Colorado's Unified Improvement Plan for Schools

Denver Language School UIP 2024-25

      
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Content


  • Document icons and definitions

  • Priority Performance Challenges
  • Root Cause
  • Major Improvement Strategies
  • Action Steps
  • Progress Monitoring
  • Trend Direction

Executive Summary


Priority Performance Challenges Root Cause Major Improvement Strategies
  • increase mean scale in Mathematics for identified Multilingual Learners
  • Lack of systems & instructional differentiation to ensure Math and ELA growth
  • Lack of systems perpetuates racial and gender disparities for student growth
  • Data Driven Instruction (DDI)
  • Instructional Coaching and Observation Cycle
  • MTSS
  • Increase the % of Black and Hispanic students achieving/exceeding Mathematics
  • Lack of systems perpetuates racial and gender disparities for student growth
  • Data Driven Instruction (DDI)
  • Instructional Coaching and Observation Cycle
  • MTSS
  • Increase the number of students with disabilities in DLS meet/exceeds GL ELA
  • Lack of systems perpetuates racial and gender disparities for student growth
  • Data Driven Instruction (DDI)
  • Instructional Coaching and Observation Cycle
  • MTSS


  • Access the School Performance Framework here: http://www.cde.state.co.us/schoolview/performance

    Access the Literacy Curriculum Transparency Dashboard here: https://www.cde.state.co.us/code/literacycurriculumtransparency-dashboard

    Improvement Plan Information


    Additional Information about the school


    Denver Language School (DLS) is a single-site charter authorized by Denver Public Schools to serve students Kindergarten through 8th Grade. The school deploys a language immersion model, ensuring that students in either the Mandarin or Spanish programme at the school are primarily taught in their target language for the duration of their time at the school. Formal English Language Arts is introduced as a discrete part of the instructional schedule in Grade 3 gradually becoming a 50:50 target language to English model by Middle School. Denver Language School enrolled 922 students per 1 October 2023, an increase of 4.65% from October 2021. In the context of declining enrollment within Denver metro region public schools, Denver Language School's healthy application numbers and waitlist are indicative of the community interest and enthusiasm for the language immersion model. Denver Language School is proud of the accomplishments of our students, and believes strongly that the information communicated by the CDE School Performance Framework is indicative of the success of our outstanding model.



    Improvement Plan Information

    The school/district is submitting this improvement plan to satisfy requirements for (check all that apply):


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    Narrative on Data Analysis and Root Cause Identification


    Prior Year Targets

    Provide a summary of your progress in implementing the Major Improvement Strategies and if they had the intended effect on systems, adult actions, and student outcomes (e.g. targets).


    Based on your reflection and evaluation, provide a summary of the adjustments that you will make for this year's plan.

    Current Performance

    Staying within the scope of three student performance priorities is tough when we pride ourselves on focused and targeted interventions to ''raise the floor'' of student attainment and provide pathways for all learners to grow in our model. Interventions that we are provide this year include, and no cost to families, before school ELA/Mathematics support at Gilpin and after-school Mathematics support at Whiteman. Additionally, both campuses are providing Fall and Spring break camps, at $0 to families, to provide an additional 12 hours of academic support from our educators in pursuit of this simple priority: how do we maximize the number of students leaving DLS in 8th Grade at or above grade level. Additional areas of priority for us include: 4th Grade and 7th Grade students in Mathematics, with the goal of changing the trajectory for these cohorts when compared to other cohorts. Our longitudinal data analysis has also uncovered discrepancies in terms of gender based attainment in ELA and Mathematics G3-8; and therefore we commuserately have a moral responsibility to act as a counterweight against social norms. Finally, we recognise that we could have focussed on race/ethnicity discrepancies in ELA in addition to Mathematics. We chose to deprioritise this factor because 100% of black students in G7 and G8 met/exceeded grade level expectations and our Hispanic cohort also had meeting/exceeding rates above 60%. This factor indicates that students within our model (albeit, with a low sample size) are achieving at level that is affirming (if not fully validating).


    Priority Performance Challenge and Associated Root Cause

    Priority Performance Challenge:  increase mean scale in Mathematics for identified Multilingual Learners

    Area of Focus: Math achievement


    Root Cause: Lack of systems & instructional differentiation to ensure Math and ELA growth

    Lack of systems & instructional differentiation to ensure attainment and growth. We have a lack of systematic, consistent interventions in place for both ELA and Mathematics to ensure students below grade level have access to extra support in the form of interventions. In addition, we lack systematic progress monitoring on priority skills to monitor student growth. We have hired additional Interventionist personnel, to strengthen the quality of our interventions and consistent monitoring of student growth.

    Root Cause Category: Intervention Systems

    Root Cause: Lack of systems perpetuates racial and gender disparities for student growth

    In order to combat the societal norm and address DLS's lack of sytematic, consistent interventions, we will offer access to more intervention. We will also provide more opportunities for girls to get involved in additional before and after school STEM clubs and activities both inside the school via more intentional after school fun clubs and through promotion of outside opportunities. We have not provided enough training for staff nor consistently analyzed data specific to gender in math. Monthly math data teams will focus on addressing the gender gap both in classroom and grade level math data. Post-2019, but specifically since 2022, DLS' enrollment has become significant more representative of the racial and ethnic diversity of Denver. Consequently, the number of students enrolled identifiying as either Black or Hispanic is both proportionally, and absolutely, greater than pre-COVID enrollment. This diversity is championed and welcomed. As we seek to improve, we have a moral obligation to ensure our approaches to learning and teaching, inclusive of systemic student attainment/growth evaluation, recognises the disparities in achievement for some racial groups (Asian, White students) whe compared to Hispanic and Black students within our model.

    Root Cause Category: Equity


    Priority Performance Challenge:  Increase the % of Black and Hispanic students achieving/exceeding Mathematics

    Area of Focus: Math achievement


    Root Cause: Lack of systems perpetuates racial and gender disparities for student growth

    In order to combat the societal norm and address DLS's lack of sytematic, consistent interventions, we will offer access to more intervention. We will also provide more opportunities for girls to get involved in additional before and after school STEM clubs and activities both inside the school via more intentional after school fun clubs and through promotion of outside opportunities. We have not provided enough training for staff nor consistently analyzed data specific to gender in math. Monthly math data teams will focus on addressing the gender gap both in classroom and grade level math data. Post-2019, but specifically since 2022, DLS' enrollment has become significant more representative of the racial and ethnic diversity of Denver. Consequently, the number of students enrolled identifiying as either Black or Hispanic is both proportionally, and absolutely, greater than pre-COVID enrollment. This diversity is championed and welcomed. As we seek to improve, we have a moral obligation to ensure our approaches to learning and teaching, inclusive of systemic student attainment/growth evaluation, recognises the disparities in achievement for some racial groups (Asian, White students) whe compared to Hispanic and Black students within our model.

    Root Cause Category: Equity


    Priority Performance Challenge:  Increase the number of students with disabilities in DLS meet/exceeds GL ELA

    Area of Focus: English/Language Arts achievement


    Root Cause: Lack of systems perpetuates racial and gender disparities for student growth

    In order to combat the societal norm and address DLS's lack of sytematic, consistent interventions, we will offer access to more intervention. We will also provide more opportunities for girls to get involved in additional before and after school STEM clubs and activities both inside the school via more intentional after school fun clubs and through promotion of outside opportunities. We have not provided enough training for staff nor consistently analyzed data specific to gender in math. Monthly math data teams will focus on addressing the gender gap both in classroom and grade level math data. Post-2019, but specifically since 2022, DLS' enrollment has become significant more representative of the racial and ethnic diversity of Denver. Consequently, the number of students enrolled identifiying as either Black or Hispanic is both proportionally, and absolutely, greater than pre-COVID enrollment. This diversity is championed and welcomed. As we seek to improve, we have a moral obligation to ensure our approaches to learning and teaching, inclusive of systemic student attainment/growth evaluation, recognises the disparities in achievement for some racial groups (Asian, White students) whe compared to Hispanic and Black students within our model.

    Root Cause Category: Equity


    Action and Progress Monitoring Plans

    Major Improvement Strategy and Action Plan

    > >

    Data Driven Instruction (DDI)

    Describe the research/evidence base supporting the strategy:

    DDI has an evidence base from researchers such as Paul Bambrick-Santoyo, Michael Fullan and Jim Knight.

    Strategy Category:

    Data-Informed Instruction

    Associated Root Causes:

    Lack of systems perpetuates racial and gender disparities for student growth: In order to combat the societal norm and address DLS's lack of sytematic, consistent interventions, we will offer access to more intervention. We will also provide more opportunities for girls to get involved in additional before and after school STEM clubs and activities both inside the school via more intentional after school fun clubs and through promotion of outside opportunities. We have not provided enough training for staff nor consistently analyzed data specific to gender in math. Monthly math data teams will focus on addressing the gender gap both in classroom and grade level math data. Post-2019, but specifically since 2022, DLS' enrollment has become significant more representative of the racial and ethnic diversity of Denver. Consequently, the number of students enrolled identifiying as either Black or Hispanic is both proportionally, and absolutely, greater than pre-COVID enrollment. This diversity is championed and welcomed. As we seek to improve, we have a moral obligation to ensure our approaches to learning and teaching, inclusive of systemic student attainment/growth evaluation, recognises the disparities in achievement for some racial groups (Asian, White students) whe compared to Hispanic and Black students within our model.

    Implementation Benchmarks Associated with Major Improvement Strategy

    Benchmark Name Description Start/End/Repeats Key Personnel Status
    Improve performance of Black students and Students With Disabilities

    Executive Director, Principals, ILT

    Action Steps Associated with Major Improvement Strategy

    Name Description Start/End Date Resource Key Personnel Status
    a05PU000003LpDt
    07/22/2024
    08/02/2024
    Administration
    a05PU000003LpDu
    07/22/2024
    08/02/2024
    ILT
    a05PU000003LpDv
    07/22/2024
    08/02/2024
    Admin & ILT
    a05PU000003LpDw
    07/22/2024
    08/30/2024
    Admin & ILT
    a05PU000003LpE0
    08/02/2024
    09/30/2024
    Admin & ILT
    a05PU000003LpDz
    08/02/2024
    09/30/2024
    Admin & ILT
    a05PU000003LpDy
    08/02/2024
    08/30/2024
    Admin & ILT
    a05PU000003LpDx
    08/02/2024
    08/30/2024
    Admin & ILT
    a05PU000003LpE2
    09/02/2024
    05/30/2025
    Instructional staff
    a05PU000003LpE1
    09/02/2024
    05/30/2025
    Instructional staff
    > >

    Instructional Coaching and Observation Cycle

    Describe the research/evidence base supporting the strategy:

    Teacher Coaching has an evidence base from researchers such as Paul Bambrick-Santoyo, Linda Darling-Hammond, Michael Fullan and Jim Knight.

    Strategy Category:

    Continuous Improvement

    Associated Root Causes:

    Lack of systems perpetuates racial and gender disparities for student growth: In order to combat the societal norm and address DLS's lack of sytematic, consistent interventions, we will offer access to more intervention. We will also provide more opportunities for girls to get involved in additional before and after school STEM clubs and activities both inside the school via more intentional after school fun clubs and through promotion of outside opportunities. We have not provided enough training for staff nor consistently analyzed data specific to gender in math. Monthly math data teams will focus on addressing the gender gap both in classroom and grade level math data. Post-2019, but specifically since 2022, DLS' enrollment has become significant more representative of the racial and ethnic diversity of Denver. Consequently, the number of students enrolled identifiying as either Black or Hispanic is both proportionally, and absolutely, greater than pre-COVID enrollment. This diversity is championed and welcomed. As we seek to improve, we have a moral obligation to ensure our approaches to learning and teaching, inclusive of systemic student attainment/growth evaluation, recognises the disparities in achievement for some racial groups (Asian, White students) whe compared to Hispanic and Black students within our model.

    Implementation Benchmarks Associated with Major Improvement Strategy

    Benchmark Name Description Start/End/Repeats Key Personnel Status
    Effective lesson planning will result in growth for SOC, SWD and MLLs

    Executive Director, Principals, ILT

    Action Steps Associated with Major Improvement Strategy

    Name Description Start/End Date Resource Key Personnel Status
    a05PU000003Lbm3
    07/22/2024
    08/02/2024
    Admin & ILT
    a05PU000003Lbm2
    07/22/2024
    08/02/2024
    Admin & ILT
    a05PU000003Lbm4
    08/01/2024
    08/30/2024
    ILT
    a05PU000003Lbm5
    08/01/2024
    09/30/2024
    ILT
    a05PU000003Lbm6
    08/01/2024
    05/30/2025
    ILT
    a05PU000003Lbm7
    10/01/2024
    03/31/2025
    ILT
    a05PU000003Lbm8
    12/02/2024
    04/30/2025
    ILT
    a05PU000003Lbm9
    05/01/2025
    06/01/2025
    ILT
    > >

    MTSS

    Describe the research/evidence base supporting the strategy:

    MTSS leverages the Implementation Science Active Implementation Frameworks (Fixsen, Naoom, Blase, Friedman, & Wallace, 2005),

    Strategy Category:

    Targeted Student Academic Supports

    Associated Root Causes:

    Lack of systems perpetuates racial and gender disparities for student growth: In order to combat the societal norm and address DLS's lack of sytematic, consistent interventions, we will offer access to more intervention. We will also provide more opportunities for girls to get involved in additional before and after school STEM clubs and activities both inside the school via more intentional after school fun clubs and through promotion of outside opportunities. We have not provided enough training for staff nor consistently analyzed data specific to gender in math. Monthly math data teams will focus on addressing the gender gap both in classroom and grade level math data. Post-2019, but specifically since 2022, DLS' enrollment has become significant more representative of the racial and ethnic diversity of Denver. Consequently, the number of students enrolled identifiying as either Black or Hispanic is both proportionally, and absolutely, greater than pre-COVID enrollment. This diversity is championed and welcomed. As we seek to improve, we have a moral obligation to ensure our approaches to learning and teaching, inclusive of systemic student attainment/growth evaluation, recognises the disparities in achievement for some racial groups (Asian, White students) whe compared to Hispanic and Black students within our model.

    Implementation Benchmarks Associated with Major Improvement Strategy

    Benchmark Name Description Start/End/Repeats Key Personnel Status
    Interventions in response to data will increase growth & grade level mastery.

    Executive Director, Principals, ILT, Student Support Team (SST)

    Action Steps Associated with Major Improvement Strategy

    Name Description Start/End Date Resource Key Personnel Status
    a05PU000003LxjK
    07/22/2024
    08/30/2024
    Admin, ILT, & SST
    a05PU000003LxjJ
    07/22/2024
    08/02/2024
    Admin, ILT, & SST
    a05PU000003LxjO
    08/01/2024
    09/30/2024
    Admin, ILT, & SST
    a05PU000003LxjT
    08/01/2024
    05/30/2025
    Admin, ILT, & SST
    a05PU000003LxjL
    08/01/2024
    08/30/2024
    Admin, ILT, & SST
    a05PU000003LxjM
    08/01/2024
    09/30/2024
    Admin, ILT, & SST
    a05PU000003LxjN
    08/01/2024
    10/31/2024
    Admin, ILT, & SST
    a05PU000003LxjP
    08/01/2024
    05/30/2025
    Instructional Staff & ILT
    a05PU000003LxjS
    08/01/2024
    10/31/2024
    Admin, ILT, & SST
    a05PU000003LxjR
    08/01/2024
    05/30/2025
    Admin, ILT, & SST
    a05PU000003LxjQ
    08/01/2024
    09/30/2024
    Admin, ILT, & SST
    a05PU000003LxjU
    08/19/2024
    03/21/2025
    Admin, ILT, & SST

    Progress Monitoring: Student Target Setting

    Priority Performance Challenge : increase mean scale in Mathematics for identified Multilingual Learners

    Performance Indicator:

    Measures / Metrics:

    ANNUAL
    PERFORMANCE
    TARGETS
    2024-2025: To increase the mean scale in Mathematics for identified Multilingual Learners to 737 at Elementary Level and to 734 at Middle School per the 2025 SPF
    2025-2026:

    INTERIM MEASURES FOR 2024-2025:

    Priority Performance Challenge : Increase the % of Black and Hispanic students achieving/exceeding Mathematics

    Performance Indicator:

    Measures / Metrics:

    ANNUAL
    PERFORMANCE
    TARGETS
    2024-2025: To increase the % of black students achieving/exceeding Mathematics standards G3-G8 to 47% and the number of Hispanic students G3-G8 to 42%.
    2025-2026:

    INTERIM MEASURES FOR 2024-2025:

    Priority Performance Challenge : Increase the number of students with disabilities in DLS meet/exceeds GL ELA

    Performance Indicator:

    Measures / Metrics:

    ANNUAL
    PERFORMANCE
    TARGETS
    2024-2025: The SY23-24 target for DLS interally was for 28% of students K-8 (SwD) to meet/exceed grade level expectations. DLS did not meet this goal. As a floor, the aspiration for SY24-25 is to attempt once more to reach the goal of 28% meeting/achieving grade level expectation.
    2025-2026:

    INTERIM MEASURES FOR 2024-2025:

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