon and Illinois require colleges and universities to collect data on student parents to help them get what they need, according to Nicole Lynn Lewis, founder and CEO of Generation Hope. The nonprofit advocates for policies that support student parents and supports schools in their efforts.

Schools also want to increase support. Norfolk State University, a historically Black university in Virginia, has worked with Generation Hope in the last year to increase services, such as lactation rooms and parent groups. The school offers evening child care. School officials are also drafting guidelines around the presence of children on campus and how faculty and staff can help student parents.

Student parents want to feel more a part of the campus and be considered, said Andrea Neal, Office of Academic Engagement associate vice provost at Norfolk State. Small things like specific parking spaces or easy access to diapers on campus would make them feel included, she said.

Larger universities like The Ohio State University also are trying to find ways to serve parents.

Traci Lewis, director of the university’s Comprehensive College Experience for Student-Parent Success Program, said Ohio State makes parents and their kids a part of campus life. The school has a student-parent welcome week with bounce houses for their kids, offers child care during club meetings, and will allow students to walk with their kids this year in the homecoming parade.

Ohio State student parents receive a comprehensive resource support guide, but the school also provides advisors to offer more personal guidance. The school also offers emergency financial assistance.

Student parents need to advocate for themselves

Macias feels burnt out, but she rarely lets that stop her positive attitude.

She has found ways to feel like she’s a greater part of the campus. She wants to be a role model for other first-generation and Latina students in the sciences. She’s found supportive friends. She’s joined clubs like the Colorado Organization for Latina Opportunity and Reproductive Rights.

She takes the tough days in stride because she’s determined to finish school.

Macias, left, listens to America Ramirez, program director for the Colorado Organization for Latina Opportunity and Reproductive Rights (COLOR), during the “Be Involved Fair” on campus.

“Life doesn’t wait for you to be OK,” Macias said.

Macias works within CU Boulder’s Office of Precollege Outreach and Engagement and gives campus tours to high school students. The program also hosts overnight trips.

She’s met hundreds of students, she said. But over the summer, a young woman approached her to read the college essay she prepared.

The teen, a rising high school junior, wrote that she was pregnant. She wanted to major in the sciences just like Macias. She documented her fears of telling her family about the pregnancy and never getting to college.

Tears streamed down Macias’ cheeks as she sat across from the student. The young girl’s struggle was her own. She finally didn’t feel so out of place.

“I told her to stay focused and keep going. To finish strong, as strong as you can because there’s going to be a lot of help,” she said. “Unfortunately, they’re not going to come and find you as a parent. You have to find the help yourself.”

Colorado banned legacy admissions at its public colleges. Two years later, the impact is unclear.

2023-08-25T16:00:00+00:00

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The U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling prohibiting race-conscious admissions has led to calls to ban another form of preference — legacy admissions — in pursuit of more inclusive campuses.

In 2021, Colorado became the first state to ban legacy admissions — the process of giving an admissions edge to children of alumni — at public universities. The goal was to help admit a more diverse student body.

At CU Boulder, the state’s flagship, admissions for students who are the first in their families to attend college increased in 2022, but slightly fewer students of color were admitted.

At Mines, the state’s most selective public college, the school admitted more students of color, about the same number of first-generation students, and fewer women in 2022 — but the school accepted and enrolled a more diverse class in 2023.

The trends at Mines and CU Boulder paint a fuzzy picture of whether banning legacy admissions elsewhere would increase campus diversity or provide more opportunity for students from marginalized backgrounds.

Complicating the picture: Colorado public universities changed several other policies at the same time, including making test scores such as the SAT and ACT exams optional and expanding recruitment in diverse communities. These changes have affected who applied, how many students were accepted, and who ended up on campus.

Admissions offices at the two universities said they want to show more commitment to diversifying their campuses in addition to banning legacy admissions. They report they’re facing more competition from other schools with lower tuition or more financial aid. They’re also battling perceptions about whether a campus is welcoming if there is not as much diversity among the students.

“Schools are more aggressive with what they’re doing,” said Lori Kester, Mines’ associate provost for enrollment management. “People think the writing’s on the wall as the population dwindles. People in higher ed are all going after the same students.”

Earlier this month, the Biden administration encouraged colleges and universities to review their admissions policies, including ending the use of legacy preferences. The Office of Civil Rights is investigating whether legacy preferences constitute discrimination. Democrats in Congress have also introduced legislation that would bar schools with legacy admissions from participating in federal financial aid.

Most of Colorado’s public colleges and universities admit the majority of students that apply. CU Boulder and Mines are more selective.

In 2022, CU Boulder applications were up in 2022 to about 54,000, or about 10,500 more applications than in 2020. The school accepted about 79% of students who applied that year.

About 77% of all students of color were accepted — a slight decrease from 81% in 2020. At the same time, first-generation acceptance rates increased two points to 73%.

At Mines, the state’s engineering school, overall applications were down in 2022 to about 11,360 applications, or a decrease of about 1,300 applications from 2020. The school accepted about 57% of all applicants — up from 55% in 2020.

Mines admitted 54% of students of color who applied, an increase of 3.4 points from 2020. First-generation students were accepted at a 40% rate, about the same as in 2020.

Women applicants — who are underrepresented in science, technology, engineering, and math fields — were accepted at a 65% rate in 2022, down two points from 2020.

In 2023, the school’s admissions rates increased among all students to 59%. Acceptance rates increased among students of color to 58%, first-generation students to 42.5%, and women to 66%.

The school also enrolled more students of color, first-generation students, and women.

Admissions numbers for CU Boulder in 2023 are not yet available.

More states considering a ban

No major research exists about the impact of banning legacy admissions, according to Thomas Harnisch, vice president for government relations at the State Higher Education Executive Officers Association.

Several other state legislatures are considering a ban, including New York, Massachusetts, and Connecticut, he said. Private colleges, however, have pushed back because they see legacy admissions as a way to get students with ties to the university to apply, encourage donations, and build community, Harnisch said.

Colorado’s two premier private colleges, Colorado College and the University of Denver, still consider alumni relations in their admissions decisions.

After CU Boulder ended legacy preferences voluntarily, both CU Boulder and Mines supported legislation banning legacy preferences statewide.

But both schools’ administrators said it’s difficult to identify any one change as the catalyst for whether a student applies or is admitted.

In 2021, Mines and CU Boulder backed legislation to make the ACT and SAT optional in admissions. At the same time, school officials said they increased recruitment efforts and college-readiness programs.

In practice, neither Mines nor CU Boulder weighed legacy as the sole determining factor in admissions. Banning legacy preference sent more of a message to students, said Jennifer Ziegenfus, CU Boulder assistant vice chancellor for admissions.

Ziegenfus said student perception about legacy admissions was “that the student who doesn’t have a family member who went there is already starting from behind and they have to play catch up.”

‘Welcome as many students as possible into our community’

The test-optional change allowed Mines to signal to students that admissions offices want to know more about the whole student, not just a test, said Jen Gagne, interim executive director of admissions. She added that she wants students to know that even after the ban on race-conscious admissions, they should showcase who they are in personal essays.

“We want to make sure that students are challenging themselves in the classroom,” Gagne said. “But we want to know about you. We are looking for problem solvers for the future and that requires students from all backgrounds.”

CU Boulder has also started to recruit more in rural areas and hired Spanish recruiters to better reach students, Ziegenfus said.

The goal has been to spread the message that the state’s flagship institution is for all students in the state, and Spanish recruiters help not only students, but families see why CU Boulder is an option, she said. The school has also had more students in recent years take advantage of Colorado’s free college application days, when Colorado students can apply to colleges for free in October.

At Mines, leaders have wanted its student body to look more like the state’s demographics.

Mines has placed more focus on pre-college programs that prepare students for science, technology, engineering, and math courses, including a new program at Lakewood’s Alameda International Jr./Sr. High, Kester said.

The school is also working more closely with high school counselors to get students early math exposure because the school requires students to have a strong background in the subject. The school also has pushed for alternative pathways to get students to Mines, such as transfer options from the state’s community colleges.

Both schools also face increased competition from out-of-state schools, which has caused pressure on who does and doesn’t show up on campus. That’s especially an issue during a time when more students worry about the cost of college.

Wealthier schools can do more to subsidize a student’s education, Kester said, which has caused some to look elsewhere. Some out-of-state public schools have lower overall tuition rates even when compared to Colorado’s in-state tuition or can provide financial aid to offset costs.

Ziegenfus said she hopes students of color know they have a place despite the school not being able to consider race any longer. Mines did not. CU Boulder asked about race in admissions but it wasn’t a determining factor.

She added admissions officers are looking for ways to get them an acceptance letter.

“It is the goal of most institutions across the state to be able to welcome as many students as possible into our community,” Ziegenfus said. “Whatever efforts we can make to knock down these barriers — perceived or otherwise — it’s always going to be at the root of our mission.”

How did Colorado students do on the PSAT and SAT? Check your school’s 2023 results here

2023-08-17T17:00:00+00:00

Colorado students’ SAT scores ticked up slightly this year, although participation remained down — an issue that’s created a murkier picture of overall student achievement.

Meanwhile, Colorado high school students’ PSAT scores dropped this year in all but ninth grade math.

Overall, the PSAT and SAT results fall short of pre-pandemic levels and underscore the difficulty educators have had in getting students caught up. Students taking the SAT this spring were eighth graders at the onset of shutdowns and experienced two years of disrupted learning. National data has shown learning loss since 2019 has been acute here and across the country, especially in math skills.

The SAT was designed as a way to understand student college readiness. The PSAT is a practice test meant to help gauge student learning and identify academic needs.

Colorado uses the PSAT and SAT exams as part of its suite of standardized exams to measure school performance and to determine whether students in grades nine through 11 have learned the necessary math and reading skills for their grade level.

In using the SAT to account for student progress, Colorado also provides a utility for students, who can submit their scores as part of their college applications. But Colorado has made the SAT and ACT optional in admissions to public universities. The 2021 change has likely contributed to fewer students taking the exams.

Overall, participation on the SAT test dropped to 86.6% of students statewide. In 2019, the participation rate was 92.6%. Participation in the ninth and 10th grade PSATs has also dropped, to about 85%. A dip in participation means the results provide a less reliable snapshot of what students know.

Scores on the SAT range from 200 to 800 in reading and math. A perfect score on the SAT is a 1600.

Colorado students averaged a composite score of 990 this year, down from 1,001 in 2019 and below the national average of just above 1,000.

PSAT scores for 10th graders can range from 160 to 760 on both the math and reading tests, with a maximum total score of 1520. For ninth graders, the range is from 120 to 720 in each subject, with a top combined score of 1440.

Colorado 10th graders scored a composite of 930, down from 938 in 2019. And ninth graders scored a composite of 891, down from 906 in 2019.

State scores might be lower than the rest of the nation on the PSAT and SAT because — even if fewer students are taking the test than in 2019 — more Colorado students take the test than in many other states, which can drive down the average.

Colorado sets a threshold of 530 or higher on reading and writing and 480 on math on the SAT to determine which high school students meet or exceed grade-level expectation. On the PSAT 10, students are expected to score a 480 on writing and reading and a 430 on math. And on the PSAT 9, students are expected to score a reading and writing score of 450 and a math score of 410.

In SAT reading and writing, 58.9% of students met or exceeded Colorado’s expectations. The rate was within a percentage point of 2019 levels, when 58.6% of students met or exceeded expectations.

In SAT math, 35.2% of students met or exceeded expectations. That’s compared with 39% in 2019.

On the PSAT 10 reading and writing, 64.5% of students met or exceeded expectations, compared with 64.9% in 2019. In math, 38% met or exceeded, down from 39.1% in 2019

And in PSAT 9 reading and writing, 63.6% of students met or exceeded expectations; in 2019, the rate was 66.5%. In math, 46.6% met or exceeded this year. In 2019, 49.6% met or exceeded expectations.

State officials said they want to boost participation on the test.

Joyce Zurkowski, the Colorado Department of Education’s chief assessment officer, said students might be questioning the utility of the test especially when it comes to getting into a college or university.

Lawmakers approved the Colorado measure in 2021 to make college-readiness tests optional to admissions in the hopes it would help more first-generation and low-income students get to college. They’re two groups that typically don’t do as well on standardized testing.

“We do have some ongoing issues with urging all students to see themselves in those assessments and a place for them to participate and benefit from them,” Zurkowski said.

This is the last year Colorado students will take the PSAT and SAT tests on paper. Next year, students will take the tests online.

You can see state and district SAT and PSAT results here:

Education Secretary Cardona praises Colorado’s focus on education that leads to jobs

2023-08-10T22:28:16+00:00

Every high school graduate across the country should get the training they need to land a job that leads to more opportunity, U.S. Education Secretary Miguel Cardona said Thursday in a speech at the Community College of Aurora.

To help, Cardona announced the launch of a $25 million federal grant program to support efforts to teach students skills that will help them find a career.

The Career Connected High School Grant program will provide money to school districts, colleges and universities, and employers to pilot strategies that blur the lines between the last two years of high school and the start of postsecondary education. The grants could be used to expand dual enrollment programs, invest in new equipment, or pay for students’ exams that earn them a credential, he said.

“It’s all about accelerating the evolution of our high schools,” said Cardona, who visited the Aurora campus as part of an education summit that drew educators from around the country. “It’s about unlocking career success for our students.”

The grants could bolster the work Colorado is already doing to link high school, higher education, and industry.

But more will be needed to help sustain and accelerate that work, said Mordecai Brownlee, president of the Community College of Aurora. Brownlee, who praised Cardona and the state for the focus on helping students find a path to a job, said the students he serves, mostly low-income Black and Hispanic people, also need money for short-term training and certificate programs — the equivalent of a semester or less of college but enough to get the training for better-paying jobs. And they need more information about what job opportunities are available to them, he said.

Without the financial support, “they’re having to come out of pocket, they’re having to find the scholarship, or they have to find somebody to pay for it,” Brownlee said.

One solution is to help students pay for shorter stints in college by expanding Pell grants, the federal grants for low-income students, he said. The change would especially help older adults who might not have gotten the opportunities the state has recently expanded in high school.

Despite the challenges, Brownlee said students at his community college are benefiting from the focus on career preparation. Last year the state created the Care Forward program, which has helped train more students in health care fields, he said. The program covers the cost of training, books, and fees for students who want to prepare for jobs in fields such as nursing or phlebotomy.

Brownlee is also excited about the expansion of the program, which will allow for two years of free training in professions such as law enforcement, firefighting, teaching, and forestry.

“It’s closed the gap for students,” Brownlee said. “And it’s helped us to meet our charge and our need, which is to ensure social and economic mobility for our students.”

Thursday’s conversation on career training was part of the Biden-Harris administration’s Unlocking Pathways Summit series. The event was co-hosted by Jobs for The Future, a nonprofit that advocates for eliminating barriers to economic advancement.

U.S. Sen. John Hickenlooper, a Colorado Democrat, welcomes U.S. Education Secretary Miguel Cardona, front, during the Unlocking Pathways Summit series at the Community College of Aurora.

Cardona highlighted the administration’s work, including on infrastructure and in technology research. He also praised Colorado Gov. Jared Polis for his focus on giving more students career-learning opportunities.

Polis said many students in the state now leave high school with college exposure and credit. And his administration has advocated for making a pathway to a job more seamless, including by giving high school students a head start on postsecondary education. That means students might take college courses while still in high school, or participate in apprenticeships.

The goal is to get industry, high school, and college leaders working together to make it easier for students to get the education they want.

Transferring from community college to a four-year program? A new Colorado scholarship can help with costs

2023-08-10T00:49:50+00:00

Colorado students who start at a community college then transfer to a four-year bachelor’s degree program will soon have a chance to pay for part of their education with a new scholarship.

The scholarship, called the Reisher Bridge Scholars Program, supports students within the Bridge to Bachelor’s Degree program — the program guarantees admission at a four-year university for first-time college students who graduate from a community college.

The new Reisher Bridge scholarship gives financial support for students during their first two years before they transfer to one of eight schools and covers almost half the annual cost of attending a Colorado Community College school. Once students transfer, they are then eligible for another Reisher scholarship.

Combined, the scholarships give low-income students much-needed financial support when they first enter community college and then to make it to graduation at a four-year university.

“As we all know, when you can’t afford more than three to six credits at a time it delays your graduation and it can sometimes be a self-defeating prophecy,” said Adam Cermak, Foundation for Community Colleges executive director.

Cermak said the money makes a big dent in the cost of a community college education. Community college tuition, books, and fees cost about $5,000 annually, he said.

The bridge scholars program provides $2,000 a year for students at any of the state’s 13 community colleges. Once they transfer, students who were awarded the Reisher Bridge scholarship then can apply to the Reisher Scholars Program, which provides $4,000 to $15,000 a year for junior and senior years at one of eight participating four-year universities.

Both scholarships are paid for by the Denver Foundation; the new bridge scholarship is the first tied to a specific program within the Colorado Community College System, Cermak said.

The five-year, $1-million-a-year pilot program increases options for students throughout the state to pay a portion of the cost of community college, especially as many students worry about tuition costs and debt.

About 9,000 students are enrolled in the Bridge to Bachelors program, but the scholarship is for students who plan to transfer to one of the colleges that partners with the Reisher Scholars Program.

Students will not have to apply for the scholarship. Instead, they must have 30 credits or less remaining toward their associate degree, have a documented plan toward completing college, be enrolled full-time, and hold at least a 3.0 GPA. Students must also demonstrate financial need through Pell eligibility, a federal grant that helps subsidize college costs.

The state plans to award about 250 scholarships a year based on that criteria.

The Denver Foundation also will fund college advisors who help students navigate the ins and outs of college and other support services as part of the program.

Landon Pirius, community college system vice chancellor for academic and student affairs, said in a statement the scholarship program helps create a clear road map for students.

He said the college system “is committed to making the transfer process as seamless and structured as possible.”

Joshua Ryines, a Denver Foundation associate scholarships officer, said the nonprofit’s goal for the Bridge to Bachelors scholarship is to create a stronger pipeline from two- to four-year colleges.

And Sharon Harper, the foundation’s senior director of special funds and scholarships, said too often the focus is on students going from high school to a four-year university, meaning limited scholarship opportunities for students who take a different route. Students who have a plan to transfer will have more opportunities, she said.

The scholarship joins a growing list of programs meant to help students pay for college.

Colorado started a free program last year to train students in health care fields. This year, it expanded the program to include a range of other professions where the state’s experiencing a shortage of workers, such as teaching, firefighting, forestry, construction and law enforcement. Students in these programs can now get up to two years of college paid for, as well as books and fees.

Colorado also offers other programs, such as dual enrollment and concurrent enrollment, to help offset the cost of college. Concurrent and dual enrollment programs allow high school students to enroll in college classes and earn credit.

Gen Z isn’t so sure about college, a new poll finds. Colorado counselors say that isn’t the whole story.

2023-08-03T23:09:06+00:00

Gen Z believes education after high school is necessary. They’re just not so sure about going to a four-year university.

It isn’t that the generation born between 1997 and 2012 doesn’t want to get a bachelor’s degree, according to a recent study by the ECMC Group. The cost of tuition, student debt, and not feeling prepared keep them from heading to a university. Some are more open to certificate programs, apprenticeships, two-year degrees, and on-the-job training as viable paths to a career.

The general attitudes of Gen Z students, documented in the report by the group that pushes to help students succeed, tracks similarly to what Colorado college counseling groups hear. Advisors say students they talk to are recovering from an unprecedented pandemic and they’re more cost conscious about their education. Gen Z students are putting financial security first.

“They’ve seen so many people just operate to survive during the pandemic,” said Melissa Muniz, the Latin American Educational Foundation student services and program manager.

With those attitudes in mind, counselors say there’s a balance in helping Gen Z students understand how to approach their education. About 65% of students say post-high school education is important, the report says. And almost 60% say they can be successful without a four-year degree.

Having a four-year degree has benefits. State data shows having a bachelor’s degree can open opportunities for more secure and higher-paying jobs that Gen Z students seek. Residents with a bachelor’s degree are also more mobile.

Nonetheless, financial worries persist about the high cost of tuition at a four-year university or the debt students might be saddled with after they graduate. The study says six in 10 teens worry about how to pay for their education. That can hold them back.

Students do have options in Colorado, and it’s true that some students can get what they want out of their education from a shorter-term program.

But the study shows not enough students feel they get the counseling they need to make the decision. About 63% said they need guidance on finances and 48% said they need education and career guidance.

“They’re operating from this place where they want to find something they love, they want to find something they’re passionate about doing,” said Muniz, whose nonprofit pushes for greater access to higher education among Latino and Hispanic students. “But they question how they are also going to have stability so that they can provide for themselves and for their families.”

Gabriel Guindon, Denver Scholarship Foundation college access director, said counselors always make sure students know about Colorado’s talent pipeline report that says about 92% of the top jobs statewide require schooling beyond a high school diploma. The Denver foundation helps students realize their college dreams through advising and financial aid.

Students also should get advised individually to find the best fit, whether that’s academic, financial, or social, he said. Guindon offers advice on how to pay for a four-year degree, but he doesn’t steer students just toward universities. He tries to help students see that an education beyond college is necessary and at their fingertips.

Gen Z’s openness toward other options expressed in the survey aligns with some of Colorado’s higher education priorities. Colorado’s higher education strategic plan calls for students to get a return on what they pay, help more low-income students get into programs after high school, and for colleges to work more closely with employers.

The state has been investing more in programs that connect post-high school education and industries that need more trained workers. Sometimes these programs lead to a bachelor’s degree and sometimes they don’t.

The state wants more high school students to leave with a certificate or credential that can lead to a job and has free high school programs where students can attend college-level classes and earn credit.

Colorado now offers free college and training in a range of fields where there’s a shortage of workers, such as teaching, firefighting, and law enforcement. These programs can help students find a track that fits their interests and offers good job prospects after completion. These programs expanded on Colorado’s CareForward program, which provides free education for health care fields.

Other examples include schools such as Colorado Mountain College, which partners with local employers to create practical training for students to get jobs on the Western Slope. Community colleges such as the Community College of Aurora have also cut some arts and humanities programs to focus on courses that prepare students for jobs.

Sachs Foundation President Ben Ralston said Gen Z attitudes he’s observed are also reactions to issues that should be challenged. The national survey says students want their interests to lead to fulfillment in their careers.

Ralston, whose nonprofit supports Black Colorado students, said he’s heard from many students who want to learn business or engineering because they care most about the money they’ll earn. Some students, however, have no interest in those careers and won’t find fulfillment, he said.

Adults shouldn’t forget a four-year education also can lead to jobs that may not pay as much, but help create a more robust society through art, literature, or teaching, he said. It’s on state leaders to help make jobs with high societal value worth the time students spend getting educated for them and to help students find value in creativity.

For instance, Ralson said Colorado needs more Black educators. The foundation and Teach for America Colorado have teamed up to provide financial and career development support to Black educators, through learning groups and a salary incentive.

Sachs Foundation Chief Operating Officer Pamela Roberts said Gen Z notions about higher ed also can be challenged simply by offering them information. Not every student has to go to an Ivy League school and most students realize that college is more affordable than they expect depending on where they go.

Muniz said, however, students too often don’t get the information they need to make dreams a reality.

“They know what it takes and they know what they might want to do,” she said. “But some of them are just lacking that confidence or lacking that ability or the resources to really understand how to take advantage of these opportunities.”

Correction: The original story incorrectly named the organization that worked on the study. The ECMC Group conducted the study.

Native students learn how to preserve threatened languages through Fort Lewis initiative

2023-08-01T20:44:55+00:00

Almost 30 years ago, the majority of Native American students at Fort Lewis College could speak their home language, Janine Fitzgerald recalled.

In the years since, more and more students have arrived at the southwest Colorado college without the ability to speak their native language, the Fort Lewis sociology and human services professor said. Nonetheless, these students have wanted to better connect with their family, their culture, and their traditions.

To assist, Fort Lewis College and Fitzgerald created the All Our Kin Collective this year to help address the loss of indigenous languages in students’ communities and help them understand a crucial part of their identities. Fitzgerald, who has an interest in sociolinguistics, was awarded a $1.5 million grant through the Mellon Foundation, as well as support from the National Endowment for the Humanities, to start the collective.

About 44% of Fort Lewis College’s students are Native American, and the collective has created programs, including a summer institute, classes, and a certificate program, that help those students learn and share their language.

Fitzgerald said many Native students have cited that learning their language and sharing culture are even more vital since the pandemic because so many elders who carried on this knowledge died from Covid. Many students believe that the death of tribal elders will also cause some traditions to begin to die, she said.

“And there’s this sort of deep understanding among students — deep — where they say. ‘I got to learn,’” Fitzgerald said. “That it’s super important and ‘I can’t be whole without it.’”

The collective adds to Fort Lewis’ push to compensate for its past as a Native American boarding school. The Fort Lewis boarding school, and many others throughout the U.S. and Canada, were created with the goal of eradicating Native American culture. Students were required to learn English and taught their traditions were inferior.

Fort Lewis College leaders have now pushed to become a place for Native students to further their schooling while also embracing who they are as Indigenous people.

Ally Gee, who is Navajo and a Fort Lewis College graduate working with the collective, said the project is meant to help students connect to who they are. Many students complain that they don’t feel as deep a tie to their culture as they want because they don’t know their language, she said. It’s a vital part of who Native people are, she added.

“If I could help just one student learn just one word, I would measure that as a success,” she said. “Students are learning their cultures, how to introduce themselves, and the meaning of their names. And that’s really heartwarming.”

Students, however, are learning more than just a few words, said Shannen Jones, 31, who recently graduated from Fort Lewis and participated in the collective’s summer institute. She said she expected to just learn how to speak and write in her native Navajo language.

She found that the summer institute offered so much more.

Ally Gee and Shannen Jones sit with other students during an All Our Kin Collective class.

Instructors focused not on grammar and spelling but on the skills needed to learn how to document and learn languages without a textbook, Jones said. Those skills allow students to not only learn how to speak, but preserve the language for future generations by documenting what they learned.

The for-credit, three-week summer institute is focused on four languages. In its first year, the classes featured Navajo, Cherokee, Inupiaq, and Hopi. Program leaders hope to change which languages are taught depending on the students who are enrolled.

Another component of the collective includes one-credit classes that focus on language and cultural identity. The classes include teaching students about preserving languages and how to do that through new technology.

The collective’s programs also allow students the opportunity to take a series of classes that lead to a certificate in language revitalization, including learning about Native languages, doing an internship, and finishing a series of online classes.

The collective documents work from students to help celebrate and preserve indigenous cultures through a digital archive which includes students’ projects and culturally significant material.

Jones participated in the All Our Kin fellowship, which gives students $750 and the ability to work on projects.

As part of her work, Jones led group conversations during the summer program. At first, she looked at the assignment as more of a job, but she left feeling empowered.

Leading group conversations gave her hands-on experience working with other Native students and she wants to take that experience back to her home in Arizona or to other Native communities. She plans to work in public health.

The classes, most of all, helped Jones feel closer to her roots and her peers.

“Around language, we found a sense of community that some of us were missing,” Jones said. “Every time I think about the classes, I get excited. It was an amazing feeling seeing everyone working together.”

Biden administration announces $130 million loan forgiveness for Colorado CollegeAmerica students

2023-07-25T21:34:43+00:00

About 7,400 students who attended the for-profit CollegeAmerica in Colorado from 2006 to 2020 will automatically get $130 million in student debt forgiven after the U.S. Department of Education found the college made widespread misrepresentations.

CollegeAmerica students will be notified in August that their federal student loan balance has been wiped clean. They also will be reimbursed for the amount they paid on those loans.

The education department used evidence provided by Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser in its forgiveness decision, finding parent-company Center for Excellence in Higher Education gave false information about the salaries and employment rates of its graduates, the programs it offered, and the terms of a private loan product it offered.

“CollegeAmerica, they took advantage of people and preyed on vulnerable individuals,” Weiser said during a Tuesday news conference with the federal education department. “They had tens of thousands of TV commercials, radio, mailers, all of which promoted starting salaries or median starting salary that they claimed their degrees would give people access to. That was fundamentally untrue.”

Federal Student Aid Chief Operating Officer Richard Cordray credited Weiser’s office for its work exposing issues with College America. The Colorado attorney general’s office started investigating the for-profit in 2012, with a final judgment in favor of the state in 2020.

Cordray said issues included CollegeAmerica inflating job placement rates from 40% to 70%. The college also advertised higher salaries for its graduates, sometimes by twice as much.

“Nothing can replace the time these students spent, the years that have passed, and their trust that is broken,” Corduroy said. “What we can do, we will do, to try to make things right.”

The department’s actions discharge federal loans for the 7,400 students. Private loans, however, are not eligible for forgiveness.

The Biden-Harris Administration has forgiven $14.7 billion in relief for 1.1 million borrowers nationally whose colleges took advantage of them or closed, according to a news release.

Students at now-closed Corinthian Colleges, ITT Technical Institute, and Westwood College also have received loan relief.

Denver nonprofit supports college scholarships. The fund needs more oversight, a city audit finds.

2023-07-21T19:26:26+00:00

A Denver tax initiative meant to support college scholarships needs more oversight to better track its data and increase safeguards to hedge against inaccurate reporting, according to a city audit released this week.

The nonprofit Prosperity Denver Fund administers the city’s College Affordability Fund created after a 2018 ballot initiative. It began reimbursing local nonprofits for the scholarships and college support services they provide. The voter-approved college fund sets aside .08% sales tax to increase higher education resources for Denver students, especially those who are low-income.

The audit says the Prosperity Denver Fund has struggled to keep accurate and complete records of students, had some issues verifying if students were eligible for scholarships, and lacked appropriate documentation to support reimbursements to nonprofits.

The nonprofit and the Denver Office of Children’s Affairs, which oversees the nonprofit’s work, have agreed with city auditors’ recommendations. Prosperity Denver CEO Matt Jordan said changes, including improving its data management and collection, are either underway or are planned.

“In data collection and management, those steps took longer than we would have wanted initially,” Jordan said. “But we’re confident now that we have what we need to more quickly address these issues.”

The program has already undergone other changes since its start in 2018.

Tax money available for the fund has increased from $8.9 million in 2019 to $14.5 million in 2022. So far, the fund has collected about $46.4 million, but only spent about $21 million to reimburse nonprofits for over 7,500 scholarships.

The pandemic made it hard to give out all the money within the fund, Jordan said.

In May, Denver city council members approved broadening the criteria for students. The nonprofit can now reimburse scholarships or services such as college or career counseling, for students up to age 30, and for students who have graduated from a Denver high school or lived in Denver for six months prior to graduation.

“We think that the ordinance changes that were recently approved will allow us to serve more students that were originally intended to be covered by the fund,” Jordan said.

The audit says that Prosperity Fund Denver didn’t create identifying information for individual students. While the fund reimburses about 1,800 scholarships a year, Jordan said, some of those students might get college money for multiple years.

The organization lacked some information that included residency, financial need, academic progress, gender, and ethnicity. Prosperity Denver said it followed up with nonprofits to confirm any missing details.

The nonprofit also ran into issues confirming nonprofits could be reimbursed for student scholarships, according to the audit.

Of the 7,570 scholarships city auditors reviewed, about 155 payments lacked the data needed to determine if the student was eligible.

Jordan said issues stem from nonprofit groups never having recorded some of the data that the fund requires. The updated eligibility requirements should help with this issue, he said.

The audit says for ineligible students, Prosperity Denver and the city should seek refunds. Jordan said that work is already underway.

The fund should also create clear documents for nonprofits to use that help track reimbursements, the audit says.

“Prosperity Denver has no comprehensive database of its reimbursements for scholarships and related support services that would help it manage the program and better ensure data integrity and transparency to Denver residents,” the audit says.

For its part, the city plans to add a staff member assigned to better oversee the fund and help with issues, including with the management of data.

How the Supreme Court ruling on race-based admissions could affect Colorado students

2023-06-29T23:04:07+00:00

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Colorado’s colleges and universities will no longer be allowed to consider race when admitting students, after the nation’s high court ruled Thursday that admissions programs at Harvard University and the University of North Carolina are unconstitutional.

Only a few Colorado schools factor race into their admissions decisions, including the University of Colorado Boulder, Colorado College, and the University of Denver.

The Supreme Court decision to halt 45 years of colleges’ use of race-conscious admissions could reshape campuses here and nationwide.

The decision means the state’s most selective schools won’t be able to consider racial diversity as a factor in enrollment, which could limit the tools they use to balance their student bodies to be more reflective of states and the nation. It also could discourage students from applying to college and deter university officials from addressing racial inequities on campus, according to experts.

Native American, Black, and Hispanic students enroll in college at lower rates than their white and Asian peers.

Ben Ralston, Sachs Foundation president, said race-based admissions were created to rectify systemic inequities that had erected barriers to Black students and students of color. The Colorado Springs-based foundation supports Colorado’s Black communities, including by offering college scholarships.

“The fact that the federal government is saying that historic inequity is something that they no longer want to address is just a clear signal to the students that we serve that those inequities are going to continue to persist throughout the course of their education and probably the rest of their lives,” Ralston said.

President Joe Biden said the ruling should not deter colleges from seeking to improve diversity. University administrators in Colorado said that they are working to understand how the ruling will affect their admissions processes and that they’ll keep working to admit students from a range of backgrounds. That includes putting more weight on students’ personal experiences and removing barriers in the application process.

“Excellence is not defined by a test score, so this will force us to define excellence even better,” said Shanta Zimmer, senior associate dean for education at the University of Colorado School of Medicine.

Most Colorado colleges don’t consider applicants’ race

The majority of Colorado’s public universities and community colleges do not consider race in their admissions decisions. Students of color go to those schools at higher rates than more selective schools but typically have fewer resources. That contributes to lower overall graduation rates.

Selective colleges typically have more financial and student support resources that help students of color graduate at higher rates.

In admissions, selective colleges in Colorado largely consider the rigor of classes taken in high school, grade point average, application essays, recommendations, and geographic location. Colorado’s public schools do not consider scores from standardized tests like the ACT and SAT, but some private colleges do.

CU Boulder, Colorado College, the University of Denver, and the U.S. Air Force Academy treat academic performance and rigor as the most important factors in deciding whether to accept a student, but they do consider race as well.

The high court’s decision exempted military academies, on the premise that they are not party to the case and have “potentially distinct interests” that were not considered in the court cases. In her dissent, Justice Sonia Sotomayor called that distinction essentially arbitrary and said it shows that even the majority doesn’t believe the 14th Amendment prohibits all use of race in admissions.

CU Boulder, the state’s flagship institution, is the only Colorado state university that considers race in admissions. Public universities in the state have tried to be more representative of the state’s residents — and, in turn, taxpayers who help pay for their operations.

CU Boulder is 65% white, 13% Hispanic, and 2% Black, according to the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System. In contrast, Colorado’s K-12 population is just 51% white, 35% Hispanic, and 4.6% Black. The school has become slightly more demographically diverse in the last decade. The student population also has grown, and the school is admitting and serving more students who are Black and Hispanic.

In a statement, University of Colorado President Todd Saliman and Philip DiStefano, chancellor of CU Boulder, said the university would continue to use admissions processes that consider “the whole student,” including demographic characteristics and life experiences.

“As we move forward, the University of Colorado will continue to advance our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion,” they said. “We are steadfast in our belief that a vibrant and inclusive community leads to a richer educational experience for all, contributes to a positive society, and prepares our graduates to excel in an increasingly interconnected and diverse world.”

Jennifer McDuffie, CU’s associate vice chancellor of enrollment management, said the university plans an audit of all its admissions practices and staff trainings to figure out what needs to change in response to the ruling. At the same time, CU is looking at what barriers it can reduce in admissions, which may mean expanding financial aid or removing extra essays from its application process. The university also wants to ensure students from diverse backgrounds feel wanted and welcome, McDuffie said.

University of Denver Chancellor Jeremy Haefner said in a statement that his institution would continue to work to build a more diverse study body, for example by prioritizing diverse high schools in its recruitment efforts and working to create a more welcoming campus environment.

“Without question, there is much to learn about how this decision will impact admission processes at the undergraduate and graduate level,” he said. “Legal professionals will apply their expertise to interpreting the decision over the coming days and weeks, and we will make the best choices for DU’s commitment to diversity and our students while complying with the legal landscape.”

Colleges’ argument relied on stereotypes, court’s opinion says

The Supreme Court decision stems from two cases that were brought by Students for Fair Admissions, an organization headed by Edward Blum, who has spent years fighting admissions policies that consider race.

The group alleged that the race-conscious admissions policies of Harvard and the University of North Carolina are unfair and discriminate against Asian American applicants, among other allegations.

The universities said they needed to take race into account to build a diverse student body, which brings benefits to the schools and students.

In a 6-3 opinion written by Chief Justice John Roberts, the court ruled that argument relied on stereotypes about how people of different races and ethnicities think and behave. The majority opinion argues that using race as a factor in admissions inevitably harms groups that aren’t favored by the policy.

“Excellence is not defined by a test score, so this will force us to define excellence even better.”

“College admissions are zero-sum, and a benefit provided to some applicants but not to others necessarily advantages the former at the expense of the latter,” Roberts wrote.

Opponents of the use of race-based admissions had argued that Asian American applicants are harmed by the practice.

But the decision also will have an impact on the Asian American community, said Jennifer Ho, a University of Colorado Boulder professor. While Asian Americans are highlighted in the case, they have a mixed view on affirmative action and using race in admissions, according to a Pew Research Center study.

While some Asian American communities are highly educated, many struggle to get to college, such as Hmong, Laotian, and Cambodian students, and those from Myanmar, Ho said.

“Asian American students who are from Southeast Asian groups are vastly underrepresented in colleges and universities and have some of the lowest graduation rates from high school by percentage,” said Ho, a professor of Asian American studies.

Many Asian Americans have also benefited from race-based admissions policies, Ho said, including herself.

“My guess is that some of the parents who are driving the narrative that affirmative action is harming their children have actually been the beneficiary of affirmative action policies,” she said.

Less diversity makes college feel less welcoming

The last time the Supreme Court took up affirmative action was in 2016, when it upheld that colleges and universities can use race in admissions. The makeup of the court has since shifted to a more conservative majority.

Data from states that previously banned the use of race in admissions provide a look at what may happen nationwide.

After California and Michigan banned the use of race in admissions, the share of Black, Latino, and Indigenous students at several of the most selective universities fell sharply. Those figures tended to tick back up with time, but never fully rebounded — and they still fail to represent the racial diversity of high school graduates in those states, the Boston Globe reported.

When colleges become less racially diverse, students of color often feel the schools are less welcoming — which could discourage Black and Latino students from applying or staying in college. That matters because Black and Latino students are more likely to benefit from the social capital that comes from attending a top college.

Ralston said more of his students have chosen to go to historically Black colleges and universities because some schools have felt like less of a place for them. He expects that portion to increase as students feel less inclined to consider a school that’s less diverse.

Experts nationwide say it’s hard to boost admissions of Black, Hispanic, and other underrepresented students without considering race. Some people worry the ruling will discourage universities from even trying, for fear of running afoul of the ruling.

Kelly Slay, an assistant professor at Vanderbilt University, said states could consider sending more resources to colleges that serve higher numbers of students of color. CU Boulder’s Ho said that schools could also try to diversify their student bodies by considering the economic background of students or whether they’re the first in their family in the United States to attend college.

Advocate Satra Taylor said she hopes foundations will step up scholarship offers to get students of color to college.

“No matter what, we’re going to have to be proactive,” said Taylor, higher education director of Young Invincibles, which works on promoting student voice in policy debates, “and we’re going to have to ensure that we’re creating equitable access pathways for students from marginalized backgrounds.”

Colorado universities to give more weight to personal experiences

Administrators at the University of Colorado said they are committed to just that. McDuffie pointed to recent initiatives such as a partnership with the Southern Ute Indian Tribe that provides free tuition to some tribe members and a program that pays for travel and lodging for students and families from Colorado’s rural San Luis Valley to visit campus.

CU is doubling the number of students eligible for its CU Promise Program, which waives tuition for students whose families earn less than $65,000 a year. The extra financial aid will be paid for in part by admitting more out-of-state students. CU also plans to reduce extra essays not already required by the CommonApp, continue diversifying its recruiters, and do more outreach in communities that historically don’t send a lot of students to the university, McDuffie said.

Zimmer said she believes the court ruling relies on a mistaken idea about merit. With more than 10,000 applicants for just 184 spots, the school has always looked at test scores to ensure students are academically prepared. But simply ranking applicants by their MCAT scores wouldn’t produce the best medical school class — or the best doctors, she said.

In the future, the medical school likely will give more weight to essays and responses to questions about past experiences, advocacy work, and personal attributes, Zimmer said.

Relevant information could include whether applicants speak another language, whether they’ve had to seek primary care in an emergency room or been pulled over by the police without cause, whether they are the first in their family to go to college, or whether they have worked with community groups to improve health outcomes for marginalized communities.

Given the correlation between diverse health care providers and patient health outcomes, admitting diverse medical students is “not just about what the class looks like,” Zimmer said. “It’s about how patients get healthy and how they survive, literally.”

Kayln Belsha and Erica Meltzer contributed reporting to this article.

Retiring workers find new life through University of Colorado Denver program

2023-06-26T16:00:00+00:00

Retirement can be about more than pickleball and world travel.

For some retirees, winding down a career could mean transitioning to other work or dedicating part of their time to passion projects, said Todd Matuszewicz, 60, who plans to retire soon. Figuring out which is next, however, is the hard part.

“After working for 35 years, at the end of it, there’s no exit strategy,” said Matuszewicz, a neon sign maker and former educator. “That’s not taught as part of education. They say here’s chemistry, here’s your history, but there was no one saying: We’re going to help you on the back side.”

But Matuszewicz found help through the University of Colorado Denver Change Makers program. The pilot program, which started this year, joins a growing list of programs nationwide that are helping older adults prepare for how they want to spend the next phase of their lives.

The program is a priority for school leaders who want to serve older adults because they want the school to be “a university for life,” said Anne Button, the program’s founding director.

Here and nationally, schools also have looked for new ways to bring in students. Some schools have faced declining enrollment since the pandemic, and lower birth rates will mean fewer college-age students to teach in the future.

While many people retire in their 60s, some live well beyond retirement, Button said. Many will also continue working, but don’t have a direction on how to use their skills without working full-time, Button said.

“Many people feel there’s a lot more productive time left,” Button said. “People at 60 really could have three decades left of productive years.”

The Change Makers program graduated its first class of 17 students in the spring, including Matuszewicz. The program, which costs about $3,200, has students meet two nights a week over four months. Students can audit classes, reflect on their accomplishments, and hear from guest speakers on topics such as aging, social-emotional health, and volunteering.

The program culminates in participants writing a 90-day plan on how to transition into their next job, wind down their careers, or find another purpose.

Terri Harrington, 66, said she’s tried to come up with a plan for what’s next. The program didn’t inspire a great epiphany for her, but allowed her to map out how she would begin to slow down.

“It set aside time for me to think about it,” she said. “They also had us do different projects like look back on your life and chart out the significant events.”

One of her happiest memories is cooking at the family farm in Nebraska, and she said that helped her realize how much she wants family to play a role in her retirement. Harrington said she wants to still work as an attorney, but also spend more time helping with her granddaughters and contribute occasionally at the family farm in Nebraska.

“I can spend more time there and spend more time with my family,” she said “I can work as little or as much as I want.”

For Matuszewicz, the class inspired him to try to find flexibility in his work schedule while still using the skills he’s acquired.

His goal is to step away from making signs and start a nonprofit that helps preserve Denver’s historic neon signs. The change would mean less hard labor, but would allow him to still be connected to the neon sign work he loves.

“I’m hoping to transition into more of the public face of it,” he said.

Matuszewicz plans to submit a grant proposal to the National Trust for Historic Preservation to help him start his nonprofit. He has plenty of work ahead of him figuring out how many neon signs need to be saved in the Denver area. He wants to ensure neon sign makers continue the tradition — he estimates there are only six sign makers in Denver — and that the city can keep its history.

It’s a busy but fulfilling retirement plan, Matuszewicz said. And he’s happy pickleball isn’t a part of it.

No FAFSA push this year, but Colorado advocates plan for future action

2023-06-08T23:35:32+00:00

Colorado made no legislative progress toward getting students more support to complete the federal financial aid application despite a recommendation last year that the state do so.

A Colorado report last year called for the state to make filling out the Federal Application for Federal Student Aid, or the FAFSA, a high school graduation requirement by 2025, with a goal to get 80% of students completing the form by 2026. Filling out the form increases the likelihood that students will attend college, studies show.

Despite the inaction this session, advocates of a Colorado requirement for high school students to complete the federal financial aid application before graduation expect to make a push for future changes after taking a wait-and-see approach this year.

Many advocates believe requiring students to fill out the FAFSA would be an effective strategy for Colorado to increase the number of students who go to college after high school. Studies have shown that Louisiana, the first to enact a FAFSA graduation requirement, increased college-going among students. Efforts in other states are still new.

In Colorado, legislators have hesitated to place one more burden on high school educators.

Advocate Sarah Staron said lawmakers, along with school officials, discussed how a graduation requirement might work but didn’t introduce legislation.

So advocates of mandating FAFSA completion focused on addressing the concerns they heard.

“I felt like we needed to step back,” said Staron, policy coordinator for Young Invincibles, which works toward giving students a voice in policy debates.

Less than 50% of Colorado high school graduates go to college. Advocates have said increasing Colorado’s ranking near the bottom of FAFSA completion would open up more opportunities for students. The form unlocks financial aid and scholarships for college.

The National College Attainment Network has recognized Colorado for seeking more transparency around which school districts help students complete the form. Advocates also have applauded the state for setting the 80% completion goal. The state has reported that every year Colorado students leave about $30 million in federal financial aid unclaimed.

Colorado has sought to boost FAFSA completion in other ways.

Last year, the state created grants for districts to increase FAFSA completion, but only a handful of districts applied, Staron said. Despite offering more financial literacy for students, training for teachers, and financial aid planning for students, the state’s FAFSA completion rate remained at about 45%.

The state’s teacher union said there are reasons to be cautious about a push to mandate FAFSA completion.

The Colorado Education Association said it wants to discuss issues such as whether the requirement would burden teachers and students, raise privacy issues, and favor four-year colleges over other options, union President Amie Baca-Oehlert said.

In the upcoming FAFSA cycle, the federal government will launch an application that’s intended to be easier for students to fill out. The new form, however, will be released in December instead of the previous schedule of October, narrowing the window to complete the form.

Financial aid experts expect the form will have unintended consequences, especially for students whose families own farms or small businesses, but eventually will lead to a better student experience and outcome.

“With the streamlined FAFSA form, our hope is that completion rates go up because it’s easier for students and families to navigate the process. But I certainly think Colorado needs to do more,” said Jen Walmer, whose organization Democrats for Education Reform contributed to the report.

Amelia Federico, a Young Invincibles policy fellow who attends Metropolitan State University of Denver, said the FAFSA process is overly confusing and students often have little support to fill out the support despite there being some resources at schools.

Federico said a FAFSA completion requirement for high schoolers would ensure that educators focus on giving students the support they need to fill out the complicated form. The state would also need to support schools to ensure every student gets what they need, they said.

Too many of their peers don’t know about their financial options, Federico said.

Shaped by the pandemic, racial unrest, and debt fears, Colorado’s class of 2023 steps into the world

2023-05-24T16:00:00+00:00

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The class of 2023 were freshmen when the world shut down in March 2020.

Now poised to enter the adult world, they’ve been shaped by the pandemic and everything that followed.

Their academic careers and social lives were upended. They lived through the murder of George Floyd and the racial reckoning that followed. They questioned their futures amid economic uncertainty and wondered about the value of a college degree as the nation debated student debt relief.

The choices the class of 2023 make about their future are inevitably tied to their experience of the last four years.

“When we started school, there was a lot of energy and a lot of hype around college,” said Seline Mesfin, 17, a DSST: Montview student in northeast Denver. “As time went on there was a gradual lessening of this energy and motivation. It became less of how do I push through this next year and more of how do I get through day by day by day.”

For Mesfin, the pandemic solidified that she wants to go to college. She’s considering Yale University, Colorado College, and Pomona College.

But many students are making other choices. It’s too soon to get solid numbers on the class of 2023, but college enrollment dropped by about a million students from 2019 to 2022, according to National Student Clearinghouse numbers. In Colorado, the class of 2021 was less likely to go to college than those who graduated in 2020.

“In different ways, the pandemic put our own lives in perspective, and our own values and motives and made us consider what really matters to us,” Mesfin said.

Chalkbeat talked to over a dozen other students across the state about their plans after high school. Here are five of those stories in their own words, as told to Chalkbeat Colorado. The pieces have been lightly edited for length and clarity.

Jess Gonzalez, left, Alexander Mam, Izaias Pérez, and Jose Hernandez Diaz wait for commencement ceremonies for Aurora’s William Smith High School. Graduation was held May 17 at the Newman Center for the Performing Arts at the University of Denver. The senior class was in its freshman year at the start of the pandemic.

Jerilynn Arnold, holding a fan, and her sister Aliysha

Jerilynn Arnold, 17

Montezuma-Cortez High School | Will go to Pueblo Community College

“It’ll be up to me — what I do and where I go from here.”

I grew up in a really hectic situation. Both my parents are alcoholics, so I was teetering on the edge when I was very young. My life never really revolved around my education. My life always revolved around getting through the day.

College really wasn’t an option growing up. I didn’t get serious about school until the end of my freshman year. I moved in with my grandmother. I was around the age of 14.

But that’s when COVID hit. I did not do well because I wasn’t used to online learning. I really didn’t pick myself up until my senior year.

I wanted to go to Fort Lewis College. I wanted to start my own life as an adult and move out. I’d be living on my own, get a job, and go to college. But I’m also really scared of going out into the world. I’m Native American and you don’t find a lot of us out there. I wanted to be close with my community.

My heart broke a little when I got the email saying I was rejected. It hurt. I let myself feel it. But I also said, “you know what? It’s not the only option.” I have backup plans. I told myself that if I do a year or two at community college and I get myself back up, then I can switch to a four-year. It’ll all work out. It doesn’t matter where I go. I just need to get the education that I hope to get. I’ve decided on my career in nursing.

The most exciting part about college is I am going to be on my own after all the ups and downs. I will still have the support of my family and I am still going to have the support of my tribe. But it’ll be up to me — what I do and where I go from here.

Isenia Fregoso

Isenia Fregoso, 18

Central High School | Will stay in Grand Junction to attend Colorado Mesa University

“Considering finances is a hard decision.”

Neither of my parents went to college, but it’s something they’ve wanted for me. Even since elementary school, it’s never not been a choice.

But my parents are not going to be able to help me with money. I do have a couple of scholarships, but a lot of the scholarships I have are one-year scholarships and not renewable. And because of my dad’s income, I don’t qualify for any Pell Grants even though I don’t have the funds to pay for college.

My biggest goal is not having loan debt. I’ve heard different stories, like two of my cousins. They both have considerable student debt. They’re struggling to pay it off. I do not want to leave school with all that debt.

I knew if I tried to get into an Ivy League or CU Boulder or CSU Fort Collins or any of the bigger schools in the state that I’d have to seek out loans.

By going to college in my town, I can live at home and I’ll save a lot of money. I didn’t even apply to any other colleges. I just applied to Colorado Mesa University.

At the end of the day, considering finances is a hard decision. I feel like I’ve done the work to get into any college and it almost feels like I don’t have options.

Fen Erickson, second from left, Jasmine Salgado Simental, Nathanial Rodriguez Duran, Daniel Perez Mariscal, and other seniors at Aurora’s William Smith High School wait for commencement ceremonies May 17 at the Newman Center for the Performing Arts at the University of Denver. Students are weighing whether to go to college, work, take an apprenticeship, or pursue other options.

Jakob Manchego, 17

Fowler High School senior | Will apprentice with K.R. Swerdfeger Construction as a welder

“I knew I didn’t necessarily want to go to college.”

Halfway through my senior year, after applying to a few colleges, I still didn’t really know what I wanted to do. I was a little bit stressed. I thought about going to work with no further experience. I knew I didn’t necessarily want to go to college because I am more of a hands-on learner.

Jakob Manchego

At my school, I feel like they do push college a lot. They’re big on seeing kids being successful after high school, which I get. Once the Tulsa School of Welding came and talked to our class, they inspired me to go into welding.

It was my dad who really ended up putting me on this route. He’s been in the trade industry his whole life. He’s helped me a lot in deciding if I should go to trade school or do an apprenticeship where I can get paid to also learn. And that’s what struck me. I like the idea of making money while learning.

It’s a four- to five-year apprenticeship and you have to go to class. But it’s not like school. It’s a couple classes and they train you. My sisters are really successful — my sister is a registered nurse and my other sister has gone into law — and I want to be successful as they are.

I am grateful. Eventually with welding being a really high-paying job, it should pay off.

Lily-Ann Smith, 16

Estes Park High School | Will graduate early to attend Denison University, a private four-year institution in Ohio

“College never really was the goal. I wanted to be financially stable.”

I am graduating two years early. My mother is very, very sick. And my father just a couple years ago was diagnosed with schizophrenia.

Lily-Ann Smith

I wanted to be in a position to fight for custody of my sister in case of my mother’s passing. I can be emancipated if she happens to die, but for my littlest sister, she’s only 10. She has eight more years to go.

College never really was the goal. I wanted to be financially stable. I want to go into global commerce and I want to work for a big international company.

I want to make sure that I will be ready.

And I knew that if I didn’t figure out how to pay for college myself, I wouldn’t go. I’m the first in my family to go to college. So the whole college process was me trying to figure out everything by myself.

Luckily, I have the QuestBridge scholarship. I got to apply to 15 schools for free and rank them. My top choice was Denison University. They had some of the best financial aid. I have free room and board, and I also have tuition covered.

I just hope that by getting a college education, it will help show my sisters that if they really want to do something, they can actually do it.

Student Manuel Chavez shows his heritage in the decorative stole he wore for commencement ceremonies for Aurora’s William Smith High School. During high school, the class of 2023 witnessed a racial reckoning and student-debt debate. Some students were deterred from going to college.

Jonathan Sykes, 17

East High School | Will attend Morgan State University, a historically Black university

“I wanted to be in an environment where my opinions and my thoughts mean something.”

I decided on Morgan State University. My goal is to study physical therapy, as well as try to walk onto the football team. The school also has that community culture I want.

The vast majority of my family went to an HBCU. When I went to Howard University’s homecoming, I got to be exposed to my own culture. Being from Colorado, there’s just not as many African American people. Being there definitely gave me a sense of hope. It gave me a feeling of belonging.

Jonathan Sykes

The last couple of years, we’ve had some real challenges around race as a country. I feel like now more than ever, we need to stick together. We have to spend this time uplifting each other instead of tearing each other down.

I’ve always wanted to be at a place where I could feel safe — a place where people would understand me, and a place where I didn’t have to explain every single thing I did. I wanted to be in an environment where my opinions and my thoughts mean something to other people.

My brother also attends Morgan State. He’s a senior. He has so many amazing stories about the people he’s met. It’s a community that is loving and supportive.

I’m really excited about it. I just want to go stay on track and graduate and be as successful as I can be. College is a privilege. Not everybody gets a chance. I want to make the best of it.

Colorado’s farm students might get less college aid due to FAFSA changes

2023-05-22T11:00:00+00:00

Colorado students whose families own farms or small businesses might not be able to qualify for federal aid for college under revisions that are meant to simplify the complicated form.

The updates to the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, better known as the FAFSA, are the result of a yearslong effort to make the form easier for families to fill out.

Over the long term, financial aid experts believe the streamlined form will benefit families. But some of the changes expected to be rolled out this year might have unintended consequences, especially in the way families tally farm and small business assets.

Without a fix, experts worry that fewer rural students will go to college. Already, they are less likely than urban and suburban counterparts to go. A bipartisan group of congressmen, including Sen. Michael Bennet, a Colorado Democrat, is hoping to amend the new rules.

“Anytime you change something, there are going to be bumps along the way,” said Marty Somero, University of Northern Colorado financial aid director. “I see those as more rough patches. In the long run, this simplification process will help families with the whole process.”

Under the FAFSA Simplification Act passed in 2020, the value of family farms and small businesses will need to be tallied on the form. The calculations might make it appear that some people have more money available to send their kids to college despite most of their assets being tied up in a business or farm.

Last year, a family with a farm worth $1 million would have been expected to cover $7,626 in college costs, according to a study by the Iowa College Student Aid Commission. According to the new form calculations, a family with that asset would be expected to contribute about $41,056.

Colorado has about 39,000 farms and ranches statewide, according to the Colorado Department of Agriculture. The state also has about 691,000 small businesses, according to the Colorado Chamber of Commerce.

Somero isn’t sure how many students from families that own farms or small businesses might not decide to show up on campus due to less financial aid available to them. He’s sure, however, that it will complicate financial aid for students already in college, he said.

He’s tallying how many UNC students that might affect. The school is hoping its foundation and donors will provide financial aid to those students.

“We’re certainly going to do our part to make sure that we get them to graduation,” Somero said.

But providing extra money can’t make up the difference in federal aid for the long term, he said.

In a March letter to U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona, Bennet and three other lawmakers said they were concerned that the changes would make filling out the FAFSA more complicated for families and asked the Education Department to issue guidance for those families.

“These farm families, whose businesses are vital to our states’ communities and economies, need prompt and tailored guidance that considers their unique business model and will help families better understand how implementation of the FAFSA Simplification Act will affect their participation in federal financial aid programs,” the letter says.

A bill has been introduced in Congress to once again exempt families who own a farm and employ fewer than 100 workers. Somero said he supports the effort, but would also support a threshold for reporting certain farm or small business assets.

For now, Somero advises families and students to work with their counselors or college financial aid offices to figure out their financial aid options. He believes that colleges are willing to work with students and encourages families to ask plenty of questions, he said.

$9 billion Colorado education budget signed, but still doesn’t meet obligations for full funding

2023-05-16T00:02:49+00:00

Gov. Jared Polis on Monday signed into law Colorado’s school finance act, laying the path toward eliminating a state practice used since the Great Recession that holds back money from schools.

In the 2023-24 school year, the state will spend more than $9 billion on education and withhold $141 million from schools. Statewide, spending per student next year will increase to $10,614, $1,000 more per student than this year.

The school finance bill also will fund state-authorized charter schools at a level similar to other schools starting in 2023-24, adding more than $42 million for those schools. State-authorized charter schools don’t get a cut of locally raised tax dollars as district schools do.

Rural schools will get $30 million more to help with their higher costs related to smaller student populations. Colorado rural schools have gotten similar state aid since 2017.

Polis, surrounded by lawmakers, educators, and students at Thornton Elementary School, also signed two bills on Monday that will boost special education funding and provide statewide support for math instruction.

Together, the bills represent a significant investment in K-12 education statewide and a promise to fully meet the constitutionally set minimum for education spending by the 2024-25 school year.

Colorado Gov. Jared Polis sits ready to sign the 2023 school finance bill as Lt. Gov. Diane Primavera stands behind him and state Sen. Rachel Zenzinger, an Arvada Democrat, talks about the bill on Monday at Thornton Elementary School.

Polis said the school finance bill means a stronger education system for Colorado, including better teacher pay, smaller class sizes, and more funding for the arts.

“We are catching up to where we should be for all public schools next year, and that’s very exciting news for Colorado kids,” he said during the bill signing.

Since 2009, lawmakers have diverted money that should go to K-12 schools to fund other priorities, a practice known as the Budget Stabilization Factor. This year’s school finance law, however, aims to eliminate that practice by the next budget year. The state has withheld over $10 billion from schools since 2009.

The constitution requires Colorado to increase funding yearly by the rate of student population growth plus inflation. The state withholding, however, has meant schools haven’t gotten what’s required by its school finance formula.

State Sen. Rachel Zenzinger, an Arvada Democrat who chairs the Joint Budget Committee that helps craft the budget and school finance act, said the state will also meet its obligation to fully fund its share of special education.

The state will spend $40.2 million more next year on special education, increasing total spending to about $340 million, or a 13% increase.

Polis also signed a bill that will invest more in teaching math after state and national tests showed students lost ground in that subject during the pandemic. The state will spend $25 million via three-year grants for after-school math tutoring programs that will be run by school districts, charter schools, and community groups.

The bill also will provide optional training for teachers and parents, offer evidence-based resources for math programs, and require teacher preparation programs to train prospective educators in math instruction.

Zenzinger said now that the state is on track to fully fund schools within the next budget cycle, she wants lawmakers to rethink what it costs to fully educate a student.

“It’s going to be really, really important that once we have established full funding, whether that is then adequate,” Zenzinger said.

Colorado legislature delivers on school funding, math tutoring, free college despite drama

2023-05-12T12:00:00+00:00

Colorado’s K-12 schools got a major funding increase. Younger students should get more help with math learning, and older students should have more ways to get a free college education.

And long-standing areas of education policy debate — how to more fairly distribute money among schools and how to determine what makes a good school — will get the focused attention of dedicated task forces that could recommend changes to future lawmakers.

When the 2023 Colorado General Assembly concluded its work this week, education stood out as an area of relative consensus and modest progress, in sharp contrast to heated debates over gun control, crime, housing, and tax policy that saw progressives frustrated and conservatives alike disappointed and disillusioned.

Education had its contentious moments as well. Republicans argued that a bill to expand mental health assessments in schools risked trampling on parental rights. Legislators scaled back a bill to give far more protections to students facing expulsion. A bill to promote universal screening for dyslexia, a common learning disability, never even got a hearing.

But overall, advocates across the spectrum rated education a bright spot this session.

“It is pretty remarkable when you can peel away the drama of the session,” said Jen Walmer, Colorado state director of Democrats for Education Reform. “There were real wins for kids.”

State Rep. Don Wilson, a freshman Monument Republican, said that education issues felt less politically charged.

“We did have a bunch of party-line votes, but there was good discussion about them and I really appreciate that from my fellow committee members,” he said.

With so many bills convening task forces — there also will be groups working on transportation and student discipline — the 2023 session could tee up bigger debates ahead or see the status quo win out.

“We have all these opportunities to talk about where we want our education system to go,” said Brenda Dickhoner, president and CEO of the conservative education group Ready Colorado. “We have this moment where we could choose to do better for our kids, but I’m also worried we’ll keep doing the same things.”

Here are some of the big education issues lawmakers tackled during this year’s session.

School funding

Lawmakers approved a budget and school finance act for 2023-24 that raises per-pupil spending to $10,614, up by more than $1,000 from this year. Legislators also wrote into law a promise to fund education according to constitutional requirements starting in the 2024-25 budget year. That would mark the end of the 13-year practice known as the budget stabilization factor, under which lawmakers held back more than $10 billion from K-12 schools to pay for other budget priorities.

At the same time, a last-minute property tax relief measure contains provisions that Democrats say will shore up school funding over the long-term.

“We made huge progress this year,” said Senate Majority Leader Dominick Moreno, a Commerce City Democrat. “Buying off the B.S. factor completely is within striking distance. I think we’re going to be able to do that next year.”

Moreno said Proposition HH also would allow the state to better fund higher education by relieving budget pressures to cover K-12.

The tax package came together in the final days of the session, and Republicans balked at what they described as an excuse to undermine the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights. In the House, the entire GOP caucus walked out rather than vote on the measure.

House Minority Leader Mike Lynch, in cowboy hat, gives an impromtu press conference with other House Republicans on the west steps of the Colorado Capitol after walking out of the chamber in protest.

State Sen. Barbara Kirkmeyer, a Brighton Republican, said Democrats need to prioritize education first, rather than one priority among many, and that it will be easier to hold schools accountable for outcomes when they have more resources.

“When we have 60% of our third graders not being able to read at the third grade level, 70% or so of our eighth graders, not being able to do math at the eighth grade level, we need some accountability here, and we need to start to figuring out how we’re going to get our kids educated so that they can succeed,” she said.

Lawmakers raised special education funding to meet promises made in 2006, put aside money for capital construction grants in cash-strapped districts, and promised an extra $30 million just for rural districts.

Legislators also increased funding for state-authorized charter schools and promised to fund them next year at the same level as their district-authorized counterparts, which benefit from local revenue sharing.

Amie Baca-Oehlert, president of the Colorado Education Association, the state teachers union, said she hopes additional funding translates into higher teacher pay, smaller class sizes, and more mental health support for students.

Speaker of the House Julie McCluskie started the session with high hopes, including for big changes to school finance that didn’t materialize.

But lawmakers put off any major changes to the school funding formula — how the state distributes money to schools.

Some advocacy groups lamented that Colorado missed an opportunity to send more money to districts that serve more students in poverty, but Bret Miles, who leads the Colorado Association of School Executives, said the proposed changes were coming too fast and presented too many complications.

“It’s a big ship to turn,” Miles said. “It doesn’t turn on a dime.”

There’s always next year. The school finance act commissions a study to determine at what level Colorado should fund its schools and a task force to determine how that money should be distributed.

Walmer said she is optimistic the task force will be less political than a previous legislative committee. Miles said he also expects the state to be able to increase funding in future years — and a larger pie is always easier to divide in new ways.

School safety and student discipline

Lawmakers faced pressures this session to address gun violence and school safety after the horrific shooting in Uvalde and, closer to home, the Club Q shooting in Colorado Springs, which raised questions about the effectiveness of Colorado’s new “red flag” law.

Two shootings outside Denver’s East High School and another inside the school building that wounded two deans and ended with the death by suicide of a student highlighted the steady toll of community gun violence.

Students repeatedly walked out of East High and rallied at the Capitol for better gun control.

East High School students rally in support of gun control at the Colorado Capitol in March after student Luis Garcia was shot and killed just outside school.

Lawmakers banned ghost guns, raised the age to purchase firearms to 21, created a three-day waiting period before gun purchasers can take possession, and added educators to the list of people who can ask that someone’s guns be temporarily removed in response to a safety threat.

Lawmakers also created an Office of School Safety to bring various services under one roof and improve coordination and communication among state agencies and school districts.

Concerns about rising youth violence hampered efforts to reform school discipline, as some educators and administrators pointed to the shooting at East as an example of why traditional schools should exclude some students. Lawmakers also decided to continue to allow children as young as 10 to be arrested and prosecuted.

Nonetheless, lawmakers passed some protections for students facing expulsion. Under House Bill 1291, hearing officers would have to learn about trauma and disability and how those can affect student behavior, and school districts will have to adopt policies that consider alternatives to expulsion.

And Senate Bill 29 would convene a task force to make recommendations to reduce disproportionate discipline.

Colorado lawmakers also banned corporal punishment in schools. The practice did not seem to be widespread in the state, but lawmakers and advocates wanted to send a message that it’s never OK to hit a child.

Student mental health

Colorado would provide more funding and support for schools to implement universal mental health screening in schools under House Bill 1003. The goal is to identify problems and provide support early, before children are in crisis.

Colorado had a high youth suicide rate before the pandemic. In 2021, doctors at Children’s Hospital Colorado declared a youth mental health emergency, and educators consistently report mental health as a top concern for students.

Lawmakers also took steps to ease severe shortages of counselors, social workers, and other mental health professionals. Senate Bill 4 will expedite licensing to work in schools.

Math instruction

House Bill 1231 would invest more than $27 million in math learning, which saw particularly concerning declines in the wake of pandemic learning disruptions. Most of the money will go to teacher training and afterschool tutoring.

Teacher training programs will be asked to make sure teachers understand best practices and recent research in math instruction, preschool teachers will be asked to do more to build early foundations, and schools facing state intervention for low academic performance will have to show what steps they’re taking to improve math learning.

Schools will be encouraged to talk to parents more and make training available to them so they can better support students at home.

But the bill stops short of the widespread mandates that have characterized Colorado’s approach to improving reading instruction.

Some advocates said they would have liked Colorado to go further, but most said they hope a voluntary approach builds buy-in and puts resources toward teachers and schools eager to do better.

College access

Few issues brought lawmakers together this session like college access.

In a bipartisan rollout in March led by Gov. Jared Polis, lawmakers outlined proposals to expand free training to students for in-demand fields at the state’s community colleges and scholarships for graduates of the Class of 2024.

House Bill 1246 opens free college for students training in early childhood, education, law enforcement, firefighting, forestry, construction, and nursing.

The $45 million program targets careers with high social value but not necessarily high salaries.

Senate Bill 205 would spend $25 million for scholarships for up to $1,500 for students in the Class of 2024 who attend college, join an apprenticeship, or train in an in-demand job.

Democrats and Republicans agreed to allow universities to enroll more out-of-state students if the institutions provide more merit aid to Colorado students.

Nursing students, Jade Prophet, left, and Cami Gardetto, work at a nursing station simulation classroom at Colorado Northwestern Community College.

Senate Bill 96 primarily impacts the University of Colorado Boulder and the Colorado School of Mines, which enroll more out-of-state students. The state requires schools to enroll 55% of their students from Colorado. Schools get to count some of those students twice if they get certain institutional aid, allowing schools to enroll more out-of-state students. The bill already signed by the governor allows schools to now double count up to 15% of its students who get more institutional aid toward the in-state enrollment cap.

Lawmakers voted mostly in lockstep to increase options for adults who never finished high school, ensuring they have a path to continue their education or get better jobs.

Senate Bill 7 would triple state spending on adult education programs to $3 million a year and will add a digital literacy requirement. The bill also would allow colleges to award high school diplomas to adults.

Senate Bill 3 would create the state’s first high school for adults. The $5 million program will support students, including paying for courses, child care, and transportation.

Teacher shortages

Lawmakers passed three laws addressing teacher shortages.

Last school year, about 440 of the 5,700 open teaching positions went unfilled for the entire year. The number of positions that end up without a teacher has also grown.

The laws this year expanded on work in 2022, when lawmakers expanded loan forgiveness programs and made it easier for retired teachers to get back into the classroom.

House Bill 1001 broadens the state’s loan forgiveness program to include principals and special service providers to apply. The state also has a shortage of special service providers.

The bill also raises the income levels eligible for the $52 million program. The program provides up to $22,000 in stipends to student teachers and $5,000 in loan forgiveness to those who stick it out. Student teachers who work in other states in some circumstances now are allowed to apply to the program.

The state also created an apprenticeship program for teacher candidates. Senate Bill 87, which has been sent to the governor, would cost more than $120,000 a year and allow undergraduate education majors to work as student teachers or substitutes while they earn their bachelor’s degree.

Kira Badberg works as a student teacher at Lowry Elementary School in Denver in 2022.

House Bill 1064 will allow teachers licensed in another state to more easily obtain a Colorado license. The Interstate Mobility Compact will allow states to share disciplinary information and require background checks. The compact only goes into place if 10 states agree to join the compact. In January, seven other states were working to approve an agreement to join the compact.

Baca-Oehlert said Senate Bill 111, which provides some workplace protections for teachers, would also help with hiring and retention. Fear of retaliation and political interference is a major reason teachers consider leaving the profession, she said.

School accountability and testing

Groups along the education politics spectrum united to support House Bill 1241, which would create a task force to recommend changes to Colorado’s school accountability system.

The school accountability system rates schools largely based on test scores, and schools that report low performance for five years or more face state intervention. Education reform advocates believe the system is imperfect but provides critical insight into how schools are serving students and where improvement is needed. Many school administrators and educators see it as punitive and overly simplistic and say it pushes schools away from art, music, career, and other educational experiences.

Bills to scale back standardized testing failed. Facing opposition, the sponsors withdrew House Bill 1239, which would have ordered the state to seek federal waivers to testing requirements and encouraged more local experimentation in assessment.

In the final days of the session, a bill to eliminate the social studies standardized test given to fourth and seventh graders also died without a vote, despite seemingly widespread support. Advocates said the release of national test scores that showed concerning drops in students’ social studies and civics knowledge led lawmakers to hesitate to end the state’s own tests in those subjects.

Bureau Chief Erica Meltzer covers education policy and politics and oversees Chalkbeat Colorado’s education coverage. Contact Erica at emeltzer@chalkbeat.org.

The Colorado General Assembly met from Jan. 9 and May 8, 2023, and now it’s done. Next year, there’ll be another one.

Proposition HH could boost Colorado school funding while slowing property tax hikes — or not

2023-05-12T02:50:40+00:00

Democratic lawmakers say their last-minute property-tax relief package will also go a long way toward shoring up school funding after the legislature committed to finally meet its financial obligations to Colorado students starting next year.

Republicans — some of whom were so upset about the tax proposal they walked out rather than vote on it on the session’s final day Monday— say it’s an excuse to undermine the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights rather than make tough decisions about which government programs to prioritize.

The ballot measure’s impact on the money available for school funding would be complex — swapping locally generated property tax revenue for increased state funding in the future — and a lot would depend on future economic growth. District leaders and school finance experts say they’re watching carefully and trying to understand the effects.

The voters ultimately will decide if Proposition HH becomes law — if it survives a legal challenge to make it on the November ballot.

The proposal would cap the growth of assessed values to limit property tax increases if voters also agree to let the state keep more revenue generated by other sources. In other words, all taxpayers would give up a portion of future tax refunds in exchange for owners of homes and businesses getting some relief.

Most of the additional money would be set aside for schools and replace lost property tax revenue at the local level. Instead of growing at the rate of population plus inflation, state government could grow at the rate of population plus inflation plus 1%. That would allow the state to reap the benefits of a growing economy and ease pressure from spending caps.

If approved, the extra money the state could retain is estimated to add up to more than $500 million over the next two years. State projections are not available past the 2024-25 year, but a fiscal analysis of the bill says by 2031-32, Proposition HH would potentially allow the state to keep up to $2.2 billion over the state cap that triggers refunds to Coloradans.

“If Proposition HH passes, that is a real opportunity to increase funding to schools and a historic one at that,” said Senate Majority Leader Dominick Moreno, a Commerce City Democrat. “We have been underfunding schools for decades. And Proposition HH is a key piece of the solution and addressing that issue.”

State Sen. Barbara Kirkmeyer, a Brighton Republican, had pushed hard for lawmakers to fully fund schools this year instead of waiting, and she now believes Democrats resisted in part to justify the tax package.

“Then they wouldn’t have a reason to say why they needed your TABOR refunds,” she said.

Chris Brown, the Common Sense Institute’s vice president for policy and research, argued in a Twitter thread that Proposition HH is more of an education funding measure than a tax relief bill because over time, it would generate far more money than needed just to backfill lost local revenue.

Tracie Rainey of the Colorado School Finance Project sees it differently. She said lawmakers wanted to offer limited property tax relief to head off potential ballot measures from conservative activists but knew they would need to protect school funding, she said. The result is a cobbled-together policy whose long-term impact is unclear.

The proposal could provide important new revenue for school funding at the state level, she said, but if the campaign focuses a lot on the benefits to education, it could be harder to win support for a larger school funding measure in a year or two, she said.

Rainey is among many education advocates who think that meeting constitutional school funding requirements isn’t nearly enough. She also noted that Coloradans pay less in property taxes than do most of the rest of the nation.

Bret Miles, executive director of the Colorado Association of School Executives, said his members aren’t sure yet what the proposal will mean.

On the one hand, large property tax increases affect school employees and families just as they affect other members of the public — and make voters less likely to approve requests for new taxes.

“School districts don’t need to give people another reason to say no,” Miles said.

At the same time, property taxes are the most stable source of school revenue, so district chief financial officers worry about seeing them reduced.

Legislature sets a date for full education funding

Proposition HH was proposed in the final week of a contentious session that produced major gains for school funding that were hailed across the political spectrum.

Lawmakers approved a budget and school finance act for 2023-24 that raises per-pupil spending to $10,614, up more than $1,000 from this year. Legislators also wrote into law a promise to fund education according to constitutional requirements starting in the 2024-25 budget year. That would mark the end of the 13-year practice known as the budget stabilization factor, under which lawmakers held back more than $10 billion from K-12 schools to pay for other budget priorities.

“We made huge progress this year,” Moreno said. “Buying off the B.S. factor completely is within striking distance. I think we’re going to be able to do that next year.”

Lawmakers also increased funding for charter schools, special education, and school construction projects, and set aside an extra $30 million for rural schools.

But much of the increase in education funding over the last several years has come from rising local property tax revenues. Colorado sets a base budget for education funding and a per-pupil amount for each district. Whatever local taxes don’t generate, the state makes up the difference.

In recent years, the combination of a hot housing market, the repeal of the Gallagher Amendment limit on residential value growth, and a legal change that allowed the state to increase some local taxes have added hundreds of millions of locally generated dollars to school funding.

More in local tax revenue has meant less in state obligations toward that base budget. That could change if Proposition HH limits local property taxes and puts more of the burden of covering that base education budget back on the state. In turn, that raises questions about a permanent increase in school funding.

The state fiscal analysis estimates that should Proposition HH pass, Colorado would be able put an extra $124.9 million in the state education fund and would obligated to backfill $278.2 million, more than double. In 2025-26, Colorado would put $269 million in the state education fund and be obligated to backfill $350.7 million, just 30% more.

Over time, the revenue the state could keep and spend on schools would increase and could be more than the amount needed to backfill lost property taxes, the fiscal analysis says. An economic downturn could change that, as income tax and sales tax are more likely to decline than property values.

Lawmakers also worry that if they do nothing, school funding obligations will run up against TABOR caps, creating major budget problems.

Voters have rejected other requests to forego TABOR refunds to fund education. Tying it to property tax relief could sweeten the deal. To give renters a reason to vote yes, lawmakers also promised every taxpayer roughly $661 in TABOR refunds next year — but only if Proposition HH passes.

Conservatives promise to challenge Proposition HH

Michael Fields, Advance Colorado president, said his organization plans to challenge the ballot measure. He said he believes Proposition HH violates single-subject ballot rules and that the ballot’s language will need changes.

Fields’ organization has filed a ballot measure currently being challenged in the courts that would cap property tax increases at 3% and backfills revenue to fire departments, he said. The organization plans to propose other tax cut measures next year, he said. Fields already has run two successful measures cutting Colorado’s income tax rates.

Fields said Proposition HH sponsors want more money for education but are pairing that with an unpopular tax policy.

“The only reason that they’re going to the ballot is to take TABOR refunds. They don’t need to go to the ballot at all to deal with property taxes,” Fields said.

Fields said his anti-Prop HH campaign — if he can’t block it from the ballot — will focus heavily on the government asking voters to give up refunds.

“We are very much going to ask that the legislature and the governor call a special session to cap property taxes, and voters should not give up TABOR refunds,” he said.

Bureau Chief Erica Meltzer covers education policy and politics and oversees Chalkbeat Colorado’s education coverage. Contact Erica at emeltzer@chalkbeat.org.

Colorado’s Class of 2021 was even less likely to go to college than the Class of 2020

2023-05-03T22:16:08+00:00

Colorado’s 2021 high school graduates were even less likely to go to college than those who graduated in the depths of pandemic shutdowns.

That’s according to the most recent data released by the Colorado Department of Higher Education on college-growing trends in the state.

College-going rates, however, dropped by less than a percentage point from 2020, a sign rates somewhat stabilized after a sharp dip from 2019 — when the start of the pandemic caused a 5 percentage-point drop in high school seniors going to college.

Overall, about 49.9% of 2021 high school graduates went to college, according to new numbers outlined in a statewide report that annually tracks postsecondary progress. The rate is much lower than the national average of 61.8%.

Colorado Department of Higher Education Executive Director Angie Paccione said in a news release the college-going trends are concerning.

“We must work harder to promote the value of higher education and what our colleges and universities in Colorado have to offer,” she said. The report lags behind a year, with data about the 2022 class to be released next year.

The 2020-21 year was especially challenging because many high school students learned remotely and had fewer college-going resources like counselors and financial aid help. College classes also were mostly remote, which cut into enrollment because students preferred a fuller college experience. Some students opted to work instead of attend college.

The pandemic challenges have caused a statewide and nationwide decline in college enrollment, especially at community colleges. Total postsecondary enrollment across the country has dropped by about a million students since the start of the pandemic, according to National Student Clearinghouse numbers.

Colorado’s annual report also details other college trends. Here are four other highlights from the report.

Some student groups still less likely to go to college

In the last six years, college enrollment among all ethnicities has dropped.

The trend continued in 2021, with Black, Hispanic, and American Indian students going at much lower rates.

In 2021, American Indian students went to college at the lowest rate, at about 34% of the group’s graduating students. Hispanic students had the second lowest rate at 38% and were the second largest demographic group next to white students. About 47.6% of Black graduating students went to college.

In comparison, about 55% of white high school graduates went to college in 2021.

Students who are low income also are less likely to go to college than their peers. About 35% of those students who graduated in 2021 went to college, compared with about 55% of students who don’t qualify for free or reduced price lunch, a proxy for income level.

What about the students who delayed college?

At the end of the 2019-20 school year, as the pandemic limited public interaction, students reevaluated their college options. Many students said they would take time off before going to college.

Overall, about 58% of the students who graduated in 2020 ended up in college a year later. The rate is about 4.5 percentage points lower than the 2019 class rate.

Where are graduates going?

More Colorado students than ever are going out of state to college.

From 2009 to 2021, the portion of the state’s high school graduates who chose out-of-state college rose from 19.5% to 29%. That figure jumped 4 percentage points in 2021 alone.

The figures show that Colorado must do better keeping its own, Paccione of the state’s higher education department said in the news release. The exodus is creating an enrollment cliff for state colleges, she said.

Arizona and California are the top choices for Colorado high school graduates, followed by Utah, Montana, and Kansas. Students are also going in high numbers to Oregon, Florida, Washington, and New York.

Colorado tuition has increased over the years, making some in-state options less competitive.

Colorado school officials have said a recent change in the law could help attract more in-state students.

A law passed this year will allow Colorado schools to enroll more out-of-state students as long as colleges provide more in-state merit scholarships for Colorado students. Schools said the tradeoff will bring in out-of-state students who pay higher tuition that will help fund scholarships for Colorado students and enable schools to compete with financial aid packages offered elsewhere.

Fewer students take developmental education classes

The number of students taking developmental classes — those that help them catch up to college level — dropped to its lowest rate in the last decade.

Just under 17% of the class of 2021 took remedial education classes. That’s down from 30% the year before when colleges saw a slight spike in students needing remedial classes.

The state said the decrease shows K-12 schools are better preparing students for college. The state also made changes that use multiple measures to assess whether a student needs developmental classes.

The state also changed policy to ensure students earn credit for taking those classes and increased support for students needing to catch up.

Each Denver school would make its own decisions about police under draft safety plan

2023-05-02T01:33:28+00:00

Denver middle and high schools would make the choice each year whether to have a police officer stationed on campus under a draft school safety plan released Monday.

School leaders would need to reevaluate the decision annually and be required to involve the school community. The 48-page school safety plan also emphasizes the district’s focus over the years on mental health, social support, and equity.

Denver Public Schools released the plan Monday afternoon. It summarizes many of the district’s practices in school safety while adding in recommendations. More details of recommended changes will be highlighted in a second draft, a district spokeswoman said.

The school board tasked Superintendent Alex Marrero with drafting a plan a day after a student shot two East High School deans in March.

The shooting happened while the deans were searching the student for weapons, a practice that happens daily in some district high schools. Linking to a slide presentation given to deans districtwide, the draft plan implies deans will continue to conduct student searches, though it says an unarmed campus safety officer or an armed DPS mobile patrol officer should be involved “when you are searching for a firearm or dangerous weapon.”

The plan also calls for the district to retrain all employees in emergency response procedures.

The student who shot the deans at East had previously been expelled from the neighboring Cherry Creek School District. The draft plan says that when a student transfers from another district, “the school team should be requesting prior school records as part of the enrollment process,” including “any prior safety protocols.”

The district also is in the process of reviewing the physical safety of entrances and the interior of buildings, the plan says.

Two other shootings have also occurred near Denver’s largest high school campus this year, including one that led to the death of a student. And schools across the district have also dealt with violence on campus or in the community.

Marrero drafted the plan after he said he consulted with experts. The district also surveyed about 7,700 students, staff, and parents about safety concerns. The top concerns across groups included students bringing weapons on campus and student-on-student violence.

Next, but ranked at varying levels of priority, were the mental and emotional well-being of students, outsiders entering school buildings, and community violence.

Each group ranked potential solutions to school safety differently. More than half of students said more mental health support was important to school safety, followed by discipline policies and police in schools.

School staff also rated mental health support very highly, but put discipline policies first. Just a third ranked police in schools among their top three. Almost half of parents ranked police officers first, followed closely by discipline policies and student mental health.

As with most Denver Public Schools surveys, white parents were overrepresented, and families of color were underrepresented. Survey results were weighted to account for this.

According to his plan, Marrero will seek community feedback on the first draft. In an email to parents, Marrero encouraged them to talk to their school principal or email him directly with feedback. Two town halls are scheduled for later this month and the district will also gather feedback through a survey. His administration will then release a second version by May 26 that will also be available for community feedback.

Marrero will release a final version on June 23 that will be reviewed by the school board.

The school board tasked Marrero with coming up with a plan after a five-hour closed-door meeting. At that same meeting, the board suspended its 2020 policy that phased out police officers in schools.

Parents call for more transparency

When students returned from spring break, the district added a school resource officer at 13 campuses, with East High School getting two officers.

DPS previously removed police from schools and made other changes to its discipline policies because Black and brown students were more likely to be arrested, ticketed, suspended, and expelled than their white peers.

More recently, Denver principals and parents have criticized the district for allowing students accused of serious crimes to remain in the classroom. District officials have defended their approach.

Parents also have called for the school board and Marrero to be more transparent about safety decisions and communicate more with parents. Some parents also have called for the entire board to resign.

East High School parents have held weekly meetings calling for an end to the violence and for the district to do more. They’ve called on the board to work with families to make the district safer.

During Monday’s meeting of the East High School parents safety group, parent Steve Katsaros said he wants to see Denver schools commit to transparency and engagement of community and families. The plan was released during the group’s weekly meeting and he said he wasn’t able to review the plan.

But he said parents want transparency. He said he wants the district to detail whether the emailed survey reached parents as intended and how many families opened the email.

Short-term, he said he does not have confidence in the district or board. The city and community, however, will get this right in the long term, he said.

“Right now we are dealing with the same people that put us in this position,” Katsaros said. “We need to move fast so we have to work with the folks that we have, and we will see where we get.”

Report highlights existing plans, partnerships

Much of the plan is a recitation of things the district already does or policies it already has in place.

Examples include expecting schools to have the equivalent of one full-time mental health worker on staff, screening all students for emotional and behavioral concerns, and doing more in-depth reviews when a student is flagged for potentially hurting themselves or others. It highlights 20-minute daily lessons on social and emotional learning that happen in elementary schools.

The draft plan also talks about DPS’s existing summer school programs, its commitment to a curriculum that teaches Black, Indigenous, and Hispanic history, and its bullying prevention efforts.

It also includes a chart that shows the types of safety personnel in schools, including armed city police officers at some high schools, an armed DPS patrol unit that’s mobile and responds to calls that don’t require police, and unarmed security guards stationed inside schools.

Parents and others have questioned why students who are being searched daily for weapons are allowed to attend in-person school. The draft plan says, “as a district we strongly believe in-person learning is the best option for students because it allows us to support students developing resiliency, visions for their futures, and the skills needed to achieve their dreams,” which it calls “key components of youth violence prevention efforts.”

But the plan also says DPS is planning to expand its online school “based on an increase in demand.” The district’s online school, Denver Online, serves grades six through 12.

The report also highlights plans the school district has been working on with the city, including developing a pipeline of culturally responsive providers who can fill vacancies for school psychologists, social workers, and other mental health providers. The district would do that by recruiting current students to become entry-level restorative practices coordinators, recruiting paraprofessionals to become deans of culture, and recruiting deans to become psychologists and social workers.

Participants in the program would get tuition stipends and “access to educational opportunities” that would allow them to earn the proper certifications to move up while working full-time.

The district has done a version of this program that recruits paraprofessionals to become classroom teachers.

The district also is working with the city on “dissolving outdated policies that inadvertently perpetuate youth violence,” the draft plan says. That includes reviewing all of its policies related to youth violence prevention to make sure they’re working as intended — and to discontinue policies that are not.

The plan proposes developing more alternatives to citation and connecting students who commit offenses with supportive services more quickly.

The district also says it hopes to work with the city to develop a “central database powered by the latest technology” that will allow information sharing between schools, city agencies, and nonprofit organizations. The goal, the draft plan says, is “to support youth and ensure follow-up on referrals so no youth is left without the vital services they need.”

Read the full plan and see opportunities to provide feedback.

Regis’ inclusive education program offers students with intellectual disabilities support through college

2023-04-18T16:00:00+00:00

Jen Anderman loves college.

She lives on campus at Regis University, is learning about world religions like Buddhism, and took on the persona of Benjamin Franklin once to present in a class.

Anderman, 25, always wanted to follow in her sister’s footsteps, but most colleges don’t offer programs geared toward students with intellectual disabilities who might need more support. Anderman also wanted a program that pushed her academically and allowed her to get the college experience she desired.

Jen Anderman, right, poses for a selfie with a Regis University student housing adviser.

In Colorado and nationwide, most colleges don’t offer programs for students with intellectual disabilities, which includes limitations in reasoning, learning, problem solving, or social or practical skills. Those colleges that do have limited spots.

Anderman, who is a person with autism, now is living her dream. Regis University’s Global Inclusive College Certificate program has offered Anderman and four other students at the Denver Jesuit school a full college experience for about two years, plus extra support to earn their certificate. Regis’ program launched in the fall and joined several others across the state that offer support for students with intellectual disabilities.

Anderman’s mom says Jen thrives when she gets to learn with students who learn in a variety of ways. Living on campus, she’s made plenty of friends. Home is just 20 minutes away, which means she didn’t have to go far to continue her education.

The program allows Anderman to take any Regis class, which she likes. She said that so far, she has enjoyed them all.

Regis offers a certificate requiring students to complete from 12 to 30 hours of school work over the course of one or two years. The program focuses on academics, but also teaches social skills, emotional regulation, career development, and independence, according to Jeanine Coleman, the certificate programs director. The program also offers tutoring, class preparation and other help.

Coleman hopes to add several more students to the program next year, and the school has received support from the GLOBAL Down Syndrome Foundation and the Anna and John J. Sie Foundation.

Recently the school announced it received $365,000 to help provide scholarships. The scholarships are crucial for many families who never thought that their children would find a college that works for their learning style.

“They just didn’t plan for that because they didn’t really think it was an option,” Coleman said. “There are just not very many opportunities for individuals with intellectual disabilities beyond high school.”

Statewide, the University of Northern Colorado, University of Colorado Colorado Springs, and Arapahoe Community College offer programs tailored toward students with intellectual disabilities, said Tracy Murphy, Colorado Initiative for Inclusive Higher Education executive director.

Until 2016, Colorado was one of four states nationwide that didn’t offer specific programs for students with intellectual disabilities, Murphy said. Lawmakers that year passed a law establishing specific programs for students at colleges, and last year approved grants to support new or existing programs at higher education institutions.

Creating a more inclusive environment is good for students with and without intellectual disabilities, Murphy said.

Students at established programs have rushed fraternities and participated in student government, she said. They’re helping create acceptance and enabled others to see the value students with disabilities can bring to a school campus and jobs, she said.

“College students benefit from seeing that capability,” she said.

For Jordan Stewart, 18, the Regis program has boosted his confidence, his mother Cassy Stewart said. While Colorado offers high school for students with intellectual disabilities until they are 21, Jordan wanted most to graduate with his class and get a diploma with them, she said.

Regis helped Jordan thrive in a college setting. Previously, his mother had worried about his future because so few college programs work with his learning style.

Jordan Stewart has loved being a part of the school community. He enjoys the classes more than those in high school, and making friends is his favorite part of the experience.

“College makes me feel great,” he said, “and included.”

Protesters call for Denver board to resign, Marrero promises public input on safety plan

2023-04-18T04:11:31+00:00

Amid calls for more transparency and accountability, Denver Superintendent Alex Marrero promised that educators, students, and community members will have the chance to weigh in on two draft versions of a new safety plan before a final version is released on June 26.

Marrero detailed the timeline for the plan during a Monday board meeting — the same night a few dozen protesters outside called for board members to resign for failing to keep students safe. They cited the recent East High shootings and other incidents of violence.

Many of the parents wore maroon shirts that read “DPS Board Resign!”

“We need a fresh start,” Becky Nemec, a parent of two Denver school children, told the board. “But while we wait to have the opportunity to vote you out of office, I beg you to listen to the concerned students and parents.”

Other parents and students also called for the board and Marrero to work collaboratively, urgently, and transparently to fix safety issues.

Megan Zeiger, a Denver parent, said parents want the school district to work better with families and are ready to help.

She said parents have been concerned for a long time, “but with the recent events of East High School, we no longer feel we can rely on other people to figure out how to solve this problem.”

Each call for the board to resign was met with audience applause.

The board tasked Marrero with coming up with a way to improve safety a day after the March 22 East High shooting that injured two administrators. Since the board lifted its ban on police officers in schools, the district has posted 14 officers at 13 schools, including two at East High.

Parents asked the board why it didn’t act after the killing of student Luis Garcia outside the East High in February. Others said the district’s policies have kept too many students with violent histories in schools that aren’t equipped to help them.

For instance, some parents pointed to a recent incident at McAuliffe Middle School where the district allowed a student who had been charged with attempted murder to stay in school over the objections of the principal.

At a press conference earlier Monday held by Parents-Safety Advisory Group, Nemec told reporters she was startled to learn that her children are attending McAuliffe with a student who had been accused of a serious violent crime.

She said her son describes students cussing out teachers and vaping throughout the school day without consequences because teachers don’t feel they have the tools to discipline them.

“We’ve really handcuffed our teachers and our principals from being able to address those problems in school,” she said. “And it becomes kind of a culture, and then all of a sudden, it kind of breeds itself.”

Marrero said he will draft a safety plan by May 1 with input from safety and security experts, students and community members.

Marrero last week had seemed to downplay the importance of community input, telling board members that “there’s been a request for a community-led process. And I want to say this very carefully and respectfully: “This is where we need the experts, first and foremost.”

On Monday, he said there would be community input throughout the process but wanted experts to weigh in on current and future issues the district could face. He said he would consider including more student representation after board Vice President Auon’tai Anderson questioned whether one student could represent the entire district of 87,000 students.

Board members also wanted to ensure the district hears from Black and Latino communities most affected by gun violence.

The district will hold virtual and phone-in town hall meetings to gather input on Marrero’s draft. He plans to release a second version by May 26 and a final version a month later.

The board and Marrero have come under increased scrutiny for their actions.

Some parents have said the district isn’t acting transparently and communicating well with families. Some people objected to the board retreating to a five-hour closed session when it decided to add school resource officers back to school.

Axios reported that Denver City Council members were frustrated that Marrero skipped a meeting Monday with council members to discuss cooperation between the district and the city. Instead, he sent staff members.

Many parents said Monday they’re fed up.

East parent Dorian Warren said the board has focused more on its own spats than on keeping students safe. She said the board needs “some adults in the room,” who can focus on creating policies that benefit students. She said the board has failed.

Bruce Randolph School student Angela Hurtado, 16, said she’s felt scared too many times at school and her family has worried too much. Parents shouldn’t have to bury their children, she said.

“The only time parents should cry is at their graduation, and not at their funeral,” Hurtado said.

Native American students’ right to wear regalia at graduation protected by Colorado bill

2023-04-07T20:57:55+00:00

Colorado would guarantee the right of Native American students to wear items such as eagle feathers and other traditional clothing at graduation ceremonies through a bill under consideration this year.

Federal law protects Native American religious and cultural rights. But students sometimes run into issues or find flat-out prohibition at schools when it comes to wearing regalia at ceremonies, advocates say. They say families must then fight to make districts aware of the importance of traditional clothing. Or students running into a lack of understanding might choose to skip graduation ceremonies altogether.

Senate Bill 202 would ensure K-12 schools, colleges, and universities create policies to protect Native American students so they don’t run into issues.

Sen. Jessie Danielson, a Wheat Ridge Democrat and co-sponsor of the bill, said she’s heard of school officials telling students they have to hide, remove, or even throw away regalia because of policies that maintain uniformity at graduations. She said some students have even reported school officials touched or confiscated students’ eagle feathers, a cultural and religious symbol.

“This bill clarifies for the school that you do not interfere with this,” Danielson said. “You cannot harass these students and prevent them from wearing their traditional regalia.”

Schools asking Native American students to remove or throw away items is like a school asking a student to get rid of a Jewish or Christian symbol, said Melvin Baker, Southern Ute Tribal Council chairman, during a Monday hearing.

He added that the United States has a history of trying to erase Native American culture, and the bill would ensure students get to honor their identity and their achievement.

“Tribal regalia plays a unique role for graduating native Native students,” Baker said. “These items are often gifted to students by parents or tribal elders in recognition of this achievement.”

The Native American Rights Fund receives many calls every spring from families across the country looking for support on how to ensure they can wear regalia at graduation ceremonies, said Matthew Campbell, the organization’s deputy director. It’s been a few years since he fielded a call from Colorado families, but he said families do sometimes run into trouble with schools.

“Usually, when we reach out to the schools and explain the importance of these items — once they understand — they usually will allow them to be worn,” Campbell said.

In recent years, some states have added teachings about Native American religion and culture. Other changes that try to create more respect toward Native American culture have happened, including a law Colorado passed last year that bans Native American mascots.

Colorado would join eight other states in ensuring Native American students can wear traditional regalia.

Sen. Sonya Jaquez Lewis, a Longmont Democrat co-sponsoring the legislation, said the goal is to make sure that every Colorado district understands.

The bill defines qualifying students as members of a tribe, eligible tribal members, or those of Native American descent. The bill says that immediate family members would also be allowed to wear traditional Native American dress during their students’ graduation ceremony.

Speakers at a Senate Education Committee hearing said traditional dress might include clothing, bracelets, necklaces, or eagle feathers. The bill needs a final vote in the Senate before heading to the House.

The bill doesn’t say how schools will ensure students have the right to wear traditional items, Jaquez Lewis said.

“We leave the details up to the school districts and the schools but what we do in this bill is we set guardrails,” she said.

Some districts have started to create policies.

Cherry Creek School District has created a ceremony for Native American students and is working on graduation ceremony policies, said Aspen Rendon, a partner with the district’s department of equity, culture, and community engagement. The district also has an indigenous action committee working toward creating a more inclusive district, Rendon said.

Jeffrey Chavez, the district’s indigenous and native student community liaison, said it’s important to recognize native traditions, especially in urban districts like Cherry Creek. Ensuring students get to wear their regalia at ceremonies helps carry on traditions.

“That’s how we honor ourselves and our community and family with those traditions,” he said.

Indigenous action committee member Donna Chrisjohn said a principal didn’t allow her son in 2020 to wear Native American regalia at his graduation ceremony. Her son ended up not participating in the ceremony.

She is glad the district is changing and happy to have helped make lawmakers aware of the issue.

“This is so impactful for all families to know that someone will not push back when their child decides that they want to show up as who they really are,” Chrisjohn said. “That’s a huge step in the right direction.”

First lady Jill Biden visits Colorado, calls the state a model for workforce training

2023-04-03T21:02:13+00:00

First lady Jill Biden praised Colorado lawmakers for working across party lines to become a model in providing residents options to get workforce training in a visit Monday to the state’s Capitol.

Biden visited Colorado as part of a national tour to highlight President Joe Biden’s investments and commitment to workforce training and how states have used federal money to prop up programs to help Americans.

First lady Biden, a community college educator, focused mostly on Colorado’s community college programs during her talk with lawmakers at the Capitol. Over the last several years, the state has created programs to get more students to attend college and provide free training for in-demand fields. Biden said the state has become an example for others.

In recent years, Colorado leaders have focused more on educating and training residents, especially because it has relied heavily on bringing in educated workers from other states.

“I ask you to keep going,” she said. “Keep innovating.”

President Biden has made connecting workers to jobs a key part of his presidential agenda and has focused on investments that include pandemic relief money to develop job training in states. The administration has said its goal is to create more good-paying jobs for Americans.

Jill Biden also touted spending in the president’s 2024 federal budget proposal to improve workforce training.

Colorado has used federal money to create several programs in the last year that help residents connect to job training, especially with two job openings for every employee. Gov. Jared Polis has highlighted the need to get residents the skills they need to land jobs.

For example, she highlighted the $26 million in federal relief money Colorado is using to get students free training in health care fields.

The state plans to also expand the program primarily at community colleges over the next two years. A bipartisan bill backed by Polis would spend $40 million over two years to provide free workforce training for other in-demand jobs such as manufacturing, law enforcement, and teaching. Another bill would provide about 15,000 high school students from the Class of 2024 with a $1,500 scholarship to use toward approved training.

The state also put together a committee to focus on how to improve Coloradans’ access to jobs. One of the recommendations, called the Opportunity Now Grants program, provides $85 million to create or expand ideas that bring together industry and schools to create opportunity for students.

First lady Biden also highlighted that universal preschool is a major part of the birth-to-career pipeline that the Biden administration has pushed.

Colorado is set to start its universal preschool program this summer. Colorado also has supported apprenticeship programs, and offers high school students the ability to graduate with a college certificate or degree.

Biden said Colorado has shown there are people on both sides of the aisle who want to help employers find the workers they need.

“There aren’t red ideas or blue ideas,” she said. “They’re American ideas. And you all have been investing in these programs for years.”

State Sen. Jeff Bridges, a Greenwood Village Democrat, said Biden’s visit validates Colorado’s efforts to provide opportunities to more students in the state. He said the state has tried to innovate to get more residents the training they need. He hopes more states look at what Colorado is trying to do.

“It was time that we solved this problem in new and innovative ways,” Bridges said, “and that’s what we’re doing.”

State budget clears Colorado Senate, school funding TBD

2023-03-30T22:00:00+00:00

Chalkbeat subscribers got this story early in their inboxes as part of Capitol Report. To get more legislative updates, plus education news from around the state delivered to your inbox Monday through Friday, sign up for our free email newsletter.

Thursday morning the Colorado State Senate signed off on a nearly $39 billion state budget without answering the big question Colorado educators and advocates want to know.

How much money will K-12 schools get?

Colorado’s constitution requires that K-12 spending increase every year by the rate of population plus inflation, but since the Great Recession, lawmakers have clawed back money for other priorities. This is the infamous budget stabilization factor, or B.S. factor.

This year the withholding was $321 million out of more than $8 billion in education spending. The proposed budget holds that constant for the next fiscal year. Another $321 million that won’t go to Colorado classrooms.

But that’s not the end of the story.

Joint Budget Committee Chair Rachel Zenzinger said the B.S. factor almost certainly will be smaller than outlined in the budget, but the changes will happen in the school finance act.

The state budget and the school finance act are the only two pieces of legislation the General Assembly must pass before adjournment.

In past years, lawmakers have left a placeholder in the budget to reduce the B.S. factor. This year that’s not necessary because lawmakers likely will draw from the state education fund. Right now there’s a lot of money in this fund, but that money won’t be replenished easily once it’s spent, especially if there’s a recession.

Using the state education fund is like using a savings account to pay for a new monthly bill. Short-term, it works. But the state’s obligated to keep funding education at whatever level it sets this year, plus inflation. Lawmakers will be weighing their risk tolerance against the urgency of increasing school funding, especially as federal pandemic relief money is running out.

Meanwhile, Republicans have kept up the pressure on Democrats.

Senate Minority Leader Paul Lundeen offered four unsuccessful amendments on the Senate floor to eliminate the B.S. factor entirely in this year’s budget using different combinations of reserves and expected new tax money.

Lundeen said lawmakers have failed to fully fund schools even as the state budget has nearly doubled since 2009.

“We’ve added 167 additional state programs,” he said. And unlike education, he said, “they’re not constitutionally mandated. They’re just good ideas that we show up to the party with as legislators.”

Zenzinger called Lundeen’s amendments “smoke and mirrors,” and said budget committee members are working on how to fund schools responsibly.

“It’s not because we don’t care about education, it’s not because we don’t want to properly fund education, it’s not because we don’t like teachers, and it’s not because we don’t see this as an essential function of government,” she said.

As written, Colorado’s $38.5 billion proposed budget would increase per student K-12 spending by 8.4% — an increase that barely keeps pace with inflation — and gives a boost to higher education while also allowing public colleges and universities to increase tuition by as much as 5%, the highest increase in the last five years.

The Senate did adopt a few amendments this week that touch on education, including $14 million for two grant programs that would pay for behavioral health care professionals and school counselors.

What’s next? Those amendments will get stripped out before the budget goes to the House, where representatives will start fresh and put their own stamp on the budget next week.

Then the Joint Budget Committee decides the actual form of the budget before sending it back to both chambers for a final vote. Charged with producing a balanced budget, they usually reject all amendments but occasionally include a few that have widespread support.

Colorado’s $38.5 billion budget proposal increases education funding but must contend with inflation

2023-03-27T23:21:40+00:00

Colorado’s $38.5 billion proposed budget would increase per student K-12 spending by 8.4% — an increase that barely keeps pace with inflation — and gives a boost to higher education while also allowing public colleges and universities to increase tuition by as much as 5%, the highest increase in the last five years.

The $38.5 billion proposal for the 2023-24 fiscal year represents an 8.9% increase over the current budget. Despite the increase, Colorado lawmakers have less wiggle room this year compared with last year when the state was flush with federal relief funding.

High inflation over the last year has reduced overall state spending power, and state fiscal experts expect tighter budgets in the next few years. State law will require Colorado to return an estimated $2.7 billion in tax revenue to taxpayers at the end of the fiscal year rather than roll that money into future public investments.

The bill introduced Monday in the Senate officially kicks off two weeks of amendments and lengthy debates in both chambers. The six-member Joint Budget Committee then usually rejects most of those amendments before sending it back to the legislature for final approval. Passing a balanced budget and the school finance act are the only actions lawmakers must take before May adjournment.

The budget calls for a 5.7% increase in base education spending to $8.9 billion and an 8.4% increase in average per-pupil spending to $10,404.

Most of the new money, though, will come from higher-than-expected local property tax collections due to rising home values. The budget calls for state spending to go down $158 million next year and funding from local taxes to increase $644 million.

Colorado’s constitution requires education spending to go up each year by the rate of population growth plus inflation. State law determines how much money each school district will get per student as well as total spending, then the state makes up whatever isn’t generated by local taxes.

Student enrollment is going down, so most of the increase in school spending is driven by inflation. In real terms, funding is basically flat.

Colorado’s budget also fails to increase education funding as much as the constitution mandates. Instead, as usual, lawmakers propose to divert money to other priorities in a budget maneuver known as the budget stabilization factor. This withholding has totaled more than $10 billion since the Great Recession.

Next year’s budget calls for withholding $321 million, the same amount as this year. Some of that money could be restored through the school finance act before the budget process is finalized.

Gov. Jared Polis in January proposed withholding of $201 million, more than one-third less than the legislative proposal, which would nudge total K-12 funding above $9 billion.

In recent years, Republicans have pushed unsuccessfully for amendments to add more funding to K-12 while casting other Democratic priorities as less important.

The budget also calls for $14.8 million to create a new Office of School Safety. That money includes grants for school-level safety improvements, as well as additional resources for threat assessment, emergency response, data analysis, and an ongoing working group.

School improvement efforts would get $1 million more for a total of $7.5 million. The extra money would go to eight to 10 schools that have just a few years of low performance on standardized tests in the hopes that early support can avoid state-mandated interventions later.

Charter schools authorized by the state Charter School Institute would share $24.5 million in extra funding, a 44% increase from this year. Districts are required to share money from local tax increases with the charter schools they authorize but not with state-authorized charters within their borders. The state allocation makes up about 58% of the difference for those schools.

The budget also sets aside $115 million for free meals for most Colorado students. Voters approved the creation of the program, paid for by raising taxes on higher earners, last fall.

Colorado college students could pay more tuition

The budget would boost higher education spending to about $5.8 billion next year, or a 5.1% increase. That total includes other programs such as the state’s historic preservation fund.

For college and university budgets and student financial aid, the proposal calls for $147.6 million more next year.

The budget increase includes $120 million more than current spending for college and university operating expenses and about $27.5 million more for student financial aid to offset rising tuition for in-state students.

The increase is more than the $86 million Polis set aside in his November budget, but less than the $144 million that college leaders sought. In response to Polis, college and university leaders in January said they needed more state funds to cover inflationary increases, increased student support services, and the need to increase wages.

To cover possible gaps in higher education funding, the budget leaves open a larger-than-expected tuition increase.

The state would allow public institutions to raise tuition by 5% — a percentage point more than expected. The University of Northern Colorado would be allowed to raise tuition by 6%.

This is the second year that higher education institutions have successfully lobbied for more funding than what Polis proposed. Last year, however, the state limited tuition increases.

Colorado prepares for free universal preschool

Colorado’s budget also includes $322 million toward the rollout of the state universal preschool program, which will offer 15 hours of tuition-free preschool a week for every Colorado 4-year-old child. Children with additional needs, such as those from lower-income households and those learning English, are supposed to get 30 hours a week of free care.

The application for the program opened in January and the state is marching toward a summer start. The state has seen higher-than-expected interest in the program and may not have money to provide all the extra hours.

Budget documents say the money will cover 25 hours a week for those students, but legislators and legislative staff told Chalkbeat that was an error. The intention is still to offer 30 hours a week for children who would benefit from more time in preschool, they said.

The state budget includes support for the program, such as an additional $5 million for programs that provide therapy to children ages birth to 3 with developmental delays. In addition, the state would spend $311,000 to create a hotline to connect families, caregivers, child care providers, and educators to clinically trained consultants with expertise in early childhood emotional and mental health.

About $4 million would be used to better the department’s licensing application and review process as the program gets underway. Another $3 million would go toward grants for employer-based child care programs.

The budget also would provide about $2.8 million for a statewide equity officer, a liaison to work with governments and tribes, and interpretation services.

Editor’s Note: This story has been updated to explain why budget documents say the state will cover 25 hours a week of preschool for some students, while program rules call for 30 hours a week of free preschool.

Bureau Chief Erica Meltzer covers education policy and politics and oversees Chalkbeat Colorado’s education coverage. Contact Erica at emeltzer@chalkbeat.org.

Policía regresa a escuelas de Denver

2023-03-24T22:34:56+00:00

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La junta escolar de Denver suspendió su política que prohíbe la presencia de agentes armados en los campus.

La decisión se produjo un día después del tiroteo contra dos administradores en la Denver East High School. Después de una sesión a puertas cerradas, la junta ordenó al superintendente Alex Marrero que trabajara con el alcalde de Denver, Michael Hancock, y otros funcionarios para buscar financiamiento externo para hasta dos policías y hasta dos profesionales de la salud mental en cada escuela secundaria durante el resto del año escolar.

Los miembros de la junta escolar enfatizaron que el cambio es temporal. Sin embargo, lo decidido va más allá de lo que solicitó Marrero el día de la tragedia. El superintendente dijo que colocaría un oficial en cada escuela secundaria, incluso si violaba la política de la junta.

La decisión se tomó el mismo día en que estudiantes y maestros marcharon hacia el Capitolio y presionaron a los legisladores para que aprueben leyes más estrictas sobre el control de armas. Los maestros también saldrán a la calle para manifestar sobre este tema.

Marrero dijo que devolver a los policías a las escuelas es la decisión correcta. “Nosotros, los educadores, llegamos a esta profesión para apoyar y ayudar a los estudiantes a prosperar y, lo que es más importante, brindarles la oportunidad de tener éxito”, dijo Marrero luego de conocer la decisión de la junta escolar. “Reconozco que hemos fallado como distrito”.

Hancock dijo que apoyaba la decisión de la junta y estaba listo para ayudar a colocar oficiales en los edificios escolares.

¿Qué pasará después de junio 2023?

La decisión unánime de la junta suspende la prohibición de oficiales hasta junio. En su lugar, la junta ordenó a Marrero que elabore un plan a largo plazo para proteger a los estudiantes y al personal de las escuelas de Denver antes del 30 de junio.

La presidenta de la junta, Xóchitl Gaytán, dijo que la junta no ha cambiado de posición, sino que ha hecho una pausa para que Marrero elabore un plan de seguridad a largo plazo. La junta ordenó a Marrero que incluyera en su plan los aportes de los estudiantes, los padres, el líder escolar, los maestros y la comunidad.

La junta solicita que todos los oficiales de policía colocados en la escuela reciban capacitación sobre cómo reducir las situaciones y en la vigilancia escolar. La junta también quiere que esos oficiales comprendan la comunidad escolar donde serán colocados.

Marrero también deberá brindar actualizaciones mensuales sobre cómo se utilizan los agentes de policía dentro de las escuelas, incluida la cantidad de multas emitidas y arrestos realizados. La junta quiere estar segura de que los agentes de policía no se involucren en la disciplina de los estudiantes.

Personal de la escuela manejará búsqueda de armas

No está claro cómo el hecho de tener oficiales en el edificio habría cambiado el resultado de la tragedia ocurrida en la Denver East High School. O si los oficiales hubiesen podido prevenir los disparos a los estudiantes en las afueras de esta escuela secundaria en septiembre 2022 y febrero 2023.

Los dos administradores recibieron disparos mientras registraban a un estudiante en busca de armas como parte de un plan de seguridad individual que requería cacheos diarios.

El jefe de policía de Denver, Ron Thomas, dijo que no querría que sus oficiales hicieran tales búsquedas porque los oficiales de recursos escolares quieren tener interacciones positivas con los estudiantes. Marrero confirmó que el personal de la escuela seguirá realizando estas búsquedas.

Eso sorprende a Mo Canady, director ejecutivo de la Asociación Nacional de Oficiales de Recursos Escolares. Los oficiales no necesitan órdenes de cateo o causa probable para registrar a los estudiantes, solo una sospecha razonable.

Erica Meltzer cubre temas de política educativa, y supervisa la cobertura de educación de Chalkbeat Colorado. Comunícate con Erica enviándole un mensaje a emeltzer@chalkbeat.org.

Colorado universities could soon admit more out-of-state students if they boost in-state aid

2023-03-24T16:15:13+00:00

In exchange for offering financial aid to more in-state students, Colorado universities soon could be allowed to admit more students from out of state who pay almost twice as much.

Universities such as the University of Colorado Boulder have been allowed to admit two out-of-state students for every student they admit who participates in the Colorado Scholars Program. The number of students who can be double-counted has been capped under current law to 8% of in-state students in the incoming freshman class.

House Bill 96, which is close to becoming law, would raise that cap to 15% of in-state freshmen in the program. That higher cap would create an incentive to enroll more Colorado Scholars, who can get $2,500 a year or more in merit aid, so that universities can also enroll more high-paying, out-of-state students.

State officials and others want Colorado colleges and universities to benefit Colorado students as much as possible, since they get taxpayer support. But lawmakers have cut state funding for schools over the years while allowing tuition hikes. That has led schools to look toward out-of-state students to bring in more revenue.

At the same time, the rising tuition has made some students rethink whether universities, especially the state’s flagship, are worth the financial burden, or if they can find a better deal elsewhere.

The bill would likely have the biggest impact on the University of Colorado Boulder, which backs the proposal. State law requires that an average of no more than 45% of incoming freshmen at public universities come from out of state, and CU Boulder is near that limit.

University of Colorado System officials say they would use the increased money from enrolling more out-of-state students to offer Coloradans more merit- and need-based scholarships, and to become more competitive when recruiting in-state students — especially with a smaller pool of college-aged students.

School officials said the university accepts every qualified Colorado applicant. But many Colorado students never end up on campus, and the school is able to consistently enroll only about 80% of Colorado students who were accepted. Last year, however, was an outlier, with the school enrolling 92% of all Colorado students who were accepted.

Colorado funds its public higher ed institutions at some of the lowest rates in the nation, leading colleges to raise tuition and recruit more out-of-state students who can pay more. Meanwhile, Colorado families carry high tuition burdens compared to other states.

Colorado students pay about $30,000 a year in tuition, board, books, and fees. Out-of-state students pay about $57,000.

Across all classes, CU Boulder provides $15.5 million in merit aid for about 4,200 students, school officials said in a statement. It also supports about 1,700 students through a need-based program that pays for a student’s share of tuition.

Officials at the school said enrolling more out-of-state students is a way to sustain and increase that aid.

University of Colorado System spokesman Ken McConnellogue said in a statement the Boulder campus’ primary focus remains on recruiting, retaining, and graduating Colorado students.

“We believe this bill will increase affordability and access for those students while also enhancing our ability to keep Colorado’s top students in the state,” he said.

Colorado isn’t the only flagship school that’s considered how to weigh in-state student enrollment versus out-of-state enrollment, according to Tom Harnisch, State Higher Education Executive Officers Association vice president for government relations.

Because out-of-state students pay higher tuition, universities around the country have lobbied to lift enrollment caps on them as states’ overall spending on higher education has declined in recent years, he said. This year, for instance, North Carolina increased how many out-of-state students its universities can admit.

Similar to what the Colorado bill proposes, some schools have increased merit aid while also increasing the overall number of out-of-state students on campus, he said. The change doesn’t mean there are fewer in-state students, Harnisch added, just a shift in the share of students not from the state.

The bill has passed the House and Senate and needs approval from Gov. Jared Polis. It is sponsored by state Sen. Dylan Roberts, a Democrat from Avon, Senate Minority Leader Paul Lundeen, a Monument Republican, and state Reps. Judy Amabile, a Boulder Democrat, and Matt Soper, a Delta Republican.

The bill initially raised eyebrows among some state leaders.

Colorado Department of Higher Education Executive Director Angie Paccione said in February that she didn’t want to see schools become predominantly out-of-state student serving.

But a department spokeswoman said Paccione now believes CU Boulder has demonstrated that all eligible in-state students are accepted at the school — and that accepting eligible resident students is a priority. Paccione no longer has concerns about the legislation.

The bill will also require schools to report how many out-of-state and in-state students schools enroll before the double count occurs, how schools use revenue for the purpose of aid, and where students that qualify for aid come from in the state.

Colorado needs more homegrown talent from its universities, especially because that state has large gaps when it comes to who gets a degree, said Katie Zaback of Colorado Succeeds, which brings together business leaders to advocate for education.

Zaback, the organization’s vice president of policy, said a priority for Colorado Succeeds is to examine what solutions there are to get more Colorado students access to a high-quality education, such as at CU Boulder.

CU Boulder enrolls a group of students that aren’t representative of the state’s high school graduates, she said. And she worries the bill, if it’s enacted, would send a message that Colorado’s best and brightest can only be educated if the state recruits more out-of-state students.

“I wonder if that’s true,” Zaback said. “I wonder what the overall equity implications are.”

Jason Gonzales is a reporter covering higher education and the Colorado legislature. Chalkbeat Colorado partners with Open Campus on higher education coverage. Contact Jason at jgonzales@chalkbeat.org.

Denver board lifts ban on police on campus

2023-03-24T01:33:55+00:00

Leer en español.

The Denver school board on Thursday suspended its policy banning armed officers on campuses, a day after the shooting of two administrators at East High School.

After a closed session, the board directed Superintendent Alex Marrero to work with Denver Mayor Michael Hancock and other officials to seek outside funding for up to two police officers and up to two mental health professionals at each high school for the rest of the school year.

Even as board members emphasized the change is temporary, it goes further than Marrero requested on Wednesday, when he said he would place one officer at every comprehensive high school even if it violated board policy.

The decision came on the same day students and teachers marched to the Capitol and lobbied lawmakers for stricter gun control laws. Another teacher rally is planned for Friday.

Marrero said placing police officers back into schools is the right decision.

“We educators came into this profession to support and help students thrive, and most importantly, provide them an opportunity to succeed,” Marrero said during a Thursday news conference. “I acknowledge that we have failed as a district.”

In a written statement, Hancock said he supported the board decision and stood ready to help place officers in school buildings.

The board’s unanimous decision puts its officer ban on hold until June. In its place, the board directed Marrero to come up with a long-term plan to protect students and staff in Denver schools by June 30.

Board President Xóchitl Gaytán said the board hasn’t flip-flopped in its position, but instead has hit pause for Marrero to come up with a long-term safety plan.

The board directed Marrero to include student, parent, school leader, teacher, and community input in his plan.

The board requests that every police officer placed in school be trained in how to de-escalate situations and in school policing. The board also wants those officers to have an understanding of the school community where they will be placed.

Marrero also will be required to give monthly updates on how police officers are used within schools, including the number of tickets issued and arrests made, and to ensure that police officers do not get involved in student discipline.

Police officers primarily will be on school campuses to assist in safety issues, including to reduce the amount of time it takes to respond to an emergency, Marrero said. He said he also wanted to be responsive to community concerns.

School staff will continue to handle weapons searches

It’s not clear how having officers in the building would have changed the outcome Wednesday or when East students were shot just outside the school in September and again in February.

The two administrators were shot as they searched a student for weapons as part of an individual safety plan that required daily pat-downs. On Wednesday, Denver Police Chief Ron Thomas said he wouldn’t want his officers to do such searches because school resource officers want to have positive interactions with students.

And on Thursday, Marrero said it will continue to be district policy to have staff do these searches.

That surprises Mo Canady, executive director of the National Association of School Resource Officers. Officers don’t need search warrants or probable cause to search students at school, just a reasonable suspicion, he said, and they have the training to remove weapons safely.

“I am continually stunned when a civilian is charged with having to search someone for a weapon,” he said. “That’s not fair to do. That’s a law enforcement role, that’s what we’re trained to do, and we know how to handle the gun if one is found.”

But Denver Classroom Teacher Association President Rob Gould, a former special education teacher who was involved in many student safety plans, said he considers this a job for educators, not law enforcement.

“A lot of parents are shocked that we have to do this, but this is a daily thing for many students,” Gould said.

Denver not the only district bringing police back

Denver was one of at least 50 school districts nationwide to get rid of or significantly reduce police presence in the aftermath of the murder of George Floyd, according to an Education Week tracker. Eight others have since brought police back — sometimes, like Denver, in response to specific acts of violence.

Gould said he supports bringing officers back to schools for now, and many educators agree.

“Right now people need to feel safe,” he said. “Everybody is traumatized and retraumatized from the events of yesterday.”

That sentiment was echoed by many Denver students who left their classrooms to walk to the Capitol and call for stricter gun control laws.

“For the rest of the year, I don’t think I can imagine school a place where I can feel safe to learn again,” said Lila Port, 17, an East High School junior.

Others were more skeptical. East High School junior Linus Cole, 16, said unarmed, specially trained staff members would be more appropriate.

“We don’t need law enforcement sending students to jail for small crimes because that’s also not going to help,” he said.

Canady said that when schools bring police into schools, it’s critical to have a memorandum of understanding that lays out roles, responsibilities, and expectations, that the police department pick officers who want the assignment and have a good temperament for working with kids, and that they be well trained.

The research on the impacts of school resource officers is limited, said Franci Crepau-Hobson, a University of Colorado Denver professor who studies violence prevention, in part because there is such range in the roles and training of officers stationed in schools that it’s hard to draw comparisons or conclusions.

Research has found correlations between having officers in school buildings and more Black and brown students getting suspended, Crepau-Hobson said. In Denver, student referrals to law enforcement have declined since school resource officers were removed at the end of the 2020-21 school year — one goal of the previous policy change.

The idea that officers might deter violence just by their presence — something many parents and teachers have hoped — is hard to measure, Crepau-Hobson said.

“In some contexts, SROs can increase a sense of safety and security with kids, and in some cases it’s the opposite,” she said. “And when kids don’t feel safe, sometimes they do stupid things. It’s not a one-size-fits-all.”

Students rally for gun control

On Thursday morning, hundreds of students from the Denver area crowded into the State Capitol building to demand lawmakers take action after the shooting, including passing a package of gun control measures that are under consideration.

They joined teachers from the Colorado Education Association, the state teachers union, who have thrown their support behind the gun control measures and who also want more funding for mental health resources in schools.

East High School senior Abigail Niebauer said she wanted to look lawmakers in the eye and share how much fear students feel when a school goes into lockdown.

Niebauer was inside the building on Wednesday’s lockdown following the shooting. She was also nearby when Luis Garcia was shot outside the building in February. Garcia died almost two weeks later.

“We don’t want to sit back and feel powerless in this situation,” Niebauer said. “We want to continue to do as much as we can to make change. Even if we’re young kids, we think our voices speak loud.”

Bureau Chief Erica Meltzer covers education policy and politics and oversees Chalkbeat Colorado’s education coverage. Contact Erica at emeltzer@chalkbeat.org.

Funding debate ends hopes for designation for colleges serving first-generation students

2023-03-15T18:38:56+00:00

On the surface, the bill had a simple premise — to recognize Colorado universities and colleges that enroll a high number of students who are the first in their family to go to college and communicate to those students that they are welcome on campus.

The mostly symbolic bill, however, prompted a more complicated conversation about whether creating a first generation-serving designation would lead to those schools getting more state funding. In a state that funds its public colleges near the bottom of the nation, any hint at changing the distribution of money raises concerns for university leaders.

Faced with opposition from larger schools that serve fewer first-generation students, the sponsors pulled House Bill 1114 before it went to vote on the House floor.

Bill co-sponsor state Rep. Rick Taggart, a Grand Junction Republican, said he wants to talk more with university leaders and bring the bill back next year. He said it troubled him that the opposition centered on funding concerns when the bill didn’t call for any changes to the higher education funding formula. At the same time, he said he understands why money is a sensitive subject.

“I totally respect the reason that folks are really concerned about the funding formula is that higher education is way underfunded in this state, just severely underfunded,” Taggart said. “If you start messing with the formula, you’re going to rob Peter to pay Paul.”

For university leaders, the bill did place funding under the microscope.

Supporters such as Colorado Mesa University President John Marshall said he hoped the designation would kick off a larger conversation about the money schools need to educate first-generation students who often need more support. Colorado Mesa University and Metropolitan State University of Denver supported the bill and would have almost immediately earned the first generation-serving designation.

In a statement, MSU Denver President Janine Davidson said the school was proud to stand behind the bill.

“While we’re disappointed it didn’t pass, we remain committed to making MSU Denver a vibrant home for those trailblazing students who are the first in their families to go to college,” she said.

Opponents such as Colorado State University System Chancellor Tony Frank said during committee testimony that other schools also serve students who are the first in their family to go to college in their family. He worried that the designation would create unfair considerations later on. A CSU System spokeswoman did not return a request for comment.

The bill passed the House Education Committee unanimously last month, but Taggart and co-sponsor state Rep. Serena Gonzales-Guttierez, a Denver Democrat, pulled the bill from consideration before a full House vote last week.

Taggart said schools should get recognized for what they do for students, and students should know about their options. For example, schools whose student populations are 25% Hispanic or more are designated Hispanic-Serving Institutions. However, that federal designation does come with extra money. Other schools or programs might get special designations for what they’ve accomplished, Taggart said.

Taggart hopes he can find more agreement when he brings the bill back next year. Educating first-generation students will be a big part of how Colorado gets a more educated population, he said.

“I am disappointed because this evolved into a funding discussion rather than sticking to a designation that these universities deserve,” Taggart said.

Free college, $1,500 scholarships proposed to fill in-demand Colorado jobs

2023-03-14T23:10:41+00:00

More than 20,000 Coloradans would be eligible for free education in high-demand fields and another 15,000 students from the Class of 2024 would be eligible for scholarships to get training in the toughest to fill jobs, under two bipartisan proposals backed by Gov. Jared Polis.

The proposals build on a program launched last year to offer up to two years of free college for Coloradans pursuing health care jobs. Already more than 2,000 students have enrolled, and leaders hope that with ongoing investment, they can reach many more.

“For every job-seeking person in Colorado, we need to get them the skills to match the amazing opportunities that our economy provides,” Polis said.

In the short term, the proposal expands on Colorado’s system of free college options and the scholarships add to state-funded aid that help offset costs beyond high school.

Long term, however, there’s little guarantee future students will have the same opportunities, with only one-time money set aside for the proposals.

During a news conference, Polis didn’t commit to extending funding when it runs out. He also said he expects lawmakers to review which sectors need workers and to adjust programs to steer students into those fields.

Colorado students could get targeted free college and scholarships

One $40 million proposal would make a two-year community college credential free in fields like elementary education, firefighting, policing, forestry, nursing and construction. The state would use one-time money this year to fund the program for two years.

Lawmakers want to expand a program that makes health care education free for students to include fields such as teaching, firefighting, policing, and forestry.

Colorado has shortages in those jobs. Some of the fields have low starting salaries, making it difficult to attract workers. But they’re also jobs that have high social value.

Polis said making the programs free will help attract students.

He said, “these are all professions that pay better than the unskilled workforce.”

For fields like teaching that require a four-year degree, the free college program would give students a way to get started on their education and save part of the cost.

Lawmakers want the program to benefit over 20,000 Coloradans during the next two years.

The program would cover the cost of enrollment plus books, supplies, and fees.

The program would also cover any costs for training for apprenticeships in areas like the construction trades, including instructor time and instructional materials.

The bill is sponsored by House Speaker Julie McCluskie, a Dillon Democrat, state Rep. Rose Pugliese, a Colorado Springs Republican, and state Sens. Janet Buckner, an Aurora Democrat, and Perry Will, a New Castle Republican.

The second proposal would give scholarships to about a quarter of the graduating high school students in the Class of 2024.

The state would provide 15,000 graduating students a roughly $1,500 scholarship each if they train or study for high-demand fields such as health care, manufacturing, engineering, education, or behavioral and mental health.

The state already provides financial aid to most students who go to a community college or public university. But students could use the scholarship to pursue a wider range of options, including for an apprenticeship or on-the-job training.

Bill sponsors include Senate Minority Leader Paul Lundeen, a Monument Republican, Sen. Jeff Bridges, a Greenwood Village Democrat, and Reps. Matthew Martinez, a Monte Vista Democrat, and Don Wilson, a Monument Republican.

Last year’s template for targeted free college

Unlike some states that offer free two-year college — such as Tennessee or Washington — Colorado has a patchwork of options for students to get free training or earn college credit.

For example, Colorado high school students can earn a certificate in a high-demand field before they graduate. Students can also get college credit while in high school or take a fifth year of high school that offers college credit and is paid for by the state.

And last year’s Care Forward Colorado program has shown promise toward expanding free college for at least some fields.

Last year, Polis and lawmakers pushed for free training in health care fields, a proposal that created the Care Forward program with $26 million in one-time federal pandemic relief aid.

The program under the Colorado Community College System has enrolled over 2,000 students at a cost of about $6.1 million, according to system numbers. About 1,000 students have graduated in the first year from the community college system, according to the Colorado Department of Higher Education.

Student participation has varied across the state’s 13 colleges, with some schools enrolling over 500 students and others enrolling less than 100. The programs include pharmacy technician, nurse’s aide, and dental assistant programs.

Colorado Community College System Chancellor Joe Garcia said the expanded program would include money to market the free college programs. He said the state is collecting data on how the program serves students to someday make the case why these programs might need more funding.

For now, the goal has been to ensure students can get job skills, work, and then go back to the community college system if they want to expand their knowledge — and eventually earn more money.

“You don’t just finish your education and go to a job,” Garcia said. “It’s in stages.”

That’s how Karlie Asman, 23, said it’s worked for her under the Care Forward Colorado program.

She said she got her EMT certification last year thanks to the program. She now works part time and volunteers in Franktown to get experience. And she’s back in school again thanks to Care Forward in a paramedic preparation program, which will allow her to take on an expanded role in the health care field as well as earn more money.

She added that thanks to Care Forward she doesn’t have to worry about putting her money toward college costs and instead can focus on earning a living.

“It’s been a huge, huge blessing for me,” Asman said.

Colorado goes paperless: Students will take computer-based SAT and PSAT starting next year

2023-03-13T23:22:01+00:00

Colorado high school students will continue to take the SAT and PSAT as the state’s way of measuring school and district academic performance, but they’ll switch to the computerized version in spring 2024.

A committee of teachers and school administrators recommended the College Board’s online suite of tests to replace its paper version, according to the Colorado Department of Education. The new computerized test was piloted by the College Board in 2021, and the organization said in a news release last year that it’s “easier to give, and more relevant.”

State law requires the state education department to take competitive bids every five years for a statewide assessment. The selection, however, was delayed a year because of the pandemic. The state must wait 10 days before the contract becomes official, according to a news release.

Colorado public colleges and universities no longer require a college-level exam like the SAT or ACT for acceptance, part of a growing “test optional” movement nationwide. However, many colleges and universities still ask for test scores as part of their application, and even students applying to test-optional schools can submit their scores to show their qualifications.

Colorado began using the PSAT and SAT to measure students’ math and English abilities in 2017, part of a compromise to reduce the overall number of tests students take in school. At the time, Colorado was the epicenter of an opt-out movement protesting a heavy testing burden, and many parents excused their students from taking standardized tests.

The idea was to use a test high school students would want to take anyway because it would help with their college and scholarship applications. Ninth and 10th graders take the PSAT and high school juniors take the SAT in the spring.

Colorado uses the test results along with graduation rates and other factors to rate the performance of schools and districts. SAT scores also are one way students can show they meet graduation requirements for basic competency in math and language arts.

While Colorado high school students use the college readiness exams, K-8 students use the Colorado Measure of Academic Success, or CMAS, to test math, English, and science understanding.

Colorado advocates want to send schools a message: It’s never OK to hit a kid

2023-03-09T21:00:59+00:00

Colorado would ban corporal punishment by schools and day care centers, if a bill proposed by two Democratic legislators becomes law.

The state is one of 22 states that allows corporal punishment in education.

It’s not clear how often it’s used — the state doesn’t collect that data and federal student discipline records show no Colorado cases — but advocates for children with disabilities say they hear from parents who see bruises on their children’s arms, legs, and even faces.

The bill to ban it has the support of disability and mental health advocacy groups that want the state to send a clear message that it’s never OK to hit a child.

“Most people are surprised we still allow it,” said state Sen. Rhonda Fields, an Aurora Democrat who is co-sponsoring the bill. “It’s not the right message we want to send to administrators and schools.”

House Bill 1191 would prohibit an employee or volunteer from using corporal punishment on a child in a public school, a state-licensed child care center, a family child care home, or a specialized group facility. The bill defines corporal punishment as “the willful infliction of, or willfully causing the infliction of, physical pain on a child.”

The bill would require school districts and the Department of Early Childhood to prohibit the practice. The bill passed the House Education Committee Thursday with a 8-2 vote.

The bill is also sponsored by state Rep. Regina English, a Colorado Springs Democrat. English also wanted an amendment to define corporal punishment in athletics, such as how far a coach could push a student during a workout. That amendment failed in committee.

State Rep. Rose Pugliese, a Colorado Springs Republican, said she supports the bill and want to work with English on the athletics definition and how to define emotional or psychological punishment.

English said the bill focuses on positive experiences for students and “we’re going to reshape amendments to make it fair for everyone.”

Colorado doesn’t collect data on corporal punishment, according to the Colorado Department of Education. The federal Office for Civil Rights didn’t record any complaints from Colorado about corporal punishment of students in 2017-18, the most recent data available.

Nationwide, the Office for Civil Rights reports boys are about four times as likely as girls are to be punished with corporal punishment. Black students also receive corporal punishment at twice the rate of their peers. The majority of corporal punishment reports come from Alabama, Arkansas, Mississippi, and Texas, according to the federal office.

Emily Harvey, Disability Law Center attorney team leader, said students with disabilities are also at high risk. Her office regularly gets calls from parents about physical pain inflicted on their child, she said. Those incidents often aren’t investigated, she said.

The bill makes a statement that physically hurting children, especially students with disabilities, in Colorado is unacceptable, she said.

The bill “is just one extremely small step towards creating more inclusive and welcoming, and therefore safer, schools in Colorado,” Harvey said.

This is at least the second effort by Colorado lawmakers to ban corporal punishment. In 2017, a bill cleared the House, but stalled in a Republican-controlled Senate. Republicans didn’t explain their vote.

At the time, sponsors and advocates couldn’t point to a single complaint about corporal punishment used in Colorado schools, a sticking point for some Senate Republicans.

Advocates say this year’s bill is backed up by a body of research that physical discipline leads to a greater risk of health risks such as depression, antisocial behavior, and suicide. School corporal punishment also may cause more aggressive behavior or low self-esteem in students.

To address behavior, Colorado schools should strengthen their support for students, said Vincent Atchity, executive director of the advocacy group Mental Health Colorado.

As a good example, he pointed to the I Matter program, which can provide a student six free virtual counseling sessions. He is pushing for the state to provide mental health assessments and referrals for students in sixth and through 12th grade.

Fields said her bill would move Colorado away from violence against students and toward respect, she said.

Allowing school staff to hit students, she said, “is not appropriate when we have a nation and a state that’s dealing with an increase of violence and crime and where kids don’t feel safe in schools.”

Editor’s note: This story has been updated to include discussions in the House Education Committee.

Colorado K-12, higher education workers would get state workplace protections in bill

2023-03-01T23:47:18+00:00

A year after Colorado lawmakers denied employees of school districts and public universities the right to unionize and negotiate contracts, legislators are considering a bill that would provide some protections for them and other public sector employees.

Senate Bill 111 would extend rights for public employees who openly express views about the workplace, start the process of forming a union, or participate in organizing. Public workers would also be protected from retaliation, discrimination, and intimidation from employers. Private sector employees already have these rights under federal law.

The bill doesn’t require public employers to recognize unions or grant workers the ability to strike. But the legislation, which a Senate committee advanced Tuesday, could represent a notable step forward for K-12 and higher education workers who want stronger labor protections for what they say are crucial workplace rights.

Critics who united to exclude education staff from a law expanding collective bargaining rights last year say this year’s legislation is unnecessary, unfair to employers, and would hurt schools.

Jade Kelly, CWA Local 7799 president, said the bill extends some rights granted to private employees through the National Labor Relations Act, a 1935 law to ensure workers can advocate for better conditions and form labor unions without retaliation. Her union represents higher education workers, library workers, and public defenders, among others.

She said public employees do have certain rights under federal statutes. But Kelly said that employers often violate those laws because a federal complaint must be filed by workers when there are issues. It’s a difficult process that creates hostile work environments where public employees feel they can’t speak out, she said.

Kelly said filing a complaint is expensive and takes up a lot of time and “employers know that.”

By extending the federal rights for private workers to public workers statewide, the bill would ensure the Colorado Department of Labor & Employment enforces these rights and step in when violations happen, mediate any issues, and take action.

Democrats in the state legislature have been pushing for more rights for public sector workers. The legislation lawmakers passed last year grants county employees the right to organize and bargain collectively over pay and working conditions. That law also prohibits strikes, work stoppages, and work slowdowns.

But facing stiff opposition from school district administrators, school boards, higher education officials, and Democratic Gov. Jared Polis, education workers were excluded from last year’s bill.

Senate Bill 111 is sponsored by state Sen. Robert Rodriguez and state Rep. Steven Woodrow, both Denver Democrats. The bill passed the Senate Local Government and Housing Committee on Tuesday with a partisan 4-3 vote.

Many large Colorado school districts voluntarily recognize employee unions and have contracts that include collective bargaining rights, but there is no requirement that they do so. Union members say that leaves many teachers vulnerable.

Mountain Valley School District teacher Kevin Walek, a San Luis Valley teacher union vice president, said teachers worry if they speak out that school district leadership will punish them. Many teachers like him are within their first few years of teaching and on a probationary period.

The bill would help teachers feel like they can use their voice.

“A lot of teachers just keep their head down,” Walek said. “It’s a tough environment.”

In addition to K-12 and higher education workers, the bill would cover a large group of workers, such as county, city, fire, library and public health workers.

The Colorado Education Association and other advocacy groups say the bill grants rights and protections that were skipped over in last year’s collective bargaining bill for many public employees.

Multiple groups want to amend the bill, including the Colorado League of Charter Schools, the Colorado Association of School Executives, and the Colorado Charter School Institute. The committee approved amendments related to unintended consequences the groups identified, such as those related to State Board of Education powers and to ensure management positions wouldn’t be included.

Michelle Murphy, Colorado Rural Schools Alliance executive director, said the bill would substantially disrupt schools. The organization also wants to amend the bill.

“This bill expands employee rights while dialing back and restricting employer rights,” she said.

Opponents include many county and city organizations and governments. Kevin Bommer, Colorado Municipal League executive director, said employers are already required to give employees substantial protections under federal law.

Others also argued there aren’t widespread complaints about improper employer practices. And any such issues can be handled by federal law, they said.

But Kelly said the public ultimately gets hurt when unhappy workers can’t resolve issues quickly with their employers.

“Workers end up leaving or they get to the point where they hate their jobs,” Kelly said. “That creates an adverse effect on anyone who uses public services.”

Colorado College withdraws from U.S. News & World Report rankings. What does that mean for students?

2023-02-28T23:12:42+00:00

Colorado College will no longer participate in U.S. News & World Report’s annual rankings of “best colleges.” In withdrawing, college leaders said they believe the rankings equate wealth and privilege with academic quality — and go against the values of the school.

Colorado College joins a growing list of high-profile law and medical schools that have announced they will no longer submit data to the publication. The school is one of the magazine’s highest-ranked liberal arts colleges to withdraw from participation.

As one of the state’s most selective schools — for the Class of 2026, it admitted 16% of applicants — withdrawing from the rankings is probably a low-risk move for the college, though it may lower the school’s profile somewhat among out-of-state students.

School leaders say the move will show prospective students the school is serious about its values of becoming a more diverse, antiracist campus that provides opportunity for students from a range of backgrounds. Currently, the student body is two-thirds white and just 8% of its students are eligible for federal Pell grants, a measure of economic status. Tuition alone is about $67,500 a year.

Pedro de Araujo, vice president and dean of the college, said the college has tried to rethink how to attract and graduate students from Colorado, including those who are from low-income families and students of color. He said the school plans to use its own data to illustrate how it helps students graduate and achieve social mobility. The U.S. News & World Report rankings have not done well in explaining that, he said.

“This is step one,” de Araujo said. “It is continuing to fulfill our antiracism commitment, continuing to look at our internal policies and see if they’re not aligned with our values, and then start to change that.”

U.S. News & World Report will still rank the school, but based on publicly available data. That could mean the school may fall from its position as the 27th “best” liberal arts college.

The U.S. News & World Report rankings are provided as a way for families to make college decisions. But the rankings have drawn scrutiny for years.

Some college leaders have said the rankings favor reputation and institutional wealth over whether an education is top notch. Critics say the rankings even influence admission policies, leading schools to prioritize students with high SAT scores whose families can pay out of pocket without incurring debt, over recruiting diverse, well-rounded students. Colorado College officials say their admission policies have not been shaped by a desire for a higher ranking.

The annual rankings judge colleges on 17 measures, including graduation and retention rates, selectivity, and financial resources per student.

Reputation weighs heavily into the factors compared with measures such as whether schools improve students’ long-term socioeconomic status. Student debt also factors into the rankings, and critics say schools that admit wealthier students are more likely to rank highly on that metric.

James Murphy of the college advocacy group Education Reform Now said there’s no downside for a school to stop participating in the rankings, especially if they want to diversify their campus.

“Racial and ethnic diversity play no role in the rankings as far as I can tell,” said Murphy, the group’s deputy director of higher education policy.

The Colorado College student body is about two-thirds white; students from low-income families make up only a small portion. Recently the college has sought to become more representative of the state, de Araujo said.

The school committed to becoming an antiracist campus that pushes for more diversity and inclusion, such as programs and support for students and reviews of policies. It made standardized testing optional on applications, in the hopes it can attract students from different backgrounds. It is committed to support students from Colorado financially and so they don’t pay more than the cost of attendance at the University of Colorado Boulder, considered the state’s premier public campus.

The number of freshmen from low-income families has increased slightly, Murphy said.

Not cooperating with the magazine rankings may cost some national visibility and out-of-state applications, Murphy said.

It’s less likely to diminish applications from students from Colorado, students of color, or those from low-income families, he said.

In its announcement, Colorado College said it would post online graduation and retention rates, diversity, and post-graduate success. The college has not said whether it would stop releasing student characteristics and other information that U.S. News & World Report feeds into its rankings.

De Araujo said school leaders are committed to becoming more representative of the state and to help students.

“This is not one of those things where you have a checkbox, you check them and then you’re done,” he said. “I think pulling out of U.S. News was a good step forward. But we’re not done.”

Correction: This article has been changed to correct Colorado College’s admission rates.

For part-time college faculty, Colorado bill offers some relief. What about the larger problem?

2023-02-24T22:20:00+00:00

As an adjunct professor, Kristin Quadracci teaches about six classes a semester and works well over 40 hours per week.

It’s enough for Quadracci to scrape together a salary of about $40,000 a year. But she works about 50% more as a contract worker than full-time college instructors, she said.

Plus there’s “no vacation and no job security,” Quadracci said.

Adjunct professors are those contracted part time to educate students. Many like Quadracci say they’ve dedicated their careers to teaching in college and endure tough conditions that they say carry over to students.

Senate Bill 84 would allow Colorado adjuncts to qualify for forgiveness of federally backed college loans. The bill makes a minor change to state law to better calculate how much work adjunct faculty perform in a semester.

Adjunct faculty and the unions supporting them also want the state to someday address the low pay, limited benefits, and little say part-time faculty have in the classroom. Until that happens, access to loan forgiveness is one way to ease the burden on adjunct faculty, who often need advanced degrees to do their jobs.

David Chatfield, who teaches art appreciation at Arapahoe Community College, has taught as a part-time instructor for years. He was one of the lucky few who was able to find a one-year full-time position. The job has since ended and he’s back to part-time work. The full-time position made it easier for him to earn a living and teach students.

“The overreliance on adjuncts is bad,” Chatfield said. “They need to bring in more full-time people.”

What once was a supplement to the core faculty now is a common practice at schools. Historically, adjuncts were mostly made up of people working in professional fields who wanted to teach students.

More and more, the majority teach at several schools to make a living.

Schools vary in their portion of adjuncts.

Nationally, about 48% of all academic staff is part-time faculty, according to the American Association of University Professors.

About half of all classes in the community college system are taught by adjuncts, with colleges and universities having different shares. For example, almost 70% of the Community of College of Aurora’s classes are taught by adjunct faculty.

Supporters of Senate Bill 84 said during testimony that they end up working long uncompensated hours outside of class, and they want the state to redefine how schools calculate how much adjuncts work.

The proposed change to how hours are calculated wouldn’t require colleges to give benefits to any instructors who don’t otherwise qualify. But it would allow instructors to reach full-time status to qualify for the federal Public Service Loan Forgiveness program. The program allows those who work in the public sector, including at a nonprofit, to have their student loans forgiven after 10 years.

Senate Bill 84 is sponsored by state Rep. Mary Young, a Greeley Democrat, and state Sens. Janice Marchman, a Loveland Democrat, and Julie Gonzales, a Denver Democrat. The Senate has approved the bill, and it goes next to the House.

During testimony, adjunct instructors said they make less than $30,000 a year and hold side jobs to survive. National surveys show nearly a third of adjuncts make less than $25,000 a year and many rely on public assistance.

Some adjuncts also don’t qualify for benefits, especially if they cobble together work from different schools. The Colorado Community College System does offer benefits including health insurance to adjuncts who work more than 30 hours a week within the system, and those who work fewer hours can purchase plans at a discounted rate.

Chatfield said when he was able to get contracted as a full-time employee, he made three times his annual $20,000 adjunct wages for a little more work. The few additional responsibilities were “not enough to justify that kind of disparity,” he said.

Some colleges don’t include adjuncts in program decisions, Chatfield said, which directly affects how students learn. The community college system does have a statewide advisory council for adjuncts, according to a system spokeswoman.

Adjuncts also don’t have their own private offices, meaning it can be hard to meet with students needing extra support, he said. That could mean the difference between the student passing or failing a class.

Quadracci said it’s detrimental to students to have their teachers hurrying from campus to campus without getting a break to eat lunch or take care of themselves.

“Adjuncts can’t be there for our students,” Quadracci said. “And it’s a huge, huge detriment to them and their learning environment.”

Correction: This article has been changed to reflect that the Colorado Community College System provides some benefit options to adjuncts.

Some Colorado colleges enroll more first-generation students. Should they get more money?

2023-02-17T23:09:35+00:00

Colorado colleges and universities would get a special designation if they enroll a high number of students who are the first in their families to go to college, under a bill proposed this year.

The largely symbolic bill has fed a bigger debate about how Colorado funds its public colleges. It also spurred a conversation about what first-generation students need to be successful.

The first generation-serving label that House Bill 1114 would create would attach to schools that enroll those students at a higher rate than the state average. It would also require Colorado’s higher education department to track how well students do at those schools.

The bill would not require schools to create additional programs to help those students get to and through college. Nor would it offer colleges more money to provide such support.

Money and support make a difference for students, said Diane Schorr, director of advocacy and initiatives at the Center for First-generation Student Success. She questioned why the state wouldn’t ensure colleges with the new designation get either.

“What I would have liked to have seen is what’s being required of the institution?” Schorr said.

Supporters of the bill — including Metropolitan State University and Colorado Mesa University — would like to prod the state to better fund schools that serve a large share of first-generation students. These schools often have lower graduation rates, something that works against them in Colorado’s funding formula. It also costs a lot of money to run the programs that help first-generation students.

Opponents of the bill, including Colorado State University, say that who enrolls the most first-generation students shouldn’t matter. Instead, they say that state funding should follow those students wherever they enroll. With limited state funding for higher education, more money for certain institutions can mean less for others.

Colorado Mesa University President John Marshall said the proposed designation would signal that first-generation students have a place on campus and would strengthen those schools asking for more state funds to increase services.

About 40% of students enrolled at Colorado’s public higher education schools were the first in their family to go to college. Nationally, those students are less likely to graduate and the path gets harder if they come from low-income families.

About 44% of Colorado Mesa’s 11,000 students are first generation, Marshall said. MSU Denver also has a high percentage, with almost 60% of its about 16,000 student body identifying as the first in their family to go to college.

Last academic year the state shifted away from funding schools based primarily on enrollment. Now the formula awards some state monies for enrolling more students of color and students from low-income backgrounds, and for graduating those students.

The funding changes haven’t immediately boosted the budgets of MSU Denver and Colorado Mesa. The schools still receive the least funding per student and want even more weight placed on which students they enroll.

“We’re serving the most expensive students,” Marshall said. “Over time, I think we’ve got to figure out how to correct those historic inequities and fund our values.”

Colorado State University System Chancellor Tony Frank, who spoke to the legislature to oppose the bill, expressed concern that the state label would affect how money is doled out statewide.

Frank said about 32,000 students who are the first in their family to go to college have the potential to attend schools not labeled first-generation serving.

“Funding should follow first-gen students wherever they are,” Frank said, “not simply to institutions with a designation.”

He said the state should discuss funding for first-generation students when it debates how colleges and universities are funded — a process that happens every five years.

The state provides a set amount of funding for colleges based on factors such as enrollment and retention of students and then provides additional money based on student demographics and outcomes.

For example, schools can get more money for enrolling more students of color and Colorado residents, and for raising graduation rates. Schools get a small amount for enrolling first-generation students, less than for other student groups the state wants to enroll at higher rates.

There’s precedent for a conversation about funding when it comes to designations. Campuses receiving the federal Hispanic Serving-Institution designation, or schools with 25% Hispanic student enrollment, come with the ability to apply for federal resources.

There’s no federal designation in serving first-generation students, but some schools spend more on programs to help those students get to graduation.

Marshall said Colorado Mesa invites first-generation freshman to campus before other groups to help familiarize them with the school, provides many of them an annual $1,000 scholarship, and offers counseling on academics, personal well-being, financial aid, and careers.

Other schools also assist first-generation students. Colorado State University and the University of Colorado Denver are among 277 other institutions nationwide that work with the Center for First-generation Student Success to better the college experience on campus. The schools also provide counseling, financial, and academic programs for students.

Justin Hunter, 23, a first-generation student at Colorado Mesa University, said he felt supported by the school on the first day he stepped onto campus. The program that brought first-generation students on campus earlier than others helped him acclimate to campus life. School staff have also pushed him to become a campus leader. He is now student body vice president.

He said he supports the bill because he “stumbled” on Colorado Mesa during the application process. Other students should know that schools support them and the designation would help, he said.

Lawmakers were clear that their intention wasn’t to pit schools against each other when it comes to how much money schools receive to educate students. Instead, they wanted to also set off a greater conversation about how to support students.

The bill is sponsored by state Reps. Rick Taggart, a Grand Junction Republican, and Serena Gonzales-Guitterez, a Denver Democrat. It would also require the state to list first-generation-serving schools on the Colorado Department of Higher Education’s website. The bill cleared the House Education Committee unanimously on Thursday, but lawmakers asked the bill sponsors to work with higher education institutions to get more buy-in.

State Rep. Jennifer Bacon, a Denver Democrat, said she voted in favor of the bill because it signals to students that schools have prioritized serving them. Colleges and universities could use the label to tell students that they’re not alone.

Colorado has cut higher education funding to a point where families pay a much larger share than the state does for public college expenses.

“As a legislator, to the extent that I can apologize, I am sorry that we have created such a devastating funding space that we have to have some of these conversations,” Bacon said.