More than a decade ago, Colorado lawmakers passed the Innovation Schools Act of 2008, a bill that allows schools in the state to qualify for so-called innovation status, allowing them to waive some state and district rules, including opting out of standard curriculum.
The idea was to give lower-performing schools the help they need to improve and offer higher-performing schools a way to better serve their students.
Some schools are reaping dividends under the innovation designation. But an analysis of state rankings data by Denver Post education reporter Meg Wingerter found that 60% of Colorado’s innovation schools were at the same level two years after their status change.
This stagnation has led some officials at the state level and within Denver Public Schools to question whether the flexibility offered to innovation schools is yielding results.
“I keep coming back to ‘Does innovation matter?’” said Joyce Rankin, who represents the 3rd District on the state Board of Education. “I haven’t seen that it does.”
In today’s Denver Post, a deeper look at this important issue.
— Matt Sebastian, Denver Post senior editor
Static test scores at many Colorado innovation schools have state, Denver officials questioning format’s effectiveness
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