The purpose of this report is to present a call to action among Denver citizens to support and demand high school reform. We recognize that some progress has been made by schools and districts, but point to slow-changing and paltry outcomes.
As spring arrives in 2013, despite at least six commissions over the past decade, most recommendations have been ignored, dismissed, or implemented halfheartedly.1 In fairness to schools and district leaders, many of the recommendations were so vague that it is hard to know if they were implemented or not. CAP4K, which has had the most detail and political power behind it, has seen many of its timelines extended. Even the Gates Foundation, which saw more success in Colorado than in most other states, eventually withdrew from the task of tackling the high school problem.