The Steamboat Springs School District and South Routt School District have both been recognized as a district that is Accredited with Distinction. The two Routt County districts are honored with ten other districts in the state receiving the honor. Accredited with Distinction is assigned to the highest performing districts that are meeting or exceeding expectations on most performance tasks.
Dr. Kirk Henwood is the new School District Superintendent for the South Routt District.
“South Routt School District is super excited to be recognized as a school district that is Accredited with Distinction. Part of our goal is to continue to improve.”
Staff members in the South Routt District all received a pair of maroon and white socks with Rams on them that say, “South Routt socked it out of the park.”
Here is the South Routt Scorecard from the Colorado Department of Education.
Press release from the Steamboat Springs School District; Aug. 31, 2023.
Steamboat Springs School District Recognized as Accredited with Distinction by Colorado Department of Education
Out of 178 districts in Colorado, only 11 were recognized as Accredited with Distinction
Steamboat Springs, Colo. – August 31, 2023 – The Steamboat Springs School District (SSSD) is one of 11 school districts in the state to be recognized as Accredited With Distinction by the Colorado Department Colorado of Education. Accredited with Distinction is assigned to the highest performing districts. This means these school districts are meeting or exceeding expectations on most performance tasks. Only six percent of school districts in Colorado are recognized as such.
Each year, Colorado schools and districts receive performance ratings to let them and their communities know how well they are doing. These reports are called the District Performance Frameworks (DPFs) and School Performance Frameworks (SPFs). The overall ratings assigned are based on achievement and growth on state assessments, along with such postsecondary measures as graduation rates, drop-out rates, college entrance exams, and college matriculation rates. The ratings help the Colorado Department of Education (CDE) and State Board of Education (SBE) make decisions about how to help struggling schools.
Below are highlights from indicator rankings that make up the Accredited with Distinction rating:
Elementary Academic Achievement CMAS English Language Arts
- All students – Exceed
Middle school Academic Achievement CMAS English Language Arts
- All students – Exceed
Middle School Academic Achievement CMAS Math
- All students – Exceed
High School Academic Achievement PSAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing
- All students – Exceed
High School Postsecondary and Workforce Readiness
- SAT Evidence Based Reading and Writing
- All students – Exceed
- SAT Math
- All students – Exceed
- Dropout Rates:
- All students – Exceed
- Students who qualify for free and reduced lunch – Exceeds
- Students with disabilities – Exceeds
- Minority students – Meets
- Graduation Rates:
- All students – Exceed
- Students who qualify for free and reduced lunch – Meets
- Minority students – Exceed
- Multilingual learners Meets
- Students with Disabilities – Exceeds
“These frameworks are just one piece of evidence that demonstrates the high level of achievement by our students,” said Dr. Celine Wicks, Superintendent. “Our teachers and staff set high standards for students at every grade level, and our students rise to the occasion. We all should take a moment to celebrate this achievement.”
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Press Release from the Colorado Department of Education; Aug. 29, 2023.
News Release
Schools and districts show improvement on Colorado’s preliminary accountability framework
Correction: Due to an oversight, numbers on the graphics in the Aug. 29 press release were incorrect. The graphics below have been corrected.
DENVER — A greater percentage of schools and districts earned higher marks on the preliminary accountability frameworks than in 2022, showing a gradual improvement occurring across the state since the pandemic.
“I am pleased that we continue to see some improvement in our schools and districts after a tough three years,” said Colorado Education Commissioner Susana Córdova. “These preliminary frameworks will give families and communities more insight into how their schools are doing. We know that students and staff have been working incredibly hard these past years and the improvements shown on these preliminary results are a reflection of those efforts. Additionally, this information can help us determine where we need to focus our efforts to help schools that are still struggling.”
The 2023-24 ratings can be found on the Performance Frameworks Results webpage or on the school and district dashboard.
Performance frameworks, which are part of the state’s accountability system, are used to accredit school districts and assign school plan types, or ratings. Frameworks are calculated using statewide data, including academic growth, academic achievement and postsecondary and workforce readiness data (e.g., graduation, dropout, matriculation rates). These are the preliminary results. Districts may provide the state with additional data through a request to reconsider process that may result in a rating change, pending state board approval later this year.
Read an overview of the state’s accountability process.
Final ratings for districts and schools that do not participate in the request to reconsider process will be adopted by the State Board of Education in November. The ratings for the remaining schools and districts will be adopted by the state board in December.
Results for 2023-24 preliminary ratings
A greater percentage of districts and schools earned the highest rankings in comparison to 2022. Specifically, 70% of districts earned an Improvement or higher rating compared to 2022 with 54% of districts. Likewise, 78% of schools earned a Performance or Improvement plan type in 2023 compared to 71% in 2022 before requests to reconsider.
Overall, the number of schools and districts on the Accountability Clock decreased from 2022. Unfortunately, there was an increase in the number of sites with Priority Improvement assignments, the second lowest measure.
District Summary
School Summary
District Performance Watch Information
Districts are considered on Performance Watch if they received the two lowest ratings (Priority Improvement or Turnaround) on Year 1 or higher. It also includes districts “on watch,” which have earned an Improvement plan type or higher after being on the Accountability Clock for at least two years. Additionally, districts are on Performance Watch that are on “on hold,” which means they received an Insufficient State Data rating after being on Performance Watch in the prior year.
School Performance Watch Information
Performance Watch includes schools that received the lowest two ratings, Priority Improvement or Turnaround, for one or more years. It also includes those that are “on watch,” which means they received a rating of Improvement or Performance after two or more years on the Accountability Clock. Please note that this table does not yet include AECs on Performance Watch, as those ratings have not yet been calculated. They are anticipated to be released in mid-September.. There were 31 AECs on Performance Watch in 2022. Also, the 2022 Transitional Frameworks did not allow schools or districts to advance or exit the clock except through request to reconsider.
