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Standards Review Committee - Comprehensive Health

Academic Standards Revision Process Group 2 Comprehensive Health Standards Review Committee
 

Latest News

On May 29, 2025, Colorado Legislators and the Governor signed into law House Bill (HB) 25-1293: Drug Overdose Education & Opioid Antagonists in Schools. This legislation requires the State Board of Education to ensure that Colorado’s high school health standards (grades 9–12) include skills that a student should acquire relating to drug overdoses, including fentanyl and other opioid-related drugs. The standards must include evidence-based knowledge and skills regarding drug overdose risks, identification of a drug overdose event, drug overdose prevention and response, and must promote positive social norms concerning knowledge and skills.   

To meet this requirement, the Colorado Department of Education (CDE) is forming a review and revision committee to update the Colorado Academic Standards for high school Comprehensive Health Education related to drug prevention. The committee is expected to begin working in March 2026 and conclude by August 2026. We are anticipating the board will be voting on the standards for adoption the Fall 2026. 

Committee Members and Committee Chair

Committee Chairs

 
Jennifer Vidal
District Coordinator/Administrator
Cherry Creek 5 School District		 Lindsey Simbeye
Simbeye Consulting
Community Based Organization

Committee Members

 
Sukhmeet Sandhu, MD
University of Colorado Anschutz
Addiction Medicine Physician at Children's Hospital Colorado and faculty of CU Anschutz Dept of Psychiatry		 David Berg
Health Educator
St Vrain Valley RE1J School District
Haley Figueroa
District Drug Prevention Coordinator
Denver County School District		 Jordan Goto
District Coordinator/ Administrator
Boulder Valley Re 2 School District
Andrea Thomas
Facing Fentanyl/Armour, Families
Community Based Organization		 Mugsy Seldeen
High Rockies Harm Reduction
Community Based Organization
Cristina Kuhl
Health Educator
Harrison 2 School District
Don Stader
The Naloxone Project
Community Based Organization
  Youth Involvement in Standards: By statute, CDE is required to involve students in the review and revision of the Colorado Academic Standards. We are currently identifying a student representatives.

 

Revision Timeline

A horizontal arrow-shaped timeline displays key steps in a process from March to September. Along the arrow are six colored circles marking milestones. From left to right: “Committee Meetings, March – April.” “Initial Draft Revisions with Rationale Completed, May 8th.” “Draft Revision Presented to State Board of Education, June 10 or 11.” “Public Feedback Collected, June.” “Committee Meetings. Review and Address Board and Public Feedback, August.” “State Board of Education Review and Vote,

Meeting Dates and Notes

  • Committee Meeting #1: Thursday, March 5, 2026, 4:30-5:45
    • Agenda: (1) Committee Introductions; (2) Understand the committee's charge; and (3) Begin to conceptualize the revision process.
    • Summary: The committee met to focus on the expectations and set a timeline for the revision process.
       
  • Committee Meeting #2: Thursday, March 16, 2026, 4:30-5:45 Committee reviews standards and develops criteria for revisions.
    • Agenda: (1) Committee reviews current standards; (2) Identifies criteria for revisions; and (3) Begin to conceptualize the revision process.
    • Summary: The committee familiarized themselves with existing standards. Brainstormed key additions to the standards.
       
  • Committee Meeting #3: Thursday, April 2, 2026, 4:30-6:00
    • Agenda: (1) Define standards; (2) sort brainstorm into existing standards; (3) Identify next steps for creating revisions.
    • Summary: Committee members sorted the brainstorm ideas into standards and began to draft standards revisions. 
       
  • Committee Meeting #4: Thursday, April 23, 2026, 4:30-6:00
    • Agenda: (1) Review and revise draft standards; (2) Update rationales; (3) Define and begin drafting Academic Context and Connections (Colorado Essential Skills and Real-world Application, Inquiry Questions, and Health Skills).
    • Summary: TBD
       
  • Committee Meeting in-person meeting: Friday May 1, 2026, 8:30-6:00
    • Agenda: (1) Finalize draft standards; (2) Finalize draft rationales; (3) Develop Academic Context and Connections (Colorado Essential Skills and Real-world Application, Inquiry Questions, and Health Skills) (4) Prepare documents for board presentation.
    • Summary: TBD
       
  • Committee Meetings #5 and #6: August 2026 Committee finalizes recommendations for revisions
    • Agenda: TBD
    • Summary: TBD

The public is welcome to attend any of our committee meetings, please register here if you are interested in attending.

Committee Resources

  • TBD

For more information, contact Jamie Hurley at hurley_j@cde.state.co.us

For feedback and revision inquiries contact the Standards Team at costandardsrevision@cde.state.co.us

Colorado Academic Standards Review and Revision - Colorado Department of Education