The latest report from A+ Colorado was released earlier this week. Outliers 2020 provides valuable insight into where school districts are successfully serving students in a variety of ways, from supporting their math skills to getting them to higher education. While school leaders and families prepare for what will be an unconventional fall semester, this report provides readers with key insights on schools and districts in their community. Explore how your local district is serving students with our interactive online tool and don’t miss out on the latest Colorado education updates, all in this week’s Stay Sharp Newsletter.
A+ Updates
Outliers release
Outliers 2020, includes an online tool that can help answer your complex education questions. The chart above is an example that shows the percentage of students in districts and schools that met or exceeded grade level expectations. With the online tool, you can also learn more about demographic trends and see bright spots in student outcomes in high school. We encourage you to bring your Colorado education questions and explore Outliers 2020 to see how your school district compares to similar districts, find where different groups of students are excelling, and build your own data stories to share with your community. You can read Stephen Fusco’s perspective on the importance of sharing data and information in relation to the Outliers report here.
Denver Public Schools, School Performance Framework update – On August 20th, the DPS School Board will be voting on the future of the School Performance Framework. Board members should support transparency and support family and community voice to have more, not less information on how Denver schools are serving students. A+ Colorado strongly supports the recommendations made by the Reimagine SPF Committee and encourages community members to contact their DPS board members and sign up for public comment in support of the recommendations.
A+ Colorado led training sessions
On August 12, 2020, Stephen Fusco, Vice President of Policy and Research for A+ Colorado, facilitated a joint training session between DPS’ Early Childhood Education Special Education Department and Rocky Mountain Human Services. The training provided Stephen an opportunity to share his research regarding the social-emotional well-being of education professionals and effective strategies for interagency collaboration. Approximately 100 professionals attended the event. If you are interested in similar training opportunities, please reach out to stephen@apluscolorado.org.
Engagement Opportunities
Subscribe to a DPS Student podcast
Subscribe to the podcast created by Denver Public Schools students at Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Early College. Inspired by the work of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee during the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960’s, Black Student Alliance members decided to amplify their voices through a medium that would speak to their own generation– a podcast.
Community Resources
RESCHOOL Colorado call for applications
In June, RESCHOOL and partners of the COVID-19 Education Innovation Fund distributed nearly $150,000 to 15 organizations and groups that are piloting or expanding innovative programming to help build more equitable systems and meet young people’s learning needs during the pandemic and beyond. They are still seeking applications from groups of families who may be exploring creative solutions for dealing with the uncertainties of schooling this fall.
Chalkbeat Colorado and Denver Public Schools Q&A
Chalkbeat recently featured an article to answer questions that families of Denver Public Schools students may have. As plans for Denver Public Schools have changed several times this summer, this article aims to address lingering questions families may have.
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