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As a seven-year member of the District 51 Board of Education, having served four years as president, I am glad to note the editors of The Daily Sentinel are interested in achievement scores in the district. We all are.
I can assure you no one takes measures of progress more seriously than the school board, district administration and the rest of our staff. All 3,000 employees in every department are committed to, and take responsibility for, the success of every student. Yet the real story of student success can’t be boiled down to sound bites, headlines or test scores. There are many examples of success around the district. We are committed to building a district of excellence.
Our district is engaged in massive systemic change that is affecting instruction from preschool to graduation. We are making significant changes with high expectations. However, high expectations alone are not enough. High expectations with clearly identified support systems will bring about the change required. We are not just “tweaking” things. Systemic change takes time; there are no shortcuts to sustained improvement.
There have been and may continue to be bumps and disappointing test scores along the way, but we are confident that the research-based, proven systems and strategies we are putting into place will pay off.
Useful information from the recent CSAP results is being processed to plan for each student’s continuous improvement. We have not and will not give up on those students who have not reached proficiency. CSAP will continue to be an important measure for us to use. Yet it is irresponsible to make sweeping generalizations about results without an understanding of their intended use.
We believe all students can learn and are expanding ways to see that every student, every teacher and every principal has access to the tools they need for success. We are making the necessary changes in a fiscally responsible way, even though our 21,000 students are funded at the lowest rate in the state of Colorado.
Reform? Yes! Accountability? Absolutely! Change? Continuous! District 51 is committed to working with the community on the substantive changes that will make a real difference, not those that ensure short-term gains benefiting only those who seek political gain or self elaboration.
RON ROWLEY, member
School District 51
Board of Education
Clifton
7 Responses to “District 51 is committed to making change work”
Posted May 9th, 2008 at 3:59 pm Login to Send PM Report this comment
I have two kids in district 51. I do feel that we need some way of tracking how our kids are doing in school and the CSAP does just that. However, I was shocked at how much time goes into “test prep” with these kids. They spend at least two weeks “practicing” for the CSAP and another two on the NWEA. How can we possibly get an accurate idea of how the kids are doing on the skills involved with these tests if there is so much practice. And to add to the pot, all the time that is spent on prep is taking away from time that could be spent on math, science and history.
Posted May 9th, 2008 at 8:06 pm Login to Send PM Report this comment
Mr Rowley’s comments boil down to we are all running around working hard. No one questions that most people are working hard. However, Mr. Rowley’s comment that “There are many examples of success around the district.” is balanced out by the simple fact that no measurement of student success — CSAP, ACT, NWEA, graduation rates — shows any positive gain in the last decade at the district level. The district is like a car stuck in the snow — it is spinning its wheels as fast as it can. Regrettably it is going no where but is using up tremendous amounts of valuable energy and resources.
Mr. Rowley states “Systemic change takes time; there are no shortcuts to sustained improvement.” This is the mantra of the system that has not changed. The assistant superintendent has been using this phrase for over half a decade. It is simply NOT true. Districts that do improve start to show positive improvement from the first day after they decide they are not where they need to be. And then they improve consistently from then on. A decade of non-improvement is only going to bring an 11th year of the same.
Expectations are fine, but expectations without goals, measures and accountability must accompany the expectations. Otherwise the expectations are merely dreams or wishes.
The District is committed to maintaining it status quo. If it otherwise, there would be change. The outcomes are merely a refection of what the system is currently designed to obtain.
Posted May 11th, 2008 at 11:15 am Login to Send PM Report this comment
Mr. Rowley’s letter is printed in today’s paper. There is a telling comment about how effective Mr. Rowley and his Board colleagues are on the front page. Apparently the BOE adopted a POLICY of no salutatorians at local high schools (wisdom of decision is not point of this discussion). On the front page of the paper: “Two District 51 high schools are ignoring district policy to not have a salutatorian.” Indeed the recipients are named further inside the paper (and they deserve recogniiton and the honor). The point is, if Board policy about something as clear and obvious as this is defied at half of the high schools, why should anyone believe that any of Mr. Rowley’s more complex and difficult policies to implement reform are going to make any difference?
To have or not to have a salutatorian is NOT my point. The simple inability for the BOE to have its “policies” followed is my point. Is the BOE even relevant to the classroom anymore?
Posted May 12th, 2008 at 3:53 pm Login to Send PM Report this comment
I find it quite interesting (and exciting!) that in less than one school year, Caprock Academy’s third graders have achieved 81% proficiency or higher with CSAP. Maybe it has something to do with the incredible curriculum being used? Hmmm…
Congratulations to Caprock’s stupendous staff, students, parents, administration, and Board of Directors on a job well done!
Posted May 12th, 2008 at 4:10 pm Login to Send PM Report this comment
oneperson, you asked; ” Is the BOE even relevant to the classroom anymore? ”
Not if the “e” in BOE stands for ‘education’.
Education is not the primary focus in schools, just indoctrination into believing that the government is the sole provider of all things in this country.
Why learn to read and spell? The government will find you a job that doesn’t require those qualities.
Math? Not to worry.
Need help forming coherent thought patterns? Why? Quite a few teachers have the same problem, and look where they are and what they are doing to earn a living.
There are some very good dedicated teachers.
Too bad they get dictated to by the unions they are required to pay to get a job in Colorado.
Posted May 12th, 2008 at 5:14 pm Login to Send PM Report this comment
My daughter received an outstanding education in Grand Junction High School. We took her for a tour of the great art museums of Europe as a graduation present, and she astonished me by upon seeing some of the masterpieces relating their background and history. She learned this in her humanities and art classes in high school. She is now graduating from the University of Oregon where her high school background proved valuable.
The only negative thing I heard about GJHS came from one of her classmates who told me that in biology classes they heard next to nothing about the principles of evolution. It was his impression that the teachers downplayed this area because they were afraid of backlash from the far right wing religious nuts in this community. I hope that situation is not true. Perhaps one of the GJHS teachers will see this and comment.
Posted May 12th, 2008 at 5:19 pm Login to Send PM Report this comment
From my experience, the biggest influence by far in the quality of a child’s education is the influence of the parents. Parents who are involved in the educational process seem to have children who get a better education. Parents who see school as little more than day care don’t get the same result.
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