LPS Education Archive

[JPG 268KB]  Littleton Public Schools (LPS) education is provided at 27 sites to about 16,000 K-12 students who live in Centennial, Littleton, and other municipalities and unincorporated areas in Colorado.  The LPS enrollment ranks 15th largest of the 178 Colorado school districts.  The area of 28 square miles is very compact.  Schools are identified on a one-page map [PDF 35KB] and a one-page list [PDF 14KB] of addresses and telephone numbers.

The LPS district has a staff of about 991 licensed teaching personnel, 514 classified employees, and 71 administrative employees.  Its sites include one early childhood facility, 15 elementary schools, four middle schools, three high schools, two alternative programs, and two K-8 charter schools.  A one-page organizational chart [PDF 51KB] shows administrative relationships.

The total June 29, 2006 budget appropriation of $196,685,663 for school year 2006-2007 is divided into nine funds: $137,489,572 General Fund, $20,872,715 Bond Redemption Fund, $9,722,912 Building Fund, and $28,600,464 in six other funds.  A brief introduction, a 12-page Executive Summary [PDF 66KB], and the entire 156-page 2006-2007 Adopted Budget [PDF 9290KB] are available on-line at the district website.  The  2006-2007 Adopted Budget also is available at the LPS Financial Services office, 5776 South Crocker Street, Littleton, CO 80120, USA.  The very informative 32-page "Pocket Guide to Understanding Your School District Budget, 2006-2007" document [PDF 554KB] is available on-line and at the LPS Financial Services office.

The LPS official district website contains much more information under these easily-navigated main categories: District Information, Schools, Employment, for Parents, for Students, and for Staff.

LPS Mission Statement: To educate students for the future by challenging every individual to continuously learn, achieve, and act with purpose and compassion.

According to the August 2, 2006 Colorado Student Assessment Program (CSAP) data, the overall LPS district average for the 27 CSAP 2006 tests is 70% proficient or advanced (P+A), the same as in 2005 for 25 tests (science was not tested for grades 5 and 10).   Reading average for eight tests is 80% P+A (was 80%), writing average for eight tests is 68% P+A (was 68%), math average for eight tests is 65% P+A (was 64%), and science average for three tests is 61% P+A (was 66% for one test).

LPS also does well when compared with 37 other Colorado districts that have at least five elementary schools.  The CSAP 2006 LPS 70% P+A overall average is exceeded only by Cheyenne Mountain 12 (80%, was 81%), Lewis-Palmer 38 (78%, was 76%), Academy 20 (75%, was 76%), Douglas County RE 1 (73%, was 73%), and Boulder Valley RE 2 (72%, was 72%) P+A school district averages. 

Detailed summaries of CSAP P+A averages of those 38 districts for each grade in each subject are available for the 23 2004 tests [PDF 14KB], the 25 2005 tests [PDF 14KB], and the 27 2006 tests [PDF 14KB].  Other comparisons of academic performance are made on the CSAP 2005 school accountability reports SAR Ratings page.

LPS has an overall downward trend in CSAP performance when compared with the overall state average.  The P+A improvement for the same 25 tests given in both 2005 and 2006 was only +0.2% for LPS, whereas the improvement was +0.9% for the state average (total of all 178 districts).  In other words, the LPS 2006 CSAP P+A improvement again was in the bottom half of all Colorado districts (for 2004 vs. 2005, LPS was +0.3% and the state average was +1.4% for the same 23 tests). 

LPS clearly has lost relative position compared to other Colorado districts.  A one-page tabulation [PDF 10KB] has been prepared for every CSAP test given in 2002, 2005, and 2006.  Relative changes in P+A (LPS - Colorado) show that the 2006 LPS average lags the state average by 3.3% for the same 23 tests four years ago (2006 - 2002) and lags by 0.7% for the same 25 tests one year ago (2006 - 2005).

[JPG 320KB] LPS officials have been very eager to provide a great deal of public recognition for a small number of students and staff who win awards for their outstanding accomplishments.  District averages for student learning continue to exceed Colorado averages for LPS CSAP and national norms for LPS ITBS.  On the other hand, LPS officials have offered very little public comment about the large number of students (20% to 40% or more in some LPS schools) whose academic achievement is below grade level.  ICAN has done some analysis of the latest LPS ITBS data, including objective evidence of continuing increases in the percentages of below-grade-level students as noted in our 40-page 4/21/05 document [PDF 229KB].

Public perception of the LPS academic performance continues at a high level.  However, there is significant, increasing pressure on LPS to increase actual improvement in terms of student learning.  ICAN objects to "shoot the messenger" approaches by LPS officials to attempt to divert attention from previously-hidden student academic achievement problems.  For example, on January 14, 2004 (only five days after the November, 2003 ITBS/CogAT data were made accessible for ICAN review) LPS administration proposed that there be a "moratorium" on ITBS/CogAT testing.  The November, 2004 ITBS/CogAT data confirmed that the district has continued its overall downward trend in student academic achievement as measured by these standardized tests.  All of the nationally-normed averages for the 2004 November tests were less than those in 2003 for all subject areas (Reading, Language, Mathematics, Core Total, Social Studies, Science, Sources of Information, and Composite) and all three grades tested (3, 5, and 7), as shown on the LPS ITBS and lower-level pages.  Percentages of students below grade level increased for nearly all subject areas and all three grades (grade 7 social studies was same).  On April 28, 2005 the Board of Education approved administration's request to discontinue ITBS testing.

At the January 13, 2005 Board of Education meeting the superintendent informed the Board that the Colorado Department of Education (CDE) has stated that the LPS district total met 124 of 128 targets for the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) results for school year 2003-2004.  Six LPS schools (Field ES, Euclid MS, Goddard MS, Newton MS, Arapahoe HS, and Littleton HS) and the district as a whole did not make AYP.  As a result, CDE has placed LPS on Program Improvement beginning with school year 2004-2005.  Further information is available on the LPS NCLB AYP page.

ICAN believes that most of the 2002-2005 LPS school improvement plans were primarily accreditation compliance documents for mere compliance with accreditation requirements rather than commitment to challenging objectives to improve academic achievement.  As described on the LPS SIPs Critique page, the 2006-2009 SIPs are the school-based action plans for implementation of the one-page LPS Strategic Plan 2006-2011 [PDF 19KB] and accomplishment of the District Achievement Goal: "Ninety percent of all students K-10 will be on or above grade level in Reading, Math, Writing, and Science by 2011.  The achievement gap in student performance will be cut in half by 2009."

The LPS Strategic Plan 2006-2011 is much better than the LPS Strategic Plan 2001, which had less focus upon improvement of academic achievement for all students.  However, ICAN is sure that there will be little or no reduction in the percentages of below-grade-level students until most of the LPS Board of Education members and the superintendent publicly declare their willingness to be held accountable for such specific, measurable objectives and then insist that lower-level officials do the same.  Otherwise, institutional inertia will maintain the status quo and continue to prevent significant increase in student academic achievement.

Last modified: 08/23/2008

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