Fall | Issue 48 | Date: September 18, 2024

Funding Great Schools. Rooted in Community.

Learning in Spanish at Wyatt Academy

SHIFT is a fellowship of high school students from across the metro area who serve within FaithBridge to co-create policies to influence practices and personnel in ways that will ensure equity for all people served by and serving in public schools.



This month’s Boardhawk showcases the first installment of a monthly series called “Shift Chronicles,” a feature dedicated to amplifying student voices. Read more at the link below to hear from five students sharing their reflections on the new school year:

DPS and Board of Education Notes

As DPS faces the continued impacts of declining enrollment, the Board of Education will consider recommendations of school closures or consolidations this November. Six regional community meetings will take place across the district in the coming weeks to answer questions and collect feedback. Community participation in these meetings is vital to ensure that DPS hears from families, students and educators as DPS makes these important and impactful decisions.

District and school-level CMAS data was recently released, showing more detail about how well our school system and support structures are equitably meeting the needs of all students. A few key takeaways from Denver Public Schools (DPS) data: 

• CMAS reading and math scores improved slightly for students in DPS compared to 2023 scores. However, scores are lower than they were before the pandemic. These increases in 2024 were comparable to increases seen statewide.
• Academic growth data shows that DPS provided students with the support they needed to grow, surpassing the state average. However, not all student groups in DPS saw equitable growth. Black students, Hispanic students, English language learners, and students from low-income households all saw less growth than their peers (when comparing, by way of example, Black and Hispanic students to white students, or students from low-income households to students not from low-income households). In math, all of these groups also had an MGP of less than 50, indicating they were falling behind similarly performing students statewide.
• Numerous schools across the city are consistently demonstrating exceptional student outcomes. These schools serve as powerful examples that show the importance of focusing on systemic factors, rather than placing blame on students when addressing educational challenges. Those schools include: Rocky Mountain Prep Creekside, Bill Roberts K-8, Morey Middle School, Isabella Bird Community School, Escuela Valdez, Sabin World School, and DSST: Cedar.

The 2024 CMAS data tells us there is a tremendous amount of work to be done to provide Denver’s schools and educators with needed resources—in areas such as leader and teacher retention, professional learning, curriculum development, and in other support services— to equitably meet the needs of all students.

Tune in to future board meetings to stay engaged on the topic of academic progress in DPS.

Sept. 19

Denver Public Schools Board of Education Board Meeting

Sept. 21

9th Annual

Montbello Alive!

Sept. 24

Southeast Consolidation and Closure Community Meeting - South High School

Sept. 25

Central Consolidation and Closure Community Meeting - Manual High School

Oct. 5

Ednium DPS Alumni Basketball Tournament

Oct. 7

Denver Public Schools Board of Education Finance & Audit Committee

Oct. 7

Northwest Consolidation and Closure Community Meeting - CEC Early College

Oct. 8

Denver Public Schools Board of Education Work Session

Oct. 14

Southwest Consolidation and Closure Community Meeting - Lincoln High School

Oct. 15

Far Northeast Consolidation and Closure Community Meeting - Montbello High School

Oct. 22

Virtual Consolidation and Closure Community Meeting - Zoom

During this Hispanic Heritage Month and throughout the entire year, our team celebrates the rich Latino culture and heritage that is an integral part of

Denver's community.