Colorado | National Center on Safe Supportive Learning Environments (NCSSLE)

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Colorado is working to ensure its schools are safe and supportive. This page features school climate information for Colorado, including a list of grants the State and its communities have received; State discipline and bullying policies; data for a selection of indicators; and related news articles.

Grants Received

State Grant Programs

Title IV, Part A, Student Support and Academic Enrichment

The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) was signed into law in 2015. The Student Support and Academic Enrichment (SSAE) program falls under ESSA, subpart 1 of Title IV, Part A. The SSAE program is intended to improve students’ academic achievement by increasing the capacity of State educational agencies (SEAs), local educational agencies (LEAs), and local communities to provide all students with access to a well-rounded education; improve school conditions for student learning; and improve the use of technology to improve the academic achievement and digital literacy of all students. States receive funds in the form of block grants and then fund local education agencies. To learn more, visit NCSSLE’s Title IV, Part A, SSAE Program page.

Project AWARE

In 2014, Colorado Department of Education received a Project AWARE grant through the Now is the Time initiative. Colorado used this 5-year grant to 1) train adults on responding to mental health issues when interacting with school-aged youth, 2) connect children, youth and families who required support to appropriate mental health services, and 3) implement mental health first aid and youth mental health first aid in State and local training programs. For more information about this grant, go to: https://www.samhsa.gov/grants/grant-announcements/sm-21-006.

Local Educational Agency and District Grant Program

Elementary and Secondary School Counseling

Pueblo School District No. 60 received funding through the U.S. Department of Education Elementary and Secondary School Counseling grant program. This 3-year grant helped schools expand the capacity of their school mental health services by 1) hiring qualified mental health professionals and 2) supporting parental involvement and school staff professional development to increase their capacities for collaborating with mental health community-based service providers. For more information about this grant, go to: http://www2.ed.gov/programs/elseccounseling/index.html.

School Based Mental Health Services

In 2022, Eagle County School District RE-50 J received a School-Based Mental Health Services grant. This district is using this 5-year grant to increase the number of qualified (i.e., licensed, certified, well-trained, or credentialed, as defined in the notice inviting applications) mental health service providers that provide school-based mental health services to students in local educational agencies (LEAs) with demonstrated need. To find out more about this grant, visit: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2022/10/04/2022-21631/applications-for-new-awards-school-based-mental-health-services-grant-program

Institution of Higher of Education

Mental Health Service Professional Demonstration

In 2023, the Regents of the University of Colorado, The University of Northern Colorado, Colorado Seminary, and Poudre School District R-1 received a Mental Health Service Professional Demonstration grant. These universities and districts are using this 5-year grant to support and demonstrate innovative partnerships to train school-based mental health services providers for employment in schools and local educational agencies (LEAs). The goal of this program is to expand the pipeline of high-quality, trained providers to address the shortages of mental health service professionals in schools served by high-need LEAs. To find out more about this program, visit: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2022/11/28/2022-25824/applications-for-new-awards-mental-health-service-professional-demonstration-grant-program

Selected Indicators

Indicator 1: Threatened or Injured with a Weapon on School Property

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Indicator 1: Percentage of High School Students Who Reported They Had Been Threatened or Injured with a Weapon (For Example, a Gun, Knife, or Club) on School Property One or More Times During the 12 Months Before the Survey

This state did not participate in data collection in 2013 or 2015. This state did not have data for this indicator in 2019.

Citation: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). 2009, 2011, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2021 High School Youth Risk Behavior Survey Data. Available at https://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/data/yrbs/results.htm. Accessed on July 20, 2023.

Indicator 1: Threatened or Injured with a Weapon on School Property
Year	Colorado	US
2009	8.0	7.7
2011	6.7	7.4
2017	5.8	6.0
2021	8.3	6.6

Indicator 2: Involved in Physical Fight on School Property

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Indicator 2: Percentage of High School Students Who Reported Having Been in a Physical Fight on School Property One or More Times During the 12 Months Before the Survey

This state did not participate in data collection in 2013 or 2015. This state did not have data for this indicator in 2011, 2017, or 2019.

Indicator 2: Involved in Physical Fight on School Property
Year	Colorado	US
2009	10.7	11.1
2021	5.2	5.8

Indicator 3: Offered, Sold, or Given Illegal Drugs on School Property

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Indicator 3: Percentage of High School Students Who Reported that they Were Offered, Sold, or Given an Illegal Drug by Someone on School Property During the 12 Months Before the Survey

This state did not participate in data collection in 2013 or 2015.

Indicator 3: Offered, Sold, or Given Illegal Drugs on School Property
Year	Colorado	US
2009	22.7	22.7
2011	17.2	25.6
2017	18.0	19.8
2019	13.4	21.8
2021	22.3	22.2

Indicator 4: Seriously Considered Attempting Suicide

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Indicator 4: Percentage of High School Students Who Reported They Seriously Considered Attempting Suicide During the 12 Months Before the Survey

This state did not participate in data collection in 2013 or 2015.

Indicator 4: Seriously Considered Attempting Suicide
Year	Colorado	US
2009	13.7	15.8
2011	14.8	15.8
2017	17.0	17.2
2019	18.8	18.8
2021	24.1	13.9

Indicator 5: Bullied On School Property

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Indicator 5: Percentage of High School Students Who Reported Being Bullied On School Property During the 12 Months Before the Survey

This state did not participate in data collection in 2013 or 2015.

Indicator 5: Bullied On School Property
Year	Colorado	US
2009	18.8	19.9
2011	19.3	20.1
2017	18.0	19.0
2019	15.4	19.5
2021	16.3	15.0

Indicator 6: Reported That Their Mental Health Was Most Of The Time Or Always Not Good

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Indicator 6: Percentage of High School Students Who Reported That Their Mental Health Was Most Of The Time Or Always Not Good (Poor Mental Health Includes Stress, Anxiety, and Depression) During the 30 Days Before the Survey

Data for this indicator are not available before 2021.

Indicator 6: Reported That Their Mental Health Was Most Of The Time Or Always Not Good
Year	Colorado	US
2021	32.6	29.3