AV#92-Update on 15 schools - from “Why not a regional recovery school district?”

Sept.  3, 2013

Brief follow-up to AV#92, “Regional economic development works. Why not a regional recovery school district?” 

In which I suggested the Denver area might do well to consider the creation of a new regional school district designed just to work with a number of our lowest-performing schools, as has been done in several other states.  My focus then was on the 15 or so lowest-performing high schools in the metro area, based on 2012 figures. Now that 2013 results are available, a quick update on the troubling ACT scores at these 15 schools: on average their ACT scores were even lower in 2013 than in 2012. Indicating how few seniors in these schools—who took the ACT’s as juniors last year—are on track to be college-ready.  As I pointed out last winter, most of these schools are accredited on Priority Improvement or Turnaround—and in some cases this has been true for three straight years. We see few signs their districts have found ways to effect real improvement in these schools.  Who will step in to help?

ACT scores – Average Composite – 6 slightly better, 8 worse.

District	School	2012	2013
Adams County 14	Adams City High School	15.6	16.2
Aurora Public Schools	Aurora Central H.S.*	14.9	15.0
	Gateway H.S.	16.5	16.5
	Hinkley H.S.	16.9	17.1
Denver Public Schools	Bruce Randolph H.S. (6-12)*	16.0	15.2
	Manual H.S.	16.1	15.7
	Montbello H.S.*	15.0	15.1
	Southwest Early College	17.3	16.1
	West H.S.*	14.9	15.0
Englewood	Englewood H.S.	18.1	17.3
Jefferson County	Alameda International H.S.	16.3	16.1
	Jefferson H.S.	14.8	15.1
Mapleton	Mapleton Expeditionary Sch. of the Arts (7-12)	18.0	17.6
Sheridan	Sheridan H.S.	16.7	16.4
Westminster 50	Westminster H.S.	16.3	16.1
Average		16.23	16.03
State Average		20.0	20.1
The college readiness benchmark, according to ACT:			21
Average score, according to CDE, of a 4-year college graduate (Bachelor’s degree):			24

*These four local high school have received (Montbello) or are now receiving (Aurora Central, Bruce Randolph, and West High) School Improvement Grants from the federal government for turnaround work.  Montbello and West are being phased out as new schools are opened in or near their buildings.

Last January I hoped a local effort I had joined might support a “recovery school district” for 10 or so of the lowest-performing high schools in the Denver metro area.  That idea now seems off the table.  I send this as a reminder that we must not give up on finding ways to turn around our lowest-performing high schools.  Ideas brought to the community by A Plus Denver at the high school summit last April -  http://www.aplusdenver.org/Events/urban-high-school-summit and by the A Plus report - http://www.scribd.com/doc/139802714/Denver-and-Aurora-High-Schools-Crisis-and-Opportunity, provide a place to start.  Will 2013-14 be the year we come together to wrestle with this critical issue?