Denver school principals were greeted with words of optimism Monday at an annual workshop, despite the district’s poor performance in a statewide assessment test.
“I hope you didn’t feel defeated,” said Superintendent Michael Bennet about the results from the 2007 Colorado Student Assessment Program that were released last week.
In the eight grades that took the CSAP in 2007, scores were either flat or down over all grades in almost all subjects: math, reading, writing and science.
“We have a sense of urgency,” the district’s Chief Academic Officer Jaime Aquino told the principals. “This year we need to get results.”
The two-day Principal Institute at the Convention Center is being attended by between 350 and 400 principals, vice principals and administrators who are gearing up for the Aug. 20 start of school.
In opening statements Monday morning, Bennet and Aquino tried to downplay the emotional toll of the CSAP results.
A photograph projected onto banquet room walls, however, showed the two holding their heads in their hands as they pored over the results.
Still, Bennet said, “we have every bit of confidence that this is the year we will see extraordinary gains.”
The CSAP performance – in which 13 percent of sophomores were proficient in math, 38 percent of eighth- graders were proficient at reading and 27 percent of fourth-graders were proficient at writing – came after one year of Bennet’s ambitious school reform plan.
“Before the scores came out, I said my greatest fear was that the scores would go down,” Aquino said.
“My fear is people won’t believe in the direction of the district,” he said.
Teachers may have been overloaded with too much too soon, Aquino said, adding, “We have absolutely no regrets.”
Aquino said this year’s plan is mostly the same as last year with a few “refinements” – a new science curriculum for middle school, a new social studies curriculum for kindergarten through eighth grade and a rollout of a second- year algebra curriculum for high school.
Aquino urged principals to be positive, push forward and reach for success.
“You need to believe in this and pass it on to your staff,” he said. “Pass it on, your belief that we are moving in the right direction. We would be morally wrong if we didn’t do it for these kids.”
Staff writer Jeremy P. Meyer may be reached at 303-954-1367 or jpmeyer@denverpost.com.
