READ Act Teacher Training Communications Toolkit

Communications toolkit to help ensure K-3 educators complete training required by the READ Act

This communications toolkit includes the following items to help you communicate with your educators about this requirement:

• Sample communications to educators and principals
  • Sample Letter to Teachers (DOC)
  • Sample Letter to Principals (DOC)
• Instructions for checking educators’ status on COOL
  • COOL Report Instructions (PDF)
• Teacher training website copy
  • Sample website copy
• Stories about teachers who have seen improved student outcomes as a result of the training
  • Teacher Story Summaries (DOC)

As a reminder, Colorado school districts, BOCES and charter schools are required to ensure all K - 3 teachers complete evidence-based training in teaching reading as a result of changes to the Colorado READ Act in SB 19-199 (PDF).  The requirements were put into place to ensure students are being taught with scientifically proven methods on reading instruction in an effort to dramatically improve early literacy in Colorado. Teachers who have completed the training report seeing improvements in student outcomes and a renewed appreciation for the science behind how children learn to read. 

Following an extension approved by the legislature in 2021, all K-3 teachers must complete the teacher training by August 1, 2022.  Teachers should demonstrate that they have completed the training by submitting documentation in the Colorado Online Licensing (COOL) system, by Aug. 15, 2022. More information about how teachers, including unlicensed teachers, submit documentation is available on this webpage. 

Districts, BOCES, and charters that do not meet the requirements will be ineligible for READ Act funds for the 2022-23 school year. In subsequent years, districts will need to ensure that teachers new to teaching K-3 also meet this requirement.

Districts can view reports in COOL of educators in their school district who have submitted documentation to COOL to demonstrate that they have met the READ Act training requirement. This report is available to district officials who have been approved for eLicensing Verification Access (EVA). View an illustrated guide of the report pulling process here.

In August 2022 districts will submit information through Data Pipeline demonstrating their educators have completed the training requirements. Instructions on how districts will submit information through Data Pipeline will be available soon.

More information about the READ Act teacher training requirements is available here.