Urban school districts that are making gains share several common elements: deliberate teacher training, intensive efforts to catch kids who are behind, and expectations that all students can achieve, national education experts say.
In “The Denver Plan,” unveiled Wednesday by Denver Public Schools Superintendent Michael Bennet, all of those elements exist, noted Ross Wiener, policy director for the Washington, D.C.-based Education Trust.
The 83-page document marks a culture shift seen among successful city schools nationwide from a system in which “large-scale low performance was accepted” to “a whole new mindset that has the school district leadership accepting responsibility for low-performing schools,” Wiener said.
The plan details how the district will meet three goals – having a highly skilled staff, having principals who are school leaders and collaborating with the community to ensure success.
Van Schoales, executive vice president of the Colorado Children’s Campaign, said that more than any he’s seen before, Bennet’s plan details expectations for principals, teachers, and administrators. However, he said, the plan needs to be flexible when students fall short.
Mike Casserly, executive director of the Council of the Great City Schools, called it “the most aggressive and forward-looking plan I’ve seen Denver ever come up with.”
“They’re not saying ‘the kids are too poor’ or ‘if we had better kids’ or ‘we’ll do it the best we can.’ They’re setting very aggressive, very concrete, very measurable (goals),” he said.
Staff writer Karen Rouse can be reached at 303-820-1684 or krouse@denverpost.com.
