State Board Meeting - August
State Board of Education Meeting Aug. 19-20: View Agenda | Watch LIVE
Professional Development and Training
The Colorado Department of Education (CDE) is responsible for ensuring compliance with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and the Exceptional Children’s Educational Act (ECEA), including for students served in facility schools. To support this work, the Office of Facility Schools provides technical assistance to personnel in CDE, the Colorado Department of Human Services (including in the Division of Youth Services), local human and social services agencies, approved facility schools, and administrative units, as well as others involved in students’ lives.
The Office of Facility Schools is available to provide technical assistance in multiple areas, including:
- Individualized education program (IEP) development and implementation
- Instructional practices and service delivery
- Data systems and progress monitoring
- Transition and graduation
In addition, the Office of Facility Schools offers ongoing training for stakeholders on IDEA and ECEA requirements and their application in facility school settings. For training schedules and information on requesting technical assistance, please fill out the Facility School Professional Development and Training Support form.
For more information contact, Robin Singer, singer_r@cde.state.co.us.
Facility School Staff Professional Development and Training
Do you need specific training or assistance? Please fill out the Facility School Professional Development and Training Support form and our staff will respond in a timely manner.
Upcoming Professional Development and Trainings
We are able to offer trainings to teams and schools on a variety of topics. For additional professional development and training for your school or individual staff, including any training in i-Ready and IXL, please contact Tara Butler, butler_t@cde.state.co.us.
2026 Colorado ESSU Fall Directors Meeting
September 3 - 4, 2026 in Westminster, CO
Registration is now open for the 2026 Colorado ESSU Fall Directors Meeting!
The Fall Meeting will be held at the Denver Marriott Westminster on September 3 & 4, 2026. Details on the agenda and session topics will be updated over the summer. The Directors’ Meeting website and registration are now hosted on the Sched platform. As part of the process, all attendees will need to create a Sched account. You’ll be guided through setting this up during registration—it only takes a minute! If you have any questions or need assistance, email us at ESSU@cde.state.co.us
We look forward to collaborating with you to support Colorado students!
Colorado Fall Directors' Meeting Event and Registration Details
Kaleidoscope Conference
The annual facility schools Kaleidoscope conference is set to take place Thursday, October 29 – Friday, October 30, 2026. The conference is an opportunity for facility schools’ educators (administrators, teachers, paraprofessionals, special services providers, etc.) to network and engage in professional learning.
Day 1 - October 29, 2026
Attendees will be from our Category 3 schools; these schools that work primarily with students with significant support needs and have higher staff to student ratio classrooms.
Day 2 - October 30, 2026
Attendees will be from our Category 1 and Category 2 schools; these schools that work primarily with students with significant emotional disabilities, ADD/ADHD, Executive Functioning difficulties, and some ASD. Most of our Hospital programs will attend this day.
More Information
For information about the annual Kaleidoscope Conference, please also contact Tara Butler, butler_t@cde.state.co.us.
Trainings are currently under development.