Colorado READ Act

About the Colorado READ Act

The Colorado Reading to Ensure Academic Development Act (Colorado READ Act) was passed by the Colorado legislature in 2012, giving the state the guiding philosophy, structure and resources to get children reading at grade level by the time they enter the fourth grade.

Learn more about the READ Act with this overview.

Stay Informed

Please sign up for the READ Act communication list in order to stay informed of changes and updates related to SB19-199, READ Act Implementation Measures. CDE will announce ways to participate and provide your feedback throughout the implementation process.

Sign up for the READ Act communication list

Colorado READ Act Changes: SB19-199

READ Collection and Fund Distribution

The legislature made several important changes to the READ Act this year because Colorado schools and districts overall were not seeing dramatic increases in students reading at grade level by third grade – the goal policymakers and educators set when the law was created in 2012.

CDE anticipates distributing this school year’s funds the week of Monday, Aug. 12. Please note that the READ Act per-pupil fund distribution will be less for the 2019-20 school year compared to previous years because Senate Bill 19-199 creates new provisions in the law. CDE anticipates per-pupil funds will be reduced by approximately 20 percent. READ more about SB19 199.

News and Events

Monthly READ Act Informational Webinars

In order to keep educators and other stakeholders informed of the changes in the READ Act brought about by SB19-199, CDE will host monthly informational webinars.

View prior and upcoming SB19 199 webinars.

Wednesday, September 25, 2019
3:00-4:00pm

*Register for September 25 webinar

*Unlike some of the previous webinars, prior registration is required.

CDE Seeks Independent Evaluator for the READ Act

The Colorado Department of Education (hereafter referred to as “the Department”) is soliciting competitive, responsive proposals from experienced organizations to perform as an independent evaluator of the Colorado Reading to Ensure Academic Development Act (the Colorado READ Act). To see the official RFP posting go to http://Colorado.gov/vss. Then click the “Public Access” button in the lower left side of the website. In the “Keyword Search” enter the RFP number “2020000006” and hit “Go.”

The RFP seeks a Contractor to independently evaluate whether a grant(s) to a Local Education Provider (LEP) was successful in moving students’ reading growth to standard and whether a LEP’s use of READ Act per-pupil intervention funds and READ Act grant program money results in students making measurable progress in reading growth to standard. For LEPs receiving Comprehensive Early Literacy Grant (ELG) Program Funding under the READ Act, this evaluation will be done at the individual school-level. In addition, Contractor will review the Department’s reading assessments, advisory lists of instructional programming in reading and support technologies, and professional development programs listed in this Request for Proposals (RFP) to ensure that they meet all of the SB 19-199 requirements.

The Department encourages qualified vendors to apply. Please feel free to share the above link and information with interested vendors.

5th Annual READing Conference - Registration Open

Join us in Grand Junction, Colorado at the Two Rivers Convention Center for two days of exceptional learning. This year’s conference will be held on Thursday and Friday, October 10th and 11th, 2019. This year we have another great line up of national literacy experts coming to Colorado to support our learning - Steven Dykstra Ph.D., Margie Gillis Ph.D., Susan Hall Ed.D., Nancy Mather Ph.D., and more! Registration is free and will be prioritized for current Colorado district literacy leaders, administrators, and educators.

Click here to register and learn more about this year's READing Conference.

Link to previous year's programs and presentation materials.

Early Literacy Grant Rules Approved

SB 19-199 amended the Colorado READ Act and incorporated changes to the Early Literacy Grant program requiring an update to the rules. The state board approved the amended rules for the administration of the Early Literacy Grant program during the September board meeting. Updates include increased funding, additional reporting requirements and training for K-3 teachers.