Improving Achievement in Brush Public Schools

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Logrando Mejoramiento en las Escuelas Públicas de Brush (En Español)

Contents

Discussion Topics

The goal of this Wiki page is to engage stakeholders in a conversation on how to improve student achievement in the Brush Public School District. All comments and responses should be emailed to the Brush Board of Education at boe@brushschools.org. Comments and responses sent to the Board of Education will be listed in the section labeled FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) under the each topic. Stakeholders are encouraged to share artifacts and provide links to research that support their comments and responses. Those items will be posted under the Supporting Research section of the appropriate topic so all stakeholders benefit from the knowledge. The collective intelligence of all stakeholders will ensure the final outcome is increased student achievement.

If you do not receive a response to your email by the Friday after the most recent Board of Education meeting please call one of your local board members or district administrator.

What are your best hopes for student achievement in the Brush School District?

Email questions and comments to boe@brushschools.org

FAQ

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Supporting Research

What aspects of the current Brush education system do you believe should be maintained to prepare students for a successful future?

Email questions and comments to boe@brushschools.org

FAQ

Q: Will a GPA and class rank be figured in the suggested standards based system?

A: Yes. The Journey of Continuous Improvement referred to a process of studying and adopting a new grading and reporting system aligned with standards. The system has yet to be developed. As we move forward as an educational community, the passages below will provide guidance to ensure Brush graduates have the same opportunity for admissions and scholarships as students from schools with traditional grade systems.

  • Colorado Commission on Higher Education College Admissions Standards Policy Page I-F-13 address the concern of students being assigned a proxy GPA of 3.3
    • 5.03.04 Calculation for non-graded students: When a GPA is not calculable institutions shall use a proxy GPA of 3.3 to generate an admission index, which should be used to render an admission decision and may be used in the awarding of financial aid according to institutional guidelines consistent with other applicants.
      • 5.03.04.01 When a GPA is provided or calculable, institutions must use it for the calculation of an admission index regardless of the academic setting through which it was earned, that is, regular or non-traditional (e.g., home schooling). Institutions must not differentiate between index scores calculated according to grade point averages earned by way of either a regular or non-traditional academic setting when rendering admission decisions or awarding financial assistance according to official institutional guidelines otherwise consistently applicable to other applicants.

Supporting Research

What do you feel could be improved in the current system to increase student achievement?

Email questions and comments to boe@brushschools.org

FAQ

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Supporting Research

What are your thoughts on the strengths and weaknesses of the current grading and reporting system?

Email questions and comments to boe@brushschools.org

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Supporting Research

What skills are necessary for preparing students for the 21st century that are not currently addressed in state standards?

Email questions and comments to boe@brushschools.org

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Supporting Research

Questions for the Board of Education

Stakeholders are encouraged to email focused questions to the Board of Education for response at the next scheduled Board Meeting. A response may not be provided for two weeks depending on the date posted. Email questions and comments to boe@brushschools.org

FAQ

Q: What progress has been made in developing a trust agreement?

A: The Brush Education Association (BEA) was asked to begin a draft. At a recent Meet and Confer meeting the BEA representatives brought a draft they called " Brush Collaborative Process" and one called " Collaborative Agreement Components - DRAFT." The Meet and Confer committee discussed the contents and next steps to be taken. This committee has two Board of Education representatives who endorsed the next step which is a meeting on Wednesday, April 16, where the BEA President, Superintendent, and CEA Uniserv Representative will meet to continue work on the initial draft. The Board representatives to the Meet and Confer Committee will make a report at the April 15 Board of Education meeting held at Thomson Primary School.

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Q: While the World Café is a modern, innovative way to be more involved in the education of our children, as well as the JCI process, it leaves out too many stakeholders who do not have access/adequate access to technology. What type of “information campaign” is planned to ensure that EVERY parent and stakeholder is aware of the details concerning the JCI and has the opportunity to be involved with this process?

A: The World Café is not process that uses technology, but rather a face-to-face discussion. The original plan was to begin with Building Accountability Committees because we felt it was the right place to start. We could have informal conversations with parents already involved and would get guidance on how to get more people involved. It is apparent that after many people have been made aware of our process so quickly, we will need to make adjustments as to our public engagement process and not have to rely on the accountability committees to get it started. We have every intention of getting those who want to be involved into the upcoming focus groups.

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Q: Aside from the list of meetings included on this website, how are the meetings being advertised to inform parents? My question is in regards to both the date/time information, and a clear explanation of the JCI to allow parents to make an informed decision about attendance at the meeting(s).

A: Again, the momentum this process has picked up so quickly was not anticipated. Rather than relying on smaller groups to spread the word, we need to make an adjustment to our engagement strategies. Upcoming meetings are posted on the Brush Public Schools web page under the link Get Involved In Your Schools.

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Q: How will meetings be planned in the future to be less in conflict with other events? A meeting during the same time as Parent/Teacher conferences seems to be interfering with one of the important components of our current educational process.

A: The school calendar is very full and it is unlikely that we will have too many opportunities to not have competing events. Instead, we are more likely to schedule many opportunities for the same activity because what poses a conflict for one, does not for another. As for conferences, teachers at BV who had a conflict will be invited back for other opportunities to address the same questions asked of the group present. That same night, the other schools did not have conferences. A focus group needs to have a limited number of participants, so having some come on another night will work.

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Q: Are meetings planned with support for parents/students/community members needing interpretation and/or clarification to facilitate their accurate understanding of the process and its potential outcomes?

A: The original vision was that we had a long process in place that would help people understand the process and give their thoughts about the outcome. However, some have believed that decisions were already made and felt that all the answers needed to be shared now. In fact, decisions have not been made other than the fact that we need to address many aspects of our system. New materials will need to be created, certainly the engagement process will need to be revisited, and nothing will happen without discussions with parents, teachers, and students.

Supporting Research

Stakeholders are encouraged to contact District Administrators via email, phone or in person at their building.

Ben Dutton, Brush High School Principal

  • 970-842-5171 ext. 207

John Schaffer, Athletics and Activities Director

  • 970-842-5171 ext. 209

Johan van Nieuwenhuizen,Brush Middle School Principal

  • 970-842-5035 ext. 202

Rob Sanders, Beaver Valley Elementary School

  • 970-842-4794 ext. 155

Kendra Anderson, Thomson Primary School

  • 970-842-5139 ext. 4605

Committee Minutes

Committee leaders are encouraged to send minutes from meetings held across the district for posting in this location. Please email minutes to jgotto@brushschools.org

Brush Leadership Team Book List

Copies of the following books are available for checkout through each school's professional development library. The Brush Leadership Teams book list has been added to Shelfari which will allow stakeholders to add comments about the books and read reviews from other users of the site. Learn more about the educational uses of Shelfari through the Going on a Shelfari post.

Administration Team Book Study List: 2005 - 2006

Blankstein, Alan M. and Michael Fullan. Failure Is Not an Option. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press, 2004.

Dufour, Richard, et al. On Common Ground: The Power of Professional Learning Communities On Common Ground The Power of Professional Learning Communities. Bloomington, IN: National Educational Service, 2005.

Whitaker, Todd. What Great Teachers Do Differently. Larchmont, NY: Eye on Education, Inc, 2004.

Administration Team Book Study List: 2006 - 2007

Bolman, Lee G. and Terrance E. Deal. The Wizard and Warrior: Leading with Passion and Power. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass, 2006.

Collins, Jim. Good To Great. New York, NY: HarperCollins Publishers, Inc, 2001.

Marzano, Robert J., et al. School Leadership That Works. Alexandria, VA: ASCD, 2005

Reeves, Douglas B. The Learning Leader: How to Focus School Improvement for Better Results. Alexandria, VA: ASCD, 2006.

Administration Team Book Study List: 2007 - 2008

Marzano, Robert J. The Art and Science of Teaching A Comprehensive Framework for Effective Instruction. Alexandria, VA: ASCD, 2007.

Marzano, Robert J. Classroom Assessment & Grading that Work. Alexandria, VA: ASCD, 2006.

Pollock, Jane E. Improving Student Learning One Teacher at a Time. Alexandria, VA: ASCD, 2007.

Schmoker, Mike. Results Now: How We Can Achieve Unprecedented Improvements in Teaching and Learning. Alexandria, VA: ASCD, 2006.

Board of Education Book Study List: 2007 - 2008

Block, Peter. The Answer To How Is Yes. San Francisco, CA: Berrett-Koehler Publishers, Inc., 2002, 2003

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