Accelerator Project
Kicking off in the 2015-16 school year , the Accelerator Project cultivated learning networks among educators across the state that focused on providing access to high-quality instructional resources , equipping strategic data use , designing and delivering effective professional development ( PD ) systems , and providing educators with meaningful leadership development opportunities . The Accelerator Project emphasized the importance of fostering a responsive education system by identifying the specific needs of teachers and offering PD and supports tailored to those needs . In fact , 94 percent of principals in Accelerator districts reported using input from teachers to inform their PD decisions , compared to 84 percent of principals in non-Accelerator districts . As a result , a higher percentage of teachers in Accelerator districts reported seeing positive impacts from their PD activities , such as advancing their understanding of effective instructional strategies , compared to teachers in non-Accelerator districts .
“[ The Accelerator Project ] leveraged our opportunity to put a larger focus on professional learning in our system . It allowed us to then start real conversations with our board of education , our superintendent who is in the room , to really start talking about allocating resources differently in our system .”
STEM : Science , Technology , Engineering , and Math
District Administrator Greeley-Evans School District
The STEM initiative at CEI is dedicated to preparing all Coloradans for success in a 21st century economy and community . STEM competencies prepare students to be critical thinkers , to persevere through failure to achieve success , to communicate and collaborate across real and perceived barriers , and to solve complex problems .
Delta High School and Poudre High School partnered with CEI and the Colorado Workforce Development Council ( CWDC ) to develop out STEM career pathways . Through the career pathways young adults are developing the skills needed to succeed in STEM careers in advanced manufacturing . The two high schools partner with industry to design and offer specialized , hands-on training for positions such as a machinist , welder , and engineering technician . Schools focus on recruiting under-represented populations , including females and students from lowincome families . This ensures that students participating in the STEM pathway mirror the schools ’ demographics and all students are prepared to enter Colorado ’ s innovation-based economy . “ We are pleased that Colorado schools [ partnering with CEI ] will prioritize recruitment and support for young women and low-income students in their STEM-career programs . Colorado is experiencing a shortage of middle-skilled workers for jobs that require more than a high school diploma , but less than a fouryear degree , like manufacturing , healthcare , or construction . By creating a career track toward these jobs , we motivate and preparer women and girls to pursue careers that offer livable wages and opportunities for economic self-sufficiency .”
Louise Myrland The Women ’ s Foundation of Colorado
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