Since 2007, "Forward Thinking" has provided the roadmap for the department's work. These goals have served the department well in aligning and focusing the work at hand. The goals are: (1) Provide guidance and support to meet school and district needs; (2) Enhance professional development involving best practices; (3) Develop tools to eliminate gaps and increase achievement for all; (4) Implement a seamless, collaborative leadership system with intentional intensity, urgency and impatience; (5) Make efficient, effective use of federal, state and private funds; (6) Become a reliable source for research, data and analysis; and (7) Define, detail and implement a model that builds and expands leadership capacity. This paper presents updates regarding key state board of education initiatives that have been launched by the vision of "Forward Thinking" and by the Colorado State Legislature--or both. The work on many of these initiatives began in 2007. [For the 2009 report, see ED514656.]