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The Colorado State Board of Education approved the nine-page Littleton Public Schools (LPS) Accreditation Contract [PDF 149KB] for a six-year term of Accreditation from July 1, 2001 through June 30, 2007. That includes the following statements of district goals and requirements [page 5]: "The following goal statements represent the learning expectations of Littleton Public Schools as described by school and district results: Goal one: At each grade level, 75-85 percent of all students will achieve grade level learning targets as defined in district adopted curricula and demonstrated by classroom assessment results. Goal two: A minimum of one year's growth in one year's time in reading, writing and math will be demonstrated by the weighted scoring of CSAP results. Goal three: Discrepant subgroups will achieve more than a year's growth in a year's time in reading, writing, and math as demonstrated by CSAP results, and supported by other achievement information. (Discrepant subgroups or sub-populations are identified student groups who are below or above grade level.)" At its September 11, 2003 meeting, the Board reviewed information about the impact of the federal "No Child Left Behind" (NCLB) law on district goals currently outlined in the district's accreditation contract. According to the minutes of that meeting, "Mrs. Miller cited the district goals and requirements of its accreditation contract with the State as follows: Goal 1: 75-85 percent of all students will achieve grade level learning targets; Goal 2: a minimum of one year's growth in one year's time in reading, writing, and math as demonstrated by weighted scoring of Colorado Student Assessment Program (CSAP) results and other achievement results; Goals 3: discrepant subgroups will achieve more than one year's growth in a year's time in reading, writing, and math as demonstrated by CSAP results, and supported by other achievement information." The September 11 minutes also state: "Mrs. Miller explained the timelines for the AYP under the federal NCLB. September 30 is the deadline for the Colorado Department of Education to make the district's AYP determination. She also explained the proposed revisions to the district achievement goals as follows: 1) No change to Goal No. 1. 2) Goal No. 2: (a) A minimum of one year's growth in one year's time in reading, writing, and math will be demonstrated by CSAP and other achievement results. (b) Adequate Yearly Progress will be achieved in reading and math by meeting state performance expectations as defined by the Colorado Department of Education. 3) Goal No. 3: (a) Discrepant subgroups will achieve more than a year's growth in a year's time in reading, writing, and math as demonstrated by CSAP results, and supported by other achievement information. (b) Subgroups required by NCLB will achieve Adequate Yearly Progress in reading and math by meeting state performance expectations as defined by the Colorado Department of Education." The above September 11 proposed revision to district achievement goals was included in a 20-page presentation outline [PDF 418KB] that also had information about reporting of district achievement goals, meeting NCLB (No Child Left Behind) AYP (Adequate Yearly Progress) requirements, and updating of school improvement plans. ICAN was very impressed by the objective, positive, "can do" attitudes displayed by the administration presenters (Bonnie Miller and Lucinda Hundley). The Board of Education approved the above changes to the goals at its September 25 meeting. Citizen activist Sam Drury reminded the Board that the Colorado Department of Education (CDE) made the AYP requirements easier for LPS and other high-performing school districts by including CSAP “Partially Proficient” within the NCLB definition of “Proficient” and by using the CSAP state averages to monitor AYP for every school district. He also declared that the LPS administration's September 11 statement of Goal 1 ("75-85 percent of all students will achieve grade level learning targets") misrepresents the more-difficult requirements of that goal as stated in the LPS accreditation contract with CDE ("Goal one: At each grade level, 75-85 percent of all students will achieve grade level learning targets as defined in district adopted curricula and demonstrated by classroom assessment results.").
Last modified: 04/04/2004 |
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