The following matrix addresses the minimum of 225 hours that comprise the Northeast Colorado BOCES Alternative Licensure Program. Each candidate has unique educational and experiential strengths and deficits, which will demand some flexibility in the assignment of hours. In order to maximize individual learning in this program, a Professional Growth Plan will be required for each candidate to parallel their teaching assignment. A required core of classes and course modules will total 154 hours and will be comprised of components reflecting the basic recommendations in addressing each Performance-Based Standard for Colorado Teachers.

Summer Intensive August 5-9

Day 1: Multimodal Learning with Diversity.

Day 2: Classroom Organization.

Day 3: Classroom Management.

Day 4: Communication & Teacher Effectiveness.

Day 5: Checking for Understanding CTT Professional Development Day.

Sept. 20 through Jan 17: Visible Learning – Teacher Clarity and Feedback, Wednesday Night Cohort Meetings, FTF and Online Effectiveness Standards, Visible Learning, I, II, and III, Special Education Law Legal Requirements and Strategies for ELLs, Mosaic of Thought Introduced (Literacy), Design Thinking, Math Instruction in all Content Areas, GT 101, Saturday Learning Sessions to include: Planning and Instructional Design for all Learners, Relationships, Bias, Response to Intervention Classroom Strategies for Supporting ELLs, Students Classroom Instruction that Works, Thinking Strategies (Literacy) Assessment, Formative and Summative Understanding by Design.

An initiative in NE BOCES is Visible Learning.  This initiative was started with our 12 school districts and follows the work of John Hattie regarding teacher clarity.  To provide teachers knowledge of the Visible Learning process we incorporate 3 Visible Learning sessions as an overview of the work to support the continuation of learning that occurs within the districts. The emphasis on Clarity and Feedback are foundational to all instruction and are an integral part of each learning module.

NE BOCES believes all students deserve equal learning opportunities. Diversity including students in poverty, students of different ethnic and linguistic backgrounds, and students with unique needs are addressed throughout program modules.

Mentoring and coaching are integral components of the NE BOCES program. Each teacher receives one-on-one coaching services through our program in addition to district mentoring asignees. Because our districts are very small, most do not have the same grade level mentors. However, mentoring responsibilities are assigned according to similar content.  Because this is common, NE BOCES requries program teachers to visit content specific teachers in other districts. This requirement offers exposure to different strategies and establishes a network of support that exists inside and outside the district.

Within every program is the need to reflect and change based on diverse needs of selected teachers and program successes and strategies for change. Clarity is a driving concept that has emerged in instructional practice and is built on our Corwin partnership backed by substantial research. Our program is reflective in nature, implementing current instructional practices that are meaningful and impact student growth. Teachers are surveyed at the end of each year but input and feedback are fluid throughout the instructional year. Changes and support are responsive to teachers' needs.