BVSD graduation rates rise for fifth straight year

The Colorado Department of Education recently released graduation and dropout data for the state. I am pleased to report the overall rate for students in the Boulder Valley School District who graduated on time in 2015 is 92.3 percent, increasing for the fifth straight year. Statewide graduation rates for 2015 were at 77.3 percent. BVSD has considerably improved its on-time graduation rate from 84.7 percent in 2010 to its current 92.3 percent. Boulder Valley has the highest graduation rate of the top 20 largest school districts. Limited English Proficient, Economically Disadvantaged and Homeless all had an increases in their graduation rates. The dropout rate in Boulder Valley remains the lowest of the top ten largest school districts in Colorado.

Improvement in the graduation rate is the result of very intentional efforts to address student needs as early as possible. By providing prompt individualized support, students are more likely to experience success in school. Employees/educators in every school are committed to increasing student success which makes all the difference.

Boulder Valley has significantly improved credit recovery programming in all schools. Educators work to reach students who are in danger of failing and help them learn the content/skills. Students are able to restore class credits by utilizing various alternative programs during the school year and in the summer.

Counseling is an integral part of appropriate and early intervention for students. BVSD has secured additional resources to help with this effort, specifically the Colorado School Counseling corps grant and other sources, targeted to assist high-risk students through personalized intervention.  

Boulder Valley School District is committed to increasing success of all students and prepare them for life after high school. The district strategic plan, The Success Effect, will enhance services and opportunities in the future fostering student success. Boulder Valley schools are exceptional because talented employees/educators are working in partnership with families and community to provide exceptional learning opportunities for all children.

Researching the ideal school day for all BVSD students

The Ideal School Day Task Force met throughout 2015 to develop a plan that maximizes success for all students using time as a variable and asset. The task force, formed under the auspices of a memorandum of understanding between the Boulder Valley School District Board of Education and the Boulder Valley Education Association, aligned its work with the district strategic plan.

Members of the task force included teachers from different levels and disciplines as well as parents and school administrators. The group was co-facilitated by Lynn Jackson, Boulder Valley Education Association, and Sandy Ripplinger, Assistant Superintendent.

District administrators are analyzing the task force recommendations, including potential logistical issues and costs, before presenting them to the Board of Education and me. We will determine early this semester which recommendations could be implemented in 2016-17 and which need further study. The recommendations under consideration are:

• Length of school day – Although contract time remains consistent for teachers at all levels, the task force recommends a 7-hour instructional day for elementary and middle school students and a 7.5-hour instructional day for high school students.
• Later start times for high schools – All high schools should have a later start time.
• District-wide K-5 rotation model with art, music and physical education – Ensure that students have 55-minute classes in each special, which increases time for art education.
• District-wide fifth grade instrumental music – The task force received additional proposals late in the process, so the district plans to continue studying this issue. No changes will be made for the 2016-17 school year to give us more time to develop a strategy that addresses the needs and desires of our students, staff and community.
  
  A representative group – general and instrumental music teachers, classroom teachers, counselors, parents, and school and district administration – will convene to review current models and propose a model that will better meet the needs of all students.
  
  We will continue to be guided by the work of the 2010-11 Elementary Specials Task Force, which adopted four principles:

1. Help students grow into well-rounded, healthy adults (based on current medical and educational research)
2. Provide equal time amongst the specials (Music, Instrumental Music, PE and Art)
3. Provide adequate time to teach the Guaranteed and Viable Curriculum
4. Maintain four content areas (Music, Instrumental Music, PE and Art)

• Analysis of middle school day and schedule – Formation of an Ideal Middle Level Day Task Force to investigate and recommend models that support students and foster optimal growth.
• Preschool day – Increase preschool to three hours.
• Board-approved regulation ADF-R on Wellness Physical Activity – Full implementation of the policy including a full 25 minutes for lunch and daily recess at elementary schools of at least 40 minutes.
• Universal breakfast – Provide breakfast during the school day.
• Time for teacher collaboration – All schools should have professional learning time for teachers outside of the instructional time for students but inside the contract time for teachers. 

I am pleased with the commitment of the task force members and thank them for their hard work to resolve complex problems with our current schedules that will enhance opportunities for success for all Boulder Valley students.

If you wish to provide feedback on these recommendations, please visit our Ideal School Day website.

Happy New Year!

Welcome back to the 2015-16 school year. I hope everyone had a restful and rejuvenating Winter Break.

As students return to school and begin second semester, school and district staff continue work on numerous initiatives supporting student success. Priority action plans are being implemented supporting the district strategic plan, The Success Effect. Phase one planning is well underway on the new bond construction and innovation work. The Board of Education and administration will begin developing the 2016-17 budget. Information describing the Colorado state student assessment will be distributed later this month.

The 2016 Colorado legislative session will begin January 13. This is an optimal time to work with legislators to secure adequate funding for public education. Underfunding public schools in Colorado is having a negative impact on schools, teachers and students throughout the state. BVSD has lost $175M since 2009 due to underfunding and the governor’s proposed budget will result in over $30M additional loss of funds.

If funding from the state had kept pace with inflation and enrollment growth since 2009, BVSD would be able to provide additional services for students including district-wide full-day kindergarten, implementing a comprehensive literacy program, and hiring more school counselors, nurses and teachers. For details, view this handout about The Cost of Education Student Services at BVSD.

Following are a few websites that provide information on organizations working on school funding and related issues.

• Great Education Colorado - an excellent advocacy organization for parents and educators http://www.greateducation.org/
• Colorado School Finance Project - BVSD is an active member of this organization. You can find a lot of information on this website and search TABOR on the site to find specific information. http://www.cosfp.org/
• Colorado Fiscal Institute - another excellent resource and we will be asking them to provide a presentation to the BVSD community after the first of the year. http://www.coloradofiscal.org/
• Colorado Futures Center at Colorado State University - provides vital research and analysis of public policies impacting Colorado’s future and quality of life. It has helpful information about TABOR. http://coloradofutures.colostate.edu/

I encourage all parents, students and staff to contact the governor and legislators to remind them of the importance of public education and encourage them to provide adequate funding. Legislators whose districts are wholly or partially within the boundaries of our school district are listed on the BVSD website. A full directory of members of the Colorado General Assembly is on the state’s website.

I’m looking forward to a great start for the new year!

State Assessment Results for 2014-15

On December 11, the Colorado Department of Education released district and school specific PARCC test results for the 2014/2015 school year. PARCC was administered to students statewide in grades 3-11 last year, assessing Math and English language arts. “PARCC” stands for “Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Career.”

PARCC is a new assessment and measures the state content standards. It is difficult to compare the results to previous assessments because PARCC measures different outcomes and the nature of the test items are notably different. The PARCC results will serve as a baseline to measure future student performance and growth. 

One way to review the assessment data is to examine BVSD student performance compared to the performance of all Colorado students. In the grade-by-grade analysis presented in these slides, BVSD elementary and middle level students outperformed the state by a wide margin overall, though not for students who receive meal assistance or English Language Development services. About 90% of BVSD elementary students took PARCC, compared to 95% statewide, and 80% of BVSD middle school students took PARCC, compared to 89% statewide. 

At the high school level, 34% of BVSD high school students took PARCC English Language Arts, compared to 61% statewide. Results from this level of participation should not be used to make inferences about district wide performance at high school.

The PARCC is developed to measure analytical thinking, rather than memorization, to better prepare students for college and careers. Education experts, including the state education department, have advised for months that test scores will be lower than previous assessments, given the more rigorous standards of the PARCC.

BVSD will continue using multiple measures to assess student performance and district educators will work to determine the value of PARCC. If we can find educational value in the PARCC, the participation rate will likely increase. It will take several years to fully appreciate what PARCC means to us and if the results will be helpful.

BVSD believes there is benefit to using quality classroom-based assessments to determine the needs of all students to inform educational strategies, investment of resources and appropriate interventions for students. However, present Colorado state assessment requirements for accountability are excessive and have limited utility for instructional improvement and supporting student success.

The Boulder Valley School District and Boulder Valley Education Association are committed to managing the impact of state-mandated assessments and utilizing appropriate assessments to foster student success and realize the school district vision, mission, and goals.

Student assessment will continue to be a major issue of discussion in the legislature and the state Board of Education this spring. This issue is not resolved for Colorado and with recent changes to federal law, it is not at all clear how our state will determine accreditation standards or accountability for school districts.

The discussion of multiple measures of student performance aligns with our strategic plan - The Success Effect. During the community consensus process in 2012-13, BVSD participants encouraged us to use multiple and diverse measures of student success. Strategic action plan priority teams are working on common measures that will align with BVSD vision, mission goals and new graduation expectations.

Data sourced from Colorado Department of Education.

Credit Jackie Fortier / KUNC

Data sourced from Colorado Department of Education.

Credit Jackie Fortier / KUNC

New Safe2Tell mobile app helps keep students safe

Student safety is a high priority in the Boulder Valley School District. I am writing to express my support of a new, free mobile app available from Safe2Tell and to encourage you to download it onto your smartphones.

Launched in 2004, the statewide Safe2Tell program was established as a phone tip line that students could call anytime day or night to report concerns about threats that potentially endangered them or someone they knew. A key element of the program’s success has been that the caller remains anonymous.

The new Safe2Tell app continues that commitment to anonymity while providing reporters with a more convenient and modern alternative to the phone line. The app allows students, parents and community members to submit secure, anonymous safety concerns with dialogue, image and video upload features sent to a live 24/7 answering point. The system provides Colorado school administrators and law enforcement officials with accurate information enabling quick, effective interventions to prevent violence and tragedies.

You can find this app in the Apple App Store or Google Play by searching for any of the following: Safe2Tell, Safe 2 Tell or Safe to Tell.

Tips can still be submitted on the Safe 2 Tell website at safe2tell.org or by calling the 24-hour tip line at 877-542-SAFE (7233).

Safe2Tell fields reports about a wide variety of threats, including:

• Bullying and physical threats

• Domestic violence and child abuse

• Assaults and harassment

• Sexual assault and misconduct

• Alcohol and drugs

• Suicide threats

• Gangs and fights

• Explosives, guns, knives and other weapons

• Stealing and vandalism

• Starting fires

• Internet misuse

• Ditching

• Animal cruelty

“Safe2Tell® is a state-funded strategic initiative of the Colorado Department of Law, Office of the Attorney General. The strategy focuses on Colorado children and youth and the issues they face today. The model was based on the Columbine Commission Report’s recommendation that students need a safe and anonymous way to keep lines of communication open. They realized that tragedies might be prevented if young people had a way to tell someone what they knew without fearing retaliation. The anonymity of all Safe2Tell reports is protected by C.R.S. 07-197. This means the reporting party remains UNKNOWN by Colorado state law.” (Source: http://safe2tell.org/who-we-are/)

Download the new app now!

Safe2Tell app for iPhone

Safe2Tell app for Android

Get the new BVSD Mobile App while you’re there!

BVSD app for iPhone

BVSD app for Android

School Funding Challenges and Opportunities in Colorado

The state Supreme Court delivered a disappointing decision on September 21 regarding the constitutional obligation of the State of Colorado to fund public education.  Dwyer v. State

This Sept. 22 Denver Post Editorial is correct in response to the Supreme Court decision regarding Amendment 23. The court determined the state is not legally obligated to recognize the negative factor, however, the legislature still has an obligation to honor the intent/spirit of Amendment 23 which included a cost of living increase plus enrollment each year. Since the legislature walked away from Amendment 23 in 2010, schools across Colorado have lost several billion dollars. Boulder Valley School District has lost over $175 million. The Colorado legislature has a constitutional obligation to fund public education in Colorado and they are significantly failing this responsibility.

Colorado superintendents gathered recently and made a commitment to seek a cost of living and enrollment increase for 2016-17 at a minimum. The governor's office has informally communicated that his proposed budget will not likely include adequate funds to provide for a cost of living increase and account for enrollment growth.

Educators and parents need to partner with all Colorado citizens and advocate for adequate funding for public education in Colorado. If the legislature maintains present budget priorities, this will not be possible. The legislature needs to adjust state budget priorities and fulfill their constitutional obligation to provide adequate funding for schools. We need to elect and support legislators who will make public education a priority.

The decision of the supreme court reminds us the solution for adequate funding for public education rests with the legislature and voters. Polling data consistently indicates that Colorado citizens value quality public education and they understand the future of Colorado is dependent on educating all youth. We need to embrace this opportunity and help educate legislators so they understand the value of quality schools and the challenges we face in our effort to meet the educational needs of all students. Boulder Valley School District will invite Boulder Valley legislators to visit schools this fall so they enter the 2016 session with a full understanding of what is needed in our schools.

We have many good stories to share with legislators and we plan to build on our strengths. If we are idle, the present inadequate funding level will be our "new normal" which will cripple public education for future generations. Colorado is a highly educated, wealthy, low-tax state. This is the time to develop a plan for the future and provide adequate funding for public schools.

Please engage your friends, neighbors and colleagues on this issue and encourage them to join us in this important work.

Chalkbeat Colorado - Sept. 24

Education leaders put on brave face in wake of Supreme Court ruling:

Some advocates vow to keep pushing for improved K-12 support

http://co.chalkbeat.org/2015/09/24/education-leaders-put-on-brave-face-in-wake-of-supreme-court-ruling/#.VgVjYNJVhBc

Denver Post (Guest Commentary) – Sept. 24

Let’s Go Back to School, Colorado

http://www.denverpost.com/opinion/ci_28873594/lets-go-back-school

Denver Post (Editorial) - Sept. 22

Lawmakers still need to address Colorado education funding

http://www.denverpost.com/editorials/ci_28859755/lawmakers-still-need-address-colorado-education-funding

Welcome to the 2015-16 School Year

Welcome to the start of a new school year! This is an exciting time for students as they get acquainted with their teachers and classmates. Each new school year provides rich learning opportunities for all students to experience success.

As I begin my fifth year as superintendent, I am eager to implement the district’s new strategic plan, which we call The Success Effect. Many parents, students, staff and community members helped shape our future direction by their participation in developing the plan, which will lead to achieving our vision, mission, values and goals. My blog about Priority Action Plans features recent work by the action planning teams on The Success Effect. I encourage you to read about the future plan for Boulder Valley School District.

The Success Effect has three organizing principles -- Learning, Talent and Partnerships. Boulder Valley School District recruits and employs talented staff, and ongoing professional development ensures our staff has the best skills and knowledge to help our students be successful. The summer months and pre-service days have been packed with professional learning for staff on such topics as innovation, education technology, gender diversity and instructional practices.

We also want to provide the best possible learning environment for our students. Many staff, parents and community members are actively engaged in planning phase one of the bond construction and innovation work. In November 2014 Boulder Valley School District voters approved a $576 million bond issue, which will fund significant improvements in all schools.  

Parent and family partnerships are essential to achieve the hopes and dreams of all students, and I look forward to working with you for a great school year.

Sincerely,

Bruce K. Messinger, Ph.D.

Superintendent

Vision of the Boulder Valley School District

We develop our children’s greatest abilities and make possible the discovery and pursuit of their dreams which, when fulfilled, will benefit us all. We provide a comprehensive and innovative approach to education and graduate successful, curious, lifelong learners who confidently confront the great challenges of their time.