Chalkbeat

Will 24 new paraprofessionals help students in this Colorado school district become better readers?

2025-10-02T21:12:11+00:00

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The kindergartner in the light blue Bart Simpson T-shirt was quick to say “no” when Quianna Becenti asked him if “horse” starts with the “h” sound.

“Nooooo?” Becenti asked in an affectionate sing-song voice. “Listen to the beginning … horse.”

The 5-year-old gazed at the smiling cartoon horse on his worksheet and reconsidered. He repeated the word in a breathy voice, nodding as he heard the “h” sound.

The moment was a step on the little boy’s road to reading at Mesa Elementary School in the Westminster school district north of Denver. Becenti, a paraprofessional, is part of a new $1 million district effort to boost early reading skills by adding paraprofessionals to all kindergarten classrooms.

Quianna Becenti, whom students call Miss Kiki, works with kindergartners on the letter H.

At a time when many Colorado school districts are tightening their belts because of state and federal budget cuts, Westminster’s initiative represents a bet that offering kids more personalized help from trained adults will improve reading outcomes.

Like many districts, Westminster Public Schools, where about 40% of students are English language learners and most students come from low-income families, has struggled to get students back on track after the pandemic. Over the summer, district officials received discouraging news: After an eight-year reprieve, the 7,700-student district was back on the state watchlist for schools and districts with low ratings.

Ratings are largely based on state test results. Scores from last spring show that only about 23% of Westminster’s students are reading and writing at grade level, compared with 45% statewide.

Across Westminster’s 24 kindergarten classrooms, paras like Becenti give students more small group instruction and one-on-one attention than they would get with only a classroom teacher.

The new literacy effort won’t generate quick results on state tests, district leaders say. That’s partly because today’s kindergartners won’t be in third grade — the year state testing starts — for three more years.

It’s about playing the long game, said Mat Aubuchon, the district’s executive director of learning services. That means working harder to build foundational skills among the youngest students rather than simply offering remedial help as they get older.

“If you don’t develop a reader by the time they’re walking out of first grade, they have a hard time catching up,” he said. “This is intended to be an early investment to say, ‘How do we offset that?’”

Aubuchon said he expects the district will fund the effort for at least two years and possibly more.

The district used a multinational staffing company called Scoot Education to hire two dozen new kindergarten paras over the summer. Most get paid $22 an hour, with bilingual paras getting a little more. Compared with most other paras Scoot supplies to local schools, the early literacy paras in Westminster get more structure, support, and training, said Colleen O’Malley, an educational consultant at the company.

Becenti, who graduated from nearby Thornton High School and has completed some college, used to consider herself a “kid-hater.” Not anymore. After a stint at a swimming school, then a child care center, she found she loved working with children. At Mesa Elementary, she likes watching students make big learning gains.

“Even just from looking back at our first week and seeing where they were at versus now, it’s like, wow. It’s crazy,” said Becenti, who now aspires to become a teacher.

On a recent September morning, Becenti, whom students call Miss Kiki, worked with a group of four students on the letter H. She articulated the airy H sound over and over, adjusted their grip as they used crayons to draw the letter, and quizzed them on the beginning sound of heart, hat, house, and — just to make sure they got it — nest and monkey.

Nearby, teacher Kristina Cleveland worked with another small group on the letter L, practicing with words like “legs,” “lips,” and “lid.” A third staff member, who only spends a short time in the room each day, worked on letter flashcards with three children. Another handful of students practiced independently on computers.

A staff member in Kristina Cleveland's kindergarten classroom works with students on letter names and sounds.

With Becenti in the room, “It’s just nice because there’s more reinforcement,” Cleveland said. “My concern’s always been sending a kid away, especially a 5-year-old … and them practicing something I’ve taught them incorrectly.”

Research shows that small group instruction in phonemic awareness, a key early reading skill that enables children to identify and manipulate the individual sounds in spoken words, can be more effective than whole class instruction.

During a morning break, Cleveland pulled up a chart tracking her students’ progress on the eight letters and sounds they’d learned over the previous few weeks. It had a lot more green than white — a good sign.

“I just did DIBELS testing,” Cleveland said, referring to a common elementary reading assessment. “We’re way ahead for first sound fluency at this part of the year than I think we’ve ever been, because they’re getting three doses” of practice.

Brandi Housewright, the other kindergarten teacher at Mesa Elementary, said her paraprofessional, Zatina Gardner, is also helping the kids make progress. By the end of the year, she hopes their students will have better blending skills than previous classes did. That is, the ability to look at a series of letters, such as C, A, and T, and smoothly combine the sounds to say “cat.”

“The jump from kinder to first grade, people don’t realize it’s a big jump,” Housewright said. “And with the second person, we’re going to be able to make that jump without having gaps.”

Teacher Brandi Housewright works with kindergarten students on early reading skills.

Gardner, who previously worked with teens as a mentor and tutor and is planning to earn her teaching license, was constantly in motion on a recent morning. She was standing before two boys and two girls in the pink reading group, the lowest in the class. She led them in a fast-paced letter-naming game. A boy in a Super Mario hoodie was particularly quick on the draw, soon amassing a stack of white cards with letters he’d called out first. Across the table, the other boy had no cards, often naming the letter a beat later than his groupmates or not answering at all.

Such struggles aren’t lost on Gardner or Housewright. The two meet regularly to talk about student needs, even delving into how to seat students so they are benefitting most from their nearest classmate.

Housewright said the early literacy effort is valuable because it puts an extra set of eyes in the classroom.

“If it gets taken away … I will cry and throw a fit like a kindergartner,” she said laughing.

Ann Schimke is a senior reporter at Chalkbeat, covering early childhood issues and early literacy. Contact Ann at aschimke@chalkbeat.org.

More Colorado schools and districts earn high state ratings, but progress is uneven

2025-09-03T23:23:17+00:00

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Two-thirds of Colorado’s 1,700 schools and 55% of its 180 school districts earned high ratings from the state this year, according to preliminary state data released Wednesday. That’s slightly higher than the percentage that earned those preliminary ratings last year.

Despite little change in the overall numbers, there were bright spots and alarm bells for individual districts and schools. Denver Public Schools, Colorado’s largest district, jumped from a middle-tier yellow rating to the second-highest green rating. The last time DPS was green was in 2019, before the pandemic.

In a made-for-Instagram moment, Superintendent Alex Marrero celebrated by getting slimed by middle schoolers at Bear Valley International School as district staff recorded the moment for social media. The slime, ordered from Amazon, was green.

“This recognition is not just about numbers,” Marrero said before sitting in a kiddie pool of slime. “It reflects the collective effort of our entire DPS community.”

The preliminary ratings released by the Colorado Department of Education reflect the slow stop-and-start progress Colorado students have made toward their pre-pandemic achievement levels. The ratings are largely based on state standardized test results, which have inched up in recent years but have not yet hit pre-pandemic levels in all grades and subjects.

Schools and districts can appeal their ratings if they can present additional data to warrant a change. After considering appeals, the state will finalize the ratings later this fall.

Schools and districts with low ratings land on a state watchlist known as the accountability clock, because it ticks toward intervention. After five years on the clock, the State Board of Education must order schools or districts to undergo changes meant to improve student performance. Those changes could include closing a school or requiring a struggling district to merge with a better-performing one. But the State Board has avoided taking such drastic measures.

There are now 14 districts on the state’s accountability clock, up from 11 last year. Among the districts that are newly on the clock this year is Westminster Public Schools, which serves about 8,000 students just north of Denver. Westminster was last on the clock in 2017.

Brian Kosena, the district’s chief learning officer, said Westminster faced several challenges last school year, including a staff shortage. The district started last school year with 37 unfilled instructional positions, including seven unfilled multilingual interventionist roles. About 40% of Westminster students are learning English as a second language, and the district has enrolled more than 700 new immigrant students in recent years, Kosena said.

“With staffing shortages, we were not always able to provide the level of individualized instruction that students ultimately deserve,” he said.

That strain showed up in Westminster’s test scores for multilingual learners, Kosena said, which caused the district’s rating to drop. But he said Westminster is off to a better start this year.

The district had just seven unfilled positions at the start of school, Kosena said. Its pool of substitute teachers is also bigger, which means classroom teachers don’t have to give up their planning time to cover for one another. And the district has a new policy meant to incentivize teachers to take less time off by paying them more for unused vacation days.

“We know that we’re better than any state label,” Kosena said. “That ‘priority improvement’ places an unfortunate label on the district right now. But we’re confident we’re going to be able to bounce back out of the ‘priority improvement’ and get to the ‘improvement.’”

Westminster district officials said staffing shortages last year made it hard to serve students adequately, including many recent arrivals who are English learners.

Montezuma-Cortez, a rural district with 2,400 students in southwestern Colorado, is also back on the clock after a reprieve of just one year. Two of Colorado’s 10 largest districts — Adams 12 in the Denver suburbs and District 49 near Colorado Springs — earned lower ratings this year than last year, dropping from green to yellow. They are not on the clock, however.

Adams 14, a long struggling 5,000-student district based in Commerce City, has spent the longest time on the clock: 12 years. In 2022, the state ordered the district to be reorganized but backed down in 2023 after community pushback.

Despite being on the watchlist for so long, Adams 14 made some modest gains. It earned more points toward the state rating calculation this year: 36.8% compared with 35.6% last year. One of its schools, Alsup Elementary, bumped up from the second lowest “priority improvement” rating to the next category, “improvement.” A few schools slipped in the ratings, most notably Rose Hill Elementary, which dropped from the second lowest rating to the lowest red “turnaround” rating. It’s the only red school in the district.

Statewide, 176 schools are now on the clock, down from 190 last year at this time. Denver’s Lake Middle School is among the schools that exited the clock for receiving back-to-back green ratings. But Denver’s Abraham Lincoln High School remains on the clock.

Denver’s superintendent unveiled a new policy this past spring that calls for the district to close or replace schools with four years of low ratings — before the State Board can step in. Known as the School Transformation Process, the policy went into effect last month.

Two Denver schools now have four years of low ratings: John F. Kennedy High School, which is run by the district, and Rocky Mountain Prep Noel, which is an independently run charter school. However, a spokesperson for Rocky Mountain Prep said the charter network, which is Denver’s second-largest, won’t be participating in the School Transformation Process.

Marrero had said the district would negotiate with Denver’s charter schools in the hopes they would agree to abide by the process. But essentially, it’s voluntary for those schools.

“We hold deep respect for Dr. Marrero and are firmly committed to accountability in all its forms,” the Rocky Mountain Prep spokesperson said in a statement. “We look forward to continuing to partner with DPS to share the academic outcomes being achieved at RMP Noel.”

John F. Kennedy High won’t be closed under the policy this year either. Instead, it could face what Marrero calls “reconfiguration,” which might include shrinking a school by removing some grade levels. The potential for school closure will start next year.

“We’re honoring the process, as painful as it is,” Marrero said.

Melanie Asmar is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Colorado. Contact Melanie at masmar@chalkbeat.org.

Colorado high school test scores dropped across the board, but students learning English as a new language had bigger declines

2024-11-15T22:32:03+00:00

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English learners in Colorado saw the largest drops in PSAT and SAT scores this past spring, bigger even than the score declines experienced by all high school students in the state.

The overall declines have led to discussions among state officials about adjusting high school graduation requirements and whether last spring’s scores can be compared to scores from previous years. Now, one Colorado superintendent is raising concerns about whether the PSAT and SAT scores in school districts that serve large numbers of English learners should even be used to rate a district’s academic performance.

“The rate of lost points in the scores is not equitable and it is not comparable,” said Karla Loría, superintendent of Adams 14 schools. “It hurts multilingual students and students with disabilities at a greater rate than any other student groups.”

One of the largest gaps statewide, for instance: 10th graders who aren’t identified to receive English language services had an average 5-point drop in their PSAT scores, while 10th graders who are learning English as a new language had an average drop of 83 points, which is 11.6%, or more than 16 times that of their counterparts.

When looking at just math scores, 10th grade English learners had a 13.6% drop in scores compared to a 1.3% drop among 10th graders who aren’t English learners.

Students with disabilities also saw large drops, though not as large as English learners.

In previous discussions about the overall declines of 2024, state officials said it’s difficult to know how much they represent a drop in performance and how much is due to the changes in the test format.

The digital PSAT and SAT students took in the spring of 2024 was adaptive, meaning that the questions students saw were dependent on how they were answering questions.

State officials also told the State Board of Education that it’s possible these lower results are a more accurate representation of learning for students who already performed at the lower range of the possible points.

That’s because, they say, students used to get advice to guess at questions they didn’t know or when they ran out of time. And some of those guesses were bound to be correct, earning them some extra points. But the new digital PSAT and SAT test online is designed to know when students are likely to be guessing, and so even if the guess is correct, the test won’t give students those points.

“Students were earning credit for content they didn’t know,” said Christina Wirth-Hawkins, chief assessment officer for the Colorado Department of Education.

Still, she said, the department isn’t telling schools to change how they do test prep with students, but rather telling them that the important thing is to help students learn content.

Drops in scores for English learners follows concerns raised last year

In Colorado Springs District 11, where about 6% of the district’s 22,700 students are identified as having limited or no English proficiency, 10th graders who aren’t yet English proficient had a 127-point drop in their scores, compared to a 27-point drop for other students.

In Westminster, where more than 24% of the district’s 7,600 students are learning English as a new language, 10th graders learning English had their average score drop by 121 points, compared to a 28-point drop for those who aren’t receiving English support.

In both the Harrison and Fort Morgan school districts, 10th graders learning English experienced drops of 120 points in their average score.

Because of the large gaps, Loria asked the board last month to consider the PSAT and SAT tests students took in the spring as a new test and not to use them against districts or schools in evaluations for at least one year.

She worried that the ratings for the districts serving large numbers of students in those subgroups would be significantly lower than for other districts.

“The impact is too serious to take it lightly,” Loría said.

This fall, preliminary ratings have already been calculated for schools and districts. The state is reviewing appeals before the ratings are finalized. The state Department of Education had first run an analysis to ensure the scores were still comparable to the previous year and fair to use in the ratings. Based on the analysis, the state tweaked the cut scores for the PSAT and SAT math sections of the test, but said it was still appropriate to use them as a factor for evaluating school and district performance.

On Wednesday, having received some additional data, the State Board voted again to tweak the cut scores for ratings next year, in particular for districts that use a three-year average of the scores. But the State Board did not opt to follow Loria’s suggestion of taking the scores out of consideration.

A spokesperson for College Board, the makers of the PSAT and SAT tests, said they’ve found in general “SAT scores from spring and fall 2024 are generally comparable to previous years.” According to data reports from the College Board website, students whose first language was something other than English had large drops in 10th grade PSAT scores, but not in 11th grade SAT scores.

At that national level, according to College Board data, students whose language was something other than English had a 57-point drop in their average scores compared to last year, while 10th graders whose first language was English had a 44-point drop.

The State Board’s vote is meant to adjust the expectations so that Colorado schools aren’t penalized for some of the score drops, since some could be due to the change in the test format, but Loría didn’t think it went far enough to account for the subgroup disparities.

Other districts did not raise the same concerns.

Test scores say COVID was especially rough on English learners. Not all school districts agree.

A spokesperson for the District 11 schools said the district is “addressing complex and contributing factors at the heart of our scores. We do not share the same concerns as Adams 14 at this time.”

Last year, when state officials first raised an alarm that data showed English learners might have been more impacted by the pandemic losses and having a harder time recovering compared to other student groups, many district leaders in Colorado did not identify the issue, even when their data also matched state concerns. Some said they weren’t doing anything different to help these students.

Adams 14 may have a bigger motivation than other districts to ask the state to change its rating system for schools and districts. It has been the only district to continue to receive low ratings for more than 10 years and face state sanctions for it, including a loss of accreditation at one point. State Board members more recently have backed off and put more trust in the district’s own improvement efforts, but so far, they have not yet produced a higher rating for the district.

Adams 14 leaders earlier this fall also asked the state board to consider environmental polluiton’s impact on school performance when they rate schools and districts.

The 2024 drops mean some gaps have doubled

Gaps already existed among English learners and those who don’t need English services, but they’ve grown with the 2024 results released a few months ago. In some districts, including Adams 14, they’ve doubled.

In Adams 14, English learners in 10th grade had a drop of 108 points, compared to a drop of 30 points for other students. For Adams 14, compared to 2023, the gap in the performance of English learners and students who already speak English in 10th grade grew from 70 points to 148. That’s a 111% increase in the gap.

The gap between the average score for English learners and students not identified for English services in District 11 are some of the largest in the state – larger than statewide gaps and growing fast.

The largest gap in that district, for instance, is among 11th graders who took the SAT. English learners in 11th grade had an average score of 625, compared to an average score of 910 for students not learning English as a new language. That’s a 285-point gap, up from a gap of 225 last year.

Of 25 districts that had data that didn’t have to be suppressed for privacy in both 2023 and 2024, only the Boulder Valley school district had 10th graders who are not yet English proficient improve their average scores.

When looking at scores without disaggregating, many districts had other students do well enough to average out a more moderate drop for their total populations. On average, combining all students, 10th graders in District 11 only had an average score drop of 31. In Westminster, the overall drop for 10th grade was 49 points.

Jorge Garcia, an advocate for multilingual students through the Colorado Association of Bilingual Education, said that although he hasn’t looked at the 2024 data closely, the issues aren’t new.

And if the state is confident that this new test format is accurately testing all students’ learning, he said there should be a plan to help students who are not yet proficient in English.

“If the educational system and the state is doing worse than we thought, then what are they doing about it?” Garcia said. “It would not surprise me that perhaps we have some leaders in charge, some, who don’t know what to do. They should begin to take a long hard look at how they’re failing these students so they can start to turn that around. If they continue to ignore it, it’s not going to get better.”

Yesenia Robles is a reporter for Chalkbeat Colorado covering K-12 school districts and multilingual education. Contact Yesenia at yrobles@chalkbeat.org.

Colorado districts hope voters support tax measures for new school buildings, scholarships, and more

2024-10-04T23:05:27+00:00

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More than 30 of Colorado’s 178 school districts are asking voters to approve a local tax measure in this November’s election.

The number of requests on the ballot isn’t more than in some past years. But what has gone up is the amount of money districts are requesting — nearly $7 billion.

There are two types of tax measures districts are putting to voters this year. Bond and capital measures would mostly go to pay for new school buildings, renovations, new air conditioning in some districts, and safety upgrades. Mill levy overrides would raise operating dollars that would mostly help increase staff pay and add more career education opportunities for students.

Some districts are planning to use the money for unique needs. Adams 12 would like to build a central warehouse and kitchen. Harrison would like to continue a scholarship program for graduates. And Weld County’s 3J district would like to hire more bus drivers.

While some Colorado homeowners have already seen higher property tax bills this year, when it comes to education, those increases don’t always translate to more money for schools.

The state uses a formula to calculate how much funding each district needs per student. When local property tax revenues aren’t enough to reach that amount, the state pitches in funding. In many districts, rising property tax revenue has simply allowed the state not to have to fill in as much with its own dollars, but the total dollars per student hasn’t changed.

If approved, bond and mill levy override dollars are provided to school districts in addition to the amount of money that the state calculates districts must have per student.

What’s a bond measure? How do mill levy overrides work? We explain.

Some districts that pass tax measures and have high property wealth in their communities gain an advantage over other districts that aren’t able to pass these tax measures for additional funds. This year, a couple of the districts requesting a mill levy override for operating dollars on top of their state calculation, Pueblo 70 and Montezuma, have never passed such a tax measure before.

The Harrison and Adams 14 school districts last passed mill levy overrides more than 20 years ago.

Adams 14 district wants voters to approve new funding for schools

Below is some more information about proposed tax measures in several districts.

Harrison hopes to keep funding community college scholarships

$9 million mill levy override request for teacher salaries and the district’s scholarship program for graduates.
If approved it will cost homeowners about $5.31 per month per $100,000 of a home’s value.

Wendy Birhanzel, the superintendent for the Harrison school district in Colorado Springs, said that about 100 students have already benefited from the district’s scholarship program, which allows district graduates to attend two years of community college for free.

She said for many of the district’s students who didn’t think higher education was possible, being able to go to college is a “game changer” that can alter the trajectory of their lives.

And during the beginning of the pandemic, when college-going rates were going down elsewhere, Birhanzel said the rate kept going up in Harrison.

But the scholarship program was privately funded for the three years. District leaders said they hope voters will approve the mill levy override in order to continue it.

In addition to the scholarship program, Birhanzel said the district needs more money to be able to increase teacher pay.

“Our retention and hiring is better than surrounding districts,” Birhanzel said. But to be able to keep competing, and increasing salaries, the new money would go a long way: “We want to have that competitive advantage.”

Aurora’s request won’t require a higher tax rate

$1 billion bond request for three new school buildings and other renovations.
$30 million capital funds mill levy for some ongoing maintenance, salaries, and career education.
If approved, the tax rate homeowners pay will stay the same.

2024 Denver Public Schools bond: Which projects are recommended to be included in $975 million ask?

In Aurora, the district’s chief financial officer Brett Johnson, says the district’s ability to plan ahead for the past few years has allowed them to make more debt payments.

For the past few years, with previous debt, the district has paid about $80 million per year in principal and interest. But with accelerating payments, those annual payments will go down by $50 million, allowing the district capacity to now take out $1 billion in bonds with the same amount in payments, meaning no additional taxes will be necessary, Johnson said.

The district has a need for such a large amount of funding in part due to how much buildings cost now.

The Aurora district has seen a decline of students on its western boundary near Denver as housing costs rise. But on the opposite boundary, opening up to the eastern plains, the district is rapidly growing and needs new schools for the new homes being built.

“We’re talking as many as 2,000 new homes per year at this point,” Johnson said.

The district has already opened new schools in recent years with previous bonds, but this year’s request would pay for two more pre-K-8 buildings and a high school.

In 2016, with the last bond, a pre-K-8 building cost the district between $30 million and $35 million. Now, a similar building will cost $80 million.

The new high school building is expected to cost between $220 million and $230 million, up from around $100 million in 2016. The Cherry Creek school district, next to Aurora, is also requesting a bond to build a new high school, and has estimated a similar cost.

Aurora’s second request, a capital mill levy, is a request for ongoing capital funds that are expected to generate about $30 million annually, and also will not need a higher tax rate.

If that measure passes, Johnson said that ideally the district would do more maintenance, such as upgrading HVAC systems, on a routine basis, rather than waiting to pass bonds.

Adams 12 says it needs new Thornton High School

$830 million bond request for a new high school, new central kitchen, and other maintenance.
$34.5 mill levy override request for teacher salaries, computer science classes, and career education.
If approved, the bond will not require a tax increase. The mill levy override would cost homeowners about $2.04 per month per $100,000 in home value.

Thornton High School isn’t the oldest building in the Adams 12 school district, but it’s the one that’s causing the most problems. The school was built on a hillside, and has up to five floors on one part of the building. There are ramps throughout the building, but some parts are still a challenge for ensuring accessibility under the Americans with Disabilities Act.

There have been other problems too, ranging from water pressure to masonry issues that endangered the structure.

Adams 12 is now planning to construct a new building for Thornton High on the same campus.

Chris Gdowski, the Adams 12 superintendent, said that the district has invested more in buildings in the north of the district. With the new Thornton High, the district is looking to bring more needed investments to the older part of the district.

The bond would also pay to expand air conditioning to more parts of school buildings, such as gymnasiums and cafeterias, while also upgrading the filtration systems to improve air quality.

The district would also build a new central kitchen and warehouse that will allow the district to cook more meals for students, decreasing the reliance on pre-packaged meals.

Gdwoski said without a large enough storage site, Adams 12 has to ask for multiple deliveries so the orders are taken to each school. Instead, the district wants large orders to come to a central location where staff can prepare meals and then deliver them to school sites.

“It’s about double the cost now compared to what it will be” if the measure is approved, Gdowski said.

Additionally, with the mill levy override, the district wants to expand a pilot program for how it pays teachers. This year, the pilot is at two schools, and if the tax measure is approved, it would expand to all other Title I schools in the district over the next two years.

All teachers would also get a 2% raise for the current year.

Westminster’s big focus is expanding career education

$111 million bond request for expanding career education, and for security, and air conditioning upgrades to schools.
If approved it would not cost any additional in property taxes

This fall, the district opened a new building, the Iver C. Ranum Innovation Campus, where high school students can take career classes that will earn college credit as well as industry certificates. Westminster wants to do more of the same through bond money.

“It really comes down to making sure we are providing for the needs of our students for the jobs of the 21st century in Adams County,” said Jeni Gotto, Westminster’s new superintendent.

The building also hosts younger students to help them explore what they want to do when they grow up. Next fall, the school will also partner with Front Range Community College to offer career education for adult students.

If the bond is approved, Wesntminster plans to expand the career offerings based on family surveys and a consultant that helped evaluate the career pathways. Among the planned programs are an expansion of the biomedical courses and offerings, as well as advanced manufacturing, construction engineering, and culinary arts.

Westminster’s bond would also help add air conditioning to the remaining schools that don’t yet have it, as well as security upgrades at schools too.

Yesenia Robles is a reporter for Chalkbeat Colorado covering K-12 school districts and multilingual education. Contact Yesenia at yrobles@chalkbeat.org.

Para ayudar a los estudiantes migrantes, Westminster creó un programa de verano

2024-07-11T22:41:05+00:00

Read in English.

Durante la última semana de la escuela de verano en Westminster, unos 19 niños practicaban la formación de oraciones en inglés que describían imágenes mostradas en una pizarra digital al frente de la clase.

“Veo niños jugando fútbol”, dijo un niño, Mathias, sobre una foto de un grupo de niños mayores jugando al fútbol bajo la lluvia.

Pero la maestra Sydney Pollock quería que la clase de tercer a quinto grado practicara comenzando las oraciones con las palabras “Esto” o “Eso”, y que usaran un verbo singular en la oración. Le recordó a Mathias que “niños” es plural. Escribiendo la palabra en la pizarra, preguntó a la clase cómo hacerla singular. Quitar la “S”, dijeron los niños.

Mathias lo intentó de nuevo. “Este niño jugando…”

Mathias, un estudiante en la clase de verano en el distrito escolar de Westminster practica su inglés durante clase el 26 de junio de 2024.

No olvides tu verbo, le recordó Pollock, señalando ejemplos en la pizarra blanca.

“Este niño está jugando fútbol”, dijo Mathias, emocionado por acertar.

Las Escuelas Públicas de Westminster fue uno de muchos distritos en Colorado que recibió una oleada de nuevos estudiantes inmigrantes después del comienzo del año escolar. Solo en los cuatro meses entre octubre y febrero, el distrito informó que había matriculado a 216 estudiantes recién llegados. Westminster recibió $877,000 en financiamiento estatal único para ayudar a cubrir los gastos de educar a estudiantes que no fueron contados para el financiamiento estatal de este año porque comenzaron después de octubre.

Los estudiantes del programa de verano tienen un recreo breve durante su día escolar de cuatro horas.

Con esa ayuda, Westminster presupuestó $10,000 para crear un nuevo programa de escuela de verano para ayudar a los estudiantes hispanohablantes a seguir practicando inglés, con la esperanza particular de matricular a muchos de los nuevos estudiantes inmigrantes que acababan de comenzar a aprender.

El programa de verano matriculó a 135 estudiantes desde kínder hasta el undécimo grado. Kate Herter, quien se desempeñó este verano como directora del programa, dijo que estimó que aproximadamente el 85% de los estudiantes matriculados eran nuevos en el país este año.

Los líderes dijeron que uno de los objetivos era asegurarse de que los nuevos estudiantes inmigrantes se sintieran más cómodos y listos para aprender este otoño.

Herter dijo que el objetivo es que los estudiantes tengan un espacio donde puedan sentirse más cómodos practicando sus habilidades en inglés, para que puedan sentirse más seguros participando en su aprendizaje el próximo año escolar.

Cuando los niños comenzaron el programa de verano, empezaron aprendiendo cómo hablar sobre la comida. Otra semana se dedicó a aprender sobre el dinero y cómo contar dólares estadounidenses. Al lado de la clase de Pollock, otro grupo de estudiantes estaba aprendiendo cómo formar oraciones en inglés para describir las diferentes estaciones, haciendo observaciones sobre el frío, la lluvia y las hojas.

“Realmente estamos tratando de enfocarnos en el lenguaje que puedan usar inmediatamente en la comunidad”, dijo Herter.

Susana Zubia López fue una de las enlaces familiares que ayudaron al distrito a llamar a todas las familias recién llegadas para invitarlas a inscribir a sus hijos.

Dijo que la mayoría de las familias estaban entusiasmadas con la oportunidad de que sus hijos siguieran aprendiendo inglés.

Zubia López dijo que de las nuevas familias inmigrantes con las que estaba en contacto, las únicas que no inscribieron a sus hijos fueron las que se estaban mudando o que dijeron que iban a hacer un viaje.

El distrito proporcionó transporte gratuito al programa diario de cuatro horas, así como desayuno y almuerzo justo antes de que los estudiantes se fueran a casa al mediodía. Los estudiantes en el programa también pudieron recibir vacunas para estar listos para la inscripción escolar este otoño.

“Nosotros no queríamos una brecha”, dijo Zubia López. “Nuestro objetivo era no tener una brecha tan grande”.

En 2018, Westminster firmó un acuerdo con el gobierno federal para hacer cambios en cómo identificaba y atendía a los estudiantes que estaban aprendiendo inglés como nuevo idioma después de que el Departamento de Justicia encontrara que el distrito podría haber estado subidentificando a los estudiantes y no proporcionándoles suficientes recursos. El distrito comenzó a hacer cambios cuando empezó la pandemia.

En el verano de 2021, Westminster también utilizó fondos de ayuda por COVID para extender el año escolar 12 días adicionales para dar a los estudiantes más oportunidades de aprendizaje. Pero este es el primer año, dijeron los líderes del distrito, en que el distrito tuvo un programa de verano específico para estudiantes que aprenden inglés.

Herter dijo que los maestros están recopilando datos regularmente y evaluarán si los estudiantes demuestran mejoras en su desarrollo del inglés el próximo año.

Los estudiantes en una clase del programa de verano de Westminster vieron un video de caricaturas acerca de las temporadas y se pusieron a cantar y bailar con el video.

Por ahora, los maestros también trabajaron para que los estudiantes se sintieran más cómodos. En la clase de Pollock, una niña escribió una oración sobre la imagen que observó, pero al principio rogó a la maestra que se acercó a su mesa que no la hiciera intentar decirla en voz alta.

Al lado, cuando los estudiantes estaban aprendiendo sobre las estaciones, la maestra SanJuanita Carbajal hizo que los estudiantes vieran un video animado con una canción pegajosa sobre las estaciones. Al principio, los estudiantes no cantaban. Pero después de unos minutos, se unieron.

Sara Gonzalez, quien enseña a estudiantes de primer y segundo grado en el programa, dijo que los estudiantes saben que ella habla español y empezaron el programa tratando de hablarle principalmente en español.

A menudo les dice que no entiende, en un esfuerzo por hacer que practiquen su inglés. Ahora, dijo, los está viendo intentar hablar más en inglés.

“Sabemos que se sentirán más seguros en su aprendizaje más adelante”, dijo Herter.

Yesenia Robles es reportera de Chalkbeat Colorado, cubriendo distritos escolares K-12 y educación multilingüe. Contacta a Yesenia en yrobles@chalkbeat.org.

La traducción de este articulo se publico primero en La Ciudad, un boletín digital bilingüe de Colorado Community Media. Regístrate para recibirlo en coloradocommunitymedia.com/newsletters.

To help migrant students, Westminster created a summer program for English language learners

2024-06-28T23:38:53+00:00

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During the last week of summer school in Westminster, about 19 kids practiced forming English sentences that described pictures displayed on a smartboard at the front of the class.

“I see kids playing fútbol,” one child, Mathias, said about a photo of a group of older kids playing soccer in the rain.

But teacher Sydney Pollock wanted the class of third through fifth graders to practice starting sentences with the words “This” or “That,” and to use a singular verb in the sentence. She reminded Mathias that “kids” is plural. Writing the word on the board, she asked the class how to make it singular. Drop the “S”, kids said.

Mathias, a student in the mixed grade summer classroom for Westminster Public Schools, works to practice speaking English during class on June 26, 2024.

Mathias tried again. “This kid playing…”

Don’t forget your verb, Pollock reminded him, pointing to examples on the whiteboard.

“This kid is playing fútbol,” Mathias said, excited to get it right.

Westminster Public Schools was one of many districts in Colorado to receive a surge of new immigrant students after the start of the school year. In the four months between October and February alone, the district reported it had enrolled 216 newcomer students. Westminster received $877,000 in one-time state funding to help cover the expenses of educating students who were not counted for this year’s state funding because they started after October.

Students in the summer program get a short recess during their four-hour school day.

With that help, Westminster budgeted $10,000 to create a new summer school program to help Spanish-speaking students keep practicing English, particularly hoping to enroll many of the new immigrant students who had just started to learn.

The summer program enrolled 135 students in kindergarten through 11th grade. Kate Herter, who served this summer as the program’s principal, said she estimated about 85% of the students enrolled were new to the country this year.

Leaders said one of the goals was to ensure new immigrant students feel more comfortable and ready to learn come this fall.

Herter said the goal is for students to have a space where they can feel more comfortable practicing their English skills, so that they might feel more confident participating in their learning next school year.

When kids began the summer program, they started learning how to talk about food. Another week was spent learning about money and how to count U.S. dollars. Next door to Pollock’s class, another group of students was learning how to form sentences in English to describe the different seasons, making observations about the cold, the rain, and the leaves.

“We’re really trying to target language that they can use immediately inside the community,” Herter said.

Susana Zubia López, left, and Kate Herter, pose for a portrait on Wed., June 26, 2024 at Josephine Hodgkins Leadership Academy in Denver, Colorado.

Susana Zubia López was one of the family liaisons who helped the district call all newcomer families to invite them to enroll their children.

She said most families were excited about the opportunity to have their children keep learning English.

Zubia López said that of the new immigrant families she was in touch with, the only ones who didn’t enroll their children were families who were moving or who said they were taking a trip.

The district provided free transportation to the four-hour daily program, as well as breakfast and lunch just before students went home at noon. The students in the program were also able to get vaccinations to be ready for school enrollment this fall.

“We didn’t want a gap,” Zubia López said. “Our goal was to not have that big a gap.”

In 2018, Westminster had signed an agreement with the federal government to make changes to how it identified and served students who were learning English as a new language after the Department of Justice found that the district may have been under-identifying students and not providing them with enough resources. The district started making changes as the pandemic began.

In the summer of 2021, Westminster also used COVID relief funds to extend the school year an extra 12 days to give students more opportunities to learn. But this is the first year, district leaders said, that the district had a targeted summer program for students learning English.

Herter said teachers are regularly collecting data and will be evaluating if students demonstrate improvement in their English development next year.

Students in Westminster's summer program watched an animated video about the seasons and sang and danced along.

For now, teachers also worked on making students feel more comfortable. In Pollock’s class, one girl spelled out a sentence about the picture she observed, but initially pleaded with the teacher who had come around to her table not to make her try to say it out loud.

Next door, when students were learning about the seasons, teacher SanJuanita Carbajal had the students watch an animated video with a catchy song about the seasons. At first, the students were not singing along. But after a few minutes, they joined in.

Sara Gonzalez, who teaches first and second graders in the program, said that students know she speaks Spanish and started the program trying speaking to her mostly in Spanish.

She often tells them she doesn’t understand in an effort to have them practice their English. Now, she said, she is seeing them try to speak more in English.

“We know they’ll feel more confident in their learning later,” Herter said.

Yesenia Robles is a reporter for Chalkbeat Colorado covering K-12 school districts and multilingual education. Contact Yesenia at yrobles@chalkbeat.org.

Resultados de las elecciones para el consejo escolar de Westminster: grupo respaldado por el sindicato gana tres puestos

2023-11-09T20:57:16+00:00

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Chalkbeat Colorado es un noticiero local sin fines de lucro que informa sobre las escuelas públicas en Denver y otros distritos. Suscríbete a nuestro boletín gratis por email en español para recibir lo último en noticias sobre educación dos veces al mes.

Un grupo de tres candidatos respaldados por el sindicato de maestros ganaron en las elecciones para el consejo escolar de Westminster, según resultados el martes por la noche. El grupo incluye a la actual integrante Christine Martinez y dos candidatas nuevas, Audrey Yanos y Mary Beth Murphy.

Tres de los cinco puestos en el consejo escolar de Westminster estaban en juego estas elecciones. Fueron las primeras elecciones competitivas en seis años en este distrito de 8,000 estudiantes ubicado al norte de Denver.

Los candidatos rezagados incluyen tres candidatos nuevos que también se postularon como grupo: Anthony Sisneros y el equipo formado por los esposos Charles y Brenda Gallegos.

Los candidatos ganadores se reunieron con sus partidarios en el restaurante Los 3 Garcias cuando los resultados preliminares se dieron a conocer alrededor de las 7:20 p.m. el martes. Hubo “muchos, ¡qué bueno!”, dijo Martinez, quien es vicepresidenta de una compañía local de administración de propiedades y madre de un estudiante de 7º grado en el distrito.

Dijo que los resultados del martes muestran que los votantes están de acuerdo con lo que su grupo cree—que el distrito está avanzando en la dirección correcta.

Murphy, una maestra retirada que tiene cuatro hijos adultos, dijo que muchos votantes a quienes contactó por mensaje de texto en días recientes le dijeron que apreciaban lo positiva que fue la campaña del grupo.

“Sin importar qué más salió, nunca nos bajamos al lodo”, dijo.

Yanos, una supervisora de operaciones en una organización no lucrativa que proporciona servicios de salud y madre de tres niños en el distrito, dijo: “No fuimos un grupo pesimista[AC1] “.

El distrito escolar enfrentará una transición de líderes el próximo año cuando la superintendenta de muchos años, Pam Swanson, se retire en el verano. En octubre, el consejo nombró a la superintendenta adjunta, Jeni Gotto como sucesora de Swanson.

El próximo consejo escolar probablemente también tenga que lidiar con disminuciones en la cantidad de estudiantes inscritos, lo cual ha obligado a varios distritos escolares en el área de Denver a considerar el cierre o consolidaciones de sus escuelas en años recientes. Entre 2016 y 2021, el distrito perdió más de 1,400 estudiantes, una reducción del 15 por ciento.

Martinez dijo que está ansiosa de ver que Westy Futures, un programa de deportes para estudiantes de kindergarten a 8º grado, continúe, y que la conversión planeada de una escuela de educación media a un nuevo espacio para la educación profesional y técnica siga avanzando.

Yanos, a quien le encanta la jardinería, dijo que quiere ayudar a que se expanda el programa de horticultura en el distrito, con la meta de incorporar lecciones sobre el cambio climático y la sustentabilidad.

Murphy, quien es directora de la Unidad UniServe en Adams Central, una organización que apoya cuatro sindicatos locales de maestros, dijo que no se unió a la contienda con intenciones políticas específicas.

“Cada decisión que tome se basará en lo que es lo mejor para nuestros niños y la comunidad”, dijo.

Traducido por Alejandra X. Castañeda

Ann Schimke es una reportera principal para Chalkbeat, cubriendo temas sobre la primera infancia y lectoescritura temprana. Comunícate con Ann por correo electrónico a aschimke@chalkbeat.org.

Voter guide: We asked the Westminster school board candidates 6 questions ahead of the election. Here’s what they said.

2023-10-13T15:59:00+00:00

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This November, voters in Westminster will select three new school board members from six candidates.

It’s the first time in six years that the school board will have enough candidates for an election.

The candidates are organized into two opposing groups. One group, which says the district is headed in the right direction and should stay the course, includes incumbent Christine Martinez, joined by Audrey Yanos and Mary Beth Murphy. The second group, which says it’s time for some change, includes Anthony Sisneros and husband-and-wife team Charles and Brenda Gallegos.

The candidates are elected “at large” — meaning they represent the entire district. All six candidates will appear on the ballot for the Nov. 7 election, and voters can choose three of them. The top vote-getters will join the board.

The board has five members in all. In addition to the three new board members, the district will also have a new superintendent next year, as Superintendent Pam Swanson announced she will retire at the end of this school year.

We asked school board candidates some questions to help voters know more about each candidate before voting. Read their answers below. Responses may have been edited for formatting or trimmed for length, but otherwise each candidate’s answers are as submitted.

To learn more about what school board members do, read our story here.

Yesenia Robles is a reporter for Chalkbeat Colorado covering K-12 school districts and multilingual education. Contact Yesenia at yrobles@chalkbeat.org.

Seis candidatos compiten por tres puestos en el consejo escolar de Westminster

2023-09-28T23:41:13+00:00

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En las primeras elecciones competitivas en seis años, seis candidatos están postulándose para tres puestos vacantes en el consejo escolar del distrito con 8,000 estudiantes de Westminster.

Uno de los directores actuales, Christine Martinez, busca la reelección. Dos de los otros, el presidente del consejo Ken Cianco y el vicepresidente Max Math, ya no se postularán pues ya alcanzaron el límite en su mandato. Esto significa que los votantes elegirán a por lo menos dos, y posiblemente tres, directores nuevos para el consejo de cinco integrantes en las elecciones del 7 de noviembre.

Martinez se unió a las candidatas Audrey Yanos y Mary Beth Murphy para postularse en un grupo que tiene el respaldo del sindicato de maestros del distrito. En general, dicen que el distrito está avanzando en la dirección correcta y debe mantener esa trayectoria.

Los otros tres candidatos — Anthony Sisneros y el equipo formado por el matrimonio Charles y Brenda Gallegos — también están postulándose como grupo. Buscan realizar cambios, como mejorar los logros de los estudiantes y crear más oportunidades para que se escuche a los padres y que estos participen.

Los integrantes del consejo escolar de Westminster se eligen con base en una representación general (at large, en inglés). Esto significa que los candidatos representan a todo el distrito, no a una área específica. Los tres candidatos que reciban el mayor número de votos ganarán un puesto.

Las elecciones para el consejo sucederán en un momento de transición para el distrito escolar suburbano ubicado al norte de Denver, con la superintendenta Pamela Swanson, quien ha ocupado su puesto por largo tiempo, programada para dejarlo al final del año escolar. No se sabe bien si el consejo escolar actual nombrará a su sucesor antes de las elecciones de noviembre o dejará que el nuevo consejo tome la decisión.

Al igual que muchos distritos escolares en Colorado, Westminster enfrenta una reducción en la cantidad de estudiantes inscritos a la vez que una menor tasa de nacimientos y mayores costos en la vivienda obligan a más familias a abandonar el área metropolitana. Entre 2016 y 2021, el distrito perdió a más de 1,400 estudiantes, una reducción del 15 por ciento.

La Liga de Mujeres Votantes ha programado provisionalmente un foro de candidatos para el consejo el miércoles, 4 de octubre, a las 7 p.m. en el Westminster Grange Hall, 3935 W. 73rd Ave. El distrito planea transmitir el evento en vivo por internet.

Aquí te ofrecemos más detalles sobre los seis candidatos:

Grupo ABC para WPS

Brenda Gallegos se describe a sí misma como una madre preocupada, no una política. Dijo que llegó el momento de tener un consejo escolar con nuevas voces y más debate. Actualmente, “siento como que estamos girando las ruedas en el lodo,” dijo. “Tenemos a la misma gente. Tenemos las mismas ideas”.

Gallegos, quien trabaja en una clínica óptica, tienes tres hijas y un hijo. Dos de sus hijas estudian en el distrito. Aumentar la seguridad en las escuelas es una de sus prioridades. Dijo que quiere tener agentes armados de seguridad en las escuelas de kindergarten a 8º grado del distrito y asegurar que haya más supervisión de los pasillos y lugares de reunión en las high schools del distrito.

Como otros integrantes de este grupo de candidatos, Gallegos dijo que quiere asegurar que el distrito escuche e involucre a los padres. Cuando una de sus hijas tuvo desafíos con la lectura en la primaria, dijo que los educadores en Westminster ignoraron sus inquietudes, lo cual ocasionó que decidiera cambiar temporalmente a su hija al distrito escolar vecino de Jeffco donde la niña recibió una evaluación y un plan educativo especial.

Como hispanohablante, Gallegos dijo que podría servir como facilitadora entre el consejo y los padres que hablan español en el distrito.

“Se necesita de todos”, dijo. “Usemos a todos”.

Charles Gallegos dijo que mejorar los logros de los estudiantes y aumentar la participación de los padres son la principales razones por las que está postulándose como candidato al consejo escolar.

Como oculista y veterano de la marina, se graduó de Westminster High School y fue el primero en su familia en asistir a la universidad. Tiene tres hijas y un hijo. Dos de sus hijas estudian en el distrito.

Dijo que respalda el sistema basado en aptitudes del distrito, en el cual los estudiantes dominan un tema antes de avanzar al siguiente, pero dijo que demasiados estudiantes siguen teniendo dificultades.

“Si eres un padre y [haces una búsqueda en Google] sobre el desempeño, encontrarás calificaciones que son muy muy malas, tan malas que frustran”, dijo. “¿Por qué tenemos todavía tantos estudiantes atrasados?”

Gallegos dijo que quiere ayudar a establecer organizaciones más fuertes de padres y maestros en todo el distrito. En estos momentos, dijo que es “impredecible”, con organizaciones de padres y maestros sólidas en algunas escuelas y grupos que apenas funcionan en otras escuelas.

Anthony Sisneros está postulándose por segunda vez al consejo escolar, después de perder las elecciones en 2011. Dijo que si lo eligen, buscará asegurar que los estudiantes con discapacidades reciban las mismas opciones escolares que otros estudiantes y pondrá presión para que se haga una búsqueda a nivel nacional del próximo superintendente.

Sisneros se graduó de Westminster High School y es subinterventor de la Fundación MSU Denver. Tiene tres hijos, incluido un niño con síndrome de Down que ocupó un papel central en una queja presentada por la familia Sisneros contra el distrito después de que al niño le negaran un lugar en la escuela preferida de la familia. La Oficina de Derechos Civiles del Departamento de Educación de EE. UU. emitió un fallo a favor del distrito en diciembre de 2022, pero Sisneros dijo que su familia apeló la decisión. Mientras tanto, su hijo estudia en una escuela privada.

“Durante todos estos dolores de cabeza de tratar de encontrar una escuela para mi hijo, fácilmente hubiera podido poner un letrero de ‘se vende’ y mudarme”, dijo. “Estoy aquí para luchar por los niños y las familias que se parecen a las mías”.

Sisneros dijo que si lo eligen, quiere cerrar un vacío legal que dice ha permitido que un integrante actual del consejo, quien es un arquitecto, reciba contratos lucrativos del distrito. Sisneros describió esta situación como un conflicto de intereses.

Representantes del distrito dijeron que el distrito ha cumplido las normas del consejo al otorgarle contratos a DAO Architecture, un estudio de arquitectura que le pertenece a Dan Orecchio, integrante del consejo. También dijeron que Orecchio se ha abstenido de votar en contratos con su firma y presentó una divulgación por conflicto de intereses ante la oficina de la Secretaría de Estado de Colorado diciendo que planea seguir trabajando con el distrito después de su elección.

Grupo MMY para WPS

Christine Martinez, integrante actual del consejo, dijo que se está postulando nuevamente para continuar la labor que inició durante su primer mandato, incluido ayudar al distrito a recuperarse de COVID y seleccionar a un nuevo superintendente. Dijo que se siente orgullosa de la decisión del consejo al poco tiempo de que empezara la pandemia para que los estudiantes regresaran al aprendizaje presencial a principios del año escolar 2020-21.

Martinez se graduó de Westminster High School y es vicepresidenta de una compañía local de bienes raíces, hija de dos maestros retirados del distrito y madre de un hijo que está estudiando 7º grado en el distrito.

Martinez dijo que quiere promover y compartir todas las cosas positivas que están sucediendo en el distrito. Mencionó un reciente viaje a Corea del Sur que tuvieron algunos estudiantes de high school del distrito para participar en un torneo de “fútbol con drones”, una colaboración de NASA con estudiantes de ingeniería aeroespacial y cinematografía, y la transformación planeada de una exescuela de educación media en un centro de estudios profesionales y técnicos.

Martinez considera la reducción en estudiantes inscritos como el mayor obstáculo que el distrito enfrenta. Dijo que es importante que regresen los estudiantes que se han ido y también atraer a nuevos estudiantes.

Mary Beth Murphy es una maestra retirada que dijo que no viene con motivaciones personales más allá de asegurar que los estudiantes reciban la mejor educación pública posible.

“No estoy enojada por nada”, dijo. “No me estoy postulando basada en una campaña de quejas. Realmente creo en la educación pública. A eso he dedicado mi vida”.

Murphy es la directora de la Unidad UniServ de Central Adams, una organización que apoya a cuatro sindicatos locales de maestros. Se retiró el año pasado después de más de 30 años en el distrito de Mapleton, más recientemente como maestra de matemáticas. Tiene cuatro hijos adultos, dos de los cuales estudiaron en el distrito escolar de Westminster.

La falta de fondos escolares y escasez de maestros figuran entre los mayores desafíos que el distrito de Westminster enfrenta, dijo.

Murphy dijo que no ha pensado mucho en la selección de un nuevo superintendente, pero dijo que espera que sea una persona con buenas habilidades de liderazgo y comunicación, honesta y directa.

Audrey Yanos dijo que como chicana y la primera en su familia en terminar high school y asistir a la universidad, representa a la comunidad.

“Conozco el sendero por el que están caminando nuestros estudiantes”, dijo.

Yanos, supervisora de operaciones en una agencia de salud sin fines de lucro, asistió a la escuela de kindergarten a 12º grado en los cercanos distritos de Adams 12 y Adams 14. Tiene tres hijos en escuelas de Westminster—uno en una escuela primaria, otro en una escuela media y otro en high school. Trabajó como voluntaria en un comité que respaldó la medida de impuestos para las escuelas en 2018 y ha participado activamente en las organizaciones de padres y maestros de las escuelas de sus hijos.

“Amo nuestro distrito escolar”, dijo. “Hemos tenido experiencias muy positivas con nuestro distrito escolar, y ha sido así en cada nivel”.

Si la eligen, quiere continuar educando a la comunidad sobre el sistema basado en aptitudes del distrito, en el cual a los estudiantes los agrupan según el contenido que hayan dominado en lugar de por grado.

Yanos dijo que el distrito se está dirigiendo en la dirección correcta y que su mayor desafío es la transición que se aproxima con un nuevo superintendente.

Ann Schimke es una reportera principal para Chalkbeat, cubriendo temas sobre la primera infancia y lectoescritura temprana. Comunícate con Ann por correo electrónico a aschimke@chalkbeat.org.

Six candidates will vie for three Westminster school board seats in November

2023-09-19T23:17:41+00:00

Leer en español.

Six candidates are running for three open school board seats in the 8,000-student Westminster district’s first contested board election in six years.

One incumbent, Christine Martinez, is running for reelection. Two others, board President Ken Cianco and Vice President Max Math, are term-limited and are not running. That means voters will elect at least two and possibly three newcomers to the five-member board in the Nov. 7 election.

Martinez has joined with candidates Audrey Yanos and Mary Beth Murphy to run as a slate that has the backing of the district’s teachers union. Generally, they say the district is headed in the right direction and should stay the course.

The other three candidates — Anthony Sisneros and husband-and-wife team Charles and Brenda Gallegos — are also running as a slate. They are seeking changes, including to improve student achievement and create more opportunities for parents to be heard and get involved.

Westminster’s board members are elected on an “at large” basis, which means candidates represent the whole school district, not one specific area. The top three vote-getters will win seats.

The board race comes at a time of transition for the suburban school district north of Denver, with longtime Superintendent Pamela Swanson set to leave her post at the end of the school year. It’s unclear if the current board will name a successor before the election or leave the decision to the new board.

Like many Colorado districts, Westminster is also facing declining enrollment as birth rates drop and pricey housing pushes more families outside the metro area. Between 2016 and 2021, the district lost more than 1,400 students — a 15% drop.

The League of Women Voters has tentatively scheduled a school board candidate forum at 7 p.m. Oct. 4 at Westminster Grange Hall, 3935 W. 73rd Ave. The district plans to livestream the event.

Here’s a closer look at the six candidates:

ABC for WPS Slate

Brenda Gallegos describes herself as a concerned parent, not a politician. She said it’s time for a school board with new voices and more debate. Currently, “I feel like we’re kind of spinning our tires in mud,” she said. “We have the same people. We have the same ideas.”

Gallegos, who works at a vision clinic, has three daughters and one son. Two of her daughters attend school in the district. Increasing school security is one of her priorities. She said she wants to have school resource officers placed at the district’s K-8 schools and to ensure more oversight of school hallways and gathering places by officers at the district’s high schools.

Like other members of her slate, Gallegos said she wants to ensure that the district listens to and involves parents. When one of her daughters struggled with reading in elementary school, she said Westminster educators dismissed her concerns, prompting her to move her daughter temporarily to the neighboring Jeffco district, where the girl was tested and given a special education plan.

As a Spanish speaker, Gallegos said she could serve as a liaison between the board and Spanish-speaking parents in the district.

“It takes a village,” she said. “Let’s use our village.”

Charles Gallegos said improving student achievement and increasing parent engagement are his main reasons for running for school board.

An optometrist and navy veteran, he graduated from Westminster High School and was the first in his family to attend college. He has three daughters and one son. Two of his daughters attend district schools.

He said he supports the district’s competency-based system, in which students master a topic before moving to the next one, but said too many students are still struggling.

“If you’re a parent and (you) Google performance, you’re going to see some scores that are really, really bad, frustratingly bad,” he said. “Why are there still so many students at the bottom?”

Gallegos said he wants to help build stronger parent teacher organizations throughout the district. Right now, he said it’s “hit and miss,” with robust PTAs at some schools and barely functioning groups at other schools.

Anthony Sisneros is making his second run for a school board seat, after a loss in 2011. He said if he’s elected, he’ll seek to ensure that students with disabilities get the same school choices as other students and will push for a national search to select the next superintendent.

A Westminster High School graduate, Sisneros is the assistant controller at the MSU Denver Foundation. He has three children, including a son with Down syndrome who was at the center of a complaint filed by the Sisneros family against the district after the boy was denied placement at the family’s preferred school. The U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights ruled in favor of the district in December 2022, but Sisneros said his family has appealed the decision. In the meantime, the son attends a private school.

“Through all these headaches of trying to find a school for my son, I could have easily put up a for sale sign and moved,” he said. “I’m here to fight for the kids and families that look like mine.”

Sisneros said that if he’s elected, he wants to close a policy loophole that he alleges has allowed a current board member who is an architect to receive lucrative district contracts. He described it as a conflict of interest.

District officials said the district has complied with board policies in awarding contracts to DAO Architecture, which board member Dan Orecchio owns. They also said Orecchio has recused himself from votes on contracts with his firm and filed a conflict of interest disclosure with the Colorado Secretary of State’s office saying that he planned to continue doing business with the district after his election.

MMY for WPS Slate

Christine Martinez, the incumbent, said she’s running again to continue the work begun during her first term, including helping the district recover from COVID and selecting a new superintendent. She said she’s proud of the board’s decision shortly after COVID hit to bring students back for in-person learning at the beginning of the 2020-21 school year.

The vice president of a local property management company, Martinez is a Westminster High School graduate, the daughter of two retired district teachers, and the mother of a seventh-grade son who attends school in the district.

Martinez said she wants to promote and share the many positive things that are going on in district schools. She cited a recent trip to South Korea by district high-schoolers participating in a “drone soccer” tournament, a NASA partnership with aerospace and film students, and the planned transformation of a former middle school into a career and technical education hub.

Martinez sees declining enrollment as the biggest challenge facing the district. She said it’s important to bring back students who have left and to recruit new ones as well.

Mary Beth Murphy is a retired teacher who said she’s not coming in with a specific agenda other than to ensure students get the best free public education possible.

“I’m not angry about anything,” she said. “I’m not running on a grievance campaign. I really believe in public education. That’s what I’ve dedicated my life to.”

Murphy is the director of the Central Adams UniServ Unit, an organization that supports four local teachers unions. She retired last year after more than 30 years in the Mapleton district, most recently as a math teacher. She has four adult children, two of whom attended schools in the Westminster district.

Shortfalls in school funding and teacher shortages are among the biggest challenges facing the Westminster district, she said.

Murphy said hasn’t thought much about the selection of a new superintendent, but said she hopes for someone who is a good leader and communicator, honest and upfront.

Audrey Yanos said as a Chicana who was the first in her family to finish high school and attend college, she represents the community.

“I know what path our students are walking in,” she said.

Yanos, an operations supervisor at a healthcare nonprofit, attended K-12 schools in the nearby Adams 12 and Adams 14 districts. She has three children in Westminster schools — one each in elementary, middle, and high school. She volunteered on a committee supporting a 2018 school district tax measure and has been active in the PTAs at her children’s schools.

”I love our school district,” she said. “We’ve had such positive experiences within our school district, and that’s at every level.”

If elected, she wants to continue educating the community about the district’s competency-based system, in which students are grouped by what content they’ve mastered, not necessarily by grade.

Yanos said the district is headed in the right direction and that its biggest challenge is the transition that will come with having a new superintendent.

Ann Schimke is a senior reporter at Chalkbeat, covering early childhood issues and early literacy. Contact Ann at aschimke@chalkbeat.org.

Mientras otros distritos reflexionan sobre la pérdida de aprendizaje, Westminster hace planes para extender el año

2021-03-15T20:52:35+00:00

En un intento del distrito escolar para recuperar algo de la enseñanza perdida, los estudiantes de Westminster podrán optar por extender el año escolar agregándole 12 días de verano a este semestre.

Westminster es uno de los primeros distritos en anunciar una opción para aprendizaje en el verano. Mientras los distritos escolares buscan cómo compensar la pérdida de lecciones y tiempo que ha hecho que los estudiantes se atrasen más de lo que se hubiesen atrasado sin las interrupciones por COVID, varios están planificando oportunidades de aprendizaje este próximo verano.

Los funcionarios escolares de Adams 14 han dicho que están buscando opciones. Cherry Creek no ha finalizado sus planes, pero una presentación de la junta escolar describió que las prioridades para el verano son incluir programas sobre destrezas sociales y emocionales y ofrecer clases académicas y de exploración para una carrera profesional.

En Westminster, las familias pueden considerar sus opciones este mes. A los maestros se les ha pedido que alienten a los padres a inscribir a sus hijos en el calendario extendido durante las conferencias entre padres y maestros. El distrito tendrá una reunión virtual el 15 de marzo para contestar las preguntas de los padres.

Una de las madres, Lorena Osorio, dijo que ella cree que su hija ha batallado más este año por haber permanecido en aprendizaje remoto. Osorio le preguntó a su hija si le gustaría participar en los días adicionales de verano y ella contestó que sí. A ella le pareció que es fácil seguir entrando a la computadora para hacer tareas a remoto porque ya está en la casa, dijo Osorio.

Westminster es uno de los distritos que les ha ofrecido una opción de enseñanza en persona a los estudiantes (incluidos los de escuela secundaria y preparatoria) por más parte del año escolar que muchos de los distritos más grandes en el área metro. Casi una cuarta parte de los 8,500 estudiantes de Westminster han optado por seguir completamente a remoto. Estos estudiantes también podrán aprovechar los días adicionales.

Oliver Grenham, jefe de educación de las Escuelas Públicas de Westminster, dijo que los funcionarios escolares no creen que los estudiantes hayan perdido progreso, pero sí creen que perder oportunidades para aprender significa que no han progresado tanto como debieron este año.

Por ejemplo, una escuela con enfoque en las artes canceló las presentaciones grandes este año, lo cual significa que hubo menos oportunidades para que los estudiantes demostraran sus destrezas.

Jeni Gotto, directora ejecutiva de enseñanza y aprendizaje, dijo que el distrito también ha observado a maestros que no pudieron cubrir todo el material que normalmente hubiesen cubierto durante el año escolar. Por ejemplo, los maestros de tercer grado pueden introducir multiplicación en el otoño, pero es posible que este año escolar algunos estudiantes todavía no hayan empezado esas unidades en el invierto.

En vez de avanzar de grado a todos los estudiantes juntos, las escuelas de Westminster usan un modelo en el que están agrupados según el contenido que demuestren haber aprendido. Los estudiantes que demuestren estar listos pueden subir de nivel en cualquier momento durante el año, pero muchos de ellos todavía lo hacen de un año escolar al próximo.

Los líderes del distrito dicen que su modelo basado en dominio de materias es un beneficio en estos tiempos, ya que los estudiantes no avanzarán al próximo nivel simplemente porque es un semestre nuevo.

“Esa es la belleza de nuestro sistema, que cada estudiante tiene su propio ritmo,” Grenham dijo. “Los estudiantes saben que cuando regresen en el otoño pueden continuar exactamente donde se quedaron.”

Los funcionarios del distrito dicen que al planificar el año escolar extendido, primero encuestaron a los padres y maestros.

Aproximadamente dos terceras partes de los que contestaron la encuesta indicaron que les gustaría que el año escolar se extendiera.

Entre los comentarios anónimos recibidos en la encuesta, los padres que se mostraron renuentes mencionaron la necesidad de transporte, un deseo por que las escuelas tuvieran aire acondicionado, o que los estudiantes deben tener vacaciones de verano.

“A mí me sorprende un poco que tengamos este tema sobre la mesa. Estos niño necesitan el verano para recuperarse del estrés del año anterior,” escribió uno de los padres.

Los comentarios de padres a favor de la opción mencionaron consistentemente el tema del aprendizaje.

“Pienso que él no aprendió mucho en línea y quisiera asegurar que mi hijo tenga éxito en el segundo grado,” dijo uno de los padres.

Antes de encuestar a los padres, el distrito también les preguntó a los maestros si sería mejor extender el año escolar a junio o empezar el próximo año más temprano. Los maestros que contestaron prefirieron continuar el año escolar hasta el 11 de junio, indicando que quieren aprovechar las relaciones que ya han establecido con sus estudiantes, Grenham dijo.

Dependiendo de cuántos estudiantes se inscriban, el distrito está planificando que todos los maestros trabajen esos días adicionales.

El distrito usará sus fondos de ayuda federal para pagarles a los maestros que trabajen ese tiempo adicional. El distrito también está ofreciendo opciones de tutoría en cada escuela, que incluye durante el día escolar y después de la escuela, y está planificando ofrecer tutorías los sábados para los estudiantes de preparatoria (también pagadas con fondos de ayuda federal).

Algunos estudios han mostrado evidencia de que los estudiantes pueden tener grandes mejoras académicas con tutorías regulares y en grupos pequeños. Los días adicionales este año no serán solo tutorías, y tampoco serán como escuela de verano, dijeron los líderes del distrito, sino que serán en realidad una extensión del semestre.

Después de inscribirse, los estudiantes trabajarán con los maestros para establecer metas individuales para el tiempo adicional.

El distrito planificó 12 días más basándose en la cantidad de días que puede pagar según los fondos disponibles, pero los funcionarios no indicaron un estimado de costos, ya que eso dependerá de la cantidad de estudiantes que participen.

“Que sean 12 días no tiene nada de mágico,” Grenham dijo.

Westminster llevará registros de la cantidad de estudiantes que están listos para subir de nivel en el otoño, y la comparar/a con los semestres de otoño anteriores.

Cuando se le preguntó si anticipaba que ese dato sea casi normal el próximo otoño, Grenham dijo, “siendo realista, no.”

A los líderes del distrito les preocupa que si tienen que administrar exámenes estandarizados esta primavera, podrían perder más de 12 días de aprendizaje y eso eliminaría el provecho de la extensión de verano.

“Ahora mismo, cada minuto que dediquemos a enseñarles a los estudiantes es un minuto valioso,” dijo Grenham.

Traducción por Milly Suazo.

As districts look at learning losses, Westminster plans for an extended school year

2021-03-03T23:18:15+00:00

Students in Westminster will be able to choose to extend their school year into the summer by 12 days this semester, as the school district attempts to make up for some learning losses.

Westminster is one of the first to announce a summer learning option. As school districts grapple with how to make up for lessons and time lost which have caused students to be further behind than they would have been without COVID disruptions, several are planning opportunities for learning this summer.

Adams 14 officials have said they are looking at options. Cherry Creek has not finalized plans, but a board presentation described summer priorities as including programs for social and emotional skills and offering academic classes and career exploration.

In Westminster, families may weigh their options this month. Teachers have been asked to encourage parents during parent-teacher conferences to enroll in the extended days. The district will host a virtual meeting March 15 to answer parent questions.

Parent Lorena Osorio said she believes her daughter has struggled more this year as she has remained in remote learning. Osorio asked her daughter if she would like to participate in the extra summer days and she said she would. It seemed easy for her to keep logging on to do remote work while already home, Osorio said.

Westminster is one of the districts that has offered students an in-person option, including for middle and high school students, for more of the school year than have many of the larger school districts in the metro area. Nearly one-quarter of Westminster’s 8,500 students have chosen to stay fully remote. These students will also be able to participate in the extended days.

Oliver Grenham, chief education officer for Westminster Public Schools, said officials don’t believe students have lost ground, but believe that a loss of opportunities for learning means they haven’t progressed as much as they should have this year.

For example, one school with a focus on the arts cancelled large student performances this year, meaning less opportunity for students to demonstrate their skills.

Jeni Gotto, executive director of teaching and learning, said the district has also observed teachers who were unable to get through all of the material they normally would have during the school year. For example, third grade teachers may introduce multiplication by the fall, but this school year some students may still not have started those units by winter.

Rather than advancing students together through grade levels, Westminster schools use a model where students are grouped by what content they can show they’ve learned. They can move up a level any time during the year when they show they are ready, though many students still change levels between school years.

District leaders call their competency-based model a benefit during these times because students won’t advance to the next level just because it’s a new semester.

“That’s the beauty of our system, every student is on their own path,” Grenham said. “Students know, when I come back in the fall I get to pick up exactly where I left off.”

In planning the extended school year, district officials said they first surveyed parents and staff.

About two-thirds of those who responded to a survey, indicated they would like to see the school year extended.

Among the anonymous comments provided in the survey, parents who were hesitant mentioned a need for transportation, a desire for air conditioning in schools, or a need to let students have their summer off.

“I am a little shocked this is on the table. These kids need summer to recharge from the stress of this last year,” one parent wrote.

Parent comments in favor of the option more consistently mentioned learning.

“I think he didn’t learn much while online and I want to make sure my son is successful for second grade,” one parent said.

Before surveying parents, the district also asked staff if it would be best to extend the school year into June or start the next school year earlier. Responding staffers preferred continuing the school year through June 11, noting that they wanted to take advantage of the relationships they’ve already built with their students, Grenham said.

Pending how many students enroll, the district is planning for all school staff to work those extra days.

The district will use its federal relief dollars to pay staff who work the extra days. The district is also rolling out tutoring options at each school including during the school day or after school and planning Saturday tutoring for high schoolers — also funded by federal relief dollars.

Studies have shown evidence that students can make large academic gains with regular, small-group tutoring. The extra days this year will not be just tutoring, and won’t be like summer school, district leaders said, but instead will really be an extension of the semester.

After students sign up, they will work with teachers to set individual goals for the extra time.

The district planned for 12 extra days based on how much it believed it could afford, though officials did not release a cost estimate, which will depend on how many students participate.

“There’s nothing magic about the 12 days,” Grenham said.

Westminster will track the number of students who are ready to move up a level in the fall, and compare that with previous fall semesters.

Asked whether he expected to see that data close to normal next fall, Grenham said, “realistically, no.”

District leaders worry that if they must administer standardized state tests this spring, they may lose more than 12 days of learning, rendering the summer extension less useful.

“Right now, every minute that we can spend on instruction for our students is highly prized,” Grenham said.

How two Colorado kindergarten teachers, one in person, one online, navigated a new reality

2020-08-25T22:09:21+00:00

At 7:50 a.m., kindergarten teacher Liz Blaskowski stood by her classroom door inside Westminster’s Skyline Vista Elementary School, ready to greet 17 new students — and take their temperatures. Several miles away, at 8:45 a.m., Denver kindergarten teacher Erika Macias logged on to Zoom to find eight little faces in eight little boxes waiting for her.

Monday was the first day of kindergarten in both Denver and Westminster. But the school days looked very different. That’s because Colorado doesn’t have a statewide strategy for reopening schools during the COVID-19 pandemic. Instead, each district is following its own plan.

Westminster Public Schools, which serves about 9,000 students, reopened schools for in-person learning. Families who don’t want to attend can opt to learn remotely at home.

Denver Public Schools took the opposite approach. About 10 times larger than Westminster, the 92,000-student Denver district started the school year online. Learning will remain virtual until at least mid-October, at which point Denver may reopen school campuses.

We asked kindergarten teachers in both districts to tell us about their first day. Their stories provide a glimpse into the different ways teachers and students are experiencing school this fall.

Denver Public Schools: “It’s the power of the unmute button.”

Erika Macias, a kindergarten teacher at Denver’s Academia Ana Marie Sandoval, used this screen while meeting with students online on the first day of school.

Macias was nervous. She’d heard that Zoom was experiencing nationwide outages Monday morning. From the dining room she had converted into a makeshift office, she clicked the video call link and was relieved to find all eight of her kindergarten students waiting for her.

She knows the students well. Macias teaches at a dual-language Montessori school in northwest Denver. Multi-age classrooms are a key part of the Montessori model, and Macias taught these same students in preschool. This year, they will be the biggest kids in her class, which combines 3-, 4-, and 5-year-olds.

They will also be the only kids for the first several weeks. Denver isn’t doing remote preschool this fall. For Macias, that means she’ll only teach eight students online instead of 28.

Macias jumped right in, greeting her students and doing a calendar exercise. Then they sang their morning song, to the tune of “Frére Jacques”: Buenos días, buenos días. ¿Cómo estás, cómo estás? Muy bien gracias, muy bien gracias. ¿Y usted, y usted?

Pretty quickly, Macias realized one of the limitations of her technology: Zoom no longer allows her to unmute her students. She could mute them just fine, but if a student wanted to talk, they had to unmute themselves. Several times, students clicked the wrong button. Instead of unmuting, they turned their cameras off — or worse, hung up the call.

One little girl who likes to hum in class kept unmuting herself while Macias was talking. The little girl explained that she wanted Macias to hear her singing. “I was like, ‘I know it’s beautiful, but can you mute yourself?’” Macias said. “It’s the power of the unmute button.”

Monday’s math lesson was about not giving up. “Sometimes you struggle with math, and that’s OK, and that means your brain grows,” Macias told the students in Spanish.

They watched a video of children struggling with a task but persevering. Macias told the students they were superheroes and had them draw pictures of the source of their strength. The students drew butterflies, flowers, and robots. Two kids drew their dogs.

Their science lesson was about the coronavirus. They watched another video and talked about the importance of washing their hands. The students had lots of questions.

“They’re at that age of, ‘But why?’” Macias said. “They keep asking, ‘But why is it so important to wash our hands? People keep telling us to wash our hands.’ I was like, ‘Because there are germs that get you sick. That’s why you don’t put your hands in your mouth.’ ‘But why?’”

Macias struggled to explain germs over Zoom. Maybe, she said, when they’re back in the classroom, she can set up a science experiment to help them understand.

In addition to a couple of bathroom breaks, Macias also led the class on a show-and-tell scavenger hunt. She gave the students three minutes to find a small object to share. Legos, Barbies, Spider-Man, and a spaceship all made appearances on screen.

By 11:30 a.m., Macias said goodbye.

“They were getting antsy,” she said. Three hours, she said, is “really long on the screen.”

Westminster Public Schools: “Give yourself a hug.”

Liz Blaskowski, a kindergarten teacher at Skyline Vista Elementary School in Westminster, welcomed students for their first day on Aug. 24.

The day started with school breakfast in the classroom: waffles, cheese sticks and juice — with two children per table instead of the usual four.

Blaskowski, who students called Mrs. B. or sometimes just “teacher,” suggested they place their masks next to them while they ate. Some kept them tucked under their chins so they could pull them on quickly if they had to cross the room to throw something in the trash.

Plenty about the day was typical: Students sat on the floor and listened to “The Kissing Hand,” a picture book about a raccoon starting school. They cheered when it was snack time, they learned how to use a highlighter, and they drew self-portraits during art class.

But there were also differences within the usual school day rhythms. The children used crayons from individual baggies labeled with their names. They sat on Velcro stars spaced evenly apart on the classroom rug. They also stayed in the classroom for most of the day — not heading to the cafeteria for lunch or the art room for “specials.” And when Blaskowski took her own lunch break, she ate alone in an empty classroom, not the staff lounge like she normally would.

Blaskowski, who is in her 11th year teaching, said her students did impressively well in wearing masks, even holding each other accountable for keeping them on. Not one child lost a mask though one student’s ear loop broke, and Blaskowski quickly supplied a replacement mask.

Social distancing was a little harder for the 5-year-olds, especially after lunch as they got tired. At recess, Blaskowski reminded two girls not to hold hands as they headed outside.

“Give yourself a hug,” she said. “Squeeze yourself.”

A couple of children became teary-eyed in the afternoon, homesick for their families. With hugs off the table and her mask making it harder to project, Blaskowski crouched down by one little girl using words more than touch to comfort her.

When it was time to go home at 3 p.m., Mrs. B. didn’t give out high-fives as she usually does.

“It was hard. There was no contact,” she said. “It was a wave.”

But like every year, the kindergartners spilled outside upon dismissal, jumping into their parents’ arms. One little girl chastised her family — she wanted to ride the school bus, not get picked up.

All in all, it was a good day, Blaskowski said.

“I was just happy to be with the kids. They were happy to be here. It felt good. It felt normal — well, not normal,” she said. “It feels like there’s some hope for normalcy.”

Teacher COVID case in Westminster sends 109 students home

2020-08-21T23:42:17+00:00

Less than a week after students have returned to school buildings, some students are already switching to online learning because of exposure to people who’ve tested positive for COVID-19.

The Westminster Public School district got notice Friday morning that a teacher from Josephine Hodgkins Leadership Academy, a preschool through seventh grade school, tested positive for COVID-19.

The teacher had contact with students on Thursday, the first day of school. Now the district has sent home 109 sixth and seventh graders to learn remotely from home for a two-week quarantine. The school last year enrolled about 650 students.

Westminster is one of at least a half dozen school districts in Colorado that have already had to use quarantine procedures. Public health officials have said for months that they expect people with COVID to turn up at schools, given that the coronavirus is circulating widely in the community. Their goal is to limit exposure to anyone who becomes infected and to reduce the disruption to learning.

Health and state education officials have encouraged schools to use a cohort model to limit the number of students and staff that interact, but public health officials never dictated a strict limit on how many students should be part of a cohort.

In several Colorado schools, large numbers of people have been exposed, with an entire high school having to go home in one Weld County district. Earlier this week, Colorado Education Commissioner Katy Anthes said many districts have struggled with how to create small cohorts, especially at the secondary level, where students take more classes and have more teachers.

“We understand the feasibility issues,” she said. At the same time, she said she hopes that schools that experience closures reevaluate their plans and try to make smaller groups.

Friday afternoon, Dana Smith, a department spokesperson, said that no changes are being considered for the state guidance, however, because classroom sizes and staffing resources differ, as do educational needs.

“We’ve said from the beginning that some cohorting is better than no cohorting,” she said.

In the Westminster case, three other teachers for the same students were also told late Friday that because of “some level of exposure” they would also be sent home, according to Steve Saunders, a spokesman for the district. He said they would be working from home to support the students who are now learning remotely.

Tri-County Public Health is investigating to make sure no one else was exposed.

Although students had just come into buildings on Thursday, staff had been in buildings for several days preparing to start the school year.

Saunders said that the cohorts are working to keep the rest of the school open. Shrinking cohorts would not be possible, he said.

“In an ideal world we’d have smaller cohorts,” Saunders said. “But it’s not doable.”

Around the state, there are several other examples of large numbers of students being disrupted by confirmed COVID cases.

A Fort Lupton high school closed entirely after two students tested positive.
All of the sixth grade class of students at one Lamar school was sent home after one student tested positive. The district also suspended bus service after the bus driver tested positive.
At a Windsor middle school, 37 students and 11 staff members were sent home to quarantine after a student tested positive.
An elementary school in the Harrison school district in Colorado Springs closed Friday through Monday and an exposed classroom will be quarantined for two weeks.
The Burlington middle school was closed after someone tested positive.

Colleges, too, are seeing disruption just as students arrive on campuses.

A student tested positive at Colorado College, prompting 155 students in a dorm to be placed on quarantine.
CU Boulder is using designated quarantine space to isolate students. So far, 13 students have tested positive.

Tri-County public health officials, speaking about two teacher cases that surfaced before students returned, recently said that they expect to see cases as schools reopen, and would attribute them to community spread of the coronavirus outside of schools.

Jitters and optimism as Westminster students head back to class

2020-08-20T22:59:09+00:00

Arriving with their parents at Skyline Vista Elementary in the Westminster district just after 8 a.m. Thursday, the King children expressed very different feelings about their first day of in-person school in more than five months.

Brayla, a first-grader wearing a fuchsia dress and carrying a pink cat backpack, gave two thumbs up when asked how she felt about starting the year. But her older brother Harizen, a fourth-grader, had a bad case of first-day jitters.

“I’m tired first of all. My stomach was hurting and also — Oh, I’m feeling better now,” he said. “Also, I’m just nervous.”

He was most worried about meeting his teacher.

“I don’t know which one it’s going to be,” he said.

The siblings were two of 164 first- through sixth-graders who started the year at Skyline Vista Thursday. Another 60 students, including their younger sister Reya, will join them Monday when preschool and kindergarten classes begin.

Westminster Public Schools, a 9,000-student district where about 80% of students qualify for federally subsidized meals, was one of the first in Colorado to commit to full-time in-person learning for families who wanted it, announcing the decision in early June. A few other metro Denver districts, including Cherry Creek, Douglas County, and Sheridan, began to bring students back this week, but many nearby districts will start remotely next week, with some keeping students home until at least mid-October.

Plenty was familiar about Thursday’s back-to-school experience at Skyline Vista: The sunny August morning, the new sneakers and backpacks, and the smiling-but-slightly-apprehensive parents.

But the pandemic-era differences were there, too. Blue-and-green signs reminded kids of the three W’s: “Wash your hands,” “Wear a mask,” and “Watch your distance.” Staff members with clipboards fanned out across the campus to help children find grade-level specific entrances and when the school bus arrived it held only a fraction of its usual load in accordance with health guidelines.

When drop-off ended about 8:15 a.m. school leaders were relieved. Things had gone smoothly. No major meltdowns, minimal confusion.

Of course, there are still some snarls to work out. Skyline Vista staff will need to track down about 50 students who signed up for in-person learning but didn’t turn up as expected. Some families likely changed their minds about in-person learning while others may not have realized the first day of school was Thursday.

District officials said they expect more than two-thirds of students districtwide to choose in-person learning, but won’t have hard numbers for a few weeks.

Janet Blanco, who lingered on the Skyline Vista lawn with her kindergartener Karla on Thursday morning, was happy her family has the option.

“I’m feeling pretty good,” she said with a laugh after her fourth- and sixth-grade daughters headed to their classrooms.

Blanco’s not nervous about her girls catching COVID-19 and appreciates the precautions the school is taking, including keeping parents outside the building.

Plus, last spring’s remote learning experience was rocky.

“I didn’t understand the program they had to be on … where they had to go and where they had to turn in their work and all that,” she said. ”So that was hard for me.”

Brittany Williams — Brayla, Harizen, and Reya’s mother — also described remote learning as rough.

And although she’s a little nervous about the health risks this year, she said, “I’m going to see how it goes and how things play out, and we’ll just take it day by day.”

Back to school: Suburban Denver districts plan for 5 days a week in school

2020-06-10T00:54:10+00:00

The Westminster school district is proposing that students return to schools five days a week this fall.

The 9,000-student district north of Denver is among the first in the metro area to announce a final plan for fall, ahead of state guidance.

More than a dozen metro area school districts have been planning together with an interest in aligning plans. One Westminster neighbor, Mapleton Public Schools, has also announced its plan for a similar five day per week return to schools this fall, starting later in August than planned.

Both Mapleton and Westminster will provide an option for students who wish to stay remote all year instead of returning to campuses.

Most school districts have drafted multiple plans for fall but have said that a hybrid scenario where students alternate between being in school and learning from home each week is most likely if state health guidance doesn’t change.

Current guidance and rules from the state do not address what may happen in August, but so far limit classrooms to 10 people and suggest students need to stay 6 feet apart from each other while in school. Gov. Jared Polis has recently told several groups of leaders that he expects guidelines to change, and school to be able to proceed mostly as normal.

A Westminster spokesman said the district’s plan is in response to that guidance from the governor. Officials Tuesday night acknowledged, however, that state guidance can change and require the district to continue remote learning.

The Westminster school board voted unanimously to approve the five-day plan Tuesday night. The district will now also share the plan with Tri-County Health and with the Colorado Education Department.

“Our students, family, and community are under immense socio-emotional and economic pressures as the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic continues,” Superintendent Pam Swanson wrote in a statement for health officials. “Schools are one of the most important safety valves in relieving this pressure, only if we are allowed to open our doors and welcome our students back into the classroom.”

The district, with 84% students of color and 78% qualifying for subsidized lunches, surveyed parents, staff, and community members ahead of finalizing this plan.

According to results of that survey, a full return to in-person learning was the most popular option for parents and staff.

In response to a question., “If safety plans are in place as dictated by Governor Polis and Adams County health officials, do you believe students should return to in-person learning in fall 2020?” 56% of parents and community members agreed. Support from staff was stronger, with 73% of respondents agreeing.

Fran Groff Gonzales, president of the Westminster teachers union, said that while some teachers are concerned about their health if they return to school, most also feel they need to start the school year in person to get to know their group of students.

“Our district has been a great partner,” Groff Gonzales said. “We’re trusting the school district to do what it can to ensure the safety of teachers and of students.”

A hybrid plan, like ones other districts have discussed, had the second-highest support among parents and community members with 52% in favor. When asked if students should go to school remotely this fall, 49% of parents and community members agreed.

In the spring, Westminster officials report that most of its schools had more than 90% of students engaged in remote learning. Districtwide the average was 95%. A student was counted as engaged if students logged on, submitted assignments, or posted in social networks.

The plan to reopen “as close to normal as possible” also includes safety measures such as a requirement for students and staff to wear masks, the school to conduct temperature checks, and the district prohibiting family members from entering schools.

Officials said the plan will also ask schools to stagger passing periods and create lanes in hallways so as to limit the number of students interacting there. Students will be required to eat lunch in their classroom, or outside if the weather permits, and large assemblies won’t be allowed.

The schools will also be asked to keep students in the same group as much as possible, with teachers being the ones who move from room to room. As an example, James Duffy, the district’s chief operating officer, said schools might have “art on a cart” that would go into classrooms.

Board members thanked the district for creating the five-day plan, and said that for some students, “this is the best place to be.”

Here’s how you can stay informed about what your school board is doing as they meet virtually

2020-04-07T00:57:43+00:00

With Colorado under shut in orders, local elected bodies are changing how they conduct public business.

In most cases, local school boards are no longer hosting a time to hear public comment during their virtual meetings, instead suggesting that public feedback be submitted in writing, and because of the emergency situation, several districts are changing meeting schedules, making it potentially tricky for the public to keep up.

But Colorado’s open meetings laws still apply when boards are meeting virtually. Districts must still provide notice of their meetings, and have a way for the public to watch or listen in.

Last month, the Colorado Freedom of Information Coalition joined several other organizations in signing a national statement asking government bodies to defer making noncritical policy decisions “until full and meaningful public involvement can be guaranteed.”

If business can’t be postponed, the organizations suggest that the public bodies should notify the public and explain how to participate remotely, use technology to maximize “real-time public engagement,” and promptly post the recording of the meeting online.

Several school boards in Colorado already had a way to livestream and post recordings of their meetings online, but even those processes are being adjusted to allow for school board members and the public to participate remotely. At least one district is looking at ways to provide translation during the video meetings, and officials from several others said they are still looking at ways to incorporate public comment.

Aurora school board President Kayla Armstrong-Romero said that the work is “trial and error” just like everything else that has changed in schools these days.

Aurora’s school board was one of the first to have a virtual school board meeting, on March 24. Armstrong-Romero said that the livestream had about 25 people watching — up from three or four during previous livesteams of in-person meetings.

“It’s still not great. None of this has been ideal,” Armstrong-Romero said. “We really want to engage the community, especially now in these uncertain times. If the public has any ideas, please reach out.”

Below, we list some guidance on participating in local school board meetings, as well as the State Board of Education’s meetings and how to watch online.

🔗Denver

The Denver school board typically has three work sessions, one of which is focused on budget issues, and one regular meeting with public comment every month, though the schedule may change during this time. The first one, the finance and audit meeting, is scheduled for April 13. The monthly focus on achievement meeting is scheduled for April 16. The board’s regular work session and regular work meeting are scheduled for April 20 and April 30. District spokesperson Winna Maclaren said the meeting will still have time for public comment, but officials are still determining what that might look like.

For now, the district is encouraging the public to submit written comments, or to follow the board on Facebook, which has been doing live video updates at 10 a.m. daily for the past few weeks. “Anyone watching can submit questions and comments via the chat feature and the BOE and the superintendent are answering them in real time,” Maclaren said.

Schedule and agendas

Livestream

Public comment: Email board@dpsk12.org

🔗Jeffco

The board had a regular meeting April 2 that was “abbreviated to critical items only,” including a budget presentation and a closed-door executive session about security arrangements.

The next meeting is a study session scheduled for April 8 at 8:30 a.m. and will be livestreamed. The board will receive an update regarding the district’s remote learning work and plans for graduations.

The Jeffco district typically posts written communication to school board members online as part of the public agenda every month, and district officials said that will continue “with the variation that we will add any written comments received up until 3 p.m. … before the meeting.” The district is also looking at ways to post video comments if the board continues to meet remotely in May.

Schedule and agendas

Livestream

Public comment: Email the board at board@jeffco.k12.co.us. Or send mail to 1829 Denver West Dr., Golden CO 80401. The listing of public correspondence is not discussed as part of the regular business meeting. If addressed to individual board members and not provided to the board office, the correspondence will not be included in the public agenda.

🔗Aurora

The district already held a brief remote board meeting two weeks ago and is scheduled to have another meeting Tuesday at 6 p.m. The agenda is full this time with a vote to name a new school, and first readings for several contracts including a proposal to modify a charter school’s contract. The meeting will also include an update on the budget and the district’s response to the health crisis, including the remote learning plan.

Aurora’s school board is encouraging the public to submit written public comments. Those comments will become public when they are posted with the minutes of each meeting, usually about a month after the meeting, but officials said the comments will be available to board members prior to their meeting.

Schedule and agendas

Livestream

Public comment: Email Claudia Paz-Blossick, assistant to the board of education, at cpaz@aurorak12.org.

🔗Westminster

The Westminster school board cancelled its last regular scheduled meeting and instead has held six special meetings including study sessions and closed-door executive sessions in the last two weeks. Typically the board has two meetings per month. District officials said there is no list people can join to be notified of the meetings, but agendas are posted on the district’s website.

One of the meetings was a question-and-answer virtual town hall meeting. Officials said that the meeting was recorded and will be posted online. The district will also upload a version with Spanish translation, and is looking into simultaneous translation options for future video meetings.

A district spokesman said the district is still figuring out how to incorporate public comment into its regular meetings. The board’s next regular meeting is April 14.

Schedule and agendas

Livestream

The recording of the Westminster school board’s last regular meeting was posted on the district’s YouTube page, here.

🔗Adams 14

The Adams 14 school board is now livestreaming its board meetings. Previously meetings were recorded and later posted online. Board President Ramona Lewis said the board is having a meeting Wednesday to discuss how to incorporate public comment into its meetings.

At a special meeting last week, a notice at the beginning of the meeting said the district is looking into ways to offer simultaneous Spanish translation, and said that it may at least be that the district would post a Spanish video version of the meetings 24 hours after.

The next regular meeting is April 14.

Schedule and agendas

Livestream

🔗State Board of Education

The State Board of Education will have a one-day meeting April 8, instead of the typical two-day monthly meeting. One of the first items on the agenda is a vote to suspend the board’s regular operating procedures. There will be no public comment time on the agenda, but the public may submit comments in writing.

Schedule and agendas

To access the meeting: Go to: https://cdeinfotech.adobeconnect.com/sbe. Choose to open in application and mute computer audio, then call: 866-236-6234, PIN: 8778# to hear audio.

Class dismissed? Colorado districts vary in approach to online learning during coronavirus closures

2020-03-13T23:29:26+00:00

When Denver Public Schools announced it would close for the next three weeks, it cast the closure as an extended spring break. That means no classes or schoolwork, even online.

In contrast, Jeffco Public Schools, Denver’s neighbor to the west and the state’s second largest district, said that its buildings would close — but classes were still on.

“Even though it’s in the midst of this public health crisis, we believe it’s an opportunity to redefine how learning can happen,” said Jason Glass, superintendent of Jeffco Public Schools. “I know we’re going to experience mistakes and things are not going to happen as we planned. This is a big and disruptive shift, so we’re asking people to extend each other some grace.”

As more than 70% of Colorado students prepare to be out of school for at least two weeks as part of a regional effort to slow the spread of the new coronavirus, school districts are taking different approaches. The decisions reflect different philosophies, as well as access to resources, and have implications for longstanding academic gaps that plague many Colorado school districts.

When federal health officials asked school districts to plan for how they might continue educating students during an extended closure, most school districts felt unprepared.

Challenges include the fact that many students don’t have access to computers or the internet in their homes. Online learning could also be a challenge for young children, or students with special needs who rely on support services in schools. School districts have a legal obligation, if they offer instruction at all, to serve all students.

And even if districts already have software they can use, teachers may still need training or help to make their lessons virtual.

As part of a joint reporting project to better understand the impact of the new coronavirus on schools, Chalkbeat and CPR News surveyed nearly two dozen districts about their plans.

🔗“Reach every student”

Glass said that Jeffco immediately began planning and got teacher input. Schools will create a schedule for students, but it will not require all students to be doing the same thing at once, unless a teacher wants to do a group lesson.

Students will be required to participate in activities, and Glass admitted that, especially for younger students, this will require an adult at home to help students stay on task.

The plan requires that school counselors make time to continue connecting to students. District officials are also working on ways they will deliver speech pathology and mental health services remotely to students who need them, as well as how to serve students with more severe needs.

“We intend to find a way to reach every student,” Glass said.

In contrast, the Westminster district northwest of Denver is making online learning optional, in part to avoid legal penalties for not serving all students equally. There will be no attendance, and no one will be dinged for not participating.

On Friday, families pulled up to a station at Sherrelwood Elementary to pick up Chromebooks and paper copies of schoolwork to use during the break. They also got information about low-cost internet options.

Oliver Grenham, chief education officer of Westminster Public Schools, said students probably will miss in-person check-ins with teachers, but the district’s competency-based model, in which students move ahead only when they’ve mastered material, has given students practice in motivating themselves.

“We don’t want to hold kids back because of something happening that is beyond our control and beyond their control,” he said.

Volunteers from Sherrelwood Elementary School in Westminster hand out laptops and educational materials to parents and students on Friday, March 13, as schools prepare to close for two weeks.

🔗Halfway there

Many districts have some ability to offer remote learning, though they are still working out details.

“It is tricky and we are still trying to figure out how we could educate a large number of students remotely,” said Theresa Myers, a spokeswoman for the Greeley-Evans school district in northern Colorado. “We can get the students devices. The issue is in our community, many families don’t have access to Wi-Fi in their homes. We are looking into possible solutions for this, but we don’t have one as of yet.”

School District Academy 20 in Colorado Springs already uses an online-learning tool called Schoology, but not in its elementary schools. Rolling that out quickly is a challenge, a spokesperson said.

In Aurora, where 74% of students qualify for subsidized lunches, a measure of poverty, officials said that the district has several online resources that students and teachers could use for remote learning and is working with vendors to scale those up.

The district also may allow students to check out computers and will develop a course for teachers on how to maintain quality in online instruction. When the Aurora district announced its closure Thursday, it told families to watch for updates soon on how to “access to online education resources.”

🔗Spring break for weeks

Aspen Public Schools, on the other hand, decided to do no online learning next week, in the lead up to spring break. Kay Erickson, a kindergarten teacher and president of the Aspen Education Association, pushed hard for a “mental health week” for teachers and families. The surrounding county has among the highest number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the state, yet the schools were among the last to close. It’s been very stressful, Erickson said.

And even though many families there are well-off, those that aren’t might only have computer access at work, if at all.

But Erickson said many families are eager to make sure their children don’t fall behind.

“All the parent-teacher conferences were about: Teach me how to teach my child,” she said. “This was the greatest turnout for conferences because everyone is so scared and nervous.”

Denver Public Schools is embarking on one of the longest closures in the state: three weeks, from March 16 through April 6. But a spokesperson said that because the district considers it “an extension of our spring break,” schools won’t offer remote learning.

“If we have additional school calendar changes beyond our extended spring break, we will explore equitable remote learning options for all students, including our students with disabilities and English learners,” said spokesperson Winna Maclaren.

While Denver doesn’t have a formal online learning plan, many teachers sent home lists of websites that students can use to do educational activities during the break.

But that’s not the same as teaching.

“The infrastructure to do that online isn’t easy, and there really isn’t a way to hold kids accountable for the work,” said Troy Hubbell, who teaches at Denver’s Kunsmiller Elementary School. “People also underestimate the importance of rituals and routines in teaching. Just switching to online lessons isn’t as easy as it sounds.”

Denver has dozens of independent charter schools, some of which may go a different route.

Denver’s second-largest charter network, STRIVE Prep, will offer optional “extended learning opportunities” for students who want extra lessons. The network, which has 11 schools and 3,800 students, said it is working to provide each middle and high school student with a laptop and charger. It is also surveying families to ask if they have high-speed internet at home.

“As a parent, I understand the importance of having meaningful activities for students during a long break from school,” STRIVE CEO Chris Gibbons wrote in a letter to families. “As a result, STRIVE Prep will be sharing resources for your students to use as extended learning opportunities, if interested and able. These resources are not required assignments, but opportunities for students to keep their brain sharp during the break.”

DSST, which has 15 schools and nearly 6,000 students in Denver and Aurora, will also offer optional lessons, said Heather Lamm, the network’s chief communications officer. In addition, she said staff members plan to reach out to each student once a week to check in: Do they have enough food? Do they need mental or physical health resources?

The calls, she said, are not meant to focus on academics, but rather on students’ well-being in a trying time.

Chalkbeat reporter Melanie Asmar contributed to this report.

Childhood trauma isn’t new, but the job this district created to address it is — meet Melisa Sandoval

2020-02-05T23:32:31+00:00

There’s a lot Melisa Sandoval wants educators to know about childhood trauma.

But perhaps the most important thing is this: It’s not a life sentence.

The brain can heal from trauma with the right relationships and environment, said Sandoval, the director of social emotional learning and student agency for the 9,000-student Westminster School District in suburban Denver.

“There’s hope,” she said.

While Sandoval estimates that more than two-thirds of district students have experienced at least one significant “adverse childhood experience,” such as abuse, neglect or the death of a parent, she doesn’t want teachers getting overwhelmed by the numbers.

That’s why part of her job — a new position created last summer — is to give teachers the tools to address trauma and teach social and emotional skills. This can mean helping students improve communication, exercise self control, and learn how to solve conflicts.

Sandoval, a former therapist, mental health interventionist, and assistant principal in the district, recently became the first person to earn a new Trauma-Skilled Specialist certification from the National Dropout Prevention Center.

She talked to Chalkbeat about building a trauma leadership team, the advice she has for parents, and how she relaxes from the pressures of the job.

This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.

Can you tell me about your own background and how that influenced what you’re doing now?
I grew up with parents who were educators. My mom had her own child care center in New Mexico, so I was a preschool teacher for awhile. I started out in art education at the Denver Art Museum and then I went to Jefferson County Public Schools and became an art teacher there.

What I found was that I just connected with those students who would come in in tears or they had a problem at home or something was bothering them. I found myself spending a lot of time with them one on one and I wanted to spend more time. I went back to school and got a masters in counseling psychology and counselor education in 2006.

Tell me a little bit about your new job.
Adult social and emotional learning has been a big emphasis this year because really, it starts with us. We can’t expect our students to learn social-emotional skills unless we are educating ourselves, practicing social-emotional skills, and we know what we’re looking for.

One of my first projects was forming a trauma leadership team. I didn’t think I was actually going to have to go through a selection process, but the number of people who wanted to be on the team was astounding. I wound up with a team of 11 leaders. We’ve developed a series of [training] modules about trauma. We’ve received a really positive response from the teachers.

What we know about trauma is you can’t just walk into a room and see which student is traumatized. We need to make sure we’re infusing universal practices for everyone and making sure we have supports in place for any student who might be impacted by trauma.

What kinds of trauma are students experiencing?
What we see in our kids is more what we’d call developmental trauma. It’s essentially ongoing adverse experiences that happen to a person while their brain is developing. So, physical abuse, emotional abuse, sexual abuse, severe neglect, losing a loved one, especially in a traumatic way. Our goal is not to stop and label everybody with trauma. It’s more to make sure we’re providing support for people who might have experienced it.

What advice would you give to parents of adolescents?
Be involved and keep the communication lines open. Don’t be afraid to talk about issues. Be aware of how your child is doing in school and what they’re doing on social media. Familiarizing yourself with different social media apps is important. Social media can be a positive and a negative. You can have that sense of belonging and community, which we know they need. But then there might be the cyberbullying side of things.

What do you do if teachers are unenthusiastic about trauma-informed practices or social-emotional learning?
In true mental health fashion, you meet them where they are. Is there some resistance? Sure. Some people feel like, “I went into education to just do math or just do reading and they should go see the counselor if they have an emotional problem.” One thing we have to consider with that model is that pulling a kid out of their environment is taking away that sense of belonging and community, which is exactly what the research shows kids need in order for the brain to heal from trauma.

What are the biggest misconceptions about trauma among educators?
Sometimes, there are people who say, “Because this person has trauma does that mean we can’t hold them accountable for their behaviors?” That’s one of the things we talk about in our professional development: How do you balance nurturing with accountability when you’re using a discipline system or a classroom management system?

On the other hand, I think there’s also the misconception that behaviors are always within someone’s control. I think that’s a slippery slope. You have to have an understanding of the person and the behavior to be able to make that assessment.

Another misconception is that trauma is new. Trauma’s not new. Recently, we’ve been talking so much about trauma-informed practice, which is great, but trauma has existed since the beginning of time.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve received about working in mental health?
You can’t feed the birds unless your own bird feeder is full. That’s something that really resonates with me with trauma because you have to make sure you’re taking care of yourself to make sure you’re effectively taking care of someone else.

How do you make sure your “bird feeder” is full?
I do a lot of meditation, walking around our lake, and photography. I love to photograph wildlife.

What are you reading for enjoyment?
I just finished “Becoming” by Michelle Obama. I’m listening to an audio book called “The Art of Communicating” by Thich Nhat Hanh. It’s all about what you put into your body, but it has nothing to do with food.

Q&A with Westminster’s newest board member: a mom and district graduate

2019-11-26T21:09:33+00:00

When Christine Martinez’s son started elementary school, she joined the parent organization of his school, Sunset Ridge Elementary.

She loved helping host the school’s fall carnival every year, and the holiday shop, which is just two weeks away.

“Kids can come and we can help them shop and budget and think about who they’re shopping for,” Martinez said. “And the pride they get in being able to get their own gifts, you can just see it.”

But this year, Martinez wanted to be more involved, so she signed up to run for Westminster’s five-member board. No one ran against her, so last week, Martinez was sworn in at her first meeting. Two other open spots went to incumbents, who also had no one running against them.

Westminster’s school district, serving about 9,200 students, is made up of about 84% students of color, including about 75% who are Hispanic. The district has gained national attention for its use of a “competency-based” learning model that does away with grade levels based on age, and instead allows students to move through levels when they show they have mastered the content.

The school district for years struggled with low ratings from the state based on low student achievement, but has recently improved enough to dodge state orders for improvement.

Martinez, an executive property manager for single-family homes in the metro area, is the only woman on the school board. All five members are graduates of the district.

Why were you interested in running for school board?

My son goes to the district and when he started elementary school, I helped out with the PTA and I loved every minute of it. It was so much fun. If I could do that all day long, I would. And so then it was, how can I do more? What else can I do to get more involved? So school board seemed kind of like the next step.

Now you are the only woman on the board, do you think the board needed more diversity?

I think having a woman on the board adds diversity and a different perspective. I think our board is fairly open as it is and very accommodating to begin with, so I think it’s just a different viewpoint.

As a parent, what has been your experience with the district’s competency based model?

[My son] is still in that elementary age group. It has been amazing to watch how CBS [the competency based system] has allowed him to be challenged. When he first started and he was in kinder/first grade you could tell he was a little bored and the CBS model picked up on that and gave him the tools and the resources to push him and challenge him. He is not bored at school, and he’s excelling, which is great. That’s the whole point of the system.

Was the system ever confusing to you? A report a few years back said the district was having problems explaining the model to parents and students.

No, it wasn’t confusing to me. I did have questions about the process but my principal was readily available, and so were the teachers. Once you were able to have that conversation about what we were doing and where we were going, I wasn’t too confused.

There are Spanish-speaking parents who have been critical of the board, and the district just recently signed an agreement to change how it serves those families. How do you think as a board member you might monitor progress on this issue?

I think the current board now, and I, feel that we welcome everybody and we want to accommodate anybody that we can. So it’s about how we facilitate that with translators or different meeting times. We’re looking at moving comment forms online so they can fill those out there if they can’t make the board meetings, so we can still hear feedback. I want to be out in the community and go into different schools at times when parents are there to work with all of them.

What would you say is the biggest challenge for the district right now?

I’ve been going to board meetings for over a year and the growth rates are improving and things are really starting to move in that positive direction, so I don’t think it’s a challenge for the district, but it’s continuing that momentum — keeping everything going up where it is going. But I wouldn’t necessarily call that a challenge, it’s just moving momentum forward.

They’re doing things the right way with students in mind and the personalized learning. I think one of my favorite parts is the saying, “the most important day of your education is the day after graduation.” That’s perfect. We need to set students up for success in whatever they do. College, trades, whatever path they want to go on, and I like where the district’s going with that.

What are your goals for your time on the board?

I want to make sure communication stays where it’s at, and that it’s open and easily accessible. I feel like the district has done that with newsletters, emails, and phone calls and so there’s lots of different options for communication and I think it’s just making sure our community knows that — and knows the resources where you can contact people if you do have questions.

Most parents I think are worried about their child and the school that they’re in so how can they have that open communication with that school and then know other resources if needed. And I feel like we’re really working toward that. I think our communications department is great and they really do a good job of getting the message out there. Like snow removal: You get emails, you get phone calls, you get text messages. That’s all you can ask for as a parent is that you’re in the loop and you know what the plan is.

The Westminster school board video streams its board meetings, but not its study sessions where the majority of discussions are had. Do you think that would be something to change?

From my understanding study sessions are a lot of research where you’re getting information and it is open to the public, so if people want to come, they can come, but I don’t know about streaming.

As a parent I go back to what’s going on at my school. I feel like the board is an overview for the district and then as a parent, I’m worried about my area and my child. So that’s where being a board member is cool because you can open up that view. I’ve never gone to one of the study sessions. I just chose not to go. I don’t know if streaming that does give more options.

Anything else you want the community to know about you?

I want to see students be successful. I left high school and I was lost. I had no idea what I wanted to do or where I wanted to be, so I think working with children like our future center is doing and the career tech program, giving them options early to dabble in different career paths is amazing. It’s going to help benefit those students at 18 to say I want to be a plumber or I’m going to go to college to be a doctor, whatever path it is, it’s just getting them ready for that. That is what I want to continue to focus on.

Across borders, through detention, and into Colorado classrooms: The journey of solo children

2019-11-22T00:40:04+00:00

At 15, he made the long, frightening trek across Central America and the U.S.-Mexico border with a smuggler. Then he continued on an even longer journey, in search of his father in Colorado.

But what sent William into despair, and depression that pushed him to cut himself, happened in a U.S. holding center for migrant children: a long detention, a bout with tuberculosis, and the fear of never seeing his family again.

Every year hundreds of children are arriving in Colorado schools with uniquely challenging stories after crossing the border into the U.S. without their parents.

William — who asked that we withhold his real name, out of fear of jeopardizing his quest for citizenship — was one of the earlier unaccompanied minors arriving in the United States after fleeing life-threatening conditions at home.

School districts don’t keep track of whether their students are unaccompanied minors, and teachers say they would only learn about such a background if a student chooses to share it.

Chalkbeat took a look at the numbers of unaccompanied children who are resettling in Colorado and who these children are, as part of a Migrahack event organized by the Colorado Media Project and the University of Denver. Migrahack brings together journalists, community partners, web developers, and designers to use data to tell a fuller story about immigration in our community.

Some unaccompanied minors have one or two of their parents living in the U.S., but are considered unaccompanied if they crossed the border without a parent or legal guardian.

In the past year, the number of children getting released to a parent, relative, or other sponsor here in Colorado has more than doubled, with the majority being released to homes in Arapahoe County. According to U.S. Department of Health and Human Services data, 182 children were released to homes in Arapahoe County from October 2018 to September 2019.

Video produced by Yesenia Robles, Kaley LaQuea, Hannah Brown, Jessie Kriebel.

William, who is now 21, arrived in Westminster as a 15-year-old after a long journey north across borders.

After his uncle ousted a marijuana operation in his hometown in Guatemala, threats were made on William’s life. His mother worried that one day he would vanish on his way home from school, so she sent him with a smuggler to meet up with his dad who was in Colorado.

William’s group was caught just after crossing into the U.S. He says he was scared, unsure what was going to happen next.

“Everyone was crying,” William said. “An agent asked me how old I was. When I told him I was 15, they said everything was going to be fine for me.”

But it took a while.

First, he was held for processing in a cold, smelly room, he said, while they located his dad and started his paperwork. Then, he was transported to a temporary facility. It had concrete floors, a shared toilet, and wire cages. Some of the children said the food was drugged. He saw some with blisters on their wrists from the handcuffs. Toddlers were crying, he said, and children had to share a single blanket.

After two days, much of which William said he doesn’t remember, he was flown to Chicago, to stay in a better equipped holding center while the government tried to verify whether his dad was really his dad, and whether his home would be suitable for William.

At that center, William was required to take classes and was allowed some recreation time outside.

“We had classes to learn English, and supposedly to learn how to read,” William said. “They taught us that we shouldn’t ever touch a white person because, they would say, ‘you don’t want to get arrested.’”

A few days in, William got sick. The doctors told him it was tuberculosis and started him on treatment. William fell into a depression. He worried that he would never see his family. Some of the other children had been there for months.

“I started cutting myself,” he said. When a counselor from the facility found out, she had him call his dad to tell him.

His dad asked him to stop, and William said he did. After about a month at that facility, one day officials suddenly told him to pack up his things and wait for a ride — at 2 a.m. He was picked up, transported to the airport, and after a flight where the anticipation filled him with nausea, he reunited with his dad in Colorado.

He enrolled in school when classes were well into the second semester.

“It was terrible,” William said. “I didn’t understand anything. I had to take a history class with all the other kids and math and science, but I didn’t know what I was doing. I was just going to class just to go.”

He recalls being told to sit next to another student who spoke Spanish, who the teacher hoped would guide him. But William was ashamed and afraid, and struggled for more than a year to get adjusted in school.

Some school districts, including Westminster, have classes for new immigrant students, which could include unaccompanied minors, to get extra support for learning the English language. Some districts programs also group newcomers with other students with similar backgrounds.

But in many districts any teacher may be responsible for helping these students.

High school teacher Leticia Guzman Ingram works with newcomer students at her school in Basalt, teaching them English and culture for two hours a day. She has worked with students who are unaccompanied minors, and encourages other teachers to build relationships with all of their students, to get to know their background so they can connect students to whatever resources they need.

“It’s so important to get to know them and to see where they come from,” Guzman Ingram said. “All of us have different struggles. But we need to understand there are challenges and there’s also strengths.”

In her class with newcomers, Guzman Ingram takes students into the community to practice their English. They go to the supermarket, and students must ask questions in English to locate things they might need to shop for.

“It’s all so they can feel safe in their community,” she said.

Home visits are another key that Guzman Ingram advocates for in teaching newcomers and other students.

She recalls a time when she did a home visit for a student that was falling asleep in class and missing homework assignments.

“I was ready to lecture this mom, but when I found her, I was so lucky, she told me her story first,” Guzman Ingram said. It turns out the student had picked up a job, working until 2 a.m.

“I couldn’t believe it, this student I thought was lazy was actually such a hard worker,” Guzman Ingram said. “My whole mindset changed.”

She changed how she supported him in school, and talked to his other teachers too.

“If I didn’t hear his story, I think I would have given up and maybe brushed him off,” she said. Instead, the student graduated and is now an electrician, making more money than many teachers, Guzman Ingram said.

William said he eventually found educators he felt safe with in Westminster and who helped him. One of his favorite classes was choir, because singing made it easy to learn English, he said. Now, having graduated, William is in college, hoping to earn a degree in computer science, and maybe a second one in math.

It’s only recently that he entered into counseling, to address the trauma from his trip across the border.

He considers himself lucky. His younger brother recently made the same trip and joined him in Colorado, but William knows his brother went through more difficulties. His brother couldn’t cope in school, and has dropped out. Their dad has since gone back to Guatemala.

William wishes teachers understood students like him and his brother, and were more patient.

“It’s not easy to start a new life in a new country,” he said. “Sometimes you just want to be treated as equal. We’re the same as everyone, we’re not bad people. And we are here because we had no choice. It’s not something we want.”

Clarification: After initially providing incorrect information, the Westminster school district has said it does have a newcomer program. This story has been updated to reflect that.

Westminster leader named Colorado’s 2020 superintendent of the year

2019-10-24T21:05:31+00:00

Pam Swanson, the longtime leader of the Westminster school district, has been named Colorado’s Superintendent of the Year for 2020 by the Colorado Association of School Executives.

Swanson has worked in the Westminster district since 1995 and served as superintendent since 2012.

Westminster Public Schools, a suburban district north of Denver, enrolls more than 9,200 students, of which about 84% are students of color, including about 75% Hispanic students.

In her time as leader of the district, Swanson has overseen the rollout of the district’s unique competency-based model. Instead of placing students in a grade level based on their age, this approach has students move from one level to the next throughout the year based on when they show they’ve learned the required content.

The district has attracted national attention for the model and has recently partnered with researchers to refine how it works and to take lessons learned to other schools and districts. Officials in Westminster believe the district is the largest in the country to move entirely to such a model.

The Westminster district got off a state watchlist for low-performing schools in 2018. District leaders have attributed recent academic improvements to the model, which was first introduced in the district about 10 years ago.

The association of school executives also cited the competency-based model and academic improvement in awarding Swanson the recognition.

“What’s especially unique and impressive about Pam is the unwavering commitment she demonstrated in transforming an entire district education system,” said Brenda Krage, president of the Colorado Association of Superintendents and Senior School Administrators, one of seven CASE departments. “WPS is now a national model for successful systemic change and the largest district in the country to be entirely competency-based.”

In 2018, the district’s model was also at issue when the district had to sign a settlement agreement after an investigation in which the U.S. Department of Justice claimed the district was in violation of non-discrimination laws for how it served English language learners. About 35% of the district’s students are identified as English learners, according to state numbers, although part of the federal complaint questioned whether the district was identifying all students who needed language instruction.

The district disputed the findings.

Similarly, the district has been at odds with the state over how to measure academic performance. Swanson and other district leaders have been vocal advocates for their model, which they say benefits disadvantaged students.

In a district statement, Swanson again made those points.

“I believe this recognition validates our competency-based system and our willingness to take on the status quo in public education,” she said. The competency-based system “is about equity in education and working to ensure that all students reach their full potential regardless of their background and circumstances.”

As Colorado invests more in preschool, a gold-standard study shows benefits of full-day classes

2019-09-27T20:16:04+00:00

A new study shows large literacy gains and other benefits for full-day preschoolers as they enter kindergarten compared with their half-day peers — timely findings given the surge of new publicly funded preschool classrooms in Colorado.

The new evidence, gleaned from a study of students in the Westminster school district north of Denver, comes amid the rollout of two major early childhood initiatives championed by Gov. Jared Polis. They include the launch of free full-day kindergarten statewide and the expansion of free state-funded preschool for students with certain risk factors.

The preschool expansion, rolling out this fall and winter, has allowed school districts across the state, including Westminster, Denver, Aurora, and Englewood, to create new full-day preschool seats. District officials say many parents want the full-day option because it aligns better with their work schedules. Plus, they say the longer day gives youngsters additional time to learn important social, emotional, and pre-academic skills.

Now there’s homegrown research using gold-standard methodology to support the shift.

“From a research perspective what is so exciting here is it’s the first experimental evidence on full vs. half-day pre-K,” said Allison Atteberry, a University of Colorado Boulder researcher who co-authored the study with two researchers from the University of Virginia.

Atteberry and her colleagues were able to isolate the effects of the full-day program by comparing Westminster preschoolers who won a spot in a full-day classroom with those who lost the random lottery to get in.

Atteberry said previous research on the topic suffered from the “correlation is not causation” problem. In other words, what might have appeared to be positive effects from full-day preschool couldn’t be definitively tied to the longer day.

While the new study examined one small program serving around 200 students, and can’t say whether the benefits would apply elsewhere, the results are good news for early childhood advocates.

The study came out of a pilot program launched by the 9,300-student Westminster district in 2016. District leaders wanted to test a novel financing mechanism for full-day preschool, building a rigorous third-party evaluation into the project.

The district, where 80% of students qualify for government subsidized meals — a measure of poverty — relied on philanthropic dollars to launch its new full-day preschool classrooms. Little state money was available for full-day seats at the time, and Polis’ election as governor — and his ambitious early childhood agenda — was still two years away.

Mat Aubuchon, Westminster’s director of elementary education, said Colorado’s early childhood landscape has shifted so much in the past few years, that the financing mechanism originally being tested — called Pay For Success — is no longer a critical piece of the funding puzzle.

But the new evidence on full-day preschool outcomes is important, he said. “We’ve always thought full-day preschool was helpful … but the study was able to authenticate that.”

The study released this month focuses on the 226 students who attended full and half-day preschool during the 2016-17 school year. Researchers are also tracking two additional sets of Westminster preschoolers — those who attended in 2017-18 and 2018-19.

Aubuchon cautioned that since researchers plan to track all three sets of preschoolers through at least third grade to see if the early gains fade out or not, “we have a long way to go.”

Prior research in Tennessee found that initial preschool gains can disappear within a couple years, especially if students don’t have effective teachers in elementary school.

The new study found that full-day preschoolers had significantly better scores on tests of receptive vocabulary — the set of words they understand and can apply to the world around them.

Atteberry said such vocabulary skills represent a key building block of literacy, the foundation for learning in all subjects.

Full-day preschoolers also received higher scores than their half-day peers, on two other assessments: an early literacy assessment and a broader assessment that examines a range of areas, from social and emotional skills and physical development to math and literacy.

For many early childhood leaders, the latest study affirms what earlier studies and their own experience have long suggested.

“We know the value of improving student outcomes with full-day programming is real,” said Suzanne Rougier, director of early childhood education for the Aurora district.

But Colorado historically hasn’t allowed for many full-day preschool seats through its taxpayer funded preschool program, which serves mostly 4-year-olds and a small number of 3-year-olds. It’s available to children who come from low-income families, have lagging language development, poor social skills, or other risk factors. Only about 9% of 27,000 students in the program attended full-day preschool in 2017-18.

But this year, the state offered up 5,000 new half-day slots, which many districts are combining to create new full-day slots.

Aurora, which previously had only two district-run full-day classrooms, got enough new funding from the state to create five new full-day preschool classrooms in August. It will add four more in January.

“The ask from parents is always about full-day. We know the need is out there,” Rougier said. “When this opportunity came up, we didn’t even look at half-day.”

The Westminster district used new preschool funding from the state expansion to create five new full-day classrooms this year, plus sustain nine others that had been funded previously by local foundations as part of the study.

Aubuchon said three-quarters of district preschoolers now attend full-day classes.

In the 2,600-student Englewood district south of Denver, a gleaming new preschool center opened last January, jumpstarting the shift to majority full-day programming. This fall, the district added another full-day classrooms thanks to the new state funds, for a total of nine full-day classrooms.

All told, about 60% of Englewood preschoolers attend full-day classes this year, and district leaders plan to add two more full-day classrooms over the next two years.

Leigh Pytlinski, the district’s director of early childhood education, said she doesn’t see the district eliminating half-day preschool entirely because some children have wonderful care at home or with relatives the other half of the day.

But many full-day preschool students tend to be more mature and independent when they start kindergarten, she said, better at tasks like hand-washing, putting their dishes away after eating, and solving problems that crop up during play. They also get more time for lessons — or post-lesson activities — on math and science topics, cooking, and music.

Half-day students get a taste of those opportunities too, Pytlinski said. “They are just more rushed because we’re trying to cram them into three hours and 15 minutes.”

With no competition, Westminster cancels its school board election

2019-09-04T22:18:13+00:00

Competitive school board races are shaping up around the Denver metro area, but in some districts, voters won’t be weighing in — because there is nothing to decide.

Westminster Public Schools on Tuesday canceled its Nov. 5 school board election after just three people filed to run for three open seats.

Also canceling their school board elections due to lack of competition: the St. Vrain and Thompson school districts in northern Colorado.

In Westminster, incumbents Ken Ciancio and Max Math both will continue to serve. Christine Martinez, a parent in the district, will fill the seat currently held by Larry Dean Valente, who is barred by term limits from seeking re-election.

No other candidates filed petitions to appear on the ballot or filed affidavits to run as write-in candidates.

Canceling the election will save $35,000, the district said.

After years of low performance, the Westminster district got off a state watchlist for struggling schools and districts last year. District officials saw the improvements as validation for the competency-based learning model, in use in Westminster schools for the past decade. Students aren’t placed in a class based on their age and corresponding grade level. Instead, students are grouped by their understanding of a certain subject, and can progress to another level as soon as they show that they’ve mastered that class content.

Westminster voters narrowly approved a $9.9 million tax increase last year, the first successful mill levy override in the district since 2002. That money went into teacher raises in a new contract approved last spring.

SAT scores are slightly down in Colorado. Find your school’s 2019 results

2019-08-15T17:59:23+00:00

More than half of Colorado’s high schools recorded lower SAT test scores last spring when compared with the past year, according to data released Thursday.

Look up your school’s achievement in our searchable database below.

SAT scores can range from 200 to 800 each on the literacy and math tests, with a maximum composite score of 1600.

The statewide average composite score this year was 1001, down slightly from 1014. The national average was 973.

Among districts, the Westminster school district is the only one in the Denver metro area that increased its average SAT score for juniors, compared with its juniors who took the test last year.

The state began requiring Colorado juniors to take the SAT test in the spring of 2017. Students in 9th and 10th grades now also take the PSAT. Both tests are meant to measure college readiness, and SAT test scores can be used on applications for most colleges and universities.

Officials hoped that by offering high schoolers a test with more of a link to their college readiness — rather than an unrelated state achievement test — they would be more motivated to take the tests. Participation rates in some districts are still lower than government officials would prefer. In the metro area, for instance, the Englewood school district had just 81.9% of its 11th graders take the SAT.

The state withheld test score data for about a quarter of all high schools because of the small number of students who took the tests there. The practice is meant to protect student privacy, but several advocacy and research organizations have criticized the policy, saying it is too broad and hides important information from the public.

Growth scores, which are calculated based on how much students with comparable test history improve from one year to the next, will not be available until later this month.

Look back at our coverage of scores from the 2018 tests here.

Westminster teachers will get higher starting salaries and a path to reach $100,000

2019-02-05T23:21:09+00:00

Using local money voters approved in November, the Westminster school district and teachers union have agreed to a salary plan that increases pay significantly over the next two years.

First-year teachers with a bachelor’s degree will be offered $50,497 under the new agreement — which could be the highest starting salary in the state. Other districts are still negotiating how to increase teacher pay with new money voters approved in November.

The announcement of an agreement comes as Denver teachers are on the verge of a strike after negotiations between the school district and teachers union broke down.

Westminster teachers with a doctorate degree and more than 15 years experience could reach $100,000. The plan increases the starting salary to $52,820 in the 2020-21 school year, the second year of the agreement, and increases the maximum to $106,702.

Teachers and other union staff are voting on the plan Feb. 15 to Feb. 21. Union president Rosie Jaramillo said she expects it to be approved.

“We haven’t had that much of a raise in years,” Jaramillo said. “Teachers were expecting something good this year because we helped pass the mill levy.”

Currently, Westminster offers first-year teachers a salary of $44,316, which was already one of the highest starting salaries for teachers in the metro area.

Despite that, Westminster has a teacher turnover rate of 19 percent, slightly higher than in some neighboring districts.

District officials asked voters to raise local taxes, in part, to help raise teachers salaries so that the district might better attract and retain “highly effective teachers.” Jaramillo said she expects this new salary plan will help.

The new salary is also a reward, after the district saw academic gains this year. Westminster Public Schools was on the “accountability clock,” or state watchlist, after years of low performance, and was given until next fall to show improvement or face a state order. The district managed to show enough improvement this year and is now off of the state’s watchlist.

“This tentative agreement shows how much we value our staff and keeps a promise we made to voters,” said Superintendent Pam Swanson. “As I told our community when we moved off the accountability clock last year, our success was because of everyone pulling together, and this agreement reflects that point of view.”

Last year, the district offered teachers a one-time bonus if they helped the district raise its ratings. That form of compensation didn’t go over well with some teachers and union leaders.

The new salary schedule seeks to incentivize teachers to expand their education, district officials said. There are several salary bumps allowed with additional education, including a new one for credits earned between degrees.

Some Colorado schools see big gains in grad rates. Find yours in our searchable database.

2019-01-16T17:02:04+00:00

Two metro-area school districts, Westminster and Aurora, recently in the state’s crosshairs for their low-performance, posted significant increases in their graduation rates, according to 2018 numbers released Wednesday.

Westminster, a district that got off the state’s watchlist just last year, had 67.9 percent of its students graduate on time, within four years of starting high school. That was a jump of 10 percentage points from its 57.8 percent graduation rate in 2017.

District officials credit their unique model of competency-based education, which does away with grade levels and requires students prove they mastered content before moving up a level. In previous years, district officials pointed to rising graduation rates that Colorado also tracks for students who take five, six or seven years, but officials say it was bound to impact their 4-year rates as well.

“We saw an upward tick across the board this past year,” said Westminster Superintendent Pam Swanson, referring to state test results and other data also showing achievement increasing. “I think this is one more indicator.”

Swanson said the high school has also focused recently on increasing attendance, now at almost 90 percent, and increasing students’ responsibility for their own learning.

(Sam Park | Chalkbeat)

In Aurora schools, 76.5 percent of students graduated on time in 2018 — a jump of almost 9 percentage points from the 67.6 percent rate of the class of 2017.

“We’re excited these rates demonstrate momentum in our work,” Aurora Superintendent Rico Munn said.

He attributed the increased graduation rates to “better practice, better pedagogy, and better policy.”

One policy that made a difference for the district is a change in law that now allows districts to count students as graduates the year they complete their high school requirements, even if they are enrolled in one of Colorado’s programs to take college courses while doing a fifth year of high school.

According to a state report two years ago, Aurora had 65 students enrolled in this specific concurrent enrollment program who previously wouldn’t have been counted in four-year graduation rates. Only the Denver district has a larger number of such students. Aurora officials said 147 students are enrolled this year in the program.

Those students are successful, Munn said, and shouldn’t be counted against the district’s on-time graduation rates.

Aurora’s previously rising graduation rates helped it dodge corrective state action. But its improvement this year included a first: One high school, Aurora West College Preparatory Academy, had 100 percent of its seniors graduate in 2018.

The school enrolls students in grades six through 12 in northwest Aurora, the most diverse part of the district. Of the more than 1,000 students, 89 percent qualify for subsidized lunch, a measure of poverty.

“This incredible accomplishment demonstrates the strong student-focused culture we have created at Aurora West,” said Principal Taya Tselolikhina in a written statement. “When you establish high expectations and follow up with high levels of support, every student is able to shape a successful future.”

Statewide, the four-year graduation rate once again inched higher, and gaps between the graduation rate of white students and students of color again decreased. But this time, the gaps narrowed even as all student groups increased their graduation rates.

(Sam Park | Chalkbeat)

The rising trend wasn’t universal. In some metro area school districts, graduation rates fell in 2018. That includes Adams 14, the district that is now facing outside management after years of low performance.

The tiny school district of Sheridan, just southwest of Denver, saw a significant drop in graduation rates. In 2018, 64.7 percent of students graduated within four years, down from 72.7 percent of the class of 2017.

Look up four-year graduation rates for your individual school or district in our databases below.

Districts here:

Wins, losses, and split decisions: Here’s how Colorado school district tax measures fared

2018-11-08T00:59:33+00:00

Voters in more than two dozen Colorado school districts agreed to tax increases on Tuesday, with some districts seeing success after several previous attempts failed.

The districts ranged from the state’s second-largest, Jeffco Public Schools in Denver’s western suburbs, to the 96-student Hinsdale County district in southwest Colorado.

Of 21 mill levy overrides on the ballot, 15 of them passed, according to a tally kept by the Colorado School Finance Project. Bond requests were not quite as successful. Of 19 requests on the ballot, 12 passed. In addition, voters in the mountain city of Steamboat Springs renewed a sales tax that pays for one in every 10 teachers in its school district. Overall, about two-thirds of the local school tax measures passed this year, the same proportion as last year.

Mill levy overrides are a kind of property tax increase that provides schools with money for ongoing expenses, like teacher salaries or new programs. Bonds also result in increased property taxes, which are used to pay off the debt incurred by school construction projects.

The widespread success of local school taxes contrasted with the fate of Amendment 73, a statewide tax increase on corporations and higher income earners that was projected to generate $1.6 billion for education. That failed with just 45 percent of the vote. That discrepancy reflects a longstanding pattern in which Colorado voters are friendlier to local tax requests than statewide ones.

Jeffco Public Schools, which serves 86,000 students, had a split result. Voters approved a $33 million mill levy override to increase teacher pay and mental health support for students, but turned down a $567 million bond for school repair and construction. Still, with about 40,000 ballots uncounted Wednesday afternoon, some supporters of Jeffco’s tax measures held out hope the result might change.

Katie Winner, the mother of two Jeffco students, said she was shocked Tuesday night when she saw the mill levy passing and the bond failing. The voters she talked to in person were, if anything, more likely to favor the bond. But to her, the two were closely linked.

“I want to know what voters were thinking,” she said. “I didn’t see one without the other.”

Winner said if the final vote tallies confirm the bond’s defeat, it will be important to have a deeper community conversation about the future of district schools.

Voters in at least one other Colorado district were similarly divided. The Garfield RE-2 district on the Western Slope passed a $4.9 million mill levy override to boost teacher pay. But they turned down a $5.8 million bond to build eight additional elementary classrooms.

Tracie Rainey, executive director of the Colorado School Finance Project, said it’s hard to know why voters sometimes approve one tax increase but not the other. One possible explanation, she said, is that voters simply look at the two dollar amounts to be raised and vote for the lesser amount, not understanding that the measures are meant to fund different things or that the bond might have a smaller tax impact than the mill levy.

“They’ll vote for the lower number, not really realizing the financial impact,” Rainey said.

Voters in the metro-area Aurora, Westminster, and Adams 12 Five Star school districts also passed mill levy overrides. For Westminster, it was the first mill levy override since 2002. The small Sheridan district south of Denver passed a $3 million override to be used for salary increases, safety measures, and new technology.

The 2,300-student Elizabeth district in Elbert County passed its first mill levy override. Three previous attempts going back to 2001 had failed, something the superintendent attributed to a largely residential tax base that would bear a bigger burden of any increase. And the 700-student Meeker district in western Colorado passed a $39.7 million bond package for a new high school. The district hopes to receiving matching grants now that taxpayers have put their own money in.

In this case, the district told voters their taxes would not go up because bond debt was being retired and the mill levy would take its place. The $1.6 million increase will go to raise teacher salaries, improve safety, and buy learning technology.

One notable exception was Pueblo 60 in southern Colorado. Voters there turned down a $6 million mill levy override that would have gone in part toward teacher and staff salaries. A divided school board voted 3-2 to ask voters for more money after teachers in the struggling industrial city went on strike in May and won increases in pay and benefits.

But the teachers union came out against the tax increase — an unusual situation — because union leaders believed it was rushed and poorly planned. With almost 17,000 students, Pueblo is the largest school district in Colorado without a mill levy override to supplement base funding. The district recently switched to four-day weeks, and has aging and underused school buildings.

“Clearly, we are disappointed in the election results,” said Dalton Sprouse, a district spokesperson, in a statement. “We will continue to educate our community regarding the critical and important needs of our district.”

The Douglas County School District, the state’s third-largest district with 67,500 students, passed a tax increase for the first time in 12 years. In fact, voters passed two. The district has said it will use $40 million from a new mill levy override to increase teacher pay and hire more counselors, and a $250 million bond measure to pay for building repairs and transportation.

The 16,000-student Thompson Valley School District in Loveland also passed both a bond measure and a mill levy override, part of which will be used to maintain current class sizes.

The 14,900-student Littleton district in Denver’s south suburbs passed a $298 million bond package that includes plans to build a Career and Technical Education and Innovation Center, as well as to repair and replace aging buildings.

“We heard from our community a need for a career and technical education pathway that will allow (district) graduates to walk right into a living wage without the need for a four-year degree and with [tax measure] 4A we will now be able to provide that,” Littleton school board President Jack Reutzel said in a press release, referring to the bond measure.

Many teachers and district officials lamented the failure of the statewide Amendment 73 measure even as they welcomed new local revenue.

“Colorado voters missed an opportunity to support our students,” Kallie Leyba of the Douglas County Federation of Teachers said in a press release. “We are very concerned about what the implications for Douglas County will be, as well as the implications for districts across our state.”

Rainey, of the Colorado School Finance Project, said that while many voters are eager to fund their local schools, they often don’t understand the big picture. Colorado’s lower-than-average state funding, coupled with the fact that some school districts have passed mill levy overrides and others have not, create wide funding disparities from district to district — something Amendment 73 backers were hoping that ballot measure would fix.

When it comes to what kind of education you get in Colorado, Rainey said, “it does matter where you live.”

In a nail-biter, Westminster school district voters narrowly support education tax measure

2018-11-07T20:22:00+00:00

In a close call, Westminster’s $9.9 million measure to increase local funding for schools gained enough support to pass.

Results posted Wednesday showed 51 percent of votes in favor of local measure 4A and 49 percent against. At one point, just seven votes separated the two sides, but the margin widened overnight. A mandatory recount is triggered when the difference is one half of one percent of the number of votes cast for the higher vote count, according to officials from the Secretary of State’s office. While close, the race is safely out of that range.

Superintendent Pam Swanson, in her communication to staff and the community, credited the district’s latest academic improvements stating, “I think we earned that trust by the work we have done in the classroom.”

The district’s $9.9 million request will have among the largest financial impacts on property owners compared with other metro area requests. If passed, the measure would cost homeowners about $103 per $100,000 of a home’s value each year.

Westminster has long sought increased local funding, with no success. Its last attempt was in 2014. The district hasn’t approved a tax increase in the form of a mill levy override since 2002.

“It has taken us a few years to get to the point that we have had the support of our community,” said Ryan McCoy, the president of the school board, in a released statement. “It has been an uphill battle, but WPS is resilient and we have always put the kids first.

This year, officials said their polling showed higher public support than in years past, but did not disclose the details.

District officials said the measure would pay to expand vocational and career programs, create partnerships with organizations for additional programs, improve teacher salaries, hire mental health professionals and counselors, and improve safety and security, including by:

Hiring new campus monitors for elementary schools and providing new training for existing monitors
Redesigning schools to have double-door entryways, cameras, and door locks
Expanding a visitor ID check system to all schools

James Duffy, the district’s chief operating officer, said the board is also considering using about half of the new funds to get approximately $65 million for those building improvements by issuing certificates of participation, a way for school districts and other public agencies to borrow money for construction.

District officials had hoped they would also have additional revenue from Amendment 73, a statewide tax increase for schools. However, board members said the district’s needs shouldn’t wait or depend on state voters, who ultimately rejected the tax measure 45 to 55.

What you need to know as you vote on Colorado school tax requests

2018-10-25T23:22:19+00:00

School funding issues have gotten a lot of attention this year, but understanding how Colorado gives schools money can still be complicated.

There is one statewide amendment related to school funding this year, in addition to other local tax requests you might find on your ballot depending on where you live. Here’s some information that might help you as you make your decisions.

Let us know at co.tips@chalkbeat.org if you have other questions not answered here.

What is Amendment 73?

This amendment to the state constitution would raise the income tax rate for those who earn more than $150,000. It would also raise the corporate income tax rate for businesses and lock in assessment rates to prevent them from going down more next year. That will have implications for property taxes.

We’ve got a lot more information on this measure here.

What about my local tax request? Why do districts want more on top of that state funding?

Some school board officials have little confidence that voters will pass Amendment 73. Others point out that the money from Amendment 73 wouldn’t come in right away, even if it is approved, and some of the needs they want to address just can’t wait.

Some districts have laid out plans for how different streams of money would go to different projects, in the event that both the statewide amendment and their local tax requests are approved. Here is a rundown of what some school boards have said about Amendment 73.

Some of the most detailed district documents online are from Adams 12, Jeffco, and Douglas County.

My district has two local requests on the ballot. What’s the difference?

School districts can ask voters for a mill levy override or a bond request. Bond requests allow the district to incur debt for the purposes of building improvements or other infrastructure projects. If the district needs to pay for operational needs such as teacher salaries, which will be an ongoing need as opposed to something they can pay off in a certain number of years, then they’ll ask for a mill levy override. This is a type of property tax increase that provides ongoing local dollars that stay in the district.

Here’s more about the difference between a bond and a mill levy override.

How much will the local request cost me?

That varies due to differences in the assessed value of each district’s tax base.

Aurora’s $35 million request, and Westminster’s $9.9 million request will have among the largest financial impacts on homeowners.

If Aurora’s measure is approved, homeowners will pay an additional $98.64 per year for every $100,000 of a home’s value. If Westminster’s measure is approved, homeowners there will pay an additional $103 per year for every $100,000 of a home’s value.

Tax requests and their annual impact on homeowners

District	Request	Tax impact, per $100,000 of home value
Westminster	$9.9 million mill levy override	$103
Aurora	$35 million mill levy override	$98.64
Thompson	$149 million bond, $13.8 million mill levy override	$84.35
Adams 12	$27 million mill levy override	$77.76
Jeffco	$567 million bond, $33 million mill levy override	$46.92
Douglas	$250 million bond, $40 million mill levy override	$43.88
Pueblo 60	$6 million mill levy override	$43.20
Littleton	$298 million bond	$29-$49

What will the money pay for?

Across the board, two things stand out as priorities for many districts: higher teacher pay and improvements to school safety. (This document compiled by the Colorado School Finance Project, gives a summary of how each district plans to spend any new local money.)

On teacher pay: Districts have found increased public support for teachers this year following large protests, including greater awareness of how much of their own money they spend in the classroom. District officials say they need to raise pay to stay competitive as they try to recruit and keep more teachers.

Here’s an idea of how some school districts asking for local tax increases compare to their nearby districts in terms of their teacher salaries and teacher turnover:

Average teacher pay and teacher turnover rates

District	Average Pay	Percent Teacher Turnover
Thompson	$49,572	16.8 %
Poudre	$54,140	9.7 %
Douglas County	$53,080	13.4 %
Elizabeth	$40,471	23.2 %
Littleton	$66,399	9.5 %
Aurora	$54,742	26.2%
Cherry Creek	$71,711	10.1 %
Sheridan	$49,535	35.9 %
Denver	$50,757	20.3 %
Jeffco	$57,154	14 %
Westminster	$58,976	19.1 %
Adams 12	$59,511	12.8 %
Boulder	$75,220	10.33 %
Pueblo 60	$47,617	18.3 %
Pueblo 70	$49,328	13.6 %

*Source: Colorado Department of Education. Districts in bold have a tax request tied to teacher pay on this November’s ballot.

In many districts, exactly how much more teachers get will need to be negotiated with the teachers union. Aurora’s union has already written some language into their contract stating that the district must set aside $10 million from new revenue to give teachers a 3 percent raise starting in January. After the raise, the remaining money would go into creating a new salary schedule.

As far as safety goes, many districts are looking to make improvements to school buildings. Those include new locks for classroom doors, new building entryways, and more cameras. But several large districts are also looking to increase their mental health resources for students.

Here’s a sample of what some districts plan to do to improve safety:

Aurora:

Seat belts for all school buses
Expanding mental health staff and training

Westminster:

New campus monitors for elementary schools, and training for existing monitors to expand their skills
Redesigning school entryways so all schools have double-door entryways, cameras, door locks
Expanding visitor ID check system to all schools

Jeffco:

Increasing counselors, and school safety officers
Building improvements such as new school entryways, security cameras, locks and windows

Adams 12:

Adding counselors and social workers to schools at all levels, and additional campus supervisors at high schools
Developing and implement social-emotional learning curriculum
Adding a member to the district crisis response team
Installing facility access cards at high schools

Sheridan:

New communication systems, door control and camera systems
Hiring additional personnel who will directly support school security needs

Douglas County:

Adding counselors at elementary schools, and reducing counselor-to-student ratios at middle and high schools
Building security improvements

Where can I find more information about my district’s budget?

Colorado has a new interactive website with budget information from every district in the state. You can see how much your school district spends on administration, transportation, or construction debt, for instance, and compare it to other districts across the state. The website information is from 2016-17 budgets.

Denver Public Schools also has its own new budget document that drills down into how much the district spends per student on things like library services, lawyers, and more.

What about marijuana revenues?

The largest amount of marijuana tax revenue goes into a state fund that gives districts grants to build schools or make other physical improvements to their building. Known as the BEST program, districts apply and compete for these grants. Then if awarded a grant, most districts have to provide a matching amount of dollars for the project. Some local tax requests this year, including those from the Kit Carson, Lamar, and Trinidad districts, are precisely asking to collect that matching amount for this grant.

Starting this year, some marijuana revenue is available for the regular education budget, but the amount is a tiny fraction of what the state spends on education funding.

Colorado school districts seek voter support for school safety and mental health resources

2018-10-24T22:47:06+00:00

Colorado leads the nation in many ways that it responds to threats at schools. Now school districts are asking voters to help fund a more neglected need: mental-health resources to help prevent threats in schools.

Of the 29 school districts asking voters to increase local taxes for education, at least 19 have made school safety and security projects an explicit priority if those measures are approved. Officials say many districts are broadening their view of safety to include mental and emotional issues like youth suicide, which is on the rise. Eight districts that call out safety needs in their tax requests specifically mention mental health, counselors, or social emotional resources.

“I don’t believe anymore you can have a good school safety program without outstanding mental health supports,” said John McDonald of Jeffco Public Schools.

As the executive director of school safety for a district that has had three school shootings, including Columbine nearly 20 years ago, McDonald fields calls for help from officials across the country.

He said they consider Colorado districts like Jeffco ahead of the curve when it comes to threat assessments, standardizing responses, or practicing drills to prepare for tragic events. Some states are also looking at Colorado’s Safe2Tell hotline that fields thousands of anonymous tips on safety concerns.

Colorado districts also started years ago “hardening” schools, meaning changing building entryways, door locks and cameras, for instance, to make schools safer. Some of those changes are still in progress, such as replacing interior door locks that are now required under a new fire code.

But many argue those are reactive measures.

“For so many years we’ve all been worried about the next big tragedy that we focused on the preparedness and response side,” McDonald said. “But we can’t forget about the prevention piece.”

Advocates, teachers and district officials point to Colorado’s youth suicide rate — higher than the national average — as evidence that the state still struggles with offering adequate mental health support.

“In my opinion and in the opinion of our student members, school safety always has to be a priority. But I think something we’ve been frustrated with is the really narrow definition of what it means to be safe,” said Molly O’Connor, an associate director for Students for Education Reform. “Students need to be mentally and emotionally safe as well.”

Teachers agree.

Denise Hart, a teacher in Loveland’s Thompson School District, said that in her 13 years as an elementary teacher she had never seen an elementary-aged student threatening suicide, but it happened this year. It also happened to be the year the school lost its psychologist to budget cuts.

Teachers aren’t trained to help, she said. So the girl’s suicide risk was brought to the principal, and then parents. A counselor was brought in from another school, but Hart said, there was no relationship with that student for the professional to draw on.

“I feel like that’s a safety issue as well,” Hart said.

Amie Baca-Oehlert, the president of the Colorado Educators Association, said the group has just convened a school safety task force that will look at broadening the issue of school safety and will recommend policy improvements.

“It shows this certainly is something they care about, and they want their voices leading the discussion,” Baca-Oehlert said.

What constitutes safety varies from district to district, but a majority of district projects that would be funded if local voters approve their tax requests include a combination of mental health support or increases in staff, as well as building changes to physically make schools safer.

Westminster, for instance, wants to redesign the entryway at about half its schools that still don’t have a double-door system where people who enter a school are stuck in a lobby where another door blocks their access to the whole school, instead leading them only to an office. Officials also want to add campus monitors to their elementary schools, and provide better training to monitors at middle and high schools “to broaden their skill sets” around conflict management.

“While we don’t want to create a prison-like atmosphere in any way, shape or form,” said James Duffy, Westminster’s chief operating officer, “we do want parents to be able to believe their children are safe and secure in our buildings.”

Some advocates worry that more physical infrastructure like cameras and security guards in schools could actually have the opposite effect on students, especially students of color, by making them feel unsafe.

One Jeffco high school teacher, Ang Anderson, said security presence can be a good or a bad thing.

“Our security officers do a great job in my building trying to build relationships with students, and it never hurts to have more adults building that trust,” Anderson said. “But, I worry about putting too much into that, because there’s so much we need. Is that where the money is best spent?”

Jeffco convened a school safety task force over the summer. The group’s recommendations were presented to the school board this month, and the first one was for the district to increase behavioral health professionals.

Jeffco Superintendent Jason Glass said the district is going to try to follow through with the recommendations and the district’s long-term vision for school safety, but how much can be done now depends on new funding. The district’s mill levy override, for example, would pay for counselors, mental health professionals, and substance abuse counselors. The district would also look at additional school safety officers.

For his part, Duffy said in Westminster, he doesn’t expect that adding monitors in charge of safety and school discipline will drive up the number of suspensions or expulsions, but instead would contribute to a safer climate.

“We realize that having trained personnel that’s able to work with students and families and visitors is just a positive,” Duffy said.

Christine Harms, director of the state’s School Safety Resource Center, said some professionals have always recognized the need for mental health resources as part of school safety, but for others, the urgency is becoming real now.

“The focus has evolved,” Harms said. “There’s strong recognition that a positive school climate goes a long way.”

Leslie Colwell, the vice president of the Colorado Children’s Campaign, said part of the problem has been the need for more consistent funding and planning.

“There’s momentum around this idea that one-time investments are reactive, like school violence is a spur-of-the-moment phenomenon,” Colwell said. “But we have a body of evidence that this is likely the result of years or exposure to risk factors.”

Glass agreed that the barrier is now the funding.

“We don’t have this sort of preventive or proactive support system in place,” he said. “All school districts, including Jeffco, are working to build those now. We need some help to do it.”

Here’s what local tax measures would provide, in terms of safety, to some metro area districts:
Aurora:

Seat belts for all school buses
Expanding mental health staff and training

Westminster:

New campus monitors for elementary schools, and training for existing monitors to expand their skills
Redesign school entryways so all schools have double-door entryways, cameras, door locks
Expand visitor ID check system to all schools

Jeffco:

Increasing counselors, and school safety officers
Building improvements such as new school entryways, security cameras, locks and windows

Adams 12:

Add counselors and social workers to schools at all levels, and additional campus supervisors at high schools
Develop and implement social-emotional learning curriculum
Add a member to the district crisis response team
Install facility access cards at high schools

Sheridan:

New communication systems, door control and camera systems
Hiring additional personnel who will directly support security needs of schools

Douglas County:

Add counselors at elementary schools, and reduce counselor-to-student ratios at middle and high schools
Building security improvements

Some Colorado schools brace for state intervention, while others cheer their progress

2018-08-28T02:41:51+00:00

Two Colorado school districts and six individual schools failed to show enough improvement to raise their ratings under the state’s accountability system. Unless they successfully appeal their preliminary ratings this fall, they’ll remain on state-mandated improvement plans. Those include the 7,500-student Adams 14 district based in Commerce City, which is likely to face additional state intervention this school year, and Aurora Central High School.

And two new schools also face the potential for state intervention, Central Elementary School in Adams 14 and Minnequa Elementary in the Pueblo 60 district.

One school district and six individual schools that had previously faced state intervention improved enough to get off Colorado’s “accountability clock,” according to preliminary school ratings released Monday.

“Our students are working harder than they ever have, and it’s making a big difference,” said Superintendent Deirdre Pilch of the Greeley-Evans district north of Denver. In that district, two schools on state improvement plans and four others that had been placed on warning did well enough to get out of state scrutiny. “By every measure we use, we are seeing students move in the right direction. I am so proud of people locking arms and coming together to do that work.”

Colorado’s school accountability system rates districts based on achievement on state literacy, math, and science tests, on annual academic growth, and on postsecondary readiness as measured by graduation rates, dropout rates, scores on college entrance exams, and enrollment in college.

Schools go on performance watch or “on the clock” if their rating places them in one of the lowest two tiers – turnaround or priority improvement – and they face state intervention if they don’t move into a higher tier after five years.

The ratings released Monday are considered preliminary. Districts can request that the state reconsider districtwide or school ratings based on, for example, progress in literacy and math in the early grades or measures of high school achievement that don’t show up on state tests.

The deadline to file a request to reconsider is Oct. 15. The ratings will be finalized in December.

The State Board of Education has four options when deciding the future of schools whose performance remains in the two lowest tiers of the five-point scale for years on end. The board can close the school, hand it over to a charter management organization, contract with a third party to help run the school or create an innovation plan that spells out strategies and exemptions from district and state policy to improve student learning.

The options for districts are similar but include drastic and politically challenging steps like pushing for merger with a higher-performing district.

So far, the State Board has taken a collaborative approach and largely approved the plans that schools and districts brought forward. At the same time, state lawmakers, at the request of the Colorado Department of Education, approved changes to require schools to show more sustained improvement to get off performance watch and encourage schools to take action earlier in the process.

Colorado doesn’t have the option of state takeover that’s been exercised in places like New Jersey and Tennessee, with mixed results.

The next few years will serve as an ongoing test of how well this system of carrots and sticks works to help long-struggling districts.

“We are excited to see the progress made in some schools around the state to improve student performance, especially for some of those that have persistently struggled,” said Alyssa Pearson, the Colorado Department of Education’s deputy commissioner for accountability and performance, in an email. “These schools and their districts have had a laser-like focus on the needs of students. They have done this through two to three high-leverage priorities around data-driven instruction, leadership development, and culture to better meet the needs of all students. The specific actions vary, depending on the local context and need.”

Perhaps one of the best examples of the process working is the Greeley-Evans district north of Denver. When Pilch arrived in 2015, 10 schools were on the accountability clock, and three of them ultimately required state-approved improvement plans: Prairie Heights Middle Schools, Franklin Middle School, and Martinez Elementary.

Franklin Middle School got off the clock last year, and with this round of ratings, Prairie Heights and Martinez Elementary were also freed from state supervision. Four additional Greeley-Evans schools came off performance watch this year without outside intervention.

Three Greeley-Evans schools, though, will be on the state’s watch list if their ratings don’t change in appeals.

Pilch said the district poured resources and support into the schools that needed to improve and took advantage of state grants for leadership training and other professional development. The district received extensive reviews of what was and wasn’t working within its schools from state evaluators and took those findings seriously in crafting improvement plans.

“The schools that are on priority improvement and turnaround, they’ve been our priority in terms of support and in terms of ensuring the right resources and the right leaders are in place,” Pilch said. “We’ve been very intentional about maintaining and training quality leaders at these schools. We’ve seen fewer leaders turn over.”

Also showing improvement was the Westminster district, which had one more year to make progress on its plan and is now off the clock. Officials there claimed vindication for the district’s competency-based learning model, in which students are grouped by their understanding of a certain subject and can progress to another level as soon as they show that they’ve mastered that class content.

Results for Aurora schools, where district officials have been using new reforms to intervene in low-performing schools, have been mixed. The district as a whole improved enough to dodge state action last year. This year’s rating stayed at “improvement.”

The school with the most years of bad ratings, Aurora Central High School, failed to improve. The school is already on a state plan for improvement and has a year left to earn a higher rating before it would have to return to face the state again. Previously, state officials essentially blessed a district plan to continue rolling out interventions it was already trying, with extra help from an outside partner. If the school has to return to the state, officials could take more drastic action.

Three schools that had earned the lowest rating of turnaround last year — including Lyn Knoll Elementary — improved. Paris Elementary, which was facing state intervention this year if it didn’t raise it’s Priority Improvement rating, also managed a higher score, to avoid state sanctions.

If final school ratings remain the same, no other Aurora schools this year would be as close to state action. Three schools — Gateway High School, North Middle School and Virginia Court Elementary — would be entering year four, meaning they would have one year to show improvement before being at risk for state intervention.

“Aurora Public Schools continues to see gains and movement in the right direction,” district officials said in an emailed statement. “We have some great momentum that we will continue to build upon. While we recognize that we need to make more improvements at faster rates, we will dig into our data to plan how we will best leverage our strengths and address our challenges.”

District officials said the results from schools in what the district calls its Action Zone – schools that have individual plans for some flexibility from district rules – show the district has the right structure in place to keep improving. However, two schools in that zone, Aurora Central and Boston K-8, did not improve within the state framework and Boston actually earned a lower state rating this year, though it is not on the clock.

The tiny Sheridan district south of Denver, which got off the clock in 2014 after years of effort, was rated in the second-lowest tier, putting the district back on performance watch. Pat Sandos, the new superintendent there, said the news was a hard way to start his tenure, but it also brings a sense of urgency to improving student performance.

“We’re looking at the data really hard and breaking out the content areas,” he said. “We see opportunity for growth with [English-language learners]. It seems like that’s something that’s not just us, but for a lot of at-risk districts.

“Some of the work that we’re already doing is realigning and looking at the curriculum. We’re really focusing hard on that, on establishing a framework that gets teachers focused on what kids need to know at each grade level. And we’re paying a lot of attention to professional development.”

Other schools that got off the clock after facing state intervention include Hope Online Academy Middle School, authorized through the Douglas County school district, Manaugh Elementary School in the Cortez-Montezuma district in southwest Colorado, and Bessemer Elementary School in the Pueblo 60 district.

Two other Pueblo 60 schools still face state supervision: Risley International Academy of Innovation and Heroes Middle School. So does the little Aguilar district in southern Colorado, where the both the district and its joint junior-senior high school have struggled with years of low performance, and Hope Online Learning Academy Elementary School.

The ratings will be finalized by December, and schools that have spent six years or more in turnaround or priority improvement status will face new or ongoing state intervention.

Editor’s note: This story has been updated to include comment from Colorado Department of Education Deputy Commissioner Alyssa Pearson.

With test scores nudging up, Westminster escapes state’s watchlist

2018-08-27T23:59:05+00:00

Westminster Public Schools has improved enough to escape from the state’s crosshairs as a low-performing district, to the relief of school officials.

According to preliminary state ratings released Monday, the district has earned an “improvement” rating, or the middle rating on the state’s five-tier system for districts.

The district has been working under a state-ordered plan to raise student achievement and this year continued to post gradual but steady improvement in student growth across state test scores.

Colorado Department of Education

The district had just one more year to show that the plan was working, or else could have faced further state intervention. With the improvement this year, the district will no longer be under the state plan or timeline or face the threat of state action that could include closing schools or asking the district to merge with a higher-performing one.

But Westminster officials said their improvement plan will still be rolled out, because it was what the district intended to do anyway.

“Regardless, that’s Westminster’s plan,” Superintendent Pamela Swanson said Monday afternoon. “I believe we are going to continue to see progress. We have to double down to keep that up.”

When the district was facing state intervention for the first time, Westminster officials argued that the state’s rating system was unfair because of the district’s demographics and its education model.

For almost a decade, Westminster schools have been using a competency-based model where students aren’t placed in a class based on their age and corresponding grade level. Instead, students are grouped by their understanding of a certain subject, and can progress to another level as soon as they show that they’ve mastered that class content. The switch to the model caught national media attention when it was first announced. Despite its struggles, Westminster has steadfastly stood by its model, an innovation among public schools.

District officials say their improvement now is proof the model works.

“For many years we have asked the Colorado Department of Education to provide more flexibility in its accountability system to support innovation instead of focusing on high-stakes, once-a-year testing,” Swanson said in a press release. “The state resisted, but we pushed forward with our model and have now shown success, even by the traditional state standards. It’s very gratifying.”

One of the components of that plan was to work with education researcher Robert Marzano to create a school in the district to be used as a lab for teachers to develop their skills in using the competency-based model. The district closed the former Flynn Elementary School and reopened it this month as the Marzano School.

School-by-school ratings clearly show Westminster’s improvement.

This year only one school, Westminster High, fell into the bottom two tiers. The high school, however, did not start rolling out the district’s education model at the same time as the rest of the district, and when it did, did so one grade level at a time, district officials said.

Westminster had more schools in the top category than it had before — nine, more than twice as many as last year.

Besides its unique educational model, Westminster board President Ryan McCoy also credited increased student and parental engagement for the district’s improvement.

“Students have to own their work as well,” McCoy said.

But officials said that’s all part of getting better, or “going deeper” in using the competency-based model.

Higher teacher pay and more school safety are up for a vote with November tax requests

2018-08-25T00:19:44+00:00

Seeing confidence in the economy, growing needs in schools, and strong public support for education, leaders of some large school districts will seek new taxes on November’s ballot.

At least seven districts, including those in Aurora, Jeffco, Douglas, Thompson and Westminster, have approved proposals asking voters to increase local revenues to pay for new safety measures and to raise teacher salaries.

The school board in Aurora placed a $35 million request on the ballot Tuesday, after a consultant hired to help evaluate the public mood said the country is generally very supportive of public education this year.

Voters statewide will also decide on an income tax plan to increase school funding for all Colorado districts. If approved, the new state funding would cover full-day kindergarten, but would be used otherwise at the discretion of each district.

Officials in school districts placing their own questions on the ballot either said they doubt the state measure will succeed or that they believe both are still necessary for their schools.

“It starts with our community first, and I think that’s what we have to recognize,” said Ryan McCoy, president of Westminster’s school board. “We can’t worry about what other school districts and their communities are thinking and wait to see what the state does as a whole.”

But board members in at least one district, in Montezuma, said they did worry that a local tax proposal in addition to the state’s request would be too much for voters.

Officials in the districts seeking local measures now will focus on helping voters understand the specific improvements their taxes would fund.

For instance, Jason Glass, superintendent of Jeffco schools, has laid out in blog posts the differences between what would be funded by the state measure and two district requests.

Jeffco school board members described the state measure as a necessary “long-term solution,” whereas the local proposals would address more immediate needs such as building repairs and safety improvements through mental health, counseling and school security.

Keith Frederick, the consultant who spoke to the Aurora school board this week, also asked voters about their interest in the specific items the district planned to pay for. Teacher pay, school safety and mental health measures “all scored extremely high,” he said.

At a public meeting for Jeffco on Thursday night, the board heard more than an hour of comments mostly from supportive teachers, parents and other community members. Teachers and other school staff shared stories about working multiple jobs to get by, and told the board their students “deserved better.”

Support for higher teacher pay has been mounting as teachers have walked out of schools this year in Colorado and across the country, demanding better school funding. The attention on mental health and safety measures has grown following a number of high-profile shootings in schools.

Like several of the districts going to voters, Jeffco has failed in past attempts to increase local taxes, most recently in 2016.

The Westminster school district has failed repeatedly to pass local tax hikes. Recognizing that, it is requesting only a $9.9 million mill levy override, less than in previous years.

“We could have gone for twice this amount, but we asked members of the community where their comfort was,” said Dino Valente, Westminster school board member. “Does this do everything we want to do? No it doesn’t, but it’s a start. It’s been over 20 years since we passed a mill levy override in our district and that’s quite frankly pathetic.”

Aurora’s school district has enjoyed voter support for previous tax measures. The mill levy override request proposed this year will be the largest request that has been made in that district.

Because of differences in the assessed value of their tax base, Aurora’s $35 million request, and Westminster’s $9.9 million request will have among the largest financial impacts on homeowners.

Tax requests and their impact on homeowners per year

DISTRICT	Request amount	Tax impact, per $100,000 of home value
Westminster	$9.9 million mill levy override	$103
Aurora	$35 million mill levy override	$98.64
Thompson	$149 million bond, $13.8 million mill levy override	$84.35
Adams 12	$27 million mill levy override	$77.76
Jeffco	$567 million bond, $33 million mill levy override	$46.92
Douglas	$250 million bond, $40 million mill levy override	$43.88
Pueblo 60	$6 million mill levy override	$43.20

Test results can spell relief or gloom for state’s lowest performing schools and districts

2018-08-16T22:22:34+00:00

All three school Colorado districts under the gun to improve their academics showed some gains on test results released Thursday — but the numbers may not be enough to save one, Adams 14, from facing increased state intervention.

Of the three districts, only the Commerce City-based Adams 14 faces a fall deadline to bump up its state ratings. If the district doesn’t move up on the five-step scale, the state could close schools, merge Adams 14 with a higher-performing neighbor, or order other shake-ups.

The school district of Westminster and the Aguilar school district, also on state-ordered improvement plans, have until 2019 to boost their state ratings.

The ratings, expected in a few weeks, are compiled largely from the scores released Thursday which are based on spring tests.

District officials in Adams 14 celebrated gains at some individual schools, but as a district, achievement remained mostly dismal.

“We continue to see a positive trend in both English language arts and math, but we still have work to do,” said Jamie Ball, manager of accountability and assessment for Adams 14.

The district’s high school, Adams City High School, which has its own state order to improve its ratings by this fall, posted some declines in student achievement.

District officials said they are digging into their data in anticipation of another hearing before the State Board of Education soon.

In a turn likely to invite higher scrutiny, district schools that have been working with an outside firm, Beyond Textbooks, showed larger declines in student progress.

In part, Ball said that was because Beyond Textbooks wasn’t fully up and running until last school year’s second semester. Still, the district renewed its contract with the Arizona-based firm and expanded it to include more schools.

“Its a learning curve,” said Superintendent Javier Abrego. “People have to get comfortable and familiar with it.”

For state ratings of districts and high schools, about 40 percent will be based on the district’s growth scores — that’s a state measurement of how much students improved year-over-year, when compared with students with a similar test history. A score of 50 is generally considered an average year’s growth. Schools and districts with many struggling students must post high growth scores for them to get students to grade level.

In the case of Adams 14, although growth scores rose in both math and English, the district failed to reach the average of 50.

Credit: Sam Park

Westminster district officials, meanwhile, said that while they often criticize the state’s accountability system, this year they were excited to look at their test data and look forward to seeing their coming ratings.

The district has long committed to a model called competency-based education, despite modest gains in achievement. The model does away with grade levels. Students progress through classes based on when they can prove they learned the content, rather than moving up each year. District officials have often said the state’s method of testing students doesn’t recognize the district’s leaning model.

“It’s clear to us 2017-18 was a successful year,” said Superintendent Pam Swanson. “This is the third year we have had upward progress. We believe competency-based education is working.”

The district posted gains in most tests and categories — although the scores show the extent of its challenge. Fewer than one in five — 19.6 percent of its third graders — met or exceeded expectations in literacy exams, up from 15.9 percent last year.

Students in Westminster also made strong improvements in literacy as the district posted a growth score of 55, surpassing the state average.

Westminster officials also highlighted gains for particular groups of students. Gaps in growth among students are narrowing.

One significant gap that narrowed in Westminster was between students who qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a common measure of poverty, and those who don’t. In the math tests given to elementary and middle school students, the difference in growth scores between the two groups narrowed to three points from 10 points the year before, with scores hovering around 50.

Results in individual schools that are on state plans for improvement were more mixed. Three schools in Pueblo, for instance, all saw decreases in literacy growth, but increases in math. One middle school in Greeley, Prairie Heights Middle School, had significant gains in literacy growth.

The Aurora school district managed to get off the state’s watchlist last year, but one of its high schools is already on a state plan for improvement. Aurora Central High School has until 2019 to earn a higher state rating or face further state interventions.

Aurora Central High’s math gains on the SAT test exceeded last year’s, but improvement on the SAT’s literacy slowed. The school’s growth scores in both subjects still remain well below 50.

Look up high school test results here.

There are lots of ways schools teach English learners. Here’s how it works.

2018-07-19T18:34:24+00:00

School district officials in Westminster this year signed an agreement with federal officials to change how they educate students who are learning English as a second language.

Similar agreements have also shaped how districts in Denver, Aurora, Adams 14, and Adams 12 educate their English language learner students. But many people, including parents and district insiders, may still have questions about the various complicated programs and requirements.

Although many of the language-education agreements are years old, most of the issues haven’t been resolved. In Adams 14, for instance, parents and advocates have protested a district decision to stop biliteracy programming, and have questioned the district’s compliance with its agreement to better serve English learners. District officials have pointed out that their obligation is teaching students English, not making them bilingual.

Now at least one charter school, KIPP, is looking to fill in that programming gap. Many other states have had a number of biliteracy and other bilingual programs at various schools for years, but Colorado has only more recently started to follow those trends.

So what’s the difference between the various language programs and services? And what is required by law and what isn’t? The following questions and answers might help clarify some of those questions as you follow the news around these issues.

Which students are designated as English language learners? Do parents get to decide, or do schools decide?

Federal guidance requires school districts have some way to identify English learners. Most commonly, districts survey all parents at school registration about their home language and the student’s first language. If that survey finds there might be an influence of another language at home, the student must be assessed to determine fluency in English. While the district has to identify all students who aren’t fluent in English as language learners, parents in Colorado can choose to waive the federally required services for their children. If so, the district doesn’t have to provide special services, but would still be required to monitor that the student is making progress toward acquiring English.

What educational rights do English language learners have?

English language learners have specific rights under the Lau v. Nichols Supreme Court case from 1974 and the subsequent Castañeda standards released in 1981. State laws also outline some requirements for school districts. Specifically, school districts must provide programs for all identified language learners to give them the opportunity to learn English and to access a comprehensive curriculum. The government does not state what that program should be, but provides some standards requiring that any program is theoretically sound and has a research base to support it. The program has to have qualified teachers, and a way to demonstrate that students are making progress in learning English and their academic content. While the civil rights officials consider many details to verify compliance, simply put, school districts have the legal obligation to identify students, serve them in a sound program, and monitor their progress.

What is the difference between bilingual education and “ELL services”?

Bilingual education (which is the program that has the most support for efficacy from the research community) offers students opportunities to learn in their native language while they are learning English. Bilingual programs can vary from short-term, or early-exit programs, to more longer-term developmental programs.

English language learner services do not need to provide opportunities for students to learn in the native language. Most commonly these services only offer English language development classes (generally 45 minutes per day). All other content instruction is offered only in English. ELL services are not bilingual.

What is English language development?

English language development must be a part of any program or model a district or school adopts. It is the class time when students are taught the English language. The government wants to see that English learners are given a dedicated time to learn English, when they are not competing with native English speakers. That means, often, English language development is offered as a time when students are pulled out of class to practice English, or as a special elective period students must take without their English-speaking peers.

The structure of this time period, who has access to it, or who teaches it, are areas commonly cited as problems by the federal Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights.

Do students who are identified as English language learners retain that designation forever? What does it mean to be an “exited ELL”?

They’re not supposed to. Students who are English learners should be tested at least once a year to determine their English proficiency. When a student reaches a high enough level, school staff must determine if the student is now fluent in English. If so, the student becomes an “exited ELL.” The law requires districts to monitor for two years students who have exited and are no longer receiving services. There are, however, students who do not reach English fluency before graduating or leaving school.

What is the difference between being bilingual and being biliterate?

Bilingual generally refers to oral language in that bilingual people can understand and speak two languages but may not be able to read and write in those languages. Biliterate refers to being able to understand, speak, read, and write in two languages. Many people are bilingual but not biliterate. Biliteracy is considered to be a higher form of bilingualism.

What is the difference between dual language and biliteracy models?

Dual language and biliteracy models share many common components. Both models usually have biliteracy as their end goal for students. Dual language models may be “one-way” or “two-way.” One-way programs generally serve students who are designated as English language learners (also sometimes called emerging bilinguals). Two-way dual language programs include students who are native English speakers. The only major difference is that biliteracy models focus on using two languages in the language arts or literacy classes (reading and writing in two languages) whereas dual language focuses on using two languages across the entire school day’s curriculum.

What is an immersion model?

Immersion models traditionally are thought of as referring to programs primarily intended for students from the dominant language population to learn a second language. This is different from programs meant to teach English.

While native English students can choose whether or not to learn a second language, students who are English language learners do not have a choice in learning English.

What is sheltered instruction?

This type of instruction takes place in non-dual language schools, during regular content classes (such as math or science), and it’s one way schools try to make the content understandable to students who aren’t yet fluent in English.

This is especially common in schools where English learners speak a variety of languages. Crawford Elementary in Aurora, for instance, has had up to 35 different languages represented among its approximately 560 students. If there aren’t enough students who speak a common first language and also a teacher who speaks the same language as those students, then schools must teach through English, while making the English as accessible as possible.

In practice, this means an English-speaking teacher would use sheltered instruction techniques to help all children understand the lessons such as, physical props, a focus on building vocabulary, and sentence stems.

Denver designates schools as TNLI schools. What does that mean?

Denver created the TNLI label in 1999 to set the district apart from other bilingual program models. TNLI stands for Transitional Native Language Instruction. The Denver TNLI program is a transitional bilingual education program model with a label created just for Denver. It’s a model where instruction in Spanish is used to help students learn while they’re acquiring English, but still has a goal of making students fluent in English as soon as possible, at which point students move into mainstream English classrooms.

Is one of these models best suited for English learners?

Among researchers, it is commonly accepted that dual language or biliteracy models are the most effective to put English learners on par with their native speaking peers, in the long run.

Why do teachers have to be trained specifically to teach this population of students? What are teachers learning?

Educators and researchers say that teachers need to learn the differences and similarities between learning in one language and learning bilingually. Teachers need to learn about literacy methodology and how teaching literacy in Spanish (for example) is the same and different as teaching literacy in English. They have to learn how to teach English language development to students who are beginning to learn English (it is different than just teaching in English). These trainings also help teachers learn about cultural similarities and differences and about sources of culture conflict. Teachers need to be able to teach children English; how to use English to learn; and how the English language works. In bilingual settings teachers need to learn those three things for two languages. In short, the training needed to be a bilingual teacher is quite different. Colorado will soon require some of this training for all teachers.

What are the challenges districts have in offering these different programs? How do schools decide which type of model to offer?

The demographics of a district’s student population, and district politics play a large part in helping a district decide what model or program to use. Resources can also be a factor in deciding how to structure services or what programs to offer. In Adams 14, when the district leadership decided to pause the roll out of a biliteracy program, the district cited a lack of qualified bilingual teachers, among other things.

In Westminster, the school district’s unique competency-based approach, which removes grade levels and seeks to personalize instruction, was cited as a reason why the district had structured its English language development the way it had before the investigation by the Office for Civil Rights sought to change it.

Does Colorado provide guidance or oversight for how districts are doing this work?

The Colorado Department of Education offers some guidance for districts, but oversight of the districts’ compliance with what is required is limited. In practice, when parents suspect their children aren’t educated well, they have filed complaints with the federal government. In Denver, the complaints went through the Department of Justice. Investigations of most other metro-area districts have been conducted by the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights.

Westminster’s model part of dispute with federal investigators in education of students learning English

2018-04-18T01:47:10+00:00

Westminster schools may have failed to identify scores of students needing help learning English, and also neglected to effectively teach many of those students, according to a federal investigation. Those are among the findings in newly released documents behind the school district’s agreement to boost services for English learners.

The 9,400-student district signed a settlement agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice in February, which outlines changes the district must make.

Despite the district’s agreement, Westminster Public Schools officials dispute the investigation’s findings.

“We still maintain that we were not out of compliance with the law,” said James Duffy, the district’s chief operating officer. But he said in the interest of students, “instead of continuing to argue and waste resources going back and forth, we are going to meet the agreement.”

Many of the disagreements center on how Westminster places and advances students based on proficiency rather than age, which is known as competency-based learning.

The district’s model also has put it at odds with the state. Last year, the district argued that Colorado’s accountability system unfairly flagged Westminster’s district for low performance, in part because some students were tested by the state on material they hadn’t yet been exposed to.

Below is a breakdown of the major ways the government believes Westminster schools were violating the law in serving English learners, the way the district argues they weren’t, and some next steps.

Finding: Westminster Public Schools has not identified all students that need English language services.

District officials said they had already identified problems in their process before the Department of Justice pointed them out, and were in the process of changing their system.

When a student enrolls in school, most districts require parents to fill out a home language survey that asks the language the students speaks and the language spoken in the home. The problem, in part, was that Westminster officials, years ago, were not testing students whose home language was something other than English, so long as parents had noted that their child did speak English.

“Based on experience with other states and school districts…this practice frequently results in the under-identification of ELs,” the justice department wrote.

This year, state numbers show Westminster has identified 38 percent of its 9,400 students, or 3,615, as English learners.

Officials said they have been using a new form, and said students are now tested for English proficiency when parents identify a primary language in the home that is not English. Teachers also can flag a student for testing and services.

The settlement agreement also requires the district to identify long-term English learners who have been enrolled in American schools for more than five years without making progress toward fluency.

Officials said they have identified 730 long-term English learners in the district. Parents of those students will soon receive letters asking if they are interested in sending their children to school this summer for a program to help those students make more progress.

Finding: Westminster Public Schools is not providing adequate services for students that need English language development.

According to the Department of Justice findings, most students in the district aren’t getting help to learn the language.

“Our site visits and review of data revealed that the type of language assistance services (English learners) receive varies widely, depending on which school they attend,” the department states. And when students are getting instruction to learn English, they aren’t always getting it from a teacher who is trained and certified to do so, they found.

Westminster schools use what they call an “interventionist framework” that combines specialists who have Colorado’s Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Education endorsement, as well as other specialists, including special education teachers, to form a team of “interventionists” that all work with lagging students. That team works by going into classrooms throughout the day.

It’s a system that, in part, helps maximize the number of teachers working with students when the district doesn’t have enough of one kind, but it also can target which kind of help a student needs, Duffy said.

“We look at the need of our students and not the broad brush labels,” Duffy said. “They are getting services from a number of people. This is a program that has been recognized.”

But the district only tests students in English, meaning some students may not get an appropriate education.

When the district is trying to figure out what class levels to place a new student in, they test them for math and English using tests in English, so if a student can’t understand the test, they may not be able to demonstrate their ability to read or to do math and end up placed in classes below their ability.

District officials say that once in classrooms, teachers look at data closely and can determine if a student has been placed incorrectly just because of a language barrier. Teachers also have some flexibility in how they ask students to show they’ve learned a standard so they can move to another level.

“It’s just an initial placement,” Duffy said. “They are approaching this from a very traditional model. It’s not in alignment with our system.”

As part of the settlement agreement, however, the district must develop new procedures for testing and placing students, including “assessing ELL’s literacy and math levels in Spanish where appropriate and available.”

Finding: The district does not have enough staff for its English language learners and does not provide teachers with enough training to help students in their classes.

District officials admit they cannot hire enough trained staff to work with all students, but point out that it’s not a problem unique to their district.

According to district-provided numbers from December, 83 district staff have a Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Education endorsement. The February settlement agreement asks the district to increase the number of teachers with the endorsement.

To recruit these highly-sought after teachers, Westminster officials have gone to national job fairs and have provided signing bonuses for hard-to-staff positions, including for teachers with this credential. Going abroad to recruit foreign teachers has not been something Westminster can afford, Duffy said, but the district would hire qualified foreign teachers if they applied.

Westminster also provides out-of-state teachers with a stipend for moving expenses but runs into the high cost of living in Colorado.

“It’s scaring a lot of people away,” Duffy said.

One other incentive Westminster and many other districts offer is a tuition subsidy for teachers interested in earning the endorsement.

The Department of Justice also will require Westminster to develop new and additional training for district teachers who don’t have the credential, so they can better teach language learners.

The district is going to work with the University of Colorado Denver to provide that training. Duffy said officials submitted their teacher training plan to the Department of Justice, and are awaiting approval.

Westminster district signs agreement to better serve students learning English

2018-03-26T22:12:21+00:00

Teachers in Westminster schools will get new training for educating students who are learning English as a second language, and the district will have to create a way to evaluate how they are providing that education.

Those are just two of a long list of changes the district will make after the superintendent signed a settlement agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice to change the way Westminster Public Schools educates students who are identified as English language learners.

The settlement agreement is the result of a federal investigation in which the U.S. Department of Justice claimed the district was in violation of non-discrimination laws. According to a brief summary online, federal officials, “examined whether the district was identifying and serving its English learner students in compliance with the Equal Educational Opportunities Act,” and entered into the agreement “to resolve the District’s noncompliance” and “ensure that (English learner) students receive the support they need to succeed.”

The original complaint was not immediately available. The agreement also notes that the district disputed the claims and argued its schools were in compliance with the law.

School district officials were not available to comment on the agreement.

Other districts in the region have had issues with the federal government related to educating English learners. Adams 12 officials signed a settlement agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice in 2010. The Adams 14 district reached a settlement agreement in 2014 after an investigation by the U.S. Department of Education. Denver Public Schools has been under a court-ordered agreement for more than 30 years.

In the current school year, about 40 percent of Westminster’s almost 9,500 students are identified as English learners. The agreement, however, suggests that the district might not have properly identified all the students who need English language services.

As a whole, the Westminster district has struggled academically on state criteria. The district was one of the first to face state accountability hearings last year and was put on a state-ordered plan to show improvement.

In the latest round of state test data, the Westminster district was one of the only districts in the metro area where English language learners had worse growth scores than native English speakers in both math and English. In the previous round, there was no gap in growth scores on English tests.

When it comes to graduation rates, the district’s English learners outpace the district overall. In 2017, for instance, 59.3 percent of students who speak limited English graduated in four years, compared to 57.8 percent of all district students. Looking at six-year graduation rates, the district’s English learners also outpace the state’s English learners.

Among the most detailed changes in the settlement agreement are changes to how teachers are trained to work with students who speak a language other than English.

The agreement states that “all English language development instruction will be provided by a CLDE-endorsed teacher or one who is “on-track” to complete” the state certification.

According to data provided by the district in December, 83 district staff members at that point had that state certification to teach culturally or linguistically diverse students. The district has more than 1,000 staff members including about 500 teachers. The agreement lays out a timeline for when teachers must complete the certifications, when the district must revise their internal training for new teachers and when they must complete their training program for existing teachers.

The training materials for those programs must be submitted to the federal government for review within 60 days of the agreement.

Some of the other requirements laid out in the agreement:

Within 45 days, the district must identify students who after five years of services have not yet become fluent in English, and must ask the parents whether they want their children to get additional help.
The district will have to train employees to review whether parents need translation services, and will train them on how to explain to parents how they may get access to qualified interpreters.
Except in an emergency, the district is not to use students, family, or friends of parents for interpretation or translation services.
The district must review its procedures for identifying students who are English learners — including students who are new to the country, and students who are long-term English learners — and must review files of all students enrolled in the district during the last four years to find students who might have qualified as English learners and who weren’t tested or identified.
The district must also staff each school with a specialist with a state endorsement for teaching culturally and linguistically diverse students, including at the district’s Colorado STEM Academy and Westminster Academy for International Studies, in order to “provide an equal and meaningful opportunity for (English learners) to apply” and participate in the schools.

Read the full agreement below.

Westminster school will reopen as a Marzano lab school ‘to take on problems we haven’t solved yet’

2018-03-14T22:40:56+00:00

An extended day and school year, new extracurricular activities including martial arts and lacrosse, and new uniforms are all part of what students can expect at a new Westminster school this fall.

The district plans to close Flynn Elementary School in north Westminster and re-open it as a Marzano Academy, only the second school in the country designed by local education researcher Robert Marzano. This is part of the district’s improvement plan approved by the state last year as it tries to change years of low performance.

The board of education for Westminster Public Schools Tuesday night approved the closure of Flynn Elementary along with an innovation plan to reopen the school as a Marzano Academy.

Flynn Elementary, near the corner of 88th Avenue and Lowell Boulevard, currently serves about 275 students of which 75 percent qualify for free or reduced price lunch, a measure of poverty. The school’s teachers will lose their jobs, but students will automatically be re-enrolled to stay in the building when the school reopens in the fall.

The Marzano Academy model will be used to help the school’s teachers — and others across the district — improve their use of the district’s competency-based learning model. It’s an approach that calls for students to be grouped and to advance based on what they have proved they learned, not based on their age or how long they’ve been in one grade level.

Westminster schools have been using the model for about seven years, but the majority of the district’s students have not performed well on annual state ratings. District officials have argued that the state’s way of testing students isn’t fairly tracking their progress, but state officials haven’t excused the district. Now after years of low ratings from the state, the district is on a timeline to show students making improvements, or it could face more action from the state.

District officials worked with Marzano this year to write the school’s innovation plan which details a five-level framework for high quality that starts with creating a safe culture.

The plan was not made public until after the board vote Tuesday night. In it, there are details about the school’s plan to personalize learning, including requiring that every student complete a project every year. There are also specifics about teacher coaching and evaluation.

The Marzano Academy will be run as a lab school where teachers will be coached on using the best strategies to teach students so they can then model those strategies for other educators in the district or across the country. Marzano said being a lab school also means studying problems.

“The lab part is to take on problems we haven’t solved yet such as how do you teach kids at a developmentally appropriate level but make sure on some external test they are performing well,” Marzano said. “There’s no easy answer to that. There will be some very interesting things to discover.”

The school will open as a pre-kindergarten through fifth grade school, just as it is now, and will expand to include sixth through eighth grades, or levels as they are called in the district, in fall of 2019. This fall, all students currently at Flynn will be automatically enrolled to stay at the school when it opens as the Marzano Academy, but in the future, the school will no longer be a neighborhood-boundary school.

Principal Brian Kosena said that even though the school will become an open enrollment school without boundaries, students will not be hand-picked, although there will be caps on the number of students accepted each year.

“The idea of these research-based practices are that they should make a difference no matter what school or student population you serve,” Kosena said. “It benefits us, and it benefits Marzano if the school represents the neighborhood that the school is in. We want to maintain a neighborhood feel.”

The school is seeking to open as an innovation school to allow it to be free from laws and rules created for the traditional education model, according to the plan. The status must next be approved by the State Board of Education.

“Currently, local policies limiting the length of the school year, the school day, and school choice are all barriers to realizing the full potential of the plan,” the document states. “State regulations and policies regarding teacher qualifications currently prohibit or limit the use of otherwise competent individuals in the teaching process.”

Colorado’s innovation law, which grants schools flexibility from state laws, and district or union rules, states that as part of the process to convert a school into an innovation school, staff must vote and a majority must approve the plan. But in this case, because the current school — Flynn Elementary — will close, and because the Marzano Academy will open in the fall as a new school, no staff vote will be required.

Denver Public Schools followed a similar process between 2010 and 2012. The local teachers union sued the district, but last year, the state Supreme Court ruled in favor of the district and stated that the process was allowed.

All teachers currently at Flynn Elementary will be out of a job at the end of this school year. Those who want to work at the school when it reopens as a Marzano Academy must apply for positions. District officials say the current Flynn teachers will be guaranteed an interview, but will not have any other preference in the hiring process.

Asked if teachers will be placed in other district schools if they aren’t hired at Marzano, Kirk Leday, the district’s chief of staff and human resources director said in a statement, “We are confident that all of our non-probationary teachers will secure a position in our district for next year.”

Read the full innovation plan:

Three years in, an ambitious experiment to improve the odds for kids at one elementary school is scaling back

2018-03-08T22:29:23+00:00

Blocks of Hope was once envisioned as a pint-sized version of the Harlem Children’s Zone.

The project would provide an array of educational and social services to young children and families living within the boundaries of one high-poverty Adams County school — in the process, changing not only the lives of individual children but also the community around them.

But after three years, the Westminster-based nonprofit that spearheaded Blocks of Hope is scaling back its ambitions.

While the project won’t disappear entirely, the nonprofit’s leaders say they’re no longer focusing services and staff so tightly on the school’s boundary zone and may eventually stop using the Blocks of Hope name.

“We’re starting to question whether it’s the right strategic direction for the organization,” said Karen Fox Elwell, the new president and CEO of Growing Home, which launched the project in 2014.

The shifting shape of Blocks of Hope — originally framed as a 20-year effort intended to change the trajectories of children 0 to 9 within the Tennyson Knolls Elementary School enrollment zone — is a disappointment for some advocates who’d hoped this “placed-based” approach would not only be successful, but also possibly serve as a model for other Colorado communities.

A raft of issues have prompted the changes, including greater-than-expected mobility among the school population, fundraising challenges, and the tension that came from devoting resources to the 2.25-square-mile project zone while also trying to serve the broader Adams County community.

“It was hard to find that balance to do both well,” said Fox Elwell, who joined Growing Home in January.

Organizers knew when they started that the community was changing, but gentrification pushed out families faster than they expected. About a quarter of Tennyson Knoll’s students left the school in 2015-16.

Leaders said that was one reason it was tricky to track child outcomes that would demonstrate the project’s impact — a hallmark of successful place-based work.

Fox Elwell said there’s more stability among residents in the Harlem Children’s Zone because of rent-controlled housing.

“So families are really staying in that community for years upon years,” she said. “With Blocks of Hope, it’s just not the case.”

Fox Elwell said the board and staff will determine the future of Blocks of Hope during the group’s upcoming strategic planning process starting in late spring.

Teva Sienicki, the former president and CEO of Growing Home and the project’s original champion, said significant evidence supports the place-based strategy that underpinned Blocks of Hope, but didn’t want to second-guess the decisions of Growing Home’s current leaders.

“I really do wish them the best,” said Sienicki, who left Growing Home last summer.

Even at the outset of the project, Sienicki acknowledged that changing demographics and funding challenges could alter the long-term course of the project. Still, she was optimistic, projecting a gradual expansion that would bring two to three other elementary schools in the Westminster district under the Blocks of Hope umbrella, and increase the number of employees dedicated to the project from two to 70.

In addition to improving family functioning, the project’s goal was to boost school attendance, kindergarten readiness, and third-grade reading scores, and reduce the number of children referred for special education services. This year, 85 percent of Tennyson Knolls students are eligible for free or reduced-price school meals, a proxy for poverty.

One of the essential ideas behind place-based efforts like Blocks of Hope and the Harlem Children’s Zone is to flood a carefully defined geographic area with services in the hopes of touching a critical mass of residents, usually around 60 percent. By reaching such a large proportion of a population, proponents say such efforts create a kind of tipping point that pushes the whole community to adopt the norms and aspirations of those who receive services.

But Blocks of Hope never got close to that tipping point.

While certain components of the project, such as backpack and school supply giveaways, reached a large number of families, others, such as parent programs, never got above 15 percent, said Fox Elwell.

Aside from high mobility, the fact that many students ride the bus to Tennyson Knolls — instead of getting dropped off by their parents — made it harder to connect with parents than organizers anticipated.

The nonprofit’s limited budget was also a factor. Spending on the project was originally set at $250,000 annually, with eventual plans to reach $3 million if it expanded to other schools.

The nonprofit’s actual spending on Blocks of Hope has been around $100,000 a year, said Fox Elwell. In addition, a grant that Growing Home leaders hoped would pay for an evaluation of the project never came through.

“There were some incredible hopes to grow the budget and deeply invest in the community,” she said. “And maybe it was more challenging to fundraise than we anticipated.”

There are still several Blocks of Hope programs at Tennyson Knolls this year, including backpack giveaways, holiday gift and meal help, and two parenting classes. The school also houses a boutique with used children’s clothing and gear.

An after-school tutoring program was discontinued after last school year because it wasn’t effective, leaders said. Another program aimed at grandparents raising grandchildren was slated to launch this spring, but will not because school leaders felt they had too much going on.

A community organizer originally hired to work with Blocks of Hope families to advocate for affordable housing has expanded her territory to include other neighborhoods.

“There’s a lot of need just a little bit south and a little bit east of those (school) boundaries,” said Leslie Gonzalez, a Growing Home board member.

Residents in some of those areas began to assume they were no longer eligible for any of the nonprofit’s services as Blocks of Hope ramped up. That wasn’t true, but the project sent some “unintended negative messages,” she said.

Despite looming questions about the future of Blocks of Hope, leaders at Growing Home and Tennyson Knolls say the project has helped families, sparked welcome changes to the nonprofit’s case management strategy, and built community at the school.

Tennyson Knolls Principal Heather McGuire, who is the school’s third principal since Blocks of Hope began, said the project helped get parents involved at school, whether attending PTA meetings, taking Blocks of Hope classes, or attending “coffee with the principal” meetings.

She credits the project with giving rise to the school’s tagline, “We are TKE,” a reference to the school’s initials.

Gonzalez said, “We don’t view Blocks of Hope as a failure necessarily … Even though there were a lot of challenges, a lot of good came out of it, too, and we were able to meet even more families in that community we serve.”

A parent engagement program in Westminster is helping families understand the district’s model

2018-03-03T00:44:58+00:00

Westminster mom, Martha Tapia, had gotten her hopes up last year when her daughter received a scholarship of $15,000 to go to Regis University.

“But then, my daughter said it wasn’t enough,” Tapia said. “I wouldn’t be able to come up with the rest of the money.”

Instead, Tapia’s daughter is now attending college classes at a community college. With her younger children, Tapia wants to be more involved to see if she can better understand how college admissions work and how she can help her kids attend the schools they really want to go to. On Thursday, at Westminster High School, she found a program that promised to help her do just that.

Westminster Public Schools staff this week launched PASS, a parent engagement program at Westminster High School.

It’s the third semester the district has offered the nine-week program at one of their schools.

The program has multiple goals. Among them is to help parents better understand the district’s competency-based model — a system based on grouping, and advancing, students based on the standards they’ve proved they learned, instead of on their ages.

The district started rolling out the model in 2009. Seven years later, when the district paid for a review by an outside organization, the audit found problems including that many parents still didn’t understand the model and had a difficult time understanding report cards. The district is now on a state-ordered improvement plan. As they forge ahead with the competency-based model, helping parents and students better understand how it works is a big part of that effort.

“We knew there was an aspect of parent support that we needed in our district,” said Sandy Steiner, the district’s director of post-secondary and workforce readiness. “For us it has been a plan realized. I couldn’t be happier with the program.”

The PASS program was tailored to Westminster, but was purchased and modeled after a California-based program that has 30 years of data and is now used in 15 states. It has been paid for so far by two grants, both of which are set to end this summer. The district has applied for an extension of one of the grants, but staff running the program are also asking the district’s school board this spring to make up the gap to keep the program running.

“This is a program that is really helping shift the life of our families,” Steiner said. “We will figure out a way.”

The Westminster district is still the only one in Colorado to use the program to engage and educate parents, but other districts have been asking about the program.

Besides helping Westminster teach parents to understand the district’s competency-based report cards, it helps parents — many of them immigrants — understand the country’s education system.

Classes taught during the nine-week program touch on how schools get funded, how state standards work, how students earn credits, and the various opportunities in high school to prepare for a college or career.

“For our students performing ahead of schedule, the opportunities for them to take advantage of college courses and apprenticeships to glide right into their future careers or their post-secondary options — there has been nothing quite like it before,” Steiner said. “But it’s dependent on students being prepared.”

Parents during the launch of the PASS program at Westminster High School.

As parents discussed why they had attended the program during a kickoff event this week, all said they believed their kids would graduate and go to college.

But parents were also quick to think of the many challenges their kids face: how to pay for college, deportation fears, and single-parent homes where parents are sometimes too tired to help.

The most recent graduation data show that about 58 percent of Hispanic students in Westminster Public Schools graduate from high school in four years. About 70 percent graduate high school in five years.

But officials cite data from the PIQE program in California (or the Parent Institute for Quality Education) where the local program comes from. There, officials have tracked students whose parents participated in the program and found that 90 percent of them graduate.

“We are tracking that going forward,” said Whitney Allen, Westminster’s parent engagement coordinator, who runs the program. “We don’t have enough of a track record, but we are finding that we are having similar impact.”

Officials say they reached 150 parents so far during the pilot and the second semester. Those parents have almost 500 students in the district. On Thursday, another 160 parents, mostly from the high school where the program will be run this time, promised to go through the classes starting next week.

Anecdotally, at Scott Carpenter Middle School, where the program was piloted last year, the following semester school officials reported “an astronomical bump” in the number of parents attending parent-teacher conferences. The school also saw a significant jump in the number of students who had raised their scores enough to participate in a particular club, Allen said.

It can’t all be tied just to the parent engagement program, but Allen said they are indicators that parents are doing something different.

Officials say parents report being more comfortable asking questions. Other parents report that after understanding the district’s competency-based model, they can now log into their parent portal (or ask their child to) and then track progress daily to talk to their children about it.

“Culturally sometimes our Latino families give over the authority to the schools, saying the schools are going to help my child, but we want to really bring it back,” Allen said.

“Even if you haven’t had a high school education or went to college, there are things you can be doing to support your students at home, and we give them those tips every week,” Allen said. “It’s about just informing parents what’s possible.”

Meet the only speech-language pathologist in Colorado’s Teacher Cabinet

2018-02-27T18:21:16+00:00

Here, in a feature we call How I Teach, we ask educators who’ve been recognized for their work how they approach their jobs. You can see other pieces in this series here.

Before he began working as a speech-language pathologist at Mesa Elementary School in Westminster Public Schools, Dan Haught worked mostly with data. He was part of a University of Colorado research team studying school safety and bullying prevention programs.

But during the team’s frequent school visits, he was drawn in by the kids. They were full of joy and potential, he said. And more fun than data.

It was then he knew he wanted to shift gears professionally.

Haught talked to Chalkbeat about the movie that inspired his career choice, the importance of laughter in his classroom, and how he connected with a student who, at first, barely looked at him.

Haught is one of 20 educators who were selected to serve on the state’s Commissioner’s Teacher Cabinet. The group provides input to officials at the Colorado Department of Education on the impact of education policies in the classroom.

This interview has been condensed and lightly edited.

Why did you become a speech-language pathologist?
This may sound cliché, but there was a movie that provided some of the inspiration. “The Diving Bell and the Butterfly” tells the story of a French journalist who had a stroke, which left him without the ability to speak. This was a fascinating concept to me: To be able to hear, process, and understand everything around you, but without the ability to talk or otherwise communicate. Some of the individuals I work with face similar circumstances.

Once I decided that I wanted to become a speech-language pathologist, I had to figure out where to work! Many of us work in medical settings, but I was drawn to the positive and happy climate of public schools. Our kids have long and productive lives ahead of them, and it is an honor to help them along in their journey.

Fill in the blank. I couldn’t teach without my __________. Why?
I couldn’t teach without my amazing co-workers! We have a very talented special education team at Mesa Elementary, and I could not function without them. We are supportive of each other, and not a day goes by where I don’t learn something new. Our school district supports a blended-services model that encourages collaboration among different professionals and disciplines. Because of this, I am exposed to a diverse set of teaching styles and methods. It is always fun to collaborate with colleagues and hear different perspectives.

What’s the biggest misconception you’ve encountered about your role in the school where you work?
People often forget about the “language” component of speech-language pathology. It is true that we help children improve their speech production and articulation, but we also help children establish solid foundations of phonological awareness and grammar skills. Part of our work also involves determining whether there is a language difference or a language delay, which is an important distinction among our English language learners.

Tell us about a time when you managed to connect with a challenging student or a student facing a difficult situation. How did you do it?
In recent years I’ve been fortunate to gain more experience working with children on the autism spectrum. Working with children who have autism has been a complete paradigm shift in the way I think about my caseload. One particular child was so affected by autism that he rarely looked at me or even acknowledged that I was in the same room with him. Finding a way to connect with him was extremely challenging at first, but every day I kept trying to build a relationship.

Eventually, I found that this student loved music, and that opened up a whole new world for us. We learned how to sing simple songs and nursery rhymes together, with each of us taking our own part. I even purchased a toy microphone that we would pass back and forth to each other. Eventually, he started greeting me every time I entered the room, and now he gets excited when we work together.

From this experience, I learned that making a connection can require a lot of trial and error, as well as a lot of time and patience. I try to not take things personally, and if I have difficulty connecting with a particular child on one occasion, it’s okay to keep trying because you never know when (or how) you will achieve a breakthrough.

What does your classroom look like?
I don’t think my classroom is anything special. In fact, I’m usually envious of other people’s colorful and creative classroom ideas. But you will find laughter in my classroom. Even though what we do is serious, we need to remember to keep things fun and engaging. I also think it’s important to take time to celebrate success. Because of this, we cheer, clap, sing songs, and provide encouragement for students who are making progress.

Tell us about a memorable time — good or bad — when contact with a student’s family changed your perspective or approach.
I have learned over the years that some of our families face hardships that are beyond my imagination. Because of this, I try to listen more than I talk, especially when I first meet a family. It is important to remember that parents are the true experts on their children, and we can learn a lot about our students by being receptive listeners. It is true that you never know what someone is going through until you have walked a mile in their shoes.

I remember one time where parents started a meeting by stating their house had just burned down. We were all taken off guard by this news. However, as we began to talk about their child’s progress and some of the meaningful steps their child had taken over the last year, the meeting began to take a much more positive note. Instead of focusing on tragedy, we began to focus on joy and celebration. The meeting became a bright spot in an otherwise difficult week for the family.

How do you get to know your students and build relationships with them? What questions do you ask or what actions do you take?
I try to build relationships with students by showing that I care about them, as well as their personal interests. I like to make therapy materials related to their interests and hobbies, and I try to offer as many choices in their learning as possible. It is important to remember that it is not the child’s fault if we are having difficulty connecting. Because of this, I try to think about how I can adjust my practice or think about how I can do things differently. Building a meaningful relationship takes time, so it is important to be patient. We also need to remember to laugh and have fun. I’m a silly person by nature, so that helps.

What is the hardest part of your job?
I work with children who have a wide range of educational needs. The way we treat children who have articulation challenges is very different from the way we treat children who need to learn language skills. Even within a particular diagnostic category, there can be significant variation. For example, autism is indeed a spectrum. Some children with autism are nonverbal, while others are highly functioning. Still others have difficulty with sensory and emotional regulation. As a speech-language pathologist, I have to be knowledgeable in many different subject areas. It can be overwhelming at times.

What’s the best advice you ever received?
I love it when people remind me to “keep it focused on the kids.” Too often, we get caught up in workplace drama, new initiatives, or testing requirements. I think it is important to take a fresh breath and remember why we chose this occupation. We owe it to our kids to keep the focus on them.

You spend your days trying to help students and staff with any number of things. How do you wind down after a stressful day?
Like most Coloradans, I love being outdoors. I’ve climbed more than half of the fourteeners — mountain peaks with an elevation of at least 14,000 feet — and I love to go camping with friends. On some evenings, you can find me in my favorite chair with a good mystery novel.

Will recess cuts boost learning? One struggling Colorado district wants to find out.

2018-01-12T22:37:24+00:00

A suburban Denver school district on a state-mandated improvement plan has cut recess time for elementary students in a bid to devote more time to instruction.

On a good day, elementary children in the Adams 14 district get about 15 minutes of recess at lunch time, but sometimes it’s as little as seven, according to teachers who’ve spoken out about the issue.

The change, instituted at the beginning of the school year, has angered both parents and teachers who say the lack of outside playtime is stressful and unhealthy for students and has led to more behavior problems in the classroom.

The reduction in recess is one of a series of controversial decisions this year in the 7,400-student district, where almost half the students are English language learners and 86 percent qualify for subsidized meals. Also contentious this year were decisions to end parent-teacher conferences and scale back a biliteracy program once envisioned as a model for other districts.

It’s not uncommon for students in high-poverty schools like the ones in Adams 14 to get less recess compared to their more affluent peers.

A 2006 report from the National Center for Education Statistics found that the students in the highest poverty elementary schools got 17 to 21 minutes of recess a day while those at schools with relatively few students from poor families got 28 to 32 minutes a day.

District spokeswoman Janelle Asmus said the recess changes came out of feedback from state education officials and a contractor charged with helping the district improve. They urged district leaders to use school time more effectively.

“We’re a district that’s on turnaround … and the state has told us, ‘We expect dramatic improvements from you,’” Asmus said. “What we keep hearing (is), ‘You’re not using every single minute to the maximum amount.’”

Last year, district elementary schools generally had around 45 minutes of recess a day, Asmus said. While there was some variation between schools and some of that time was spent donning jackets, lining up, and filing out of the building, most had a 15-minute morning recess, 15-minute afternoon recess, and a 30-minute midday break split between lunch and recess, she said.

This year, students have only the 30-minute lunch/recess break. At a school board meeting held a week into the school year, a string of parents and teachers complained about the lack of both recess time and eating time, and a few were moved nearly to tears as they described the consequences.

Some children were throwing most of their meals away because they didn’t have enough time to eat. Others, particularly special education students who required extra help going through the cafeteria line and feeding themselves, were getting little to no recess with their peers.

While Colorado law requires elementary schools to provide students with an average of 30 minutes of physical activity a day, many observers consider it a weak law because it allows so much flexibility in what counts as physical activity and no minimum minutes for any particular type of physical activity.

Critics of the recess cut in Adams 14 say it flies in the face of research showing that physical activity improves focus and helps students better absorb information.

But Asmus said district officials agree with the research and are simply integrating physical activity into the elementary school day outside of recess. This approach entails lessons that incorporate movement or “brain breaks” — short periods of exercise in the classroom.

But teachers like Derene Armelin have their doubts.

A first grade teacher at Dupont Elementary, she said this week that some children sit out during movement breaks because they’re embarrassed to follow the choreographed moves that popular brain break videos rely on — dance moves or pretend wall-climbing, for example.

Plus, she said, there’s no replacement for getting fresh air outside.

Asmus said ensuring kids get time outdoors is up to teachers.

“This is where we rely on our teachers’ professional judgement,” she said. “How are they using their lessons to address all the needs of the student?”

Asmus said teachers can take kids outside as part of lessons, say for a butterfly hunt or to count flowers in a garden.

Armelin sees signs that the daily schedule is hard on youngsters. Some act tired. Others ask repeatedly for bathroom breaks just to get up and move.

“They’re walking down the hallway. They’re getting a drink of water,” she said. “They’re doing whatever form of exercise they can come up with.”

Parent Elizabeth Vitela said her first-grade son and fourth-grade daughter mention the lack of recess almost every day.
“They say it’s too little,” she said. “It’s not a good amount.”

Vitela, whose children attend Dupont Elementary, said she’s upset that no one ever explained the recess cuts or the discontinuation of parent-teacher conferences to parents.

Parent Carolina Rosales, who has a kindergartner and third-grader at Hanson Elementary, said her 5-year-old son sometimes misses recess altogether because he prefers to use the allotted 30 minutes to eat. Her 9-year-old daughter is the opposite, often gulping down just fruit and milk before dashing outside.

Recess practices vary in Colorado districts, including those that face the same kinds of academic hurdles as Adams 14. In nearby Westminster Public Schools, which is also on a state-required improvement plan, most elementary students get a 10-minute morning recess, a 10-minute afternoon recess and 10 to 20 minutes during the lunch/recess period, said district spokesman Stephen Saunders.

In Pueblo City Schools, which improved just enough in 2016 to avoid a state improvement plan, elementary students get a 35-minute lunch/recess break plus 10 to 15 minutes of additional recess during other times of the day, said district spokesman R. Dalton Sprouse.

While the recess cuts in Adams 14, like other recent changes there, are intended to boost learning and raise test scores, some district teachers believe the plan will backfire.

“I honestly think it’s going to bring scores down,” said Hanson Elementary teacher Jodi Connelly, who teaches fourth- and fifth-graders.

“To tell them you’re going to have to sit in a chair all day long … and have things put in your head,” she said. “That’s not how they’re wired.”

Connelly, who is currently on a health-related leave of absence, said before she went on leave in late fall she was seeing more student conflicts and disruptions. One boy, who had gradually shed his previously defiant behavior, was regressing. He’d become mouthy and rude again, habits that were landing him in detention.

“We spend more time dealing with behaviors as a result of not having the time for kids to get out there and be kids,” she said.

Westminster district will give bonuses if state ratings rise, teachers wonder whether performance pay system is coming

2017-09-14T23:07:10+00:00

Teachers and employees in Westminster Public Schools will be able to earn a bonus if they help the struggling district improve its state ratings next year.

The district’s school board on Tuesday unanimously approved the $1.7 million plan for the one-year performance stipends, the district’s latest attempt to lift the quality of its schools.

School employees can earn $1,000 if their school meets a district-set score, or up to $2,000 if they reach a more ambitious goal the school sets. District employees, including the superintendent, can earn $1,000 if the district as a whole jumps up a rating next year.

“We recognize that everyone plays a critical role in increasing student achievement and we decided that if a particular school or the district as a whole can reach that next academic accreditation level, the employees directly responsible should be rewarded,” board president Dino Valente said in a statement.

The district is one of five that was flagged by the state for chronic low performance and was put on a state-ordered improvement plan this spring.

District officials have disputed state ratings, claiming the state’s system is not fairly assessing the performance of Westminster schools. Middle school teacher Melissa Duran, who also used to be president of the teacher’s union, drew a connection between that stance and the new stipends, saying any extra pay she gets would be based on one score.

“The district has gone to the state saying, ‘Why are you rating us on these tests, look at all the other things we’re doing’” Duran said. “Well, it’s the same thing for teachers. They’re still basing our effectiveness on a test score.”

Teachers interviewed Thursday said their first thoughts upon learning of the plan was that it sounded like the beginnings of performance pay.

“I already get the point that we are in need of having our test scores come up,” said math teacher Andy Hartman, who is also head of negotiations for the teacher’s union. “Putting this little carrot out there isn’t going to change anything. I personally do not like performance pay. It’s a very slippery slope.”

District leaders say they talked to all district principals after the announcement Wednesday, and heard positive feedback.

“A lot of the teachers think this is a good thing,” said Steve Saunders, the district’s spokesman.

National studies on the effectiveness of performance pay stipends and merit pay have shown mixed results. One recent study from Vanderbilt University concluded that they can be effective, but that the design of the systems makes a difference.

In Denver Public Schools, the district has a performance-pay system to give raises and bonuses to teachers in various situations. Studies of that model have found that some teachers don’t completely understand the system and that it’s not always tied to better student outcomes.

Westminster officials said they have never formally discussed performance pay, and said that these stipends are being funded for one year with an unanticipated IRS refund.

Westminster teachers said they have ideas for other strategies that could make a quick impact, such as higher pay for substitutes so teachers aren’t losing their planning periods filling in for each other when subs are difficult to find.

Waiting on a bonus that might come next year is not providing any new motivation, teachers said.

“It’s a slap in the face,” Duran said. “It’s not like we are not already working hard enough. Personally, I already give 110 percent. I’ve always given 110 percent.”

Last month, the school board also approved a new contract for teachers and staff. Under the new agreement, teachers and staff got a raise of at least 1 percent. They received a similar raise last year.

For a struggling Colorado school district, full-day preschool — and the unusual way it’s paid for — shows promise

2017-09-11T21:07:17+00:00

Promising first-year results from a study of full-day preschool in a high-poverty suburban Denver school district have stoked optimism about a new financing approach officials are testing there.

It’s called Pay For Success and has gained traction nationwide in recent years as a way to pay for social programs that yield long-term dividends but are expensive to launch.

The struggling 9,600-student Westminster Public Schools is using a version of the complicated financing model, also known as social impact bonds, to fund and rigorously evaluate full-day preschool.

While similar projects in Salt Lake City and Chicago have been underway longer, Westminster’s three-year pilot project provides the first Colorado case study of Pay For Success as a preschool expansion tool.

It’s also a key component of the early childhood efforts outlined in the district’s state-mandated improvement plan. Only about a third of Westminster kindergartners meet expected benchmarks when they start school.

This year, about a quarter of the district’s 600 preschoolers attend full-day programming — at a cost of about $10,000 per student.

The full-day classrooms are the most expensive in the district because of state class size and student-teacher ratio requirements, but not as pricey as some high-quality preschool programs elsewhere.

The idea behind Pay For Success financing is that private investors or philanthropists pay upfront for social programs and get repaid with interest if those programs save public money by preventing the need for costly services such as special education or reading remediation. If a project doesn’t yield the hoped-for savings, the investors lose some or all of their money.

Westminster Public Schools dipped its toes into Pay For Success waters last year, offering full-day preschool to 112 4-year-olds at seven elementary schools. Two foundations — Gary Community Investments and the Ben and Lucy Ana Walton Fund of the Walton Family Foundation — put up a combined half million dollars for the project.

(The Walton Family Foundation and Gary Community Investments — through the Piton Foundation — are Chalkbeat funders).

Westminster’s pilot is not a full-fledged Pay For Success transaction because the state is not a partner in the agreement as would typically be the case. In addition, the project agreement doesn’t require the two funders to be repaid fully if the district’s full-day preschool program yields the hoped-for savings.

However, the gold standard study by outside evaluators comparing full-day and half-day preschoolers is standard Pay For Success fare. It’s also a key part of what funders and other school districts may be looking at as they consider preschool expansion efforts.

So far, Westminster’s results look good.

Full-day preschoolers there performed better than their half-day peers on a bevy of early childhood assessments that measure everything from early literacy to social and emotional development.

“We’re seeing some real statistical significance in terms of full-day (preschool),” said Mat Aubuchon, the district’s director of early childhood education.

Further evaluations over the next two years will provide more definitive results, he said.

In addition to preliminary data gleaned from the official evaluation, Aubuchon said the district has discovered some unanticipated benefits of the full-day program. These include higher attendance rates in full-day preschool classrooms and increased likelihood that full-day preschoolers will come back for kindergarten.

While 60 percent of half-day preschoolers returned for kindergarten this year, that number was 76 percent for full-day preschoolers.

Asked if the district’s full-day preschool initiative might continue beyond year three as a full-blown Pay For Success project, Aubuchon said, “I certainly hope so.”

Steffanie Clothier, investment director for child development at Gary Community Investments, said Westminster’s project will provide a valuable evidence base for other districts interested in preschool expansion even if they don’t use Pay For Success.

“I think Pay For Success is a great way to help understand the financing and short term and longer term savings from preschool programs,” she said. “But I don’t think it’s essential as a funding stream.”

From passionate to politics-free, here’s how Colorado school districts responded to Trump’s DACA decision

2017-09-08T23:30:23+00:00

Even before the Trump administration announced the rollback of an Obama-era program that provides protections to young undocumented immigrants, Tom Boasberg didn’t hold back.

The longtime Denver Public Schools superintendent fired off one pre-emptive statement saying that ending the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, or DACA, would “cruelly rip the American dream” from young immigrants’ grasp. He joined other civic leaders for a news conference under the Capitol dome to call for the program’s preservation.

When DACA’s imminent demise was announced Tuesday, the DPS communications staff was ready with a statement, in both English and Spanish, decrying the move as “shortsighted, heartless and harmful.”

In Aurora Public Schools, Superintendent Rico Munn, a lawyer and former head of the State Department of Regulatory Agencies, conferred with staff about a more measured response.

Two days after the Trump White House put DACA on notice, APS emailed the school community a newsletter reiterating district policy about immigration enforcement and linking to a school board resolution passed earlier this year meant to allay community fears. The district statement did not mention DACA, nor was it signed by Munn or anyone personally.

The contrasting responses – from passionate and personal to informational and politics-free – provide a window into how school districts view their responsibilities when a divisive national policy change carries profound implications for many Colorado students and their families.

In Colorado’s urban, suburban and rural areas, officials in districts with large numbers of immigrant students are attempting to support kids at a trying time without over-promising security they may not be able to guarantee. How districts respond hinges on intensely local factors, from the political climate to leadership style and school board makeup.

“This is uncharted waters,” said Kathy Escamilla, director of the BUENO Center for Multicultural Education at the University of Colorado Boulder. “… It’s incumbent upon all school districts to say ‘This issue is complex, it’s not just legal and illegal.’ And they need to inform their communities about the complexities about dealing with these thorny issues.”

Roughly 800,000 people in the U.S., including nearly 17,300 people in Colorado, are enrolled in DACA. Begun in 2012, the program offers work permits and temporary reprieves from deportation to undocumented immigrants brought to the U.S. as young children.

Trump has given Congress six months to tackle immigration issues broadly before DACA is undone. He also has indicated that he may act on DACA if Congress does not.

Susana Cordova, deputy superintendent of Denver Public Schools, said leaders of the 92,000-student district felt they had no choice but to speak out.

“The conditions have been thrust on us,” she said Friday.

Cordova added that DPS leaders believe “this is a fundamental moral obligation we have to support our Latino students in general and in particular, take a stance on what we believe is a very misguided, poorly thought-out and detrimental decision.”

Some Denver school principals also spoke out publicly. A group of more than 90 school leaders wrote an opinion piece in The Denver Post calling on Congress to pass the 2017 DREAM Act to provide permanent protections for immigrants.

“Principals have real power in communities,” said author James Cryan, who is founder and CEO of the Rocky Mountain Prep charter school network in Denver and Aurora. The group, he said, wanted to use that power “to stand with folks who, in many cases, … don’t feel safe.”

The Aurora Public Schools statement sought to tamp down concerns about imminent immigration actions and said the “safety and wellbeing of our students and staff is our top priority.”

Munn said in an interview that there is no “right response” to news like DACA’s rollback, and that it varies by community. Asked about the more pointed statement from Boasberg and DPS, Munn said neither he nor the district has a track record of putting out such statements.

“We have tried to stay focused on serving our kids and making sure our kids and our families know at a very practical level what the impact is on their lives,” he said. “For us, it’s important not to be a distraction in that communication. In other communities, it makes all the sense in the world to handle it differently depending on how you relate to that community.”

Judith Padilla, an Aurora mother of three, said Friday she didn’t receive the district’s communication on immigration this week, but wishes she had more resources from the schools.

“All of us need more information about what help our schools can or can’t offer us,” Padilla said. “They need to support everyone. I am worried about what’s going to happen.”

Other suburban Denver districts, many of them with large and growing Hispanic populations, also gave a variety of responses.

In Jeffco Public Schools, Superintendent Jason Glass was quick to post on his blog about DACA, striking a tone that falls somewhere between Denver’s and Aurora’s statements.

Glass noted the opportunities DACA provides to undocumented students “who have much to contribute to our community, state, and nation.” He also linked to more information and a “do and don’t list” for educators.

In an email to Chalkbeat, Glass expanded on the district’s strategy, noting that leaders must take into account residents, boards and community values in deciding if and how to engage on issues with political dimensions.

“For Jeffco, that meant reassuring potentially impacted members of our community that our schools remain open and welcoming to them, and that we would monitor and work with our Congressional delegation in an effort to not limit opportunities for our children,” he said. “In other communities, that engagement can mean something else.”

Westminster Public Schools sent an internal communication last week to principals with “key talking points,” and reminders to staff of policy on social media, teaching controversial topics and interactions with immigration officials.

“We do not collect or share information on a student’s legal status and that will not change,” the memo said, echoing the message of many other school districts. “Westminster Public Schools values ethnic and language diversity in our district and we view diversity as a strength.”

Javier Abrego, the superintendent of the Adams 14 School District in Commerce City, put out a more pointed statement — in English and Spanish — on DACA on Wednesday.

“To be sure, the elimination of DACA will not only have a dramatic economic impact on our state and nation, it will have devastating impacts on our schools and communities,” he wrote. “Our community and schools will lose employees, coaches and school support staff. Our educational systems are already in dire need of great support and resources; the elimination of DACA just compounds an already alarming situation.”

Abrego also joined a handful of other superintendents in calling for Congress to act.

In Greeley-Evans School District 6, Superintendent Deirdre Pilch put out a one-paragraph statement Tuesday acknowledging that changes in DACA will “cause worry and concern for some of our students, families and our own staff.” It concluded by encouraging families to voice their concerns to national elected officials and expressing hope that Congress will find a solution.

Earlier this year Pilch was one of several Colorado school and district leaders who signed a letter to federal officials in support of DACA.

But not every district leader felt compelled to speak out about DACA this week.

In St Vrain Valley School District, where 30 percent of the district’s 32,000 students are Hispanic, district officials released no statement or resolution on DACA.

“I don’t know what a piece of paper would do,” said Superintendent Don Haddad. “For us, we don’t change our approach with kids and our community every time a politician says something. We care about our kids 24/7, every day of the week.”

Rural Colorado is far more diverse than most other U.S. rural areas, with significant Latino populations in some areas. Districts there, too, are grappling with responding to DACA.

In the Roaring Fork School District, Superintendent Rob Stein released a one-page statement critical of the DACA announcement on Tuesday — the district’s first day of school.

In a separate letter to district staff and board members, Stein acknowledged that immigrant rights is a political issue and said everyone should make their own choices about how to get involved. “At the same time,” he wrote, “we have a safe haven resolution as a school district that states, in part, ‘We will act where we have influence and make a difference wherever we can.’”

The 1,000-student Lake County school district has yet to send any formal communication about its stance on DACA to parents, said high school principal Ben Cairns. Instead, they’ve deferred to the community’s Latino organizations.

However, the high school is encouraging students to participate in the immigration policy debate. On Tuesday, about two dozen students in three vans traveled to a rally on Denver’s Auraria Campus.

Cairns said he’s aware of potential backlash from other community members but that hasn’t stopped him from supporting the needs of his students.

“It’s complicated,” he said. “But it’s our role to help kids process these big moments in their lives.”

State’s lowest performing schools and districts taking hard look at this year’s test data

2017-08-18T00:24:24+00:00

Testing data for Colorado’s longest-struggling schools and districts show mixed trends.

Results released Thursday are from exams students took last spring, before the State Board of Education approved corrective action plans for the five districts and a dozen schools that had run out of time on Colorado’s accountability clock.

The Pueblo City 60 district saw a decline across many tests and grade levels while Westminster Public Schools showed improvements in 10 of 14 English and math tests.

Those districts, like other districts and schools facing state intervention this past school year, were already making changes before their state improvement plans were finalized. Much of that work is incorporated into the plans.

Thursday’s test data will be used toward a new state rating, one which these districts and schools must improve soon. The state plans gave most schools and districts until 2019 to earn a higher quality rating for face potential consequencs. But some, including the Adams County School District 14 and Adams City High School in Commerce City, must have a higher rating by 2018.

The district of almost 7,500 students saw some improvements, but still is posting very low scores. For instance, 9.3 percent of fifth-grade students met the state’s learning goals in math, up from 7.9 percent last year. In that area, the district did better than the state, as fewer fifth graders did well on math tests statewide than last year.

At Adams City High School, growth scores, which represent how much students learned in a year compared to similar-performing students, decreased for both math and English. The school had an interim principal for much of the school year, which led to a student walkout in the spring.

Overall, Adams 14’s proficiency numbers are still lower than state averages.

Of these low-performing districts, the Pueblo City 60 district, which faced state action only for some of its schools but not as a district, was the only one that had decreases in growth scores for both English and math tests.

In English, the growth score was 43, down from 47 last year. That means students this year scored on average better than just 43 percent of Colorado students who had similar test scores last year.

The Pueblo district saw an increase in how many students met or exceeded expectations in eighth-grade English. One possible reason officials pointed to: innovation schools granted flexibility from some rules and state laws.

Dalton Sprouse, a district spokesman, said district officials are relatively pleased with the improvements they see in the data, especially when broken down by school.

“Given that there’s just two years of growth data, some of the fluctuation could be expected,” Sprouse said. “We see this as we’re maintaining the progress we made last year.”

Sprouse noted that two of the three schools that faced the state board earlier this year for low performance saw big increases in the number of students meeting math expectations.

“Some progress is starting to take place,” Sprouse said. “The assessment office is already working with principals to really dig into that data.”

Westminster Public Schools, another district that faced state action this year and is now on a three-year improvement plan, saw more improvements than the other districts on the state watchlist.

“We are pleased to see our focus on high expectations and personalized learning for all students is paying off,” Superintendent Pamela Swanson said in a statement.

The Westminster district, however, was also one of the only districts in the metro area where English language learners had worse growth scores than native English speakers in both math and English. Last year, there was no gap in growth on English tests.

Last year, about 40 percent of students in Westminster schools were English language learners.

In Adams 14 schools, where about 46 percent of students are English language learners, those students posted higher growth scores than native English speaking students.

Westminster did increase their overall rate of growth according to median growth scores, and reached above 50 for English language arts.

Aurora Public Schools, the only district at risk of state action next year, posted increases and also got one growth score above 50, which is critical to catch students up when they are behind grade level.

Here’s how districts that ran out of time on Colorado’s accountability clock — or districts that had schools that did — compared:

Westminster’s plan to improve schools gets narrow board approval

2017-05-12T00:06:54+00:00

A plan to improve the struggling Westminster Public Schools was narrowly approved Thursday by the State Board of Education.

The Democrat-controlled board voted along party lines to approve the plan, with the Democrats voting in favor and the Republicans voting against.

The 4-3 vote followed months of negotiations and appeals between the 10,000-student district and the state.

Westminster is the first metro-area district in Colorado to face state intervention after more than five years of low performance on state English and math tests. It is the only district in the state, and one of a few in the country, that has tried to roll out competency-based education district-wide. Instead of traditional grade levels, the district moves students through instruction when they prove they’ve learned a concept.

As part of the improvement plan, the district has hired consultant AdvancEd to help diagnose problems interfering with the rollout of its teaching model and other achievement problems at each of the district’s underperforming schools.

The district previously hired the company to review its school improvement efforts. AdvancEd granted the district a five-year accreditation under their standards. The group also accredits Valor Christian High School, schools in the Cherry Creek School District and schools under the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Denver.

Under its plan, Westminster will also work with Denver-based Marzano Research to train and better prepare teachers to use the competency-based model. Marzano will open a new lab school in the district in the 2018-19 school year. Called Marzano Academy, it will be run based on the company’s research.

Last week members of the state board pushed back on Westminster’s plan, saying it lacked clarity and didn’t make clear the roles the two companies would play.

Even though the district added new details to its plan, some state board members still balked.

“Will this program work?” Republican Steve Durham asked. “I hope so. But I’m not sure it’s the kind of change that can ensure that.”

Earlier in the meeting Durham attempted to strip the district of its accreditation, a seal of approval from the state. But only one other board member, Republican Joyce Rankin, supported his motion.

State board members have increasingly voiced concern about how much authority external partners such as AdvancEd and Marzano should have in low-performing schools. A majority of plans have mirrored Westminster’s. Other options include closing schools or turning them over to charter operators.

Westminster Superintendent Pam Swanson told the board’s Republican members that she rejected their premise that the district hasn’t been proactive in improving.

“We’re really pleased the board upheld Westminster’s plan to move forward,” Swanson said after the meeting. “We believe we’re doing great work. We believe we’ve had a great trajectory.”

State Board of Education presses for more clarity on Westminster’s improvement plan

2017-05-05T01:01:01+00:00

Following some heated discussion, the Colorado State Board of Education on Thursday directed Westminster Public Schools and state education department staff to refine a plan that would let the district get outside help to improve student performance.

The corrective action plan district and state officials presented Thursday — calling for the district to partner with two companies — would give the district’s unique academic model a chance to take hold and avoid more drastic changes the state could order.

The 10,000-student district is the first metro-area district in Colorado to face an accountability hearing after more than five years of low performance. Westminster is the only district in the state, and one of few in the country, that has tried to roll out competency-based education district-wide. That model allows the district to move students through levels when they prove they’ve learned a concept instead of through age-based grade levels each year.

State board members Thursday questioned the district on the track record of the companies that will partner with the district, on how the competency-based system works for the district’s diverse students and on how teacher turnover affects the district’s rollout of the model.

But some discussion focused on comments made at another hearing last week, in which district officials challenged the latest state quality rating that landed them in the position of facing state action.

The district’s school board has voiced concerns with how the state board dismissed the district’s appeal of the state performance rating. Westminster board president Dino Valente opened the hearing this week taking issue with the district being labeled a failure and with the state board members’ criticism that Westminster was using student demographics to make excuses about poor performance.

Westminster officials say they are still considering “all legal options” in response to the appeal loss.

State board member Steve Durham, the only one to vote against the plan Thursday, questioned why the district shouldn’t be called failing after six state ratings determined the district was low-performing. Durham said districts need to take responsibility and “put some skin in the game” by “voluntarily giving up some management control.”

“You don’t admit you have a problem, then it’s going to be darn hard to solve,” Durham said. “Nobody wants to admit there’s a problem, but the reality is you have to have some standards. This management proposal in my opinion is not meaningful.”

The board passed a resolution supporting the plan, but asked for a final version to include more details about each company’s role and responsibility with the district.

District officials said after the meeting they believe the plan already clearly defines the companies’ roles and responsibilities.

Under the plan, AdvancEd, a consultant the Westminster district hired last year to review the district’s competency-based model, would help the district diagnose problems interfering with the proper rollout of the model and other achievement problems at each underperforming school.

Denver-based Marzano Research would partner with the district to train and better prepare teachers to use the competency-based model.

Marzano would create a Marzano Academy in the district to open in the 2018-19 school year as a lab school to be run based on Marzano’s research, with a goal of finding a way to give teachers a credential to teach in the model.

Officials from each company, emphasized they would hold the district accountable, saying they will pull out from the work if the district doesn’t meet their requirements.

AdvancEd officials said they can, and will, pull their own accreditation of the district if certain requirements aren’t met.

Robert Marzano, the cofounder of Marzano Research, said that in order to open the lab school in the district they have already asked for authority over several aspects of running the school as a condition of the work.

Westminster leaders said they are waiting for results from this spring’s tests to identify which schools AdvancEd might focus on.

State board members have increasingly voiced concerns this spring with how much authority external partners should have in low-performing schools or districts and with figuring out how the districts, which have failed themselves, could hold the outside groups accountable.

Julie Tolleson, an attorney for the state said during the hearing the department believes in a management partnership that helps districts build their own skills, rather than a model with a company taking over. Tolleson added that she is confident the model complies with state law and with the intent of the state’s accountability law.

Westminster schools loses on appeal seeking higher performance rating

2017-04-25T01:27:28+00:00

The state’s quality rating for Westminster Public Schools will not change after an appeal to the Colorado Board of Education Monday.

The board unanimously voted to deny the appeal after minimal discussion mostly criticizing the district for blaming poor performance on minority and disadvantaged students.

“The ‘why’ students are not performing at grade level is an excuse, but what it should do is give us a roadmap to remedy that failure,” said board member Steve Durham. “It’s our job to identify poor performance and further find remedies regardless of the reasons.”

Pam Swanson, Westminster’s superintendent and school board members said the state board members’ comments were ridiculous.

“We have very high expectations,” Swanson said. “Every teacher listening to that comment was disgusted because we know that we have high expectations. We know all of our kids can get there it just takes them longer.”

The district has argued that their annual performance evaluation was not legal because it discriminated against the district’s population of large numbers of English learners, mobile students and those who qualify for free or reduced price lunch.

They also contend the state isn’t making allowances to account for Westminster’s so-called “competency-based” learning model, which does away with grade levels and moves students instead based on when they’ve learned certain education standards. The district believes that by placing students into traditional grade levels based on their age for testing means they aren’t measuring what students are learning.

State education department officials disputed the district’s appeal stating in part that the district has the flexibility to determine student grade levels for testing purposes.

The decision means Westminster now must go through with an accountability hearing where the state board will be required to vote on action to turnaround the district. Proposed plans for that hearing on May 4 have already been prepared.

The meeting was packed by Westminster employees. A crowd of educators from the Westminster district were watching the meeting from outside the boardroom.

How the state plans to deal with the struggling Westminster Public Schools

2017-04-20T23:43:21+00:00

District and state officials have come up with a plan to improve student performance at Westminster Public Schools that gives the district’s unique academic model a chance to take hold and avoids more drastic changes at the state’s disposal.

Officials negotiated the plan — which involves enlisting the help of two outside companies — while also preparing for a legal confrontation about how the state evaluates districts.

Attorneys for Westminster schools will go before the state Board of Education on Monday to again ask for a higher performance rating. If the appeal fails, Westminster officials will present the state Board of Education with the plan for improving student achievement and graduation rates at an accountability hearing in two weeks.

Westminster Public Schools officials argue the state is not consistent in how it evaluates districts with challenging student populations. They also contend the state isn’t making allowances to account for Westminster’s so-called “competency-based” learning model, which does away with grade levels and moves students instead based on when they show they’ve learned certain standards.

“Unique among Colorado’s school districts, WPS is being penalized for its particularly needy student population and constitutionally protected choice of the (Competency Based System),” the district’s appeal states. “The District deserves a real opportunity to implement this model under consistent expectations and in harmony with current state standards and assessments.”

After several years of low performance on annual state evaluations, the nearly 10,000-student district is the first metro area district in the state to face the possibility of losing state accreditation.

The plan that district and state officials may offer the state board would allow the district two more years to improve while it works with two companies to manage some parts of the district’s work.

The state could have chosen more drastic steps including turning management of schools over to a charter operator, recommending the district give schools more autonomy under innovation status, or forcing the district to merge with one that is higher performing.

“Charter or innovation at an individual school level may have a positive impact on student achievement and may be appropriate, however that approach alone would not be sufficient to address the needs of students across the district,” the state’s recommendation stated.

The documents from the state say that if “significant progress in student performance” isn’t shown in two years, state officials will reevaluate the recommendation.

Under the negotiated plan, AdvancEd, a consultant the Westminster district hired last year to review the district’s competency-based model, would help the district diagnose problems interfering with the proper rollout of the model and other achievement problems at each underperforming school.

After last year’s review, AdvancEd granted the district a five-year accreditation under their standards. The group also accredits Valor Christian High School, schools in the Cherry Creek School District and schools under the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Denver.

The AdvancED work under the plan is expected to take between one and three years.

The second company, Denver-based Marzano Research, would partner with the district to train and better prepare teachers to use the competency-based model.

Marzano would also create a Marzano Academy in the district to open in the 2018-19 school year as a lab school that will be run based on Marzano’s research.

Westminster officials declined to comment on the plan at this point, but noted that the Marzano group has been involved with Westminster for some time with other work around the competency based model. They also noted that the AdvancED partnership is ongoing regardless of the direction from the state.

Some efforts to improve the district already are underway.

One example: Free, full-day preschool is being offered for four-year olds at seven locations in the district for the first time this school year. Westminster is also expanding internship and concurrent enrollment opportunities for students and is working to improve a new leadership pipeline program to train aspiring school leaders. The plan document from the district also mentions a program to mentor new teachers.

Although almost half of the district’s students are English learners, the plan from the district doesn’t address any specific changes to instruction for English development, although the district notes that “inconsistent quality, fidelity, intensity, and implementation,” of instructional strategies for English learners is a root cause of performance problems in the district.

Silence, empty seats and solidarity in Colorado schools for a “Day Without Immigrants”

2017-02-17T01:52:34+00:00

At McGlone Academy in northeast Denver, Thursday began with one minute of silence during morning announcements. Some classrooms in the heavily Latino school had just six or eight students. Staff members wore stickers that read, “I stand with Immigrants #togetherwearestronger.”

The strong sentiments — and empty seats — were evident at schools across Colorado as communities took part in a nationwide protest called a “Day Without Immigrants.”

Several districts reported a spike in absences as students joined with others across the country in sending a message about immigrants’ contributions to society. Staff absences were higher at some schools as well. One school district sought to dispel rumors that district staff were urging students to stay home because of anticipated federal immigration enforcement actions.

Denver Public Schools deputy superintendent Susana Cordova alerted staff on Wednesday to the potential for widespread absences, noting that word of the protest has “has been all over Spanish-language media and social media.”

“In DPS, we want all of our students and staff to feel welcome every single day and we believe that the best place for students is in school,” Cordova wrote. “We know that, in many of our schools, a large majority of our students and some staff members come from different parts of the world. Please continue to show support to all of our students and their families.”

Attendance in DPS schools was down about five percent districtwide, although district officials cautioned that those numbers were preliminary and some schools saw many absences.

Jeffco Public Schools officials said districtwide numbers wouldn’t be available until Friday, but confirmed that handful of schools experienced large-scale absences.

More than 40 percent of students at both Jefferson and Alameda Jr./Sr. high schools were absent, and about 30 percent of students at Emory Elementary were absent. The schools have significant Latino student populations.

Absences were up districtwide in Boulder Valley schools, with about 91 percent of students attending compared to the usual 95 percent. The same was true in Greeley District 6, where attendance was at 86 percent Thursday, compared to 95 percent the day before.

Westminster Public Schools — a district where about 85 percent of the 9,600 students are minorities and almost 40 percent are English learners — reported student absence rates were at about 35 percent compared to 10 percent Wednesday.

Westminster High School and two middle schools had the highest percent of students missing. One elementary school, Fairview Elementary, reported attendance rates of 67 percent, down from 96 percent the day before.

Steve Saunders, a spokesman for the Westminster district, said district officials sent a notice to the district’s leadership team Wednesday about a possible spike in absences.

“As a matter of policy, we encourage students to be in class every day possible, but we will not be proactively telling families how to respond to this form of peaceful protest,” said the letter signed by superintendent Pam Swanson.

Nancy Hernandez of the Westminster Public Schools Foundation, who works with undocumented students in the district, said it’s important for all districts, especially those with many students of color, to take the extra step of sending messages to their families.

“Silence just makes people anxious,” Hernandez said. “It makes families wonder.”

At Kenton Elementary School in Aurora, emotions were running high Thursday because of the school’s personal connection to the story of Jeanette Vizguerra, a Denver mother who has received national media attention for her decision to take sanctuary in a Denver church to avoid deportation. Last year, her children attended Kenton.

About 185 students of the school’s 580 students missed class Thursday, up from a normal of about 30 absences per day, principal Heather Woodward said. Woodward said she believes families wouldn’t pull their kids out of school if they didn’t feel it was important.

“The value of education in our community is extremely huge,” Woodward said. “They totally understand learning is important.”

Aurora Public School officials said district-wide attendance rates would not be available until Friday.

A note sent from Boulder Valley School district officials to families ahead of the protest provides a window into how quickly fear and misinformation are spreading. The email, with the subject line “Important news – false rumor,” read:

“Please be aware that there was a rumor today that has been communicated to local media that some BVSD school administrators were advising immigrant students to stay home tomorrow, February 16, out of concern for a possible immigration enforcement action on Thursday. This rumor is false. No BVSD administrator has advised any student not to attend school tomorrow.”

Other school district officials were less enthusiastic about the protest. Greeley spokeswoman Theresa Myers said the district supports its immigrant and migrant families but was unhappy students were included.

“We understand organizers are trying to show the impact of immigrants on our society, but really, only our students suffer when they are kept out of schools,” he wrote via email. “That is unfortunate,”

Myers said it was left up to principals whether student absences resulting from the protest would be counted as excused or unexcused. She said that she expected most to be counted as unexcused.

At one charter school in northwest Denver, STRIVE Prep at Lake, teachers incorporated the protest into lessons the class was already working on.

Burgess LePage, an English teacher at the school, was teaching students about historical documents and the Montgomery, Ala., bus boycotts. Students compared and annotated a copy of a leaflet that was used at the time to flyers passed out for Thursday’s protest.

“You could hear a moment of when there were these nods of understanding,” Le Page said.

Students who showed up to school, about 10 of her 29 students, in general said they supported the protest but didn’t want to put their education on hold for it.

The lesson will continue Friday as the students who skipped class return.

Although McGlone Academyin Denver’s Montbello neighborhood was half empty Thursday, some of the students who did attend — mostly fifth- and sixth-graders — chose to protest by wearing school-provided stickers reading, “Today I am protesting through SILENCE.”

Principal Sara Gips Goodall said she’d visited the school’s older students the day before to tell them about the silent protest option and also shared information with their parents.

By not using their voices, she told them, “That’s a day without you as an immigrant.”

Gips Goodall said the various displays of protest and solidarity were both empowering and sad. It was heart-warming to see non-immigrant students don silent protest stickers in unity with their immigrant classmates, she said.

At the same time, there was a void. One third-grader asked, “Where are all my friends?” she said.

“We’re missing our kids and families,” she said, “and our classrooms are not the same without them.”

Correction: An earlier version of this story referred incorrectly to McGlone Elementary School. It is McGlone Academy.

Two Colorado districts plan to ask state board to up their quality ratings to stave off sanctions

2017-01-04T01:04:43+00:00

Two low-performing Colorado school districts at different points on a path toward sanctions plan to appeal their state quality ratings to the State Board of Education.

Aurora and Westminster public schools were the only districts that filed the necessary paperwork by Tuesday, the deadline for districts that received one of the state’s two lowest ratings to appeal, a department spokesman said.

Both districts, which received the state’s second-lowest rating, are in Denver’s inner suburbs and serve some of the state’s most at-risk students. Large numbers of students in both districts are poor, Latino, black or learning English as a second language.

The “priority improvement” rating both districts received last month brings them closer to state-ordered steps that could include closing some schools or turning them over to third-party charter school operators. Other options include asking a district to hand over some or all of its operations to a third party.

Officials from Westminster and Aurora did not respond to interview requests. However, Westminster made clear its intentions to appeal earlier.

Westminster’s appeal hearing has been scheduled for March, the education department spokesman said. Aurora’s appeal date has not been set.

If the state board does not grant the appeals, Westminster will face sanctions this year, and Aurora could face sanctions in 2018 if students don’t show enough improvement on next spring’s state exams.

The state board has never granted a district’s request to increase its quality rating. Previously, the Sheridan School District asked in 2014 and Mapleton Public Schools in 2013.

The Westminster school district, which sits in Adams County, would be one of the first districts in the state to face sanctions under the state’s current accountability system. Four other districts also face sanctions this year, and none appealed.

Westminster schools didn’t improve enough to dodge sanctions, state finds

2016-12-15T21:44:03+00:00

State officials have denied Westminster Public Schools’ plea to reconsider the district’s performance rating, putting the district one step closer to facing consequences for low performance.

Colorado Department of Education staff presented the final ratings to the state Board of Education Thursday. The state notified district officials earlier this week that the evidence they had presented to request a higher rating included good data, but was insufficient.

“Though some of the data provided showed some progress and promise over the past five years, comprehensively the data did not present a compelling case of performance that warrants a higher accreditation rating,” state officials wrote in a letter to the district this week.

As it stands, the rating means Westminster Public Schools is one of five districts that will face state sanctions in the coming months after five low performance ratings from the state. This group of districts would be the first to face sanctions under the state’s accountability system.

Westminster officials say they plan to appeal the state’s decision.

“We are disappointed by the decision and will be vigorously following all avenues available to us,” said Pam Swanson, Westminster schools superintendent. “We don’t think the Colorado Department of Education fully considered or responded to all of the information that was submitted in our request for reconsideration. Importantly, the decision doesn’t reflect the fact that none of our schools face sanctions.”

The district had requested that the state reconsider its most recent rating in part because the district has been working on switching the 9,500-student district to a competency-based model. Under the model, the district did away with placements based only on age and instead groups students by what they know. The approach also requires students to prove they’ve mastered certain competencies before passing onto the next level.

Westminster officials worry that because students must be grouped by age for state tests, the accountability system might not be fairly evaluating their progress. The district presented data from its own internal tests and from a review by a third-party they hired to assess the model.

The data, especially from 2010 through 2014, showed positive trends, the state agreed. But in 2016, state officials pointed out that several schools saw a decline.

The state also took time in the letter to address some of the district’s concerns with the accountability system, countering some statements made by Westminster officials, including on how often the standards have changed in the last several years. The state standards have “evolved,” officials stated in the letter, but districts were given years to make the transition.

Specifically addressing the district’s competency based system, state officials noted at several points that there may be more to learn from the system and how it works with the state’s testing.

“The department recognizes that the district has been working to implement a Competency Based System,” the letter to the district states. “Your input around assessment options has been shared and is being considered. But we welcome further conversation.”

Is Westminster Public Schools’ investment in competency-based learning paying off?

2016-12-06T00:29:26+00:00

Teacher Amy Adams will tell you that her class at Flynn Elementary School is loud and chaotic.

Her class of almost 30 students is used to doing a lot of independent or small group work. In Westminster Public Schools — the only Colorado district to use what is known as competency-based learning in all its schools — it’s common.

The model does away with traditional grade levels — meaning there is no such thing as third grade, sixth grade and so on. Students are grouped together based on proficiency in each subject, and they are expected to know what they need to master to move up a level. That means during the day, students are moving around, talking to each other and sometimes working on different assignments — raising the volume in the process.

“We don’t like quiet classrooms,” said Justin Davis, principal of Flynn Elementary. “These teachers know what they’re doing. But most importantly, the kids know what they’re working on.”

Seven years since beginning to adopt the competency-based model, Westminster Public Schools is still working out problems and testing changes to try to make the system work, all while the district remains on the state’s watchlist for poor academic performance.

Among the lingering problems: Teachers have been inconsistent in tracking data, the district hasn’t pinned down just how long is too long for a student to linger on a single level, and many students and parents remain confused about how the model works.

Still, the district credits the competency-based model with improving district schools on the state’s performance ratings between 2010 and 2014 so that no district schools are on the state watchlist for a fifth year in a row. That distinction would trigger state sanctions.

But those improvements have not been enough to move the district itself off the watchlist for low performance, according to preliminary ratings. Westminster district officials are contesting this year’s rating, in part insisting the state’s evaluation is not adequately considering their model.

The idea for the new model was simple: Kids should move grade levels when they prove they’ve mastered a learning goal, not based on how long they’ve spent in a class. Students would be grouped in classrooms based on their performance levels and would be able to move levels — or sometimes physical classrooms — in the middle of the year. For state tests, students still must be tested based on their age, not considering what material they’ve been taught based on their proficiency levels.

If the latest rating doesn’t change, the state will decide in the next several months what action to take against districts such as Westminster that have failed to move out of the bottom two performance ratings for five years.

Nationwide, the popularity of competency-based education models is growing. In Colorado, Westminster is the only district using it in all schools and across all grade levels.

Aurora Public Schools included competency-based learning in its innovation plan for Aurora Central High School earlier this year. But officials there said they are still reviewing how it would work and have yet to put a system in place.

As more schools try the model, the research around it is trying to catch up. In a report published last year by CompetencyWorks, an initiative of the advocacy group International Association for K-12 Online Learning, researchers found that school districts switching to competency-based models varied in their time to make the switch. Leaders suggested the first phases took at least five years.

“All the districts highlighted here emphasize they are still involved in continually improving the design and implementation of the system,” the report stated.

In October, Westminster officials presented at a conference in Texas about challenges in tracking how students progress through the levels. This week, district officials will also be in Washington D.C. after they were invited to participate in a White House discussion about improving testing.

Superintendent Pam Swanson has said that it would make sense to test kids “in real time” when they move levels instead of once a year. The tests also need to stay consistent so data can start to be compared and used for more analysis, officials say.

“This progression data doesn’t exist anywhere,” said Jeni Gotto, Westminster’s executive director of teaching and learning. Gotto said having progression data would help teachers plan for students to get on track, and would help the district aggregate data to identify students who are struggling.

Every month, teachers meet with their principal to pore over data about individual students to determine if they’re making progress toward moving levels. Interventionists and psychologists recently began joining those meetings to discuss each student’s needs.

But at a district level, officials couldn’t provide data showing how long students take to move each level compared to how much they should take. Without that, it’s hard to track district-wide trends, including whether any one segment of students is more or less likely to struggle with the model.

Data that is available, such as graduation rates, shows drops. In 2015, 59.4 percent of Westminster students graduated on time, down from 62.3 percent for the class of 2010.

The last two years of PARCC state test scores didn’t show students in Westminster growing much, either. Westminster’s growth scores this year showed students were growing at a slower rate than more than half of the state, and achievement scores also showed several groups performing worse than last year’s classes. For example, among third graders, 15.8 percent of students met or exceeded expectations on English language arts tests in 2016, down from 16.8 percent of last year’s class.

To get more information on progress, Westminster officials last year hired AdvancEd, a national nonprofit, to audit the program.

The group gave the district an accreditation — and a mostly favorable review — but still found many problems and suggested several changes that the district is working on now.

“Many students could describe in varying degrees the concepts of grading and reporting, but often even they could not articulate a simple, clear explanation of the process,” the report stated. “When parents and students do not understand how learning progress is reported, engaging them in meaningful ways becomes much more difficult.”

Teachers say that getting students to take responsibility for their pace of learning is a challenge.

“That’s been perhaps the most difficult — to get the kids to buy into that,” said Westminster teacher Seth Abbott.

Abbott said students in his class have remained engaged by showing their creativity in proving they understand a concept. When he gives them suggestions, they have come up with other ideas including designing a test, he said.

“Everyone learns differently and everyone can show evidence in different ways,” Abbott said. “It’s neat to think of the ways someone can show what they’ve learned in ways I maybe hadn’t even thought about.”

District officials say that’s evidence of positive change that needs time and flexibility to expand.

“Not only have we seen progress,” said Swanson, the superintendent. “We’re still very humble and learn every day.”

Can Westminster’s different approach to learning get a fair shot under Colorado’s accountability system?

2016-10-14T23:55:43+00:00

Leaders of the largest school district in Colorado facing possible state intervention next year are contending that the current system for rating schools is not capturing progress their students are making under an approach to learning that is one-of-a-kind in Colorado.

In 2009, Westminster Public Schools began phasing in competency-based learning, which is based on grouping kids together based on what they know instead of their age.

“Our system is at odds with the traditional accountability model,” said Oliver Grenham, chief education officer for Westminster Public Schools. He added that the district is showing growth and closing achievement gaps separating students of different backgrounds.

The state’s preliminary rating for the district is priority improvement, the second lowest rating on the scale, and the same as in previous years. The state is required to take action after a school or district earns five consecutive low ratings. Westminster Public Schools has reached that limit and if the newest preliminary rating is finalized they will face intervention. Among its options, the state can choose to shut down schools or require the district to merge with another.

Westminster Public Schools in the fall of 2009 began to phase-in what is now called a competency based system. Through it, the district did away with traditional grade-level assignments and grades. Instead, students in Westminster schools are assigned to classrooms based on their proficiency in each subject and they move up through the levels when they show they learned the content, not necessarily after a year of sitting in that class.

While other districts are experimenting with competency-based models in some schools, none have moved to do it district-wide like Westminster did by the 2013-14 school year. Westminster district leaders say it’s still evolving.

“One thing that has evolved over time is our tracking of our student data so we are as flexible as we can to move students when they’re ready to move,” said Pam Swanson, the district’s superintendent. “The other thing is we can never do too much communication.”

Part of the model is dependent on students understanding that when they learn the content, they can ask to prove it on a test so they can move to another level. Students accelerate more when they understand how the system works, officials say.

The district said it also can point to evidence that it is executing the model well. Last school year the district paid AdvancEd, a national nonprofit, to review the model. The group accredited the district as a result and shared recommendations to improve the system, which the district is working on now.

Part of the conflict with the state’s accountability system, officials say, is that students have to be assigned a traditional grade level when they take state tests. A student may be assigned to a grade level based on their age, even if they have not had exposure to that grade level content yet.

District officials call the required grouping artificial, and say that the once-a-year tests don’t reflect the growth students make.

“We would love to be able to comply with state testing but to do it in a way that’s real time,” Swanson said. “If we could do it as we’re moving kids through their levels, that would make so much more sense.”

Maria Worthen, vice president of federal and state policy for the International Association for K-12 Online Learning, said competency is not at odds with accountability rooted in the idea that kids should know a certain amount by a certain age.

“When we talk about competency-based education, it’s about meeting students where they are and giving them all of the supports they need,” Worthen said. “We’re not talking about computer-based training. It’s not about everyone at their own pace. It’s about flexible pace. It’s about letting kids try again.”

Based on data from state tests, the most recent indicator of growth showed students in Westminster were growing at a slower rate than more than half of the state. In English language arts tests, Westminster’s growth score was 47. That means Westminster students showed improvements, on average, better than 47 percent of Colorado kids who had similar scores last year. In math, Westminster’s growth score was 42.

Worthen said the new federal education law, the Every Student Succeeds Act, provides more opportunities for states to create systems that better account for how kids learn in competency-based systems.

State officials say federal law requires students take tests based on a grade level because it allows officials to make sure students are keeping up with their peers and not being discriminated against. But Colorado is in the early stages of considering requesting flexibility from the federal government for a new state testing and accountability model.

That could involve a system that is more suited for competency-based teaching, or one that also allows for testing throughout the year instead of once.

“There’s not consensus across the state when it comes to what we should prioritize,” said Joyce Zurkowski, executive director of assessment at the state Department of Education. “One thing to keep in mind is that in the end, so, long term, the expectation is that the entire state will move to the same model.”

Worthen said that accountability systems don’t have to be exclusively built around competency. She said that one possibility could be basing accountability on multiple assessments over a period of time instead of one single test given in the spring.

“From an accountability point of view, we do want to know that no student is falling through the cracks,” Worthen said.

Educators across the state have raised issues with Colorado’s accountability system for a variety of reasons. While in Westminster it revolves around the competency-based approach, teachers elsewhere have said that students who are English language learners or who have special education needs are also unprepared for the tests they are forced to take.

Sharyl Kay Lawson, a special education teacher in Brighton, said that she has had students that blow through state tests in less than 20 minutes because they don’t know the material.

“My kids come to me for reading because the classroom reading is way above their level,” Lawson said. “Then they’re expected to go back to class and take a regular assessment at their grade level.

Recently, some district leaders also have questioned the validity of data for comparison when large numbers of students opt-out of taking the tests.

Westminster district officials are writing a request asking the state to reconsider their latest rating before it is made official by January. If the request to reconsider is denied, district, officials said they would appeal to the state Board of Education.

District leaders want to present the state with other evidence they say shows their district is improving, but they’re still figuring out what data the state will consider.

They have also been talking to state officials about what flexibilities they wish they had in the accountability system to let them continue their competency based model while not facing intervention from the state.

“Everyone here is open to having a conversation about what it is the assessment system should look like long term,” Zurkowski said. “But it needs to be something that allows for us to ensure that all of our students are getting access to high quality education regardless of race or zip code. That’s the balance and I expect there will be lots of discussion about that.”

One Colorado school district’s closely watched experiment in financing full-day preschool

2016-09-12T17:58:40+00:00

The sunny preschool classroom at Fairview Elementary looks and sounds pretty typical.

In one corner, children play dress-up with hats, goggles and necklaces. Across the room, three children chatter as they count colorful plastic bears.

But what makes this preschool room different from most others in Colorado is how it came to be.

The classroom — along with six others sprinkled throughout Westminster Public Schools — was born out of a new financing model that many observers believe could provide critical funding for early childhood programs while saving taxpayer money in the long run.

It’s called Pay For Success financing.

The idea is that private investors or philanthropists pay upfront for proven social programs such as preschool for low-income children. If those programs save public money by preventing costly services such as special education, the investors are repaid with interest. If a project doesn’t yield the hoped-for savings, the investors lose some or all of their money.

The model has been around for about six years—used first in England for a program aimed at reducing recidivism, and thus pricey prison stays. In recent years, it’s caught on in the United States, with groups in Salt Lake City and Chicago using it to pay for preschool. Denver is using the mechanism to combat chronic homelessness.

The pilot project in Westminster Public Schools, which launched with a half-million dollars from two foundations, is not a full-fledged Pay For Success project because it doesn’t include the typical provision that investors get fully repaid if the program succeeds.

Still, district officials and consultants say it incorporates several components of the model, including a rigorous evaluation by an outside contractor to measure impact.

For Colorado’s early childhood community, the project provides the first real-life test of key parts of the complicated funding mechanism.

“It’s definitely a milestone,” said Mary Wickersham, a consultant who’s worked on the project. “I think very much that the state and other districts will be watching the pilot pretty closely.”

The purpose of the project is to compare the impact of the district’s new full-day preschool program to the half-day program it’s offered for years.

If—as national studies suggests—the full-day offering means bigger learning gains for low-income students, administrators hope to expand the pilot into a full-blown Pay For Success project.

“You would have a really great blueprint for districts across the state to adopt similar models,” Wickersham said.

Quick turnaround

While Westminster’s seven new full-day preschool classrooms have been up and running since the school year began, workers are still adding finishing touches like age-appropriate playgrounds at some schools.

A worker prepares the site for a new preschool playground at Fairview Elementary School.

The last-minute hustle bustle illustrates just how much of a whirlwind the Pay For Success journey has been for the district. It all began just over a year ago when the district won a federal grant that allowed it to hire an expert to study the feasibility of Pay For Success work.

That expert was Billy Powers, now a senior policy associate for the Sorenson Impact Center at the University of Utah. When he started his year-long stint in Westminster in July 2015, the effort was a “purely theoretical exercise,” he said.

The goal was to make the district’s preschool offerings into something more substantial. About 80 percent of the district’s students come from low-income families, so the traditional four days of half-day preschool didn’t seem like enough for the children or their working parents.

That said, the price tag for full-day preschool five days a week was formidable. Not only is it more expensive than other grades because of student-teacher ratio requirements and class size caps, but state funding for at-risk preschoolers is mostly for half-day slots.

That’s where two Denver-based funders came in—Gary Community Investments and the Ben and Lucy Ana Walton Fund of the Walton Family Foundation. Together, they contributed $500,000 for the first year of the pilot, and will give additional dollars next year. (The Walton Family Foundation and Gary Community Investments — through the Piton Foundation — are Chalkbeat funders).

“It becomes super-expensive, which is why we needed this offset or we couldn’t have pulled this off,” said Mat Aubuchon, the district’s director of early childhood education.

About 400 families vied for the 112 full-day slots available for 4-year-olds this year. While some slots are tuition-based, the vast majority are free for families and were awarded through a lottery.

No repayment this time

In a true Pay For Success transaction, Gary Community Investments and the Walton fund would recoup their money if the full-day preschool program helped the school district and state avoid certain costs — say, those associated with special education services or providing extra help to struggling readers and English Language Learners.

Lexie Lawniczak, one of the district’s seven new full-day preschool teachers, talks with a student in her class.

But that won’t happen in this case—at least not fully. That’s because district administrators and consultants didn’t believe they had strong enough data to support their predictions and didn’t ask the state—likely a key partner in the repayment role—to sign on.

Even so, the project will give district officials, the two funders and other interested parties useful insights into whether full-day preschool is a viable Pay For Success project.

For example, the outside contractor’s planned study of the preschool project — using a gold-standard randomized control trial — will provide clear data on full-day preschool outcomes such as kindergarten readiness and frequency of special education referrals.

In addition, district officials will carefully track any savings gleaned from the full-day preschool program just as they would in a true Pay For Success project.

They may pay a portion of the original $500,000 back to the two foundations, but the official project agreement also allows the funders to re-invest any savings back into the program, Aubuchon said.

Other projects in the works

As Westminster’s preschool pilot unfolds this year, other early childhood Pay For Success projects are in development across the state.

The Early Childhood Council of Boulder County is studying the possible expansion of a home-visiting program—the Community Infant Program—that aims to prevent child abuse and neglect. In addition, an Adams County nonprofit, Growing Home, is considering expansion of a different home-visiting program called Parents as Teachers.

“There’s a lot of Pay For Success activity in Colorado and there’s a lot that makes Colorado stand out nationally,” Wickersham said.

Among 57 projects that have been seeded with federal planning grants, nine are in Colorado.

There’s also an active group of prospective Pay For Success funders here, she said. They began meeting more than two years ago, originally focusing on early childhood efforts, but branching out since then.

Wickersham said the group, of which both Gary and Walton are part, “is to my knowledge completely unique nationally…so much so that even the folks from the White House say that it is a tremendous element of the Colorado landscape that most states don’t have.”

For Colorado schools on verge of state intervention, PARCC scores provide first clues of promise or peril

2016-09-02T19:15:46+00:00

They did it.

The staff and students at M. Scott Carpenter Middle School, one of Colorado’s lowest-performing schools, boosted their test scores after a year focused on literacy, using technology to speed up learning, and building relationships between students and teachers.

“There was a challenge, and we met it,” said Chadwick Anderson, principal of the unincorporated Adams County school, which is operated by Westminster Public Schools. “It’s a credit to our kids and how hard they worked, and the staff at Scott Carpenter being committed to consistent classroom structure and instructional practices.”

While it’s still too early to tell whether Scott Carpenter made enough progress to ward off state intervention for chronic low performance, district- and school-level data from last spring’s state standardized tests released Thursday are providing the first clues.

After a one-year timeout because of a change in state assessments, Colorado’s accountability system is back on. Schools that have received a failing grade from the state for five consecutive years face sanctions that could include closing schools or handing off management of districts to third parties.

Schools on that list that showed increases on their spring test scores, such as Scott Carpenter, have a fighting chance. But schools that lost ground, such as Aurora Central High, are all but certain to face consequences.

“I don’t necessarily expect that to change,” said Aurora Superintendent Rico Munn, referring to Central’s fate.

Here are a few other data takeaways about the 30 schools and eight districts on the accountability clock.

Scott Carpenter might be saved, but the fate of Westminster Public Schools is less clear.

Colorado’s accountability system rates schools and districts independently of each other. So while Scott Carpenter might have made enough progress to jump off the list, its school district is still in jeopardy. That’s because the district lost ground on math tests.

Oliver Grenham, Westminster’s chief education officer and a vocal critic of the state’s accountability system, said he’s waiting for the state to provide growth data before taking any action.

Student growth is Colorado’s most valued data point. It measures how much academic progress students make year-to-year compared to their peers. About 75 percent of a school’s state rating is determined from growth data.

“The context of the education system has totally changed. And we as a school district do not know where the goalposts are.” Grenham said.

State officials have not said when they’ll release growth data.

Pueblo City Schools, the largest district facing sanctions, posted moderate gains on both English and math tests.

The 17,665-student district in Southern Colorado improved on 10 of 14 tests. That’s good news following a summer of controversy following the sudden resignation of Superintendent Constance Jones.

The district made its strongest gains on math tests. More students passed the state’s math test this year in every grade except for sixth. Meanwhile, elementary school students made progress in English, while middle and high school students lost ground.

Most of the Pueblo schools on the state’s watch list had mixed results. But Roncalli STEM Academy stood out for gains on every test.

HOPE Online — mostly — delivered on high-profile promise of increases.

Last spring, Aurora Public Schools decided to end its relationship with HOPE Online Learning Academy, a multi-district charter school with learning centers in the district. Superintendent Munn said his recommendation to shut down the learning centers was part of his broad school improvement effort.

HOPE, which has been on the state’s accountability watch list for five years, asked the State Board of Education to step in. The charter school’s leaders promised increased test scores, and the State Board overturned Aurora’s decision to shutter the learning centers.

HOPE mostly followed through. HOPE posted gains on five of the seven English tests. Meanwhile, more students met or exceeded state expectations on five out of six math tests.

Other Denver-metro districts, Adams 14 and Sheridan, lost more ground on tests than they gained.

The picture is grim for the remaining metro-area school districts on the state watchlist. In the 7,500-student Commerce City-based Adams 14 School District, students made gains on only three of the seven English tests. And the number of students who met the state’s benchmarks dropped across the board.

Meanwhile, the Sheridan School District lost most of its ground on English tests. Every grade in the 1,500-student district lost ground except for ninth. In math, scores jumped in three out of seven tests, most noticeably. The largest jump, 7 percentage points, was on the fourth grade test.

Inside one Colorado middle school’s last-ditch effort to save itself by raising scores without test prep

2016-07-28T13:00:54+00:00

In just weeks, Principal Chadwick Anderson and his team at M. Scott Carpenter Middle School will learn whether three years of hard work have paid off.

Colorado’s latest set of test scores, set for release in August, will determine whether the school and 28 others will get to stay open in their current form. The schools have been on the state’s academic watch list for chronic poor performance for five years and have run out of time to improve on their own.

Now, if Scott Carpenter’s test scores don’t rise, the school could become one of the first to be shut down, turned over to a charter network, or be dramatically redesigned under the state’s school accountability law.

“We’re under a lot of pressure to perform,” said Stephanie Rosch, the school’s instructional coach and testing coordinator. “You just don’t want to be a low-performing school. You don’t want that for these families.”

Scott Carpenter — a 550-student middle school in unincorporated Adams County that’s run by Westminster Public Schools — offers a window into how one suburban school under the gun to improve has placed its bet on more challenging, more personal teaching — and zero test prep.

It also illustrates how a district that once educated almost only white middle-class families is adjusting to a new reality of educating Latino students. Only 8 percent of students at Scott Carpenter are white.

The school has relied on three main strategies.

It used federal funds to buy new computers and software to help teachers better serve the 58 percent of students who are learning English. It has participated in the district-wide shift to a new way of promoting students based only on when they have mastered material. And teachers have worked to build consistency across classrooms and relationships with their students, who increasingly come from poor families.

District and state officials told Chalkbeat that it’s clear to them that Scott Carpenter, once a middle school known for gang activity and unruly classrooms, has turned a corner culturally. But it remains to be seen whether the hard work of staff and students will translate into higher test scores that can stave off intervention.

One early sign Scott Carpenter is improving: The school generally outperformed the district’s other middle schools, which are not on the watch list, on the inaugural PARCC tests given in 2015. But the state is using those results as a new baseline. The true measure of the school will be how much growth its students shows on this year’s test.

“I’m not nervous,” Anderson said. “I like our chances.”

A false start

By time Anderson was named principal at Scott Carpenter, the school had been on the state’s accountability watch list for two years.

Scott Carpenter principal Chadwick Anderson reads an inspirational quote during the morning announcements.

While the school had made some academic gains on state tests, the school remained a mess, said Cindy Ward a state education official who is responsible for overseeing the school’s performance.

“The school lacked focus. It was chaotic,” she said. “No two classrooms were the same. The relationship between student and teachers weren’t serving anyone well.”

Anderson was chosen to lead Scott Carpenter after successfully moving the elementary school across the street off the state’s watch list.

But Anderson’s first year at Scott Carpenter was not successful, in part because he was running both the elementary and middle school.

“Chad was trying to tackle all of it,” said Cindy Ward. “When you take on too much you’re not really taking on anything at all.”

Fearing that Anderson would misspend the federal grant, the state temporarily suspended the grant program until he could develop a plan.

The plan Anderson developed is largely what’s in place today at Scott Carpenter. There’s a focus on English language learners, consistent teaching strategies throughout the building, and more online tutoring for students who struggle with literacy.

A byproduct of those changes has been a healthier school culture, Ward said.

A recent student survey found student perception of the school is dramatically improving. Eighty percent of students in 2016 said there was at least one teacher they could trust at the school. That number jumped from 70 percent in 2013.

“They’re killing it, they really are,” said Becky Hoffman, the executive director of the Adams County Youth Initiative, a community organization that administers the annual survey for all five Adams County school districts. “They’re onto something. They’re focusing on relationships. They’re focused on connecting students with one another.”

Some eighth graders who have been at Scott Carpenter as long as Anderson has been principal said they’ve noticed a difference.

“Our behavior has changed dramatically, and teachers have been giving students more attention and help,” said Also Levario, an eighth grader.

But other students say problems still remain. “Some teachers don’t care what we’re doing,” said Alex Cordova.

A culture of talking, technology, and pictures

Stepping into Amy Murray’s classroom offers a best-case scenario for Anderson’s theory that students most need a rich curriculum, not test prep.

A new student at Scott Carpenter is learning English for the first time at the Adams County middle school.

When students enter the social studies classroom, they’re greeted with a warm up activity. On one day this March, Murray asked students to answer five questions about the Bill of Rights, including when it was ratified and where it was written.

The walls in Murray’s classroom are lined with vocabulary words — in both Spanish and English — and posters with writing tips. The digital textbook the class uses is full of additional resources for students who are learning English as a second language: The textbook will define and sound out words students don’t understand.

Students are seated in groups of four. They’re arranged based in part on their English skills. The ideal group, according to classroom engagement technology the school uses, would include one advanced student, two students who are at about grade level, and one student who needs extra help.

After about five minutes, Murray asks students to share their answers with the student sitting next to them. Then she uses the engagement software program to randomly call on students to share their answers.

The computer picks a student who was not on task. He stumbles to answer the question.

“I don’t know how the machine knew to pick you,” Murray said with a laugh. “But I would have.”

As the class progresses, Murray asks students to illustrate the different rights in the First Amendment. Students draw religious symbols, stick figures giving speeches, and newspapers. Some use a Google image search for inspiration.

“Images are huge with English learners,” Murray said. “You have to connect the visual and the verbal. They can own the word or phrase.”

The words on the wall, the Spanish-to-English translations, the warm up activity and textbook are part of principal Anderson’s theory. Give students as many literacy skills and resources as possible, get them to think and talk with each other about a problem, and watch them succeed.

“What’s supposed to happen is that the strategies I give them are supposed to help with the reading on PARCC,” Murray said. “I see what they do every day. I know they can do it. The frustrating part for me is I see their faces. I know they’re stressed.”

Some students left behind?

Other classrooms show that achieving the ideal is a challenge — and that the district’s top strategy in some ways conflicts with Anderson’s.

Assistant Principal Thomas Evans, left, and instructional coach Stephanie Rosch discuss logistics for the upcoming PARCC test in the hall.

The boys in Lindsay Bartlett’s third period math class won’t stop pounding the table.

They use closed fists and open hands to turn the long rectangular tables into a drum. They’re supposed to be working on a warm up activity. But many don’t have pencils or paper. So they make noise instead.

“It’s like the Bermuda Triangle of pencils,” Bartlett said.

Ten minutes into class, an aide returns with pencils. Some of the students get to work.

This is Bartlett’s third year of teaching and first year at Scott Carpenter. The students in this class — many of whom require special education services — are at least two levels behind where they should be for their age.

“Knowing they’re behind, that makes them not want to try,” Bartlett said. “Maybe we should separate them?”

Oliver Grenham, the district’s chief academic officer, said for competency-based learning to work, students in those lower-level classes should be receiving targeted lessons based on their individual needs — not instruction in a large group.

The goal is to get students out of those classes and into higher-level course work as soon as possible.

“Those kids should be having their gaps closed quickly,” he said, adding that the district has not perfected this practice yet.

“It’s ebbed and flowed,” he said. “The bottom line is that we want the kids to be in charge of their own learning. That’s the goal where kids are in the driver’s seat of moving in their own education. That’s the place Scott Carpenter needs to go.”

But other teachers in the school voiced similar concerns about grouping too many students who are so far behind together. Those classes are often difficult to manage, making it even harder to provide the kind of instruction Grenham says low-performing student need.

This sort of grouping, also runs counter to the engagement technology employed throughout the school: The neediest students are separated from the most advanced students who could help them get ahead.

Two years in the dark

Even as Anderson says the school hasn’t made this year’s high-stakes test a major focus, it’s still a constant presence — even as students continue to bring personal challenges to school that make learning hard.

Students in a math class at Scott Carpenter work on personal finance.

Christy Wray high fives her students as they enter her classroom. Classical music is playing in the background. “Miss, I did my homework!” one student exclaims.

Students make their way to their seats, open up their journals and begin writing.

One student walks in late, crying. During passing period, she received a text message from her mother saying she was sorry she ever had her.

As Wray consoles the student, another asks the teacher what she wants for her birthday. “I want you to work very hard, every day until spring break. And then I want you to come back and rock it on PARCC.”

Two years ago, Colorado joined nearly a dozen other states in administering the first ever PARCC tests. The computer-based standardized assessments in English and math were supposed to be aligned to the new Common Core State Standards, and more rigorous than the patchwork of state-designed tests like the Colorado Student Assessment Program.

The change in assessments necessitated a timeout on the state’s accountability because the state wouldn’t have the necessary data for two years. The state also needed to make technical changes to recalibrate its rating system.

While the pause was welcomed by schools, it also created frustration. Schools like Scott Carpenter that could be shut down based on poor performance no longer know where the line between open and closed is. And the school won’t until scores are already released.

“I know I’m doing what I can do,” said Nick Kawalee, an English teacher. “All we can do is prepare these kids the best we can and influence others to do the same.”