The Colorado Legacy Foundation believes that increased student achievement for all Colorado students requires effective leaders in every school, effective educators in every classroom, and healthy and engaged students who come to school ready to learn.

Purpose and Overview

The Colorado Legacy Foundation’s Expanded Learning Opportunities (ELO) program seeks to create learning experiences for students that are reflective of how today’s students learn and extend beyond the expertise of the adult in the classroom. This work connects deeply to the work of Colorado’s ELO Commission, focused on fostering collaboration and partnerships among teachers, schools and community and national partners to effectively use the school day so that it is unrestricted by walls, clocks, calendars or tradition. In addition to the Colorado Department of Education and the ELO Commission, key partners in advancing this work include the Ford Foundation, Rose Community Foundation and district and school leaders.

Expanded Learning Opportunities Pilot Program

CLF’s ELO pilot program is focused on the development of local proof points surrounding Colorado’s vision for expanded learning tied to improved student outcomes and increased educator effectiveness. CLF has identified four ELO pilot district partnerships for the 2011-12 school year, including efforts to reorganize the school day and/or year, and restructure the use of time, technology and community partners to expand student learning and teacher collaboration time.

Additional components that are a part of CLF’s ELO initiative include: building stakeholder awareness; developing a policy framework grounded in state education policy; exploring ELO within rural communities; fostering a statewide ELO Network to identify and scale promising practices; and expanding partnerships with national, state and local education leaders.

Key national partners supporting Colorado’s work include Generation Schools and the National Center on Time & Learning (NCTL).

Colorado Legacy Schools Advanced Placement Training and Incentive Program

CLF’s Colorado Legacy Schools Advanced Placement Training and Incentive Program (APTIP) involves a statewide partnership with the National Math and Science Initiative (NMSI) that promotes the use of expanded learning opportunities to increase college and career preparedness in math and science. Strategies include innovative use of time, technology and community partners to significantly increase the number and diversity of students enrolling in and passing math, science and English Advanced Placement (AP) exams statewide. The program combines financial incentives for students and teachers with extensive resources, training and additional time on task.

CLF partnered with seven pilot schools in 2010-11, who increased student attainment of 3s, 4s or 5s on math, science and English AP exams by 47 percent, compared to the 2009-2010 school year. CLF is adding three schools in 2011-12 as part of the national Initiative for Military Families.

In addition to NMSI, key partners in advancing this work include the Delisa and Anthony Mayer Foundation, the JFM Foundation, Daniels Fund, El Pomar Foundation, Anschutz Foundation, Amgen Foundation, Xcel Energy, the Colorado Department of Education and district and school leaders.

Below you will find resources to learn more about Expanded Learning Opportunities:

Expanded Learning Opportunities Commission Overview

ELO_Commission_Overview.pdf

Expanded Learning Opportunities Online Survey Invitation
ELO_Online_Survey_Invitation.pdf

Expanded Learning Opportunities Meetings and Tour Schedule
ELO_Meetings__Tour_schedules.pdf

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