Facilitated Board Training for School Improvement

Facilitated Board Training for School Improvement is an offered service of the Colorado Department of Education created in partnership with the Colorado Association of School Boards. The program responds to the role local school boards have in supporting student achievement and to the need for formal training that helps board members engage with and support low-performing schools. The service is connected to Colorado HB 18-1355, under which the Colorado Department of Education is expected to offer local board training supporting the academic outcomes of local education agencies. Training combines effective governance practices with school turnaround practices, including the Colorado Department of Education Four Domains for rapid school improvement framework. Program objectives are to increase understanding of effective governance and board roles and responsibilities, strengthen board understanding and support of district improvement efforts, and develop an action plan for improving academic outcomes. Eligible participants are local boards of local education agencies that have at least one school with a state-identified School Performance Framework plan type of Priority Improvement, Turnaround, or On Watch and that are interested in strengthening governing practices for stronger school improvement. Both elected and appointed boards, including charter boards, are encouraged to apply. Program outcomes depend on board engagement, interest, and a shared willingness to improve student outcomes, and all board members and the superintendent must agree to participate fully. If all EASI proposals cannot be funded, proposals meeting grant expectations are funded according to the EASI school-level prioritization list, with schools having the highest number of prioritization points funded first. District-level requests use the average prioritization of applicable EASI-eligible schools. Program support is structured as a multi-phase engagement. Initial work focuses on foundations of effective governance and is intended to increase understanding of governance practices, clarify board member roles and responsibilities, and create a more cohesive, goal-directed board. Subsequent work focuses on supporting student academic outcomes. Activities include assessing the school board's strengths, inconsistencies, and opportunities in its oversight of district and school improvement and turnaround; learning from other boards through case studies and other materials; understanding the Colorado Department of Education Four Domains for Rapid School Improvement; identifying possible board actions; and developing an action plan to strengthen policies and oversight related to continuous district improvement, school improvement, and turnaround. The program materials describe multi-phase participation from March 2026 through May 2028 and also describe program support as an 18-month period spanning 2025-26 to 2026-27. Applicants are encouraged to apply for the full award amount of $10,000 for use following the initial governance training. Funds may support materials, books, and resources related to strengthening local board practices; an external training facilitator; implementation tools or outcome measurement; additional collaboration time for the board, superintendent, cabinet, or other staff leadership; and other activities approved by the Colorado Department of Education program lead. All expenses must relate to effective governance and demonstrate a logical connection to potential improvement in student outcomes. A draft budget should describe anticipated use of funds, although a general placeholder may be used and the final budget may be developed with the program lead after initial training. External provider expenses require a scope of work describing timelines, deliverables, and costs. Indirect costs may be included based on the district's restricted indirect cost rate when applicable, but the total request may not exceed the maximum allowable award. Indirect costs are allowed only on federal awards and must be removed during post-award revision if the grantee receives a state award. Funds must supplement rather than supplant federal, state, and local funds already supporting activities. Post-award revisions must be submitted and approved before expenses are incurred and must be approved by June 30. Federal funds must be obligated by September 30 and requested by November 1 of each applicable fiscal year; state funds must be obligated by June 30 of the final grant-cycle year. Carryforward is subject to funding-source restrictions and Colorado Department of Education approval. Non-requested federal funds revert at the end of the performance period, while unspent state funds must be returned. Future or multi-year awards are contingent on state and federal allocations to the department. The department may terminate an award with thirty days' notice if program requirements are not being fulfilled or results are less than satisfactory. The program schedule identifies September through December as the period for meeting with the Colorado Department of Education School Transformation Manager to discuss interest and outline a proposed budget, with the application due in December 2025 and award notifications planned for January 2026. Kick-off activities and a self-assessment of board performance were scheduled for March through May 2026, followed by multi-phase participation through May 2028, follow-up self-assessment and technical assistance, and use of approved funding for additional board activities during the following school year. The source does not provide a specific day in December for the application deadline or identify an annual or other recurring application cycle. Grantees must participate in evaluation, reporting, and progress monitoring. Requirements include pre- and post-program Local Board Facilitated Training Assessment Tool results, other evaluation surveys determined with the Colorado Department of Education, a board-member focus group of approximately sixty minutes, a superintendent interview after program completion, and a Final Expenditure Report in GAINS each fiscal year by September 30. External facilitators must be approved by the department and participate in requested facilitator meetings. Board members must participate in training, assessments, exit surveys, subsequent grant-related activities, and the post-program focus group, while the superintendent must participate in training and the post-program interview. Program contact is Dan Jorgensen, Accountability Support Manager, School Improvement and Planning, at Jorgensen_D@cde.state.co.us or (720) 245-4532.

Ensure all board members and the superintendent are committed to full participation; clearly connect proposed spending to effective governance and its potential to improve student outcomes; applicants are encouraged to request the full $10,000 award; if using an external provider, provide a scope of work covering timelines, deliverables, and costs; qualifying proposals may be prioritized using the EASI school-level prioritization list.