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Start with the Facts. Strengthening Denver Public Schools’ Education Pipeline. A + Denver • Colorado Children’s Campaign • Metro Organizations for People. Background-Denver’s Public Schools: Reforms, Challenges and the Future, 2009. Project of A+, CCC and MOP Focused on results and strategies
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Start with the Facts Strengthening Denver Public Schools’ Education Pipeline A+ Denver • Colorado Children’s Campaign • Metro Organizations for People
Background-Denver’s Public Schools: Reforms, Challenges and the Future, 2009 • Project of A+, CCC and MOP • Focused on results and strategies • Compared DPS performance indicators to state, other urban systems • Little change in student outcomes from 2000-2006 but began to see positive changes in recent years • Instruction strategies and programs began in 2002 and 2003 • Denver evolved from centralized system to more “portfolio” managed in 2007
Achievement highlights- 2009 • Small improvement in most grades and most subjects CSAP • Large achievement gaps with all groups • strong ACT gains in short time • About half do not graduate in 4yrs, bottom third of urban districts • Difficult to compare to other urban districts because of no national test in Denver
State of improvement strategies-2009 • Overall strong commitment to reform from district and board “DPS deserves credit for willingness to to tackle so much all at once” • Denver Plan- “Positive but not conclusive” • ProComp- “Positive 1st year evaluation” • New Schools, Performance and evaluation- “Awaiting higher achievement in general”
Comparison Urban districts NAEP 2009 Reading (was not in report)
“Start with the Facts” 2011 • Continued collaboration A+, CCC and MOP • Focus on student outcomes • Did not evaluate or compare DPS strategies (little change from 2009 except for implementation on some like new schools) • ECE to college data • Pipeline data better today but still not complete particularly at ECE-grade 3 and at end of high school levels • Best data for measuring quality of pipeline is college success not easily available!
Enrollment: More Denver students attending DPS schools, but many choosing other districts Number of Children (3 to 5 Years Old) Attending DPS Preschool and Full-Day Kindergarten • Preschool increased 30 percentage points from 2005 to 2010, rising from 3,403 to 4,530 students • Full day K increased 80 percentage points, rising from 4,048 to 7,297 students. • 81,431 students in Denver today (high mark since 1974) • 4,317 out of district students choice in while 7,732 DPS students choice out (net loss of 3,415) • About 51.8% do not graduate in 4 yrs. Improvement for grad rates for those that start w DPS high schools and for 5 yr and 6yr grad rates
Dropout and graduation rates • Dropout rates have dropped significantly • 4yr graduation rates have slightly improved • 4yr graduation rates for students starting in DPS high schools have improved • 5 and 6yr grad rates have improved
Reminder of why it matters • Each student that fails to graduate will cost the state $524,000 in lost taxes and increased social/health costs (DPS class of 2010 will cost CO $1.2 B) • 70% of CO jobs in 2020 will require a career certificate or degree • Of 100 that enter CO 2 yr colleges, only 6 graduate in 4 yrs • Of 100 that enter CO 4 yr colleges, only 31 graduate in 8 yrs
Recommendations Data and Reporting • ECE to 2nd grade achievement should be tracked and reported publically • Student growth and achievement should be given equal weight in reporting • It’s not enough to send kids to college if they are not prepared (remediation rates are major concern) • College matriculation and success rates should be tracked and reported for the district and each high school program
Good enough? How do we change curve? What’s working? What’s not? ? 2000 2006 2012
Correlation is not Causation: Next Steps • Many strategies…from human capital, instruction, portfolio management, etc • Some strategies like ProComp have specific evaluations, most do not • There is no comprehensive evaluation related to big picture improvement • What’s driving improvement, what’s not working? Why? ???