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Welcoming Our Youngest Students on Their First Day of School
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"Funds from voter-approved bond measures make it possible for us to develop classroom learning environments that inspire creativity and collaboration."
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Dear Team DPS,
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Supt. Tom Boasberg
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As I helped welcome families to Escalante-Biggs Academy on the first day of school this year, it was thrilling to watch our youngest students start their DPS journeys at one of our Early Childhood Education (ECE) centers in the Far Northeast. There were lots of smiles and high-fives -- and perhaps a few tears from parents -- as three-, four- and five-year-olds met their teachers and entered their classrooms for the very first time.
(Watch this DPS Features video about back to school.)
The schools I visited on Monday
are
a
powerful
reminder of how important it is for our district to invest in Early Childhood Education (ECE) for our students' future success. Eric Love, principal at Escalante-Biggs Academy, sees the impact from these investments every day.
"I know the importance of early childhood education because I witness the transformation of our students throughout the year," he said. "There is so much learning and development that happens in these early years of life. Seeing their growth from day to day as they acquire the knowledge and skills needed to thrive in elementary school and beyond is remarkable!"
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A student from Escalante-Biggs Academy holding a sign saying, "My first day of Kindergarten."
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I am proud of the work we have done to expand ECE in Denver and grateful to Denver's voters for their support for early childhood. We have dramatically increased preschool opportunities thanks to the voter-approved Denver Preschool Program, our mill levies and our Bond Program. Escalante-Biggs is one of three new ECE centers (along with the Pascual LeDoux and Sandra Todd Williams Academies) we have opened in our high-need communities of Montbello and Westwood in the last decade.
Where students from low-income families used to sit on waitlists for preschool, they now sit in -- and play in -- purpose-built classrooms for our youngest learners.
I also had the opportunity Monday to see the fruits of the 2016 bond's focus on innovative classroom environments. Our goal is to work closely with school communities to
develop classroom learning environments that inspire creativity and collaboration
. And, that is just what I saw at
the remarkable new STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics) lab and makerspace at John H. Amesse Elementar
y, also in the Montbello neighborhood
.
Over the summer, two traditional classrooms were transformed into a space that is uniquely designed for hands-on, experiential learning. In this new STEAM lab, students now have the room they need to deconstruct, invent, examine and discover amazing things for themselves.
Whether students are starting preschool, high school or somewhere in between, the first day of school is an exciting time for everyone. Thanks to the dedication and expertise of our teachers and school leaders, I have no doubt that this first day was just the beginning of many incredible learning adventures in the year ahead.
Best,
Tom
Pictured above: Families and students celebrated the first day of school at Escalante-Biggs Academy on Monday.
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Superintendent Search Update: Community Engagement Meetings Announced
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As part of the first step in a three-phase process, the Board of Education recently announced the first six dates in a series of community engagement meetings. In an effort to hear from the broader community about their hopes and dreams for our next district leader, the board wants to engage community members and stakeholders in a series of conversations around the district:
- Tuesday, Sept. 4, at Abraham Lincoln High School.
- Wednesday, Sept. 5, at John F. Kennedy High School.
- Tuesday, Sept. 11, at Denver School of the Arts.
- Wednesday, Sept. 12, at George Washington High School.
- Thursday, Sept. 13, at Thomas Jefferson High School.
- Tuesday, Sept. 18, at the Evie Dennis Campus.
All meetings are held from 5:30-7:30 p.m.
Additional dates are being confirmed in Green Valley Ranch, Montbello, Near Northeast and Central, West and Northwest regions. Dates, times and locations will be posted on supersearch.dpsk12.org. Updates will be sent to those who have signed up through the website, as well as shared on social media and via invitations to school communities. Everyone is welcome at these meetings, not just those who attend the school hosting the meeting.
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2018 CMAS, PSAT, SAT and READ Act Results Update
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For the eighth year in a row, DPS students outpaced their classmates statewide in academic growth in English language arts and math. DPS moved from last place among the state's 12 largest districts in combined academic growth in literacy and math to first place, holding the lead among large Colorado districts since 2012!
However, results of the 2018 PSAT/SAT exams were disappointing. On this year's new PSAT 9, ninth-graders significantly underperformed compared with their peers statewide in terms of both status and growth.
Board Member Carrie Olson expressed interest in hearing from both students and teacher leaders once they've had time to analyze the data.
Students from all demographic groups have made sustained academic progress. For example, students of color gained seven points in English language arts proficiency over the past three years, and English language learners now significantly outperform their peers statewide -- but DPS still continues to see persistent gaps in performance.
DPS is studying these results carefully and will come back to the board to discuss areas of interest at future Focus on Achievement sessions.
Read the full presentation about this year's assessment results
here.
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