Sue Edwards
President 		Lynn Coleman
Vice President 		Laura Lefkowits
Secretary 		J.P. Hemming
Treasurer 		Bennie Milliner
Board Member 		Rita Montero
Board Member 		Lee White
Board Member
Denver Public Schools Board of Education 1996-97 April 18, 1997 Vol. 2 No. 17

SCHOOLS IDENTIFIED AS CANDIDATES FOR REDESIGN PROCESS

A collaborative team of Denver Public Schools administrators and the Denver Classroom Teachers Association this week identified four schools for possible redesign or remediation. The concept, approved by the Board in February, is part of the larger effort over the past three years to hold the district accountable for student achievement. The redesign process, said Board president Sue Edwards, is one of many steps that have been taken "to create an environment for students where they can and will learn." Said Superintendent Irv Moskowitz: "We are saying we want to be held accountable . . . Too many students today can't read, don't know language, don't know words. This is just one step in a comprehensive effort to turn that around." Over the past few weeks, both DPS and DCTA representatives met to establish the criteria for evaluating schools. Checking school data against this criteria, the team then jointly agreed which schools would require a site visit to gather more information. Results were examined in particular for the number of students in each school who score below the 25th percentile on standardized tests. In addition, the team looked at several years' worth of data; the process was intended to find those schools that have a historical pattern of poor achievement. In this pilot year of the redesign process, only elementary schools were examined. The four schools identified by the team as candidates for possible redesign this year are: All four schools will be visited by members of the team beginning the week of April 21. Following these site visits, the team will meet and decide a course of action for each school. The site review team includes the Assistant Superintendent for Elementary Education, two Directors of Elementary Education, school principals, the president of the DCTA, other association officers, and teachers. The team will interview the school principal and a team of school representatives. Team members will also visit classrooms and sample the educational atmosphere, looking for a connection between the achievement data and the school's overall climate. The "close-in reviews," said Moskowitz, will seek to "really pinpoint what we can do to help them achieve their goals." At the end of the site visits, the team will reconvene and consider one of three options for each of the schools: remediation, partial redesign, and redesign. ( Under remediation, a school will be given a specified amount of time to reorganize its methodologies and instructional atmosphere. ( With partial redesign, only a portion of the teaching and other school staff positions might be posted and replacement staff for those positions will be hired. ( Complete redesign will mean that all teaching and other school staff positions, including the principal, will be posted and a new staff will be hired. DCTA president Leonard Fox, speaking at a joint press conference, said there is considerable "energy and optimism" within the association about the project. He also acknowledged the welcome cooperation from DPS administrators and pointed out that, when first told of the concept, he was dubious of the plan's merits. Since then, he's changed his mind. "We have been able to work with the district to create criteria to go out into buildings to find out what might be blocking student achievement," said Fox. Moskowitz also lauded the collaboration with the DCTA and called it a "platform" for an improved relationship between the district and the association. Other district efforts to tackle achievement issues head-on include:

A FEW QUESTIONS (AND ANSWERS) ABOUT SCHOOL REDESIGN

Q:   Will teachers from a school being redesigned be allowed to
reapply?
A:     Yes, teachers and staff who worked in the school being redesigned, or partially redesigned, will have the right to be considered for an open position in that school.
Q:   Why could the redesign process target secretaries, custodians, and other staff members when they have no direct role in the educational process?
A:     A positive school environment is the product of all staff, including those who have no direct teaching responsibilities. The goal of the process is to examine all aspects of a school and improve the atmosphere so students have a better chance of making academic progress.
Q:   Doesn't this process appear to blame the principal and teachers for students who fail?
A:     Blame is not an issue in this process. No individual job performances are being evaluated. The purpose of making staff changes is to minimize the risk of student failure and ensure that the district is doing everything within its reach to improve learning in each school.
Q:   Will teachers be guaranteed a job in another school? Will custodians, secretaries, support service personnel, also be given the same guarantee?
A:     Fair consideration will be given to all staff members for
reassignment to a school of his or her choice.

PRESTIGIOUS BOETTCHER SCHOLARS LIST INCLUDES FIVE FROM DPS

Five Denver students turned up this year on an impressive roster of talent ­ the list of Boettcher Scholarships. Awarded by the Boettcher Foundation, the scholars are selected on the basis of academic performance, demonstrated ability, school and community leadership, and personal factors. The scholarships consist of full tuition, fees, book allowance, and a $2,800 annual stipend for living expenses. The scholarships may be used to attend any accredited college or university in Colorado beginning in September, 1997. For Hatton, non-Colorado options for further education already exist. He has been invited to attend the Naval Academy, the Air Force Academy, and West Point.

TURN IT OFF!

Studies show children will have watched 5,000 hours (208 days) of television by the time a student enters kindergarten. School-age children average 900 hours a year in school, but spend 1,500 hours watching TV. Children spend more time watching TV than doing their homework by sixfold. These were some of the statistics cited by the Board of Education this week (April 17) when it unanimously approved a proclamation declaring its support, along with the City and County of Denver and the State of Colorado, in Recognizing April 24-30 as National TV-Turnoff Week.

STATE LEGISLATIVE WATCH

The Denver Board of Education:

H.B. 1249 is on the Governor's desk and his signature on the school finance bill is expected. The bill would provide a 2.88 percent increase in per-pupil funding. It also requires that 75 percent of all funding for at-risk students go to programs that support those students, adds $1 million for gifted and talented, and another $4.7 million for special education. The bill would spend $134 per pupil for instructional materials and supplies. While the Board of Education supports H.B. 1249 for its many strong elements, the bill falters badly in the most basic area ­ the 2.88 increase is well below the 3.5 inflation rate. As a result, the district's purchasing power will be reduced. The Board will continue to work with the state legislature, and the Governor, to fill the gap with discretionary funds that may become available

CALENDAR

April

23 Shakespeare Festival Reception

Governor's Mansion

4:00 p.m.

24 Board of Education Work Session

4:00 p.m.

Topic: District Capital Needs Assessment

25 Shaka Franklin Foundation

Love Our Children Luncheon

11:30 a.m.

Denver Marriott City Center

Around the Schools . . .

Hamilton Middle School principal Cheryl Betz was chosen by Reader's Digest magazine as one of 12 American Heroes in Education. Hamilton will receive $10,000 for mental and health care services; Betz, a 33-year DPS employee, will receive $5,000. She developed a comprehensive approach toward learning that confronts obstacles at school and home...Wild Outdoor World published Bradley Elementary second-grader Steven Staubach's thoughts on the diamondback rattlesnake....The Denver Pupil Assistance Fund, which provides a wide range of services, clothes and other goods to needy families, received its largest contribution ever from the C.L. Hubner Memorial Trust of The Denver Foundation. The $15,000 contribution will translate into assistance for 11,000 students, estimates PAF executive secretary Patricia Motz....Valdez Elementary principal Jose Perea published an article about the value of school-based dental care in report published by the Institute for Educational Leadership...The state champion East High School Constitutional Scholars were honored in a special reception at the Governor's Mansion recently...The 1997 Middle and High School Art Exhibition continues at the Temple Buell Theater (905 13th Street) through April 29...Thomas Jefferson High School students will help judge more than 278 science projects at Samuels Elementary on April 23....

BOARD NEWS is published after each Board meeting by the DPS Public Information Office,

900 Grant Street, Denver CO 80203, phone 720-423-3414

Denver Public Schools

900 Grant Street, Room 402

Denver, CO 80203

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