Prevention specialist

The Colorado Department of Education (CDE) provides leadership, resources, support, and accountability to the state's 178 school districts, 1,888 schools, over 53,000 teachers, and over 3,200 administrators to help them build capacity to meet the needs of the state's approximately 905,000 public school students. In addition, CDE provides structural and administrative support to the Colorado School for the Deaf and the Blind and the Charter School Institute.

As the administrative arm of the State Board of Education, CDE is responsible for implementing state and federal education laws, disbursing state and federal funds, holding schools and districts accountable for performance, licensing all educators, and providing public transparency of performance and financial data.

CDE is a values-based agency that serves students, parents, and the general public by protecting public trust through ensuring adherence to laws, strong stewardship of public funds, and accountability for student performance.

CDE strives to incorporate five core values that we uphold in our work internally and externally.   If you come to CDE, be prepared to incorporate Integrity, Equity, Accountability, Trust, and commitment to Service in what you do.

Why Work For CDE
The work we do is rewarding and impacts the students, families, educators, and communities across Colorado. Our leadership also promotes a culture that puts families and self-care as a priority. Along with meaningful work and an environment that puts employees first, the state also offers rich benefits that intend to make us an Employer of Choice!
The following is a summary of the benefits we offer:

• Flexible work schedules and flexible workplace options that may include flexible working hours, working from home, working in the office, and/or a hybrid working environment.
• Premier medical, dental, vision, and dependent life insurance options. All with a generous employer contribution keeping employee costs as low as possible.
• Employer paid short-term disability and life insurance
• Up to 160 hours of Paid Family Medical Leave (PFML)
• 11 paid holidays per year
• Competitive vacation and sick leave accruals
• Retirement through the Public Employees Retirement Association (PERA) www.copera.org
• Employer paid RTD Eco Pass (certain restrictions may apply)
• Paid professional development opportunities

This position will lead efforts internally and with district leaders to impact student engagement and graduation.  Candidates who can focus on impacting statewide practices and outcomes and the ability to manage and lead detailed work will be successful in this position.  Focus will be on providing leadership, facilitation, and training in two areas within dropout prevention:

• Ninth Grade Success Lead:  Lead the implementation of the Ninth Grade Success Grant and sharing of effective strategies.
• Discipline point person: Manage ongoing projects related to school discipline and serve as the team’s lead content expert.

This position will lead and manage three main projects:

• Ninth Grade Success lead: Lead the office’s Ninth Grade Success grant.
• Dropout Prevention strategies: Lead the collection and dissemination of effective practices, convening of districts, facilitation of planning and implementation support for schools and districts.
• Training on Discipline Practices: Lead and manage an annual required training for Expulsion Hearing Officers including partnering with vendors for updates to the training, individuals participating in the training, districts, and other stakeholders. 

 Ninth Grade Success Grant
Serve as the Ninth Grade Success Grant lead that includes:

• Launch of new cohorts of grantees through a Request for Application process, application review, and identification of new sites as needed
• Design and implement a planning period for new grantees that supports grantees engagement with stakeholders and launch of their process. 
• Oversee the grantee budget process to identify appropriate allocations, create a system for budget updates and approvals, and ensure grantees follow all applicable fiscal rules.
• Facilitate learning opportunities, site visits, and training for grantees.
• Coordinate with evaluation staff to manage end of year reporting and other data collection to support annual evaluation.

 
Dropout Prevention Strategies
Lead the collection and dissemination of effective practices, convening of districts, facilitation of planning and implementation support for schools and districts. This may include:

• Support collaborative learning opportunities for school and district staff to collaborate, observe practices in action, and participate in training. This may include:
  • Attendance learning cohorts
  • Alternative Education Campus learning cohort and Diagnostic Reviews
• Coordinate with other CDE offices, including Postsecondary and Workforce Readiness, Accountability and Continuous Improvement, and School and District Transformation to support secondary school redesign, school improvement, and other support efforts. This may include partnering on initiatives, grants, or training opportunities.
• Support Dropout Prevention office efforts to improve the use of the Dropout Prevention Framework that may include:
  • Engaging stakeholders in how to implement strategies effectively.
  • Updating and effectively using policy and practices reviews.
  • Development and management of CDE offered training.
  • Support the design and updating of CDE’s website for accessing the framework.
• Develop and maintain knowledge of research, tools, strategies, and policy efforts to measure and improve dropout prevention efforts and engaged learning environments for students.
• Collaborate across different offices at CDE to support alignment of efforts to support secondary school outcomes including the Grants Program Administration, Office of Learning Supports, Health Education Services, Exceptional Student Services Unit (ESSU), Dropout Prevention and Student Re-engagement, Postsecondary and Workforce readiness, Adult Education Initiatives, Office of Student Supports, Accountability and Continuous Improvement, and School and District Transformation.

 
Training on Discipline Practices
Lead the office’s project to manage an annual training for Expulsion Hearing Officers. This initial and then ongoing training is a new required training for Hearing Officers. This may include:

• Lead internal design meetings and collaboration to define required components of the training.
• Manage Request for Proposals (RFP) process with CDE’s purchasing department to select vendors for necessary work.
• Manage the ongoing relationship with the vendor to ensure all milestones are met for required training.
• Develop, design, and manage an annual process for updates to training materials.
• Create and implement an awareness and engagement process to ensure internal and external stakeholders are connected to the training.
• Respond to individual and district questions on training requirements and topics.
• Serve as a resource for internal and external staff on the topics that will be covered in the training.

Minimum four (4) years experience at the school, district, or state level in implementation or support of dropout prevention strategies.
 
Knowledge of and minimum two (2) years experience in designing and facilitating adult learning opportunities.
 
Minimum two (2) years working on student discipline or behavior initiatives at the school or district level.
 
Demonstrated ability to effectively collaborate with internal and external customers (e.g. school districts, other CDE units).

Detailed analytical and problem-solving abilities including attention to detail, consistency, and accuracy.

Demonstrated ability to work independently, as well as on a team.

Experience using the Microsoft suite, Google Suite, Zoom and other commonly used software.
 
Preferred Competencies:

• Experience in facilitating groups of school staff in dropout prevention and intervention efforts at the high school level.
• Experience with the suspension or expulsion process.
• Colorado Administrators certification
• Minimum four (4) years experience with project management, including establishing goals and timetables, tactical plans, monitoring progress, engaging and working with other personnel or teams, measuring results, developing contingencies, and communication. 

 
 
 Complete Applications must include:

• Completed Online Application: Required - Submitted through our ATS.
• Resume: Required 
  

 
Per the requirements of the Step Pay Program implemented on July 1, 2024, any State employee must be paid a rate that is equal to or greater than the appropriate step pay rate within their classification’s pay range based on completed years in their current class series as of June 30. All current and former State employees must ensure that your entire work history within the State Classified System, including at Institutions of Higher Education, is indicated in your application so that your time-in-series can be calculated accurately. 
 

Email Address:
All correspondence regarding your status in the selection/examination process will be conducted via email.  Include a working email address on your application; one that is checked often as time-sensitive correspondence such as exam information or notification will take place via email.  Please set up your e-mail to accept messages from "state.co.us" and "info@governmentjobs.com" addresses. It is your responsibility to ensure that your email will accept these notices and/or review your junk mail and spam-filtered email.
 

Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) and Equal Employment Opportunity
The State of Colorado believes that equity, diversity, and inclusion drive our success, and we encourage candidates from all identities, backgrounds, and abilities to apply. The State of Colorado is an equal opportunity employer committed to building inclusive, innovative work environments with employees who reflect our communities and enthusiastically serve them. Therefore, in all aspects of the employment process, we provide employment opportunities to all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, a medical condition related to pregnancy, creed, ancestry, national origin, marital status, genetic information, or military status (with preference given to military veterans), or any other protected status in accordance with applicable law.
 
The Colorado Department of Education is committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals. As part of this commitment, our agency will assist individuals who have a disability with any reasonable accommodation requests related to employment, including completing the application process, interviewing, completing any pre-employment testing, participating in the employee selection process, and/or performing essential job functions where the requested accommodation does not impose an undue hardship. If you have a disability and require reasonable accommodation to ensure you have a positive experience applying or interviewing for this position, please direct your inquiries to hr@cde.state.co.us.