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Board of Education Meeting Update – November 13, 2017 Work Session

Opportunity Quartile Update

In 2014, DPS conducted an analysis to identify the lowest performing 25% of students based on literacy scores — dubbed the “opportunity quartile” — to help us decrease the Opportunity Gap by better understanding what interventions and supports could help our lowest performing students stay on track.

At the November 13 work session, the ARE team presented to the Board of Education a new study that looks at how our students in the opportunity quartile in 2015 did over the last two years. The study highlights progress we have made, with more than twice as many students moving up and out of this lowest performance band than students who dropped down into this band over the most recent two years.

The study also highlighted schools that have been particularly successful in moving the highest percentage of students out of the opportunity quartile.  The four most  successful schools over the last two years have been Holm Elementary School, Denver Green School, KIPP Sunshine Peak Academy and KIPP Northeast Denver Leadership Academy.

School Support Assignments

Tiered Support Framework

As part of the Tiered Support Framework (TSF), all district-run schools are reviewed annually to determine the level of supports the district provides them based on performance on the SPF. This year, the TSF model was updated to identify Strategic and Intensive tier schools for earlier supports and interventions. The new tier assignments are included in the written report here.

Tiered Quality Assurance

Like district-run schools, DPS charter schools are also held accountable for their performance, but as autonomous schools, they are responsible for their own school improvement efforts. As DPS monitors charter school performance, in order to help ensure Great Schools in Every Neighborhood, the district identifies charter schools that may need additional optional supports through Tiered Quality Assurance. The new tier assignments for charter schools are included in the written report here.

You can read more about schools that moved students out of the opportunity quartile here.

Staff Recommendations: Charter Renewals

District staff made recommendations to the board for 14 schools’ charter renewals. The full presentation, including an overview of the process and decision-making framework, is available here. These are the renewal recommendations by region (with contract extensions for meeting performance conditions):

Far Northeast:

  • DSST Conservatory Green Middle School — 3-year renewal with opportunity for 2-year extension
  • DSST Green Valley Ranch Middle School — 5-year renewal
  • Highline Academy Northeast — 2-year renewal with opportunity for 2-year extension
  • SOAR Charter School — 2-year renewal with opportunity for 3-year extension

Northeast:

  • DSST Cole High School — 3-year renewal with opportunity for 2-year extension
  • DSST Stapleton Middle School — 5-year renewal
  • DSST Stapleton High School — 5-year renewal
  • Venture Prep High School — 1-year renewal with opportunity for 2-year extension

Northwest:

  • Colorado High School: Osage — 3-year renewal with opportunity for 2-year extension
  • GALS High School — 2-year renewal with opportunity for 2-year extension
  • STRIVE Prep: Sunnyside — 2-year renewal with opportunity for 3-year extension
  • University Prep: Arapahoe Street — 5-year renewal

Central:

  • Justice High School – 2-year renewal with opportunity for 3-year extension

Southwest:

  • STRIVE Prep: Ruby Hill – 2-year renewal with opportunity for 3-year extension

Cesar Chavez Academy in Northwest Denver did not meet contract conditions (to meet more than 50% of growth points on the one year calculations on the 2017 SPF) and is ineligible for renewal. CCA will cease operations on June 30, 2018.

Additionally, the following schools met agreed-upon performance conditions (by being rated at least “Meets Expectations” on the 2016 and 2017 SPFs) and received agreed-upon contract extensions without going through renewal:

  • DSST College View Middle School — 2-year extension (through 2020)
  • STRIVE Prep: Lake — 3-year extension (through 2021)
  • STRIVE Prep: Montbello — 2-year extension (through 2020)
  • STRIVE Prep: Green Valley Ranch — 2-year extension (through 2020)

The District Accountability Committee (DAC) also made recommendations for charter renewals here.

The board will vote on charter recommendations after public comment at its meeting Thursday, Nov. 16.