Unified Improvement Planning

About

Unified Improvement Planning was introduced in 2009 to streamline improvement planning components of state and federal accountability requirements. Based on the Colorado Achievement Plan for Kids (SB212-08), the primary purpose of improvement planning is to align efforts to: Ensure all students exit the K-12 education system ready for post-secondary education, and/or to be successful in the workforce, earning a living wage immediately upon graduation.

Colorado schools and districts can improve student learning and system effectiveness by engaging in a cycle of continuous improvement to manage their performance. To support this purpose, the Education Accountability Act of 2009 requires each Colorado district and school to create an annual improvement plan.

The intent is that schools and districts create a single plan that has true meaning for stakeholders, ultimately reducing the total number of separate plans required. With that in mind, the Colorado Department of Education has developed a unified improvement planning template and processes to support schools and districts in their performance management efforts.

The UIP template has been designed to meet state, federal, and program accountability requirements.

 

We are pleased to share our Continuous Improvement Professional Learning Opportunities for the 2026-27 school year. This includes our webinar offerings, on demand supports, and a five part Planning & Impact Workshop series for district leaders to collaborate on their approach to district wide continuous improvement. These five workshops will be offered in two formats: a half day in-person session in Denver and a virtual series with a rural focus.  

Reach out to schedule an in person or virtual improvement planning work session for yourself or a set of schools. Discuss plan implementation, dig into the quality criteria requirements, or brainstorm step-backs and stakeholder integration.

Review the 2026 Changes Document, which describes changes to the Performance Framework and UIP Template for the 2026 school year.

What's Up and Coming

Tentative 2026 Accountability Timeline

• April 15: Rollover to the 2026-27 Unified Improvement Plan template
• June 29: WIDA ACCESS growth release
• August 12: CMAS & P/SAT growth data release to districts
• August 19: Public release of Growth data
• August 26: Release of Preliminary Performance Frameworks to districts
• August 31: Public release of Preliminary Performance Frameworks
• Mid-September: Notification to districts for state and ESSA identifications; Data updated in UIPs including assurances
• September 14: AEC Frameworks released to districts
• September 16: Public release of AEC Frameworks
• September 25: Accreditation Form submission deadline
• October 15: Submission deadline: 1) Unified Improvement Plans unless flexibilities apply; 2) Request to Reconsider materials due in the Accreditation Portal
• January 15: Optional UIP submission for eligible sites (e.g., new identification and Request to Reconsider)

Accountability

In Colorado's accountability system, district and schools are assigned ratings or plan types. There are different requirements for submission and plan content based on the plan type that can be found in the UIP Guidance documents. The Code of Colorado Regulations for the administration of statewide accountability is also available and provides the official accountability and accreditation rules as passed by the State Board of Education.

The UIP, the UIP handbook, and this website are designed around the four components of improvement planning (in the table below). Tools and resources are included to provide greater detail and recommendations for leading the planning process, help schools and districts understand UIP requirements, and support facilitation of the continuous improvement cycle. 

Continuous Improvement

The diagram depicted here illustrates the theory of action behind Colorado's approach to improvement planning. By engaging in a continuous improvement cycle to manage performance, districts and schools will improve their effectiveness and the outcomes for students.

• Focus attention on the right things (performance indicators);
• Evaluate performance by gathering, analyzing, and interpreting data about performance;
• Plan improvement strategies based on performance data, root cause analysis, and evidence-based strategies
• Implement planned improvement strategies.