Colorado’s Essential Skills are a state-defined set of competencies tied to Colorado law and embedded in the academic standards. First adopted in 2018 and refined through a statewide review process, they reflect what Colorado graduates need to succeed in postsecondary education, the workforce, and civic life. Organized around four roles (Communicator, Problem Solver, Community Member, and Empowered Individual), the skills are meant to be developed across grade levels and content area rather than in isolation.
Deagman
Marzano Research recently spoke with Wendy Deagman, an English Language Support Specialist at Cherry Creek School #5. Deagman works as an embedded co-teacher across eight classrooms, collaborating weekly with teachers to plan content-driven lessons that support English learners. This Q&A explores what it looks like when those skills move from policy language into daily classroom practice.
Q: How familiar were you with the Colorado Essential Skills before preparing for this interview?
A: Honestly? I couldn’t have listed them from memory. Reading them, though, I realized these are exactly the things we want for kids. We just haven’t been naming or planning for them intentionally.
Q: Do you think you and your co-teachers are teaching these skills, even if not intentionally?
A: Absolutely. We’re growing humans, not just teaching content. But reading the continuum of the skills, from novice to expert, made me realize that we often stop at the novice level without pushing students deeper.
Q: Can you give an example using one skill? Say, critical thinking and problem solving?
A: In math, we often focus on mastering a single strategy. If a student solves an addition problem one way, we celebrate and move on. But the Essential Skills push us further: defining problems, trying multiple strategies, testing ideas in new contexts. With a little intention, I could ask students to model two different methods, connect learning to real-life scenarios, or explain why a strategy works. That’s rigor. That’s depth.
Q: What do teachers need to effectively integrate these skills?
A: A new planning lens. Before jumping into content standards, pause and ask: Which Essential Skill are we trying to build? How does the content help us get there? Content becomes the tool, not the goal. Teachers often feel tied to pacing guides and scripted lessons. The Essential Skills validate creativity: project-based learning, choice, deeper exploration, discussions. They reassure teachers that these things matter, that they’re not off-track, they’re building essential competencies.
Q: You’ve called this a “lever for rigor.” What do you mean by that?
A: Instead of making work harder or giving more problems, we deepen learning by stretching thinking. The Essential Skills give us the language and structure to do that, especially for students who are ready for more.
Q: What’s the deeper purpose behind your passion for these skills?
A: No teacher enters the profession dreaming about marching through a scripted curriculum. We’re here to help kids love learning, think deeply, ask questions, and grow as humans. The Essential Skills capture the parts of teaching that make you want to dance in the street.
The Essential Skills were designed to clarify what meaningful rigor looks like across Colorado classrooms. When teachers plan with these skills in mind, it can lead to deeper thinking, greater student agency, and learning that better prepares students for whatever comes next. Read more about postsecondary readiness and employability from Marzano Research.
This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.
