Blog posts are the opinions of the writers and do not necessarily reflect the views of A+ Colorado.

Innovation law doesn’t spark major change

Originally posted on EdNewsColorado, Dec. 15, 2011. Copyright © EdNewsColorado.org Read here. Written by Nancy Mitchell. Colorado’s first schools granted more autonomy under the Innovation Schools Act don’t look a lot different today than they did before – particularly in terms of curriculum and instruction. That’s because principals have chosen to move slowly and have…

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The Good, The Bad, The Ugly: School Turnarounds and Profiteers

Written by Van Schoales, Dec. 13, 2011. Also posted on DFER.org here. We recently did some research on the state of school turnarounds in Colorado. I was reminded of that great “spaghetti” western The Good, The Bad and the Ugly. For those of you that don’t remember the movie, it was a tale of intrigue,…

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School Districts and Economic Development?

Written by Van Schoales. Also posted on EdNewsColorado.org, read here. Some of you may have seen an interesting article this week in Education Week about a recent study on the impact of Virginia Beach City School District on the economic development of the region. The study performed by a North Carolina State economics professor, Dr.…

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Report seeks better DPS data to evaluate reforms

Originally posted on DenverPost.com, Dec. 1, 2011. Copyright © Denverpost.com Read here. Written by Yesenia Robles. A new report complied by a coalition of local nonprofit groups is urging Denver Public Schools to press for better data and to evaluate reforms more closely. “There’s a challenge in terms of getting good data, and having publicly…

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Press Release: Start with the Facts: Strengthening Denver Public Schools’ Education Pipeline

News Release Wednesday, November 30, 2011 Media Contact Christine Rafanelli, Communications Director Colorado Children’s Campaign Office: (303) 620-4544, Cell: (720) 281-8175 Van Schoales, CEO, A+ Denver (303) 725-1151 DENVER PUBLIC SCHOOLS MAKES STEADY GAINS IN ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT, BUT OUTCOMES REMAIN BELOW STATE AVERAGES AND ACHIEVEMENT GAPS HAVE GROWN Start with the Facts Report Examines Student…

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Report highlights DPS progress, challenges

Originally posted on EdNewsColorado, Nov. 30, 2011. Copyright © EdNewsColorado.org Read here. Written by Charlie Brennan. Denver Public Schools students are making some gains in achievement, but available data is insufficient to know which of the reforms adopted over the past five years are – and are not – working, according to a report released…

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News Advisory: Education Advocacy Groups to Release Report TOMORROW on Gains Made by DPS in Improving Student Achievement and Growth

    The Colorado Children’s Campaign is a nonpartisan, nonprofit research and advocacy organization committed for over 25 years to creating hope and opportunity for all of Colorado’s kids. Backed by an extensive, statewide network of dedicated child advocates and the most trusted data on child well-being, the Children’s Campaign champions policies and programs that…

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A national model and game-changer for Denver

Blog post by Van Schoales on Ed News Colorado, Oct. 24, 2011. Copyright © EdNewsColorado.org. View original post here. This week Denver Public Schools is rolling out “School Choice,” a new common enrollment process for all DPS schools, and a companion guide for families. It’s a bit surprising that there has not been more chatter about…

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A critique of Brill’s “Class Warfare”

Blog post by Van Schoales on EdNewsColorado, Aug. 31, 2011. Copyright © EdNewsColorado.org. View original post here. It’s not often I would describe a book on education reform as a page-turner, but Steven Brill’s book Class Warfare kept me engaged late into the night. I thought “Wow, someone has finally described some of the political…

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A+ Denver releases report- Denver School Performance by School Board Member Districts: Results and Trends.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Van Schoales Cell: 303.725.1151 Email: vschoales@gmail.com A+ Denver releases report- Denver School Performance by School Board Member Districts: Results and Trends. This A+ Denver report was developed in partnership with Padres Unidos, Get Smart Schools, Colorado Succeeds, Colorado League of Charter Schools and Metro Organization for People describes and shows the…

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