Tag: DPS

Our goal is simple: to share what is happening at school board meetings so you can engage with the board and the district even if you cannot attend hours of meetings every month. 

Work Session – March 2, 2023 

The board discussed potential edits to Ends Policy 5, Post Graduation and Global Citizenship, which states in part, “Graduates will be civically changed lifelong learners with the necessary knowledge and skills to adapt to changing local, regional, and global demands. To this end, all graduates will be prepared for a successful post-secondary experience…” Discussion primarily surrounded how explicit and specific to be in language related to civic engagement and voter registration. Because one board member was not in attendance, the discussion around Ends Policy 5 was tabled and will be added to a future agenda. 

Special Board Meeting– March 9, 2023 

Declining Enrollment- Denver Discovery School (DDS), Mathematics and Science Leadership Academy (MSLA), Fairview Elementary 

Superintendent Marrero and staff presented an update on the recommendations for the critically-low enrolled schools, DDS, MSLA, and Fairview Elementary. DPS secured some community input from each school to inform recommendations presented to the Board. For context, DDS’ projected total enrollment is 62, with $1,056,611 in supplemental funding needed, MSLA’s projected total enrollment is 104 with $693,282 in supplemental funding needed, and Farview’s projected enrollment is 118 with $680,139 in supplemental funding needed.  

Meetings were held in person and virtually with each schools’ staff, families and community and the options discussed with them were:  

• Close the school at the end of the school year. Students have priority enrollment into all DPS schools and a guaranteed seat at their boundary / zone school.  
• Close the school at the end of the school year. Move students and staff to a nearby school as a group.  
• Begin closing the school by not enrolling students into the incoming grade.  
• Keep the school as it is. 

Some of the feedback expressed from the DDS community was a “strong desire to not be merged into a welcoming school,” families wanted priority in other DPS schools when participating in School Choice process and direct support with choosing a school for next year. Staff asked for support in finding a job at a school and to receive incentive pay for closing the school. As for the timeline, staff and families asked for a quick decision. MSLA community also asked for a quick decision and wanted to stay close to Valverde as well as opportunity to selected schools elsewhere. Fairview staff surveys indicated staff are frustrated by years of uncertainty, stating they want support ASAP with finding a job. The Fairview community wants to merge with Cheltenham and asked for transportation resources for students to cross the busy road to Cheltenham. Fairview does have the potential to serve as a community hub and/or reopen if enrollment comes back.  

In the end, the recommendations presented were to close DDS at the end of the 2022-2023 school, unify MSLA into Valverde for the 2023-2024 school year, and unify Fairview into Cheltenham for the 2023-2024 school year. The recommendations were approved and passed.  

Legislative Update 

Staff from DPS gave an update on the legislation they are supporting this session. There were numerous bills presented but some highlights are: 

DPS is supporting several school to prison pipeline reform, housing and gun bills including HB23-1042 Admissibility Standards for Juvenile Statements, HB23-1109 School Policies and Student Conduct, HB23-1120 Eviction Protections for Residential Tenants, SB23-169 Increasing Minimum Age to Purchase Firearms.  

Innovation Zone Reviews and Plans 

DPS staff presented recommendations on the Luminary Learning Network, Becon Network Schools Innovation Zone, and Northeast Denver Innovation Zone. First, they shared some context on how innovation zones work and how they differ from charter renewals when it comes to the guidance provided by the state and Colorado’s State Board of Education’s role. State statute does not provide the same level of guidance as charter renewals and if an innovation zone is not approved by the Board and  asks the State Board to review the decision, the decision that comes from the State Board is not binding as it is with the charter process.  

The criteria that DPS uses when reviewing an innovation zone is: 

• Academic Outcomes (primary)  
• Organizational Health (primary)  
• Zone Plan Quality and Implementation  
• Stakeholder Engagement and Consent  

Considering the criteria, Luminary Learning Network’s recommendation was to approve the innovation zone. Beacon Network’s Schools innovation zone was recommended to be revoked due to “insufficient academic progress of students at Kepner Beacon Middle School, and concerns with the organizational health of the zone, which are likely to negatively impact academic outcomes.” Northeast Denver Innovation Zone’s recommendation to the Board was to continue to review due to the lack of clarity when the plans were submitted and vote on the review in the April or May meeting.  

Redistricting 

The DPS Board discussed the need to prolong the timeline to redistrict DPS. For some context, DPS district borders need to change because as population grows only in certain districts, each district must have close to the same amount of people, so the borders must adjust. This process was supposed to start in the fall of 2022, but due to other priorities confronting the board it was pushed to February 2023. There was minimal participation in the in-person community engagement meetings and minimal participation from groups of people who should have a say in the conversation. The Board is seeking to delay the timeline to vote for the new maps, but clarity and guidance is expected from the Denver Elections Division.  

Budget Advisory Committee – March 13, 2023 

DPS staff said the district is on track to meet its budget by the end of the year. At this point schools have entered their hiring timeline and PERA funding is on track as well. Then they presented an update around how the stimulus funds have been used. DPS is currently spending ESSER II funds and those end September 2023. They have spent around 78% of those funds and are on track to spend 100% and move into the last year of ESSER Funds (ESSER III) by September 2024. You can find these updates on the district stimulus website.  

Public Comment and Progress Monitoring Session – March 20, 2023 

DPS staff presented updated next steps for the two innovation zones, Northeast Denver Innovation Zone (NDIZ) and Beacon. They presented some context that led them to create specific next steps.  

Northfield High School, which is the NDIZ zone, voted to leave the innovation zone, but remain an innovation school. Teachers were surveyed and the resulting numbers were 62.9% of teachers voted to exit the zone and 68% voted to retain innovation status as a school. Due to Northfield leaving the zone, NDIZ will need to revise the plan. They also mentioned the NDIZ is out of compliance with calendar guardrails, the Healthy Start Times resolution, and forced placement.  

The Beacon Innovation Zone information presented consisted of finances, staff management, and their academic. Beacon’s finances were said to be unreliable, and they spent more than was allocated for the year. Some of Beacon staff are technically DPS employees, but not managed by DPS, which can cause issues in staff management. The academic data that was presented showed that students are underperforming, but they are working towards closing gaps. 

The next steps recommended for Beacon consist of adding support to the personalized learning efforts already being done at each campus and funding support. 

Special Board Meeting –March 23, 2023 

Board Discussion and Update on School, Student, and Adult Safety  

This Special Board meeting was scheduled after the regular board meeting got cancelled due to the school shooting tragedy at East High School. The DPS board went into executive session which means their discussion was held without a public audience. After hours of the executive session, the board came back to a public forum and read aloud a memorandum directing actions by Superintendent Marrero. In the memorandum, it mentioned that the district will be collaborating with DPD again to get armed officers in high schools for the remainder of the school year. The Superintendent was also directed to work with Mayor Michael Hancock to provide at least two armed police officers and as many as two additional mental health professionals at all Denver high schools with external funding and support.   

After they adjourned the meeting, they attended a press conference where they expressed how DPS, and society failed the student involved in the shooting.    

ENGAGE WITH THE BOARD 

Do you want to let the board know your thoughts on any of these topics? You can sign up for public comment and speak directly to the board about what matters to you. You can sign up here. 

Welcome to the February edition of “This Month at the DPS Board”, a monthly newsletter sharing information about the Denver Public Schools (DPS) Board of Education.    

Our goal is simple: to share what is happening at school board meetings so you can engage with the board and the district even if you cannot attend hours of meetings every month. 

Finance and Audit Committee – February 13, 2023 

Budget Items for Consent Agenda  

A variety of items were presented for the Board’s consent agenda including HVAC contracts, construction and project budgets. 

Additional agenda items are being rescheduled to later in the month or March. 

Public Comment and Progress Monitoring Session – February 21, 2023 

Superintendent Report 

Superintendent Marrero shared that during the board meeting he would provide updates on declining enrollment and new information related to the school choice process. He also said he would, once again, call for a collaborative solution to address gun violence. 

Policy Governance  

Staff presented the 2023 reasonable interpretations of the ends policy statements, elaborating the more detailed pieces within these long-term goals that are connected to the strategic roadmap. You can read these draft statements below.   

Ends 1.3 Equity Reasonable Interpretation 

Ends 1.2Teaching and Learning Reasonable Interpretation 

Ends 1.3 Student and Staff Well Being Reasonable Interpretation 

Ends 1.4 Health and Safety Reasonable Interpretation 

Ends 1.5 Post-Graduation and Global Citizenship Reasonable Interpretation 

Ends 1.4 Climate Action Reasonable Interpretation 

Board Meeting – February 23, 2023 

The DPS Board Rescinds the Board Member Compensation Resolution 

The Board discussed rescinding the resolution created in 2021 to compensate a Board Member. The whole board voted in favor of the revised resolution and to further discuss other limitations in pay. 

Declining Enrollment 

Superintendent Marrero and DPS staff gave an update on student enrollment numbers and the plans for community input in the small schools conversation. He emphasized that they are not making any decisions on choosing schools right now. However, he highlighted that enrollment numbers continue to decline since 2014 by 6,485 students according to most recent enrollment statistics. Middle School enrollment declined by 1,612 Students since the peak in 2019. 

The district is considering 15 schools with low enrollment and are now partnering with each school community to investigate sustainable solutions. They are committed to making sure that vulnerable students are the focus as well as reassuring employment for staff. They are striving to include community by sharing information on enrollment trends, financial and programmatic implications, and more. They will also make sure to gather feedback throughout the process. 

They also presented information about three schools that have critically low enrollment; Denver Discovery, MSLA, and Fairview Elementary that are likely to close. Twelve other schools are being considered and the Superintendent will be engaging the community to move forward with plans in those schools.  

Recommendations around the three schools with critically low enrolment are expected as early as the next voting meeting in March. The recommendations for the 12 other schools will be presented in the September voting meeting.  

First and Second Read in EL and ENDS 

The DPS Board and Policy Governance guide, Dr. Charles presented a few first and second reads of Executive Limitations (EL) and ENDS statements. Ends/Goals Policies are descriptions of the long-term goals for the district that tend to reflect what is in the strategic roadmap. Executive Limitations are legal and value boundaries that serve as guardrails for the superintendent to achieve stated goals. 

The first EL discussed was EL 5 Commitment to Accomplishment and Accountability, which has added content to address the dashboard that is yet to be created. The added policy language is to ensure standardized test scores are not on the proposed dashboard and ensure there are no financial incentives with the dashboard. According to the policy, schools should not be ranked, and schools are not assigned a summative color, star rating, number, or grade or school. The following are the rest of the first and second reads that were voted in during the meeting: 

• First read of EL 16 Financial Administration  
• First read of EL 18 School Unification and Consolidations 
• Second Read Ends 2.3 Teaching and Learning 
• Second Read Ends 4 Safety 
• Second Read Ends 5 Post Graduation and Global Citizenship 
• Second Read EL 4 Communication and Counsel to the Board 
• Second Read EL 6 Educational Program 
• SY22-23 Reasonable Interpretations – Ends Policies 

The consent agenda was approved unanimously. 

ENGAGE WITH THE BOARD 

Do you want to let the board know your thoughts on any of these topics? You can sign up for public comment and speak directly to the board about what matters to you. You can sign up here. 

Nuestro objetivo es sencillo: compartir lo que ocurre en las reuniones del consejo escolar, de modo que pueda comprometerse con el consejo y el distrito aunque no pueda asistir a horas de reuniones cada mes.

Comité de Finanzas y Auditoría – 13 de febrero de 2023

Puntos presupuestarios del orden del día

Se presentaron varios puntos para el orden del día consensuado de la Junta Directiva, incluidos contratos de climatización, construcción y presupuestos de proyectos.

Otros puntos de la agenda del día se han reprogramado para finales de mes o para marzo.

Comentarios del público y sesión de seguimiento – 21 de febrero de 2023

Informe del Superintendente

El Superintendente Marrero compartió que durante la reunión de la junta se proporcionó información actualizada sobre la disminución de la inscripción y la nueva información relacionada con el proceso de elección de escuela. También dijo que, una vez más, pediría una solución de colaboración para hacer frente a la violencia armada.

Gobernanza política

El personal presentó las interpretaciones razonables de 2023 de las declaraciones políticas de fines, elaborando las piezas más detalladas dentro de estos objetivos a largo plazo que están conectadas con la hoja de ruta estratégica. Puede leer estos borradores a continuación.

Finalidad 1.3 Equidad Interpretación razonable

Finalidad 1.2 Enseñanza y aprendizaje Interpretación razonable

Finalidad 1.3 Bienestar de los estudiantes y del personal Interpretación razonable

Finalidad 1.4 Salud y seguridad Interpretación razonable

Finalidad 1.5 Posgraduación y ciudadanía global Interpretación razonable

 Finalidad 1.4 Acción por el clima Interpretación razonable

Reunión de la Junta Directiva – 23 de febrero de 2023

La Junta Directiva del DPS anula la Resolución sobre la remuneración de los miembros de la Junta Directiva

La Junta debatió la anulación de la resolución creada en 2021 para compensar a un miembro de la Junta. Toda la Junta votó a favor de la resolución revisada y de seguir debatiendo otras limitaciones en la paga.

Disminución de las registraciones

Superintendente Marrero y el personal de DPS dio una actualización sobre los números de inscripción de estudiantes y los planes para la participación de la comunidad en la conversación de las escuelas pequeñas. Hizo hincapié en que no están tomando ninguna decisión sobre la elección de escuelas en este momento. Sin embargo, destacó que los números de inscripción siguen disminuyendo desde 2014 por 6,485 estudiantes según las estadísticas de inscripción más recientes. La inscripción de la Escuela Intermedia disminuyó en 1,612 estudiantes desde el pico en 2019.

El distrito está considerando 15 escuelas con baja inscripción y ahora se están asociando con cada comunidad escolar para investigar soluciones sostenibles. Se han comprometido a asegurarse de que los estudiantes vulnerables sean el centro de atención, así como a asegurar el empleo del personal. Se están esforzando por incluir a la comunidad compartiendo información sobre las tendencias de inscripción, las implicaciones financieras, programáticas y mucho más. También se asegurarán de recabar opiniones a lo largo del proceso.

También presentaron información sobre tres escuelas que tienen una inscripción críticamente baja; Denver Discovery, MSLA, y Fairview Elementary que es probable que cierren. Otras doce escuelas están siendo consideradas y el Superintendente estará involucrando a la comunidad para avanzar con los planes en esas escuelas.

Las recomendaciones en torno a las tres escuelas con inscripción críticamente baja se esperan tan pronto como la próxima reunión de votación en marzo. Las recomendaciones para las otras 12 escuelas se presentarán en la reunión de votación de septiembre.

Primera y segunda lectura en EL y ENDS

La Junta de DPS y la guía de Gobierno de Políticas, el Dr. Charles presentó las primeras y segundas lecturas de las Limitaciones Ejecutivas (EL) y las declaraciones de FINES. Las Políticas de Fines/Metas son descripciones de las metas a largo plazo para el distrito que tienden a reflejar lo que está en la hoja de ruta estratégica. Las limitaciones ejecutivas son límites legales y de valores que sirven de barandillas para que el superintendente alcance los objetivos establecidos.

El primer EL discutido fue EL 5to Compromiso con el logro y la rendición de cuentas, que ha añadido contenido para abordar el tablero de instrumentos que aún no se ha creado. El lenguaje de la política añadida es asegurar que los resultados de las pruebas estandarizadas no están en el tablero de instrumentos propuesto y asegurar que no hay incentivos financieros con el tablero de instrumentos. De acuerdo con la política, las escuelas no deben ser clasificados, y las escuelas no se les asigna un color sumativa, clasificación por estrellas, numero, o el grado o la escuela. Los siguientes son el resto de la primera y segunda lecturas que se votaron durante la reunión:

• Primera lectura de EL 16 Administración financiera
• Primera lectura de EL 18 Unificación y consolidación de escuelas
• Segunda lectura Finales 2.3 Enseñanza y aprendizaje
• Segunda lectura Finales 4 Seguridad
• Segunda lectura EL 5 Posgrado y Ciudadanía Global
• Segunda lectura EL 4 Comunicación y Asesoramiento al Consejo
• Segunda lectura EL 6 Programa educativo
• SY22-23 Interpretaciones razonables – Finales Políticas

El orden del día aprobado por unanimidad.

COMPROMETERSE CON LA JUNTA DIRECTIVA ¿Quiere dar a conocer a la Junta su opinión sobre alguno de estos temas? Puede inscribirse para hacer comentarios públicos y hablar directamente a la Junta sobre lo que le importa. Puede inscribirse aquí.

Welcome to the January edition of “This Month at the DPS Board”, a monthly newsletter sharing information about the Denver Public Schools (DPS) Board of Education.    

Our goal is simple: to share what is happening at school board meetings so you can engage with the board and the district even if you cannot attend hours of meetings every month. 

Work Session – January 5, 2023 

School Board Recognition Month 

Superintendent Marrero and DPS staff shared a speech to recognize the work of the school board. 

Charter Renewal Discussion 

DPS staff explained the charter renewal process and the recommendations set forth on the schools that are due for renewal. The renewal process takes about seven months to complete, ending with a board vote in January to accept or reject recommendations. DPS staff conduct observational visits and interviews and review budgets, enrollment projections, audits, and metrics of school sustainability to create recommendations for the board. They explained that there were several unique circumstances that affected the recommendations. The circumstances are that CDE published the State SPF for the first time since COVID, many schools had low participation testing rates, and there was limited growth data. They explained that they divided the schools up for renewal into two matrixes. Matrix A are schools “with 95% or greater Accountability Participation rate and 60%+ growth participation in both Math & English Language Arts” and Matrix B are schools “with lower than 95% Accountability Participation rate OR lower than 60% growth participation”. 

The schools that received 3+ years that were in Matrix A and B can be found here. The only school that received a non-renewable recommendation is STRIVE Prep-Kepner. There were three schools that received a 1-year extension due to insufficient state data which included Academy 360 and STRIVE Prep- SMART. The contract with STRIVE Prep-Lake will be relinquished.  

Policy Governance Work Time 

The board spent the remainder of the Work Session meeting working policy development for policy Ends 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, and 1.5. 

Special Board Meeting – January 12, 2023 

MLK Day Celebration 

With Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebrated Monday January 16^th, the community from East High School presented the work they have been doing since before 1990 around honoring Dr. King’s work and celebrating his birthday. 

Financial Report  

The annual budget cycle for DPS starts in July and ends in June. The budget for the next fiscal year is usually set in May and potentially amended halfway through the year in January after the state of the district. As it stands now, the district faces a shortfall that increases each year. The district is spending more than it is generating, but because of short staffing and the supplemental budget they can balance the budget. Low enrollment continues to be a point of contention and the Superintendent will do his own analysis to decide what to do with schools who are under-enrolled. The district is hoping to see an increase in enrollment or for the state legislators to support through school finance reform.  

Charter Renewals 

The meeting ended with a vote on the consent agenda where the Board voted to not renew STRIVE Prep Kepner’s Charter contract and STRIVE Prep- Lake surrendered its contract.  

Budget Advisory Committee Meeting – January 23, 2023 

The Committee reviewed the 2022-2023 budget and the 2023-2024 financial drivers. They have seen increases in some areas since adopting the budget including additional funds paid through the DCTA compensation due to educators continuing education and getting advanced degrees as well as the District’s movement to pay all paraprofessionals $20 per hour. Some positions are still open, which results in spending less than they forecast. They are forecasted to spend $8 million more than they were originally projecting last spring and a $9 million use of their reserves.  

Committee members received an update on ESSER funding on spending and recommend budget allocations. They have spent just under $78.1 million, which is about 35% of their allocation for ESSER II and III. They also discussed budget principles for the 2023-2024 school year. 

Public Comment and Progress Monitoring Session – January 24, 2023 

DPS staff shared an update related to progress monitoring. The goal of this session is to share where the district is on its Executive Limitations and Ends Policies. – “What does our data or actions tell us our district’s current state and/or progress?” 

Ends 2 – Teaching and Learning – READ Act Results (not CMAS results): 

• Cohort data shows that of the students reading on grade level by the end of 3^rd grade, 73% of those students met the PSAT benchmark for reading and writing in 9^th grade. Showing the importance of being able to read at grade level by the end of 3^rd grade.  
• District goals include increasing the percentage of students reading at grade level by 10% and decreasing the percentage of students reading significantly below grade level by 10%. 
• Fall 2022 READ results included an increase in the percentage of students “Significantly Below Grade Level” resulting in 2,182 more students on READ Plans.  
• Continued disparities for students of color – i.e. 66% of white students are at grade level or above versus 36% of Hispanic students.  
• Summer Connections programming appears to have a strong impact on preventing “summer slide” 
• New literacy curriculum has been adopted by DPS along with teachers being trained in the Science of Reading including specific training for ELA-S teachers.   

Regular Board Meeting – January 26, 2023 

Board Report: Career and Technical Education (CTE) 

January is Career and Technical Education (CTE) month and district staff presented an update on CTE in DPS, which is included as a priority in the district’s Strategic Roadmap saying, “Expand Career and Technical Education by increasing course and pathway diversity, access, and success to ensure students are prepared to compete in the current labor market and high-demand industries.” 

CTE programs are offered in most DPS district run high schools, and the team is developing more CTE Pathways in schools that are aligned to High Growth, High Wage industries in the Denver Community for equitable distribution of programming throughout the district. 

Staff reported that students across DPS find great success in CTE and named completion of CTE certification as a predictor of high school graduation.  

View the presentation here and CTE’s one pager here.  

Superintendent Report: Colorado Department of Early Childhood (CDEC)  

District staff presented information about the new Colorado Department of Early Childhood, changes in the process for families to enroll their child in preschool and how these changes will impact families in DPS. 

Previously, preschool students participated in preschool through DPS Choice and Enrollment system. Preschool students qualified for state funding via the Colorado Preschool Program (CPP) and Denver Preschool Program (DPP). For the 2023-24 School Year, all 4-year-old students will qualify for a half day of tuition free preschool with participating providers and families will now apply to CDEC and DPS to enroll in the process.  

Four-year-olds in Colorado are eligible for half day preschool (tuition free) and those with qualifying factors are eligible for additional hours of tuition free preschool. Three-year-olds with qualifying factors are eligible for at least part-time (10 hours per week) preschool programming. Additionally, DPS Early Childhood Education programs will now be able to serve 20 students per classroom, instead of the previous limit of 16.  

Choice and application windows are as follows:  

• Friday, January 13 – Tuesday, February 14 at 4:00 pm – Families of ECE students must complete the DPS SchoolChoice application.  
• Tuesday, January 17 – Tuesday, February 15 at 4:00 pm – Families of ECE students must complete the UPK Colorado application.  

View the presentation here.  

Policy Governance 

Staff presented the first reading of Ends 4 Safety and Ends 5 Post Graduation and Global Citizenship and a second reading Ends 2 Teaching and Learning and Ends 3 Student and Staff Well-Being, policy governance policies. The board voted to postpone Ends 2.3 indefinitely in light of a proposed amendment but passed the rest of Ends 2 and Ends 3.  

Consent Agenda 

The board approved the Consent Agenda which included minutes from previous meetings, amended budget for 2022-23 and Personnel Transaction Report. 

ENGAGE WITH THE BOARD 

Do you want to let the board know your thoughts on any of these topics? You can sign up for public comment and speak directly to the board about what matters to you. You can sign up here. 

Este mes en la Junta de DPS

Bienvenidos a la edición de enero de “Este mes en la Junta de DPS”, un boletín mensual que comparte información sobre la Junta de Educación de las Escuelas Públicas de Denver (DPS).   

Nuestro objetivo es sencillo: para compartir lo que ocurre en las reuniones del consejo escolar, de modo que pueda comprometerse con el consejo y el distrito, aunque no pueda asistir a horas de reuniones cada mes.

 Sesión de trabajo – 5 de enero de 2023

Mes del reconocimiento del Consejo Escolar.

El Superintendente Marrero y el personal de DPS compartieron un discurso para reconocer el trabajo del consejo escolar.

Discusión sobre la renovación de estatutos.

El personal de DPS explicó el proceso de renovación de estatutos y las recomendaciones establecidas sobre las escuelas que deben renovarse. El proceso de renovación tarda unos siete meses en completarse, y termina con una votación del consejo en enero para aceptar o rechazar las recomendaciones. El personal de DPS realiza visitas de observación, entrevistas y revisa los presupuestos, las proyecciones de matrículas, las auditorías y las métricas de sostenibilidad de la escuela para crear recomendaciones para el consejo. Ellos explicaron que había varias circunstancias únicas que habían afectado las recomendaciones. Las circunstancias son que  la CDE publicó el SPF del estado por primera vez desde COVID, muchas escuelas tenían bajas tasas de participación en exámenes, y había datos limitados de crecimiento. Explicaron que dividieron las escuelas para la renovación en dos matrices. Matriz A son las escuelas “con una tasa de participación en la rendición de cuentas del 95% o superior y una participación en el crecimiento del 60% o más, tanto en matemáticas como en lengua y literatura inglés.” y la matriz B son escuelas “con una tasa de participación en la rendición de cuentas inferior al 95% o una participación en el crecimiento inferior al 60%. ”

Las escuelas que recibieron 3+ años que estuvieron en la Matriz A y B se pueden encontrar aquí. La única escuela que recibió una recomendación no renovable es STRIVE Prep-Kepner. Hubo tres escuelas que recibieron una prórroga de 1 año debido a la insuficiencia de datos estatales que incluyen Academy 360 y STRIVE Prep- SMART. El contrato con STRIVE Prep-Lake será rescindido.

Tiempo de trabajo de Gobernatura de Política

El Consejo dedicó el resto de la sesión de trabajo al desarrollo de las políticas 1.2, 1.3, 1.4 y 1.5.

Reunión extraordinaria del Consejo – 12 de enero de 2023

Celebración del Día de MLK.

Con la celebración del Día de Martin Luther King Jr. el lunes 16 de enero, la comunidad de East High School presentó el trabajo que vienen realizando desde antes de 1990 en torno a honrar la obra del Dr. King y celebrar su cumpleaños.

Informe financiero.

El presupuesto anual del DPS comienza en julio y termina en junio. El presupuesto para el próximo año fiscal suele fijarse en mayo y puede modificarse a mitad de año, en enero, según el estado del distrito. En la situación actual, el distrito se enfrenta a un déficit que aumenta cada año. El distrito gasta más de lo que genera, pero gracias a la escasez de personal y al presupuesto suplementario pueden equilibrar el presupuesto. La baja matricula continúa siendo un punto de discusión y el Superintendente hará su propio análisis para decidir qué hacer con las escuelas que están sub-matriculadas. El distrito espera ver un aumento en la matrícula o que los legisladores estatales apoyen a través de la reforma de la financiación escolar.

Renovación de estatutos.

La reunión terminó con una votación sobre el orden del día de consentimiento donde el consejo votó a favor de no renovar el contrato de estatutos de STRIVE Prep Kepner y STRIVE Prep- Lake renunció a su contrato.

Reunión del Comité Consultivo Presupuestario – 23 de enero de 2023.

El Comité revisó el presupuesto 2022-2023 y los impulsores financieros 2023-2024. Han visto aumentos en algunas áreas desde la adopción del presupuesto, incluyendo fondos adicionales pagados a través de la compensación del DCTA debido a que los educadores continúan su educación y obtienen títulos avanzados, así como el movimiento del distrito para pagar a todos los para-profesionales $20 la hora. Algunas posiciones están todavía abiertas, lo que resulta en gastar menos de lo previsto. Se prevé gastar $8 millones más de lo que originalmente proyectaban la primavera pasada y un uso de $9 millones de sus reservas.

Los miembros del Comité reciben información actualizada sobre la financiación de ESSER en cuanto a gastos y recomiendan asignaciones presupuestarias. Han gastado un poco menos de $78.1 millones, lo que representa alrededor del 35% de su asignación para ESSER II y III. También discutieron los principios presupuestarios para el año escolar 2023-2024.

Comentarios del público y sesión de monitoreo de progresos – 24 de enero de 2023.

El personal de DPS compartió una actualización relacionada con el monitoreo del progreso. El objetivo de esta sesión es compartir dónde se encuentra el distrito en cuanto a sus políticas de limitaciones y fines ejecutivos. – “¿Qué nos dicen nuestros datos o acciones del estado actual de nuestro distrito y / o el progreso?”

Finales 2 – Enseñanza y aprendizaje – Resultados de la ley READ (no resultados de CMAS):

• Los datos de la cohorte muestran que de los estudiantes que leen en el nivel del grado al final del 3er grado, el 73% de esos estudiantes cumplieron con el punto de referencia PSAT para la lectura y la escritura en el 9 º grado. Mostrando la importancia de poder leer al nivel del grado al final del 3er grado.
• Las metas del distrito incluyen aumentar el porcentaje de estudiantes que leen a nivel de grado en un 10% y disminuir el porcentaje de estudiantes que leen significativamente por debajo del nivel de grado en un 10%.
• Los resultados de READ del otoño de 2022 incluyeron un aumento en el porcentaje de estudiantes “significativamente por debajo del nivel de grado”, lo que resultó en 2,182 estudiantes más en los Planes READ.
• Las disparidades continúan para los estudiantes de color – es decir, el 66% de los estudiantes blancos están en el nivel de grado o por encima frente al 36% de los estudiantes hispanos.
• La programación de Conexiones de Verano parece tener un fuerte impacto en la prevención del “deslizamiento de verano”.
• El nuevo plan de estudios de alfabetización ha sido adoptado por DPS junto con la capacitación de los maestros en la ciencia de la lectura, incluida la capacitación específica para los maestros de ELA-S. 

Reunión ordinaria del Consejo – 26 de enero de 2023.

Informe del Consejo: Educación Profesional y Técnica (CTE)

Enero es el mes de la Educación Profesional y Técnica (CTE) y el personal del distrito presentó una actualización sobre CTE en DPS, que se incluye como una prioridad en la hoja de ruta estratégica del distrito que dice: “Expandir la Educación Profesional y Técnica mediante el aumento de la diversidad de cursos y vías, el acceso y el éxito para asegurar que los estudiantes estén preparados para competir en el mercado laboral actual y las industrias de alta demanda”.

Los programas CTE se ofrecen en la mayoría de las escuelas secundarias administradas por el distrito de DPS, y el equipo está desarrollando más CTE Pathways en las escuelas que están alineadas con las industrias de alto crecimiento y salario en la comunidad de Denver para una distribución equitativa de la programación en todo el distrito.

El personal informó que los estudiantes a través de DPS encuentran un gran éxito en CTE y nombró la finalización de la certificación CTE como un predictor de la graduación de la preparatoria.

Vea la presentación aquí y el folleto de CTE aquí.

Informe del Superintendente: Departamento de Infancia temprana de Colorado (CDEC)

El personal del distrito presentó información sobre el nuevo Departamento de Infancia temprana de Colorado, los cambios en el proceso para que las familias inscriban a sus hijos en preescolar y cómo estos cambios afectarán a las familias en DPS.

Anteriormente, los estudiantes de preescolar participaban en preescolar a través del sistema de Elección e Inscripción de DPS. Los estudiantes preescolares calificaban para la financiación estatal a través del Programa Preescolar de Colorado (CPP) y el Programa Preescolar de Denver (DPP). Para el año escolar 2023-24, todos los estudiantes de 4 años calificarán para medio día de preescolar libre de matrícula con los proveedores participantes y las familias ahora solicitarán a CDEC y DPS para inscribirse en el proceso.

Los niños de cuatro años en Colorado son elegibles para medio día de preescolar (gratis) y aquellos con factores de calificación son elegibles para horas adicionales de preescolar gratuito. Los niños de tres años con factores de calificación son elegibles para al menos a tiempo parcial (10 horas por semana) de programación preescolar. Además, los programas de educación preescolar de DPS ahora podrán atender a 20 estudiantes por salón de clases, en lugar del límite anterior de 16.

Elección y las ventanas de aplicación inscripción son los siguientes:

• Viernes, 13 de enero – martes, 14 de febrero a las 4:00 pm – Las familias de los estudiantes de ECE deben completar la solicitud de DPS SchoolChoice.
• Martes, enero 17 – martes, febrero 15 a las 4:00 pm – Familias de estudiantes de ECE deben completar la solicitud de UPK Colorado.

Vea la presentación aquí.

Gobernatura política

El personal presentó la primera lectura de los Ends 4 Seguridad, y Ends 5, Posgraduación y ciudadanía global, y la segunda lectura de los Ends 2 Enseñanza y aprendizaje, y Ends 3 Bienestar de los estudiantes y del personal, políticas de gobernatura. La junta votó a favor de posponer indefinidamente el Ends 2.3 a la luz de una propuesta de enmienda, pero aprobó el resto de los End 2 y 3.

Agenda de Consentimiento.

El consejo aprobó la Agenda de Consentimiento que incluía las actas de reuniones anteriores, el presupuesto enmendado para 2022-23 y el Informe de Transacciones de Personal.

COMPROMETERSE CON EL CONSEJO.

¿Quiere dar a conocer al consejo su opinión sobre alguno de estos temas? Puede inscribirse para hacer comentarios públicos y hablar directamente al consejo sobre lo que le importa. Puede inscribirse aquí

Welcome to the December edition of “This Month at the DPS Board”, a monthly newsletter sharing information about the Denver Public Schools (DPS) Board of Education.    

Our goal is simple: to share what is happening at school board meetings so you can engage with the board and the district even if you cannot attend hours of meetings every month. 

The Finance and Audit Committee – December 1, 2022 

The meeting recording was not posted, but you can look at the minutes here. The Committee approved a variety of consent agenda items and all items moved forward for consideration by the Board of Education.  

Progress Monitoring and Public Comment- December 12, 2022 

Highlights on Student Athletics 

Superintendent Marrero introduced schools that became conference champions in the Fall of 2022. Northfield High School was back-to-back state champions in their Boys Soccer league. They also highlighted Denver East High School’s Boys Soccer team which gained a state championship title for the 4th time in their school’s history.  

Superintendent Update: Denver Online School 

Superintendent Marrero and DPS staff gave a brief update on the online school “Denver Online” that was created when families preferred the remote option due to COVID-19. The school opened in the fall of 2021 and in November of 2021, DPS decided to continue the programming for one more year as spread of the virus was still ongoing. DPS has now revisited the future of Denver Online this month and made the decision to end the elementary portion of the programming and only offer grades 6-12. The elementary students who were enrolled in the online school will receive supports to join the school choice process for the school year 2022-2023.  

Certification of Mill Levies 

DPS Staff presented the 2022 Mill Levy Certification which must be certified by the Board each year prior to December 15^th. “The City and County of Denver collects property taxes on behalf of DPS  The Mill Levy Certification directs the City and County of Denver (specifically the county treasurer) the level at which to tax property in Denver on behalf of DPS students.” The taxes that make up the Mill levy Certification are School Finance Act, Mill Levy Overrides, Special Revenue Mill Levy Override, and Bond Redemption. Legislation that passed during the 2020 session, changed how districts levy mills for the School Finance Act, so DPS is required to mill at 27 for the tax rate.  

You can see more details here. The certification for the 2022 Mill Levy was approved by the DPS Board. 

EL-17 Monitoring: Asset Protection 

DPS staff explained executive limitation (EL) 17 which focuses on the protection of DPS assets. This EL encompasses a policy that will ensure that schools, the Board and DPS obtain insurance, make sure that the handling of funds is being done under accepted accounting procedures. The 11 points under this EL can be found here. Several Board members raised questions on how this EL would impact students’ intellectual property after the lawsuit against the girls who trademarked “Know Justice Know Peace.” A DPS attorney clarified that if a student or student group receives funds and resources such as educators and space from DPS, “legally speaking,” it is intellectual property that is owned by the district. The Board all agreed to make sure this is being conveyed as best as possible to students and families.  

DPS Board Meeting- December 15, 2022 

Proclamation Regarding Gun Violence Prevention 

Vice-President Anderson introduced a proclamation regarding gun violence prevention after hearing public comment from Denver East High School students. These students urged board members to work harder through also pushing for legislation that will protect students and DPS staff from gun violence. Each board member read a part of the proclamation.   

School Year Calendars Development: 2023-24 and 2024-25 

DPS staff and representatives from the Denver Classroom Teachers Association (DCTA) and Denver School Leaders Association (DSLA) presented updates on the progress to develop school calendars for years 2023-2024 and 2024-2025. They expressed that they have considered multiple factors such as family work schedules, professional development days, religious holidays and more. Feedback was received from teachers on when the school year should start and end. According to the surveys conducted, “about 50% of responses via paper survey (13/23) from MLE DAC prefer a start date the week of August 14 and nearly 70% of responses via paper survey (16/23) from MLE DAC prefer an end date the week of June 3”. The drafts for the school calendars in 2023-2024 and 2024-2025 would have the school year start in August 21 and end on June 5 and for SY 2023-2024 the start date would be August 19, end in June 3 for SY 2024-2025. 

District Accountability Committee Update 

Every district is required to have a District Accountability Committee, which is a group of parents and community members that recommend, review, and support the district with key decisions. Several representatives from the committee presented some recommendations to be a partner in the process of collaboration of the Unified Improvement Plan. “Unified Improvement Planning was introduced in 2009 to streamline improvement planning components of state and federal accountability requirements”. 

Unified Improvement Plan Update 

As the parents from the District Accountability Committee (DAC) finished their presentation on their recommendations, the Board decided to transition to an update on the Unified Improvement Plan (UIP). DPS staff’s update correlated with the recommendations from DAC because it was to make sure the creation of the UIP is streamlined through the different progress monitoring steps and committees such as DAC.  

Parent Teacher Home Visits 

DPS staff presented Parent Teacher Home Visits which is a program within DPS that encourages teachers to conduct home visits. They explained their model as starting with a phone call, which then moves into the first home visit. After the first home visit, there is follow-up and fostering relationship to the second visit. In the school year of 2022, 82 schools and 737 educators are participating in the program. So far, there have been 3,387 home visits with a goal of 9,000 for the school year. Furthermore, the National program adopted the DPS model and DPS was nationally recognized for most visits across US. 

First Reads- Board Policies – EL12 Employee Treatment and EL15 Budgeting 

The Board was presented with a first read on EL 12 which focuses on employee treatment and EL 15 which focuses on budgeting.  Community is encouraged to provide feedback on these policies (EL 12 and EL 15). 

Consent Agenda 

Before the Board voted on the items listed on the consent agenda, Vice President Anderson raised the recommendation of Robert F Smith Steam Academy relocating. The recommendation is to relocate to Robert F Smith Steam Academy to Barrett Elementary. In the end, all board members voted to pass all items on the consent agenda. 

Welcome to the October edition of “This Month at the DPS Board”, a monthly newsletter sharing information about the Denver Public Schools (DPS) Board of Education.    

Our goal is simple: to share what is happening at school board meetings so you can engage with the board and the district even if you cannot attend hours of meetings every month. 

Work Session – October 6, 2022 

Executive Session 

The board held an executive session, which is not open to the public, to discuss the evaluation of Superintendent, Dr. Alex Marrero, then resumed agenda items for the work session.  

Montbello Career Technical High School Recommendation for Closure 

DPS is recommending closure of Montbello Career Technical High School (MCT) by the end of 2022-2023 due to three main reasons: 

• Legacy and Vista High Schools have the space to enroll students from MCT, as Montbello High School is opening,  
• They will be adding a credit recovery and support program, and  
• DPS is unable to continue offering a shared space for MCT and Smith STEAM due to a growth in student population at Smith STEAM with 78 in 2021-2022 to 135 in 2022-2023.   

In the presentation DPS staff also shared their plans for 13 staff members at MCT to receive transitional support such as retention stipends, HR support to help get hired elsewhere, and hiring preferences.  Board members felt concerned about the lack of student, staff, and family engagement that was presented in the recommendation. Board members also voiced their concerns about student well-being for both MCT and Smith STEAM students after a possible closure.  

Superintendent Evaluation 

The board voted on whether they would accept the Superintendent’s self-evaluation as a benchmark of the progress of ends statements. Vice-President Anderson was the only board member to vote against because he felt the process should have involved stakeholder feedback but didn’t. 

Finance and Audit Committee – October 10, 2022 

Financial Updates 

The committee heard an update of the district’s internal audit, purchasing report, and enrollment status. 

Budget and Contract Approvals  

The committee approved a variety of proposals, including a purchase order for early education and therapeutic supports for young children, additional funds to for temp agency contracts to fill staffing vacancies, a contract for an after-school program to operate at ten district schools, and funds for employee immigration counsel, and budgets related to construction projects.

Internal Audit 

The purpose of the audit is to determine that financial information that district is presenting to the public is “materially correct.” 

Temp Agency Contracts  

DPS is facing ongoing staffing challenges and while the district is working to recruit and hire staff to fill vacancies, in the meantime it is contracting with temp agencies to find qualified, licensed individuals to fill current vacancies to meet student needs. The district contracts with multiple agencies to meet the high need to fill vacant positions such as nurses, behavioral interventionists, special education teachers, etc.  

After-School Program, Right At School 

Right At School provides comprehensive after-school programming to schools that do not have any after-school programs or clubs and have a high percentage of students who qualify for free-and-reduced lunch. The program operates in three schools in the Southwest, four schools in the East, and three schools in the Far Northeast. 

Employee Visa Sponsorship Program  

The Visa Sponsorship Program, which provides the legal services of immigration attorneys to DPS staff, has been used for the last 10 years to alleviate some of the difficulties encountered with internal teacher shortages in the United States and Colorado specifically. Currently, there are about 250 DPS employees who participate in the visa sponsorship program. According to staff, employees in the program primarily serve in hard-to fill positions such as ELA-S and special education teachers and any position to fit bilingual needs.  

You can view the full agenda of proposals here. 

Progress Monitoring and Public Comment – October 17, 2022 

Climate Action Plan 

The policy (ENDS 1.6) reads as follows: “DPS should be a national leader in establishing an organizational culture anchored in sustainability, climate action and environmental justice both in the conservation in natural resources and minimizing the carbon footprint of DPS’ practices.” Staff presented a 5-year goal plan to ensure this policy is being implemented. 

Public Comment 

Community expressed their opinions on variety of topics through public testimony. You can sign up here for public comment and speak directly to the board about what matters to you. 

DPS Board Meeting – October 20, 2022 

Resolution Supporting Proposition FF 

The board shared a resolution in support of Proposition FF, which creates the Healthy School Meals for All program in Colorado. There are currently 68,000 kids in Colorado who cannot afford or qualify for free-and-reduced lunch. Meal programs improve attendance, result in better grades, and health for students. Proposition FF would destigmatize students from low income by giving access to healthy meals for every child. 

Disability and Dyslexia Awareness 

Staff from Exceptional Student Services shared data and information about dyslexia screening in the district. In spring of 2022, four schools participated in dyslexia screening. Out of 485 student 25% were identified as being delayed in phonological awareness. This school year five more schools are participating in screening students. School psychologists and social workers are being trained this month in the screening process and prepping for interventions. 

Career and College Success Month 

Staff presented the intent and impact of concurrent enrollment programming. Concurrent Enrollment programming ensures that over half of seniors graduate with college credits; 95% of these students earn a college degree. These programs focus on career development while learning about and learning through work experiences, such as internships. In DPS, the program serves diverse populations, multilingual students, students in special education, and gifted students. 

DPS Leadership Recommendation on Montbello Career and Technical High School (MCT) 

Superintendent Dr. Marrero made a recommendation not to close MCT after visiting the school and hearing stories from staff, students and community. Each board member accepted the recommendation and voted to postpone the motion indefinitely. 

Ends Policy 1.4 (Safety and Health) Discussion 

The board adopted policy governance model in November 2021. Under policy governance, the board is responsible for reviewing and updating board policies. The board reviewed and discussed updates in policy 1.4 regarding safety and health. It was adopted in November 2021 and specifically addresses COVID related challenges. Board members discussed gun violence and discipline, calling attention to being mindful of policy language to specifically address the impact on children of color. District staff called attention to executive limitation 10 which is around school discipline and school policing. Mental health and other illnesses were also considered during the discussion. The board discussed the possibility of combining 1.4 and 1.3, which is about wellbeing. Finally, the board discussed its partnership with the Denver Police Department (DPD), health agencies and non-profits to collaborate with and inform families of available services. 

ENGAGE WITH THE BOARD 

Do you want to let the board know your thoughts on any of these topics? You can sign up for public comment and speak directly to the board about what matters to you. You can sign up here. 

SPECIAL ALERT 

This week, DPS announced its proposal to unify 10 elementary and middle schools due to declining enrollment in the district. DPS has been experiencing a decline in enrollment for years due to lower birth rates and other factors. In Colorado, schools are funded based on student enrollment so smaller schools receive less funding which impacts students and educators in a variety of ways. In 2022, the district convened a committee to create criteria to close and consolidate schools.   

According to information released by the district, ten schools are being recommended for consolidation based on the criteria. This plan will be presented to the DPS Board of Education on November 3 and they will vote on it on Thursday, November 17. You can watch board meetings here. A public comment session is scheduled for Monday, November 14. 

For Impacted Families 

If your school is on this list, we know this information is incredibly difficult to hear. The district has provided this family toolkit with more information about the process and timeline and your school leader will be a resource for you. Our team will share additional information and resources as we receive them. If we can support you please email me here. 

EN ESPAÑOL

Bienvenidos a la edición de octubre de “Este mes en la junta directiva de DPS”, un boletín informativo mensual que comparte información acerca de la junta directiva de educación de las escuelas públicas de Denver (DPS, por sus siglas en inglés).

Nuestra meta es simple: compartir lo que está sucediendo en las reuniones de las juntas directivas escolares para que usted pueda participar con la junta y el distrito aun si usted no puede asistir a horas de reuniones cada mes.

Sesión de trabajo – 6 de octubre de 2022

Sesión ejecutiva

la junta directiva sostuvo una sesión ejecutiva, el cual no está abierta al público, para discutir la evaluación del superintendente, Dr. Alex Marrero, y luego resumió los temas de la agenda para la sesión del trabajo.

Recomendación de clausura de la preparatoria de carreras técnicas de Montbello

El DPS está recomendando la clausura de la preparatoria de carreras técnicas de Montbello (MCT) para finales del año 2022-2023 debido a tres razones principales:

• Las preparatorias Legacy y Vista tienen el espacio para enrolar a los alumnos provenientes del MCT, ya que la preparatoria de Montbello está abriendo,
• Ellos van a estar agregando un programa recuperación de créditos y apoyo y
• DPS no puede continuar ofreciendo un espacio compartido para la MCT y el Smith STEAM debido al crecimiento en la población de alumnos en el Smith STEAM de 78 en el 2021-2022 a 135 en el 2022-2023.

En la presentación, el personal del DPS también compartió sus planes para 13 miembros del personal del MCT para recibir un apoyo transicional tales como suelos de retención, apoyo de recursos humanos para ayudarles a que sean contratados en otros lugares y el tener preferencia para ser contratados. Los miembros de la junta directiva se sintieron preocupados acerca de la falta de alumnos, personal y participación familiar que fue presentada en la recomendación. Los miembros de la junta directiva también mostraron su preocupación acerca del bienestar de los alumnos de ambos, el MCT y Smith STEAM, después de la posible clausura.

Evaluación del superintendente

La junta directiva votó si iban a aceptar la autoevaluación del superintendente como una referencia de progreso en los resultados. El vicepresidente Anderson fue el único miembro de la junta directiva que votó en contra porque él sintió que el proceso debió haber involucrado las aportaciones de las partes interesadas, sin embargo, no fue así.

Comité de finanzas y auditoría – 10 de octubre de 2022

Auditoría interna

El propósito de la auditoría es para determinar que la información financiera que el distrito está presentando al público sea “materialmente correcta.”

Contratos con agencias temporales

DPS está enfrentando retos continuos en cuanto al personal y mientras que el distrito está trabajando para reclutar y contratar al personal para llenar las vacantes, por el momento está contratando agencias temporales para encontrar a individuos calificados y con licencia para llenar las vacantes actuales y así poder llenar las necesidades de los alumnos. El distrito contrata a múltiples agencias para llenar las grandes necesidades de llenar las posiciones vacantes tales como enfermeras, intervencionistas del comportamiento, maestros para educación especial, etc.

Programas para después de la escuela, Right At School

Right At School provee una programación comprensiva para después de la escuela para escuelas que no tienen ningún programa o clubes para después de la escuela y que tengan un alto porcentaje de alumnos que califican para almuerzos gratis o a precio reducido. El programa opera en tres escuelas en el suroeste, cuatro escuelas en el este y tres escuelas en el noreste.

Programa de patrocinio para visas de empleado

El programa de patrocinio para visas, el cual provee los servicios legales de abogados de inmigración para el personal de DPS, ha sido utilizado por los últimos 10 años para aliviar algunas de las dificultades que se está enfrentando debido a la escasez de maestros internos en los Estados Unidos y en Colorado específicamente. Actualmente, hay alrededor de 250 empleados del DPS que participan en el programa de patrocinio de visas. De acuerdo al personal, los empleados en el programa sirven principalmente en posiciones que son difíciles de llenar tales como maestros de educación especial y ELA-S y cualquier posición para llenar necesidades bilingües.

Usted puede ver la agenda completa de propuestas aquí.

Monitoreo del progreso y comentarios públicos -17 de octubre de 2022

Plan de acción climática

La política (ENDS 1.6) dice lo siguiente: “DPS deberá de ser un líder nacional en establecer una cultura organizacional que esté anclada en la sustentabilidad, acción climática y justicia ambiental ambos en la conservación de recursos naturales y en la minimización en la huella de carbono de las prácticas de DPS.” El personal presentó un plan con una meta de cinco años para garantizar que esta política este siendo implementada.

Comentario público

La comunidad expresó sus opiniones en una variedad de temas durante el testimonio público. Usted se puede apuntar aquí para poder participar de comentarios públicos y hablar directamente con la junta directiva acerca de lo que le importa a usted.

Reunión de la junta directiva de DPS – 20 de octubre de 2022

Actualmente, hay 68,000 niños en Colorado quienes no pueden comparar o calificar para alimentos gratis o a precio reducido. Los programas de alimentos mejoran la asistencia, resultando mejores calificaciones y salud para los alumnos. La proposición FF quita el estigma de los alumnos de bajos recursos por medio de darles acceso a alimentos saludables para cada niño.

Conciencia sobre las discapacidades y dislexia

El personal de los servicios excepcionales para alumnos compartió datos e información acerca de las evaluaciones de dislexia en el distrito. En la primavera de 2022, cuatro escuelas participaron en las evaluaciones de dislexia. De 485 alumnos el 25% fueron identificados en tener un retraso en el reconocimiento fonológico. En este año escolar, cinco escuelas más están participando en la evaluación de alumnos. Los psicólogos escolares y trabajadores sociales están siendo entrenados este mes en el proceso de evaluación y se están preparando para intervenciones.

Mes de las carreras y éxito universitario

el personal presentó la intención y el impacto de la programación de enrolamiento concurrente. La programación de enrolamiento concurrente garantiza que más de la mitad de los graduandos lo hagan con créditos de la universidad; el 95% de estos alumnos obtienen un título universitario. Estos programas se enfocan en el desarrollo de sus carreras mientras aprenden acerca y por medio de las experiencias laborales, tales como las prácticas. En el DPS, el programa sirve a poblaciones diversas, alumnos plurilingües, alumnos en educación especial y alumnos superdotados.

La recomendación del liderazgo de DPS en cuanto a la preparatoria técnica y de carreras de Montbello (MCT)

El superintendente, Dr. Marrero, hizo recomendación de no cerrar el MCT después de haber visitado a la escuela y el escuchar historias por parte del personal, alumnos y comunidad. Cada miembro de la junta directiva aceptó la recomendación y votó en posponer la moción indefinidamente.

Discusión sobre la política de resultados 1.4 (seguridad y salud)

la junta directiva adoptó un modelo de gobernanza en noviembre de 2021. Bajo esta política de gobernanza, la junta directiva es responsable de revisar y actualizar las políticas de la junta directiva. La junta directiva revisó y discutió las actualizaciones en la política 1.4 con referencia a la seguridad y salud. Esto fue adoptado en noviembre del 2021 y específicamente se refiere a los retos relacionados con el COVID. Los miembros de la junta directiva discutieron la violencia con el uso de armas de fuego y disciplina, llamando la atención al tener conciencia en el lenguaje de la política para abordar específicamente el impacto en niños de color. El personal del distrito llamó la atención a la limitación ejecutiva 10 el cual se enfoca alrededor de la disciplina escolar y la vigilancia policial escolar. La salud mental y otras enfermedades también fueron consideradas durante la discusión. La junta directiva discutió la posibilidad de combinar 1.4 y 1.3, el cual se refiere al bienestar. Finalmente, la junta directiva discutió su sociedad con el departamento de policía de Denver (DPD, por sus siglas en inglés), agencias de salud y organizaciones sin fines de lucro para poder colaborar con ellos e informarles a las familias de los servicios disponibles.

PARTICIPE CON LA JUNTA DIRECTIVA

¿Quiere que la junta directiva sepa sus pensamientos en cualquiera de estos temas? Usted se puede apuntar para proveer comentarios públicos y hablar directamente con la junta directiva acerca de lo que le importa a usted. Usted se puede apuntar aquí.

ALERTA ESPECIAL

Esta semana, DPS anunció su propuesta de unificar a días escuelas primarias y secundarias debido al decline de enrolamientos en el distrito. DPS ha estado experimentando un decline en enrolamiento por años debido a rangos bajos de nacimientos y otros factores. En Colorado, las escuelas son financiadas basadas en el enrolamiento de alumnos así que las escuelas más pequeñas reciben menos financiamiento el cual impacta a los alumnos y maestros en una variedad de maneras. En el 2022, el distrito creo un comité para crear requisitos para cerrar y consolidar escuelas.

De acuerdo a la información provista por el distrito, 10 escuelas están siendo recomendadas para ser consolidadas basados en estos requisitos. El plan será presentado en la junta directiva de educación de DPS el 3 de noviembre y ellos votarán sobre el mismo el jueves 17 de noviembre. Usted puede ver las reuniones de la junta directiva aquí. Una sesión para comentarios públicos está calendarizada para el lunes 14 de noviembre.

Para familias impactadas

Si su escuela está en esta lista, nosotros reconocemos que esta información es increíblemente difícil de escuchar. El distrito ha provisto este kit de herramientas para la familia, con información acerca del proceso y cronograma y el líder de su escuela también puede ser un recurso para usted. Nuestro equipo compartirá información adicional y recursos conforme los estamos recibiendo. Si nosotros podemos apoyarle por favor mándenos un correo electrónico aquí.

Welcome to the September edition of “This Month at the DPS Board”, a monthly newsletter sharing information about the Denver Public Schools (DPS) Board of Education.    

Our goal is simple: to share what is happening at school board meetings so you can engage with the board and the district even if you cannot attend hours of meetings every month. 

Work Session-September 1,2022 

Strategic Roadmap Update  

The Board work session began with an update on the Strategic Roadmap. Dr. Marrero shared an overview of the roadmap and talked about implementation. The goal is to accelerate growth for marginalized students. There are three ways in which this will be done: elevating student experience, adult experience, and system experience. By fall of 2022, they will build organizational functions, identify leaders for each strategy, work on how they will get from current state to future state, and create a timeline and change management.  

Overview of Redistricting Process 

District staff gave an update about the redistricting process. Colorado state statute requires Denver Public Schools (DPS) to redistrict after each federal census to ensure all districts are equal in population as much as possible. A division of districts will be presumed compliant with the equal protection clause if the maximum population deviation between the largest and smallest district is less than 10%. Currently there is a huge gap in population between District 2 and District 4. The guiding principles are to balance total population in schools, to maintain minimal impact on racial and ethnic concentrations, align with city precedents, to minimize the number of impacted families because of the process, and to incorporate natural boundaries. There is a timeline on to how this process will look and a final vote on February 25, 2023.  

Superintendent Evaluation Timeline  

The board gave a timeline for Superintendent Marrero’s evaluation. All board members will be part of this process. There will be opportunities for engagement leading up to the November 14 evaluation.  

Board Topics Forecast & Agenda Review 

Staff shared a forecast of topics for future meetings. 

Public Comment and Progress Monitoring – September 19, 2022 

Progress Monitoring Report 

Staff reported an overview of state assessment data including CMAS, PSAT, SAT, and READ Act assessment results. Staff shared aggregated data of students meeting grade level expectations, also referred to as “proficient by staff, as set by the state in Math and Literacy and results disaggregated by student group. Results will be used as a baseline for setting 2026 targets.  

Some key points from the presentation include:  

• 59% of K-2 students are proficient in literacy 
• Across all student groups, the percentage of K-2 students scoring at grade-level and above decreased and the percentage of students scoring significantly below grade-level increased compared to pre-pandemic rates 
• Fewer than half of multi-lingual learners are reading at grade level and 1/3 are significantly below grade level  
• Less than 1/3 of students are proficient in math; in middle school more than half of students are not even approaching expectations indicating a substantial need for additional Math instructional support  
• Overall, there are tremendous gaps between white students and black, indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) students.  

Several board members shared their concerns about persisting performance gaps, including the accuracy and relevancy of assessment data, asked for data to represent intersectional student identities and called for staff to not “speak about learning in a deficit mindset”, calling it “highly problematic”.  

View the full data presentation here. 

Why Ethnic Names Matter 

Vice President Anderson shared a presentation on his decision to reclaim his given name, Auon’tai, sharing historical context and his personal story to ensure students in DPS do “not feel afraid or disappointed to use their given name if they so choose.” View his presentation here. 

Public Comment 

Community expressed their opinions on variety of topics through public testimony. You can sign up here for public comment and speak directly to the board about what matters to you. 

Board Meeting – September 22, 2022  

Hispanic Heritage Month 

John F Kennedy High School students shared a presentation they developed to help educate their school and during Hispanic Heritage Month.  

Minority Women Business Entrepreneurs (MWBE) Presentation 

DPS has had a program to track and support women and minority owned businesses in Denver for over 20 years and is the only district in Colorado with such a program. They offer monthly workshops, networking settings, and other opportunities to support local minority and women owned businesses. The presentation offered a look into the supports and investments they make by ethnicity. Board members raised concerns over the disparity shown in Black owned businesses. Staff shared those concerns and said they have been working to prioritize increasing those numbers. The board asked for regular reports.  

Consent Agenda 

The board voted to approve a variety of items on the consent agenda including funding for various school construction projects and the personnel transaction report.  

Teacher Dismissal Recommendation 

The board considered a teacher dismissal recommendation from the Superintendent. All information was kept confidential and only presented to board members.