Earlier this month, Denver Public Schools (DPS) shared the results for the 2018 School Performance Framework (SPF) ratings, a report card that tells us important information about how much our students have improved their scores on state tests from year to year, and how satisfied our students and families are with our school. We are then able to use this information to make any necessary changes in the classroom and to bring in additional supports where needed.
With the release of this year’s SPF, we’re eager to celebrate those areas where our students and schools excelled, and know there is work to do to improve how we support all of our students.
This year, RMP Creekside was rated “green” or meets expectations.
- We are particularly proud that for the fourth year in a row, our students had the highest math proficiency rates among any DPS school with a majority of students eligible for free or reduced lunch.
- Our students’ math proficiency level also put us above the proficiency rate achieved by Boulder Valley School District, an important milestone for our mission to close the opportunity gap for all students in Colorado.
- When looking specifically at proficiency rates for ELLs, Creekside students’ math proficiency scores were in the top ten of all schools in the district.
- Our overall proficiency scores were essentially flat from last year to this year, which is still high relative to many benchmarks, but not the growth we hope to see each year.
- It is worth noting that although our results were flat, changes to the SPF ratings resulted in us having fewer blue and green categories across the board, which impacted our overall rating. (From last year to this year, more than a quarter of schools in DPS that were previously blue or green dropped categories.)
- We know we have work to do to improve how we support our earliest learners and our students with disabilities, and close the gap between our students who qualify for free or reduced lunch (FRL) and those who don’t.
RMP Southwest has been rated “yellow” or accredited on watch. (This year’s rating was calculated using the more-limited early ed SPF. Once we receive PARCC growth data in 2019 we will qualify for the traditional framework.)
- We are so proud that RMP Southwest was the #1 elementary school in DPS for parent/family satisfaction for the second year in a row!
- RMP Southwest students’ math proficiency scores were 20 percentage points higher than those of other elementary schools in the district with a similar percentage of students qualifying for free or reduced lunch.
- When looking specifically at proficiency scores for students learning English as a Second Language, Southwest students’ math proficiency scores were in the top ten of all schools in the district.
- Our ELA scores weren't where we want them to be, and our academic gaps are too large between different student subgroups. It is worth noting that a school can only receive DPS’ highest ratings of Distinguished (blue) or Meets Expectations (green) if it earns a blue or green rating on Academic Gaps. In order to move up from yellow and into the green or blue category, we will be working on support strategies that will make a difference for all of our students right away. We know that closing those gaps will make the biggest difference for our kids and for our SPF rating next year.
Our Fletcher campus is a part of Aurora Public Schools, which evaluates schools using the State of Colorado SPF. We look forward to seeing Fletcher’s state ranking in January 2019.
In partnership,
James
