Press Release

STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT PLAN CALLS FOR SENSE OF "URGENCY"

The Board of Education this week (Monday, June 26) studied a Student Achievement Plan that spells out in detail a series of improvements designed to boost learning across the district.

Among the top policy considerations of the plan is to "develop a sense of urgency among principals, teachers, and other staff to make the educational changes necessary to improve achievement."

Changes designed to create this sense of urgency include administrator pay for performance (already in place), redesign of low performing schools, and "clear direction from the Board of Education about expectations for schools."

The 15-page document includes a call for an audit of low-performing schools - and a process to identify low-achieving schools - during the coming school year.

The plan identifies a host of steps for improvements, including beginning the school year in August instead of September, changing the criteria for declaring students eligible for mandatory summer school, and adding academic requirements that would determine if a middle school student is ready for high school.

"This Student Achievement Plan is designed primarily with one thing in mind and that's the ongoing need to improve learning at every level and in every school," said Interim Superintendent Bernadette Seick. "We are mindful of the state reforms, of course, and need to constantly look for ways to improve learning."

The entire plan can be found here and copies may be obtained by calling the Public Information Office, 720-423-3414. Comments are invited from all community members and may be submitted by fax 720-423-3413), e-mail (email@et.denver.k12.co.us) or by writing (Public Information Office, Room 402, 900 Grant Street., Denver, CO 80203).

"This plan is a work-in-progress," said Seick. "We will continually re-evaluate each of the plan's elements to see what is working to improve student achievement."

Additional elements of the plan include:

• Improving data collection and coordination
• Training principals and key staff on the state report card
• Tracking major grants and initiatives at all schools
• Identifying school-wide reform models that have demonstrated effectiveness in improving achievement
• Making staff decisions earlier in the school year
• Offering performance bonuses for teachers in low performing schools

The plan calls for identifying low-performing schools by August, 2000. These schools would be identified by their achievement in relationship to other schools, their rank among Colorado schools, their changes in scores since spring, 1999, and changes in scores based on state exclusion criteria.

The audit of these schools would lead to suggested changes in instructional practices, an evaluation and assessment of each school's educational program and its capacity for change. Requests by school Collaborative Decision-Making teams (CDMs) would be honored if they "have the promise of improving achievement."

For each of the low-performing schools, quarterly reports on progress would be made to the Board of Education and include analysis of student progress and the extent to which the instructional programs are being effectively implemented.

At the end of the year-long evaluation, a determination would be made whether the school should be allowed to continue with its present program or be fully or partially redesigned using district-mandated staff or program changes.

For the district during the coming year, the plan calls for:

• Hiring a staff development director who will help provide an instructional coordinator/mentor in every school
• Continuing to support the teacher pay-for-performance pilot
• Establishing a guideline that each principal (or other top school staff) be in classrooms two hours per day to monitor instruction Beginning a regular staff development program for principals
• Providing "basic training" to all new teachers in key areas
• Improving use of assessment data
• Reviewing preparation for the Colorado Student Assessment Program (CSAP).
• Reducing the management burden for schools
• Improving the amount and effectiveness of parent involvement in the schools