School News: CDE Issues “College Friday” Reminder To Students: Individual Career And Academic Plans Are Key To Postsecondary Success

Students at Landmark academy at reunion celebrate first annual latin culture week

Landmark Academy at Reunion , a tuition-free public charter school, recently hosted their First Annual Latin Culture Week, a week focused on educating students on the various aspects of Latin culture, from music and art to sports and celebrities, through unique activities. During the week-long celebration, students were able to step into the lives of the Aztecs, Incas and Mayans with Latin culture lessons through piñata making, cultural crafts, songs, traditional foods and more. Students made maracas and learned a traditional Mexican Hat Dance; created Aztec suns working with metal tooling; and studied different countries in Mexico , Central America and South America . Aztec dancers from the Colorado Folk Arts Council also visited with students and educated them on the spiritual and traditional aspects of Aztec culture through dance. “We reside in a community with strong Latin and Hispanic roots,” said Matt Carlton, principal of Landmark Academy at Reunion . “Our community culture is important to us at Landmark. By providing unique ways for our students to learn the various backgrounds of our diverse community they are able to understand and appreciate different cultures.” For more information about Landmark Academy at Reunion , please visit www.landmarkacademy.org.

April 08, 2011

CDE Issues “College Friday” Reminder To Students: Individual Career And Academic Plans Are Key To Postsecondary Success

As schools across Colorado support the 6th Annual College Friday, high school students are being reminded to begin thinking about Individual Career and Academic Plans, something each student will need to have completed by Sept. 30, 2011.

“Planning for life after high school is not easy, but Colorado is working hard to assist the process through the standards for Individual Career and Academic Plans,” said Charles Dukes, senior consultant for high school initiatives for the Colorado Department of Education. “With proper planning and guidance, students and their families can feel confident in making informed plans for postsecondary aspirations.”

“While not every plan will lead a student to a four-year college,” he added, “we think ‘College Friday’ is a good day to remind all students that achieving any dream takes planning and commitment and it’s never too early to start.”

Over the past year, CDE has partnered with the Colorado Department of Higher Education and the Community College System to support districts in the creation and completion of ICAP Implementation Plans, designed to ensure all students in grades nine through 12 have access and assistance to personalized plans by Sept. 30, 2011.

Dukes added: “It’s is important for all ninth-, 10th- and 11th-grade students to meet with their guidance counselor or pre-collegiate program advisor this spring to begin developing an ICAP before the start of the new school year.”

The Individual Career and Academic Plan vision was launched by Senate Bill 09-256 with the goal of decreasing dropout rates and increasing graduation rates by assisting students in developing and maintaining a personalized postsecondary plan that ensures readiness for postsecondary and/or workforce success.

College in Colorado is hosting the 6th Annual College Friday. For more information, visit: https://secure.collegeincolorado.org/Home/What_s_New/What_s_New.aspx

For more information and a projected timeline for ICAP implementation please access the Secondary Services and Initiatives home page at: http://www.cde.state.co.us/SecondaryInitiatives/.