Colorado's Unified Improvement Plan for Schools

University Prep - Steele St. 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
  • Improved ELA Proficiency
    		•
  • Overly Complex Curriculum
  • Generic Coaching
    		•
  • Curriculum Frameworks
    		•
  • Improved ELA Growth
    		•
  • Overly Complex Curriculum
  • Generic Coaching
    		•
  • Curriculum Frameworks
    		•


    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


    University Prep - Steele St. is a K - 5th grade, tuition-free public charter school serving 330+ children in Northeast Denver. Opened in 2016, the campus provides a college prep education with the mission of educating every child on the path to a four-year college degree and a genuine life of opportunity. The school currently serves more than 90% of children from low-income households and more than 90% students of color.


    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

    3rd - 5th grade students, of which 90%+ are identified as FRL and 90%+ are identified as students of color, improved from 14% proficiency in 2022-23 to 21% proficiency in 2023-24. And, in 2023-24, the ELA MGP was a 38 (across 4th and 5th grade). Given the state-level proficiency for FRL students in 3rd - 5th grade in 2023-24 was 29%, it's essential that our student population reaches this figure over the next two years (hence the goal of achieving 30%+ proficiency by 2025-26, which would represent a 2X increase from where proficiency was in 2022-23). And, in order to see that kind of movement in the data, it's essential that MGP's for the next two years are above a 50.

    Priority Performance Challenge and Associated Root Cause

    Priority Performance Challenge:  Improved ELA Proficiency

    Area of Focus: English/Language Arts achievement


    Root Cause: Overly Complex Curriculum

    The core ELA curriculum, Wit & Wisdom, is highly rated by EdReports and is of high quality (exposing scholars to meaningful knowledge building, complex texts, and significant opportunities for discussing and writing in response to both fiction and non-fiction). However, moving from the curriculum to implementation in the classroom is a significant lift. This "thinking curriculum" is incredibly robust and requires teachers to do high levels of intellectual prep before each module (unit) and each individual lesson. And, it requires them to make a significant volume of choices when it comes to bringing implementation to life in alignment to standards and what matters most. As such, curriculum implementation can range in effectiveness and result in a wide range of student experiences with the content, which can ultimately lead to mixed performance. Further, given the volume of teacher choice inherent in such a complex and "full" curriculum, those decisions may ultimately undermine the intent of the curriculum should they not be done to ideal state.

    Root Cause Category: Curriculum

    Root Cause: Generic Coaching

    Starting in the 2021-22 school year, U Prep built and implemented a Vision of Excellence (VOE) Rubric to define great teaching and learning across all classrooms and grade levels. The VOE was developed over an entire year with a diverse and large group of stakeholders (i.e. teachers, alumni families, alumni students, community leaders, school leaders, etc.). As the VOE was socialized and became a part of the school's fabric, it meant increased clarity with how to move the needle on the four tenets of effective instruction (defined in the rubric) - High Expectations, Essential Content, Academic Independence & Risk Taking, and Evidence of Learning. At the same time, departmentalized teachers with departmentalized coaches, need very specific areas of focus and action steps to improve content instruction. As such, a gap was created between "generic moves" that represent great teaching, and key/focused moves (both through intellectual prep and lesson execution) that bring a specific curriculum to life.

    Root Cause Category: Instruction


    Priority Performance Challenge:  Improved ELA Growth

    Area of Focus: English/Language Arts growth


    Root Cause: Overly Complex Curriculum

    The core ELA curriculum, Wit & Wisdom, is highly rated by EdReports and is of high quality (exposing scholars to meaningful knowledge building, complex texts, and significant opportunities for discussing and writing in response to both fiction and non-fiction). However, moving from the curriculum to implementation in the classroom is a significant lift. This "thinking curriculum" is incredibly robust and requires teachers to do high levels of intellectual prep before each module (unit) and each individual lesson. And, it requires them to make a significant volume of choices when it comes to bringing implementation to life in alignment to standards and what matters most. As such, curriculum implementation can range in effectiveness and result in a wide range of student experiences with the content, which can ultimately lead to mixed performance. Further, given the volume of teacher choice inherent in such a complex and "full" curriculum, those decisions may ultimately undermine the intent of the curriculum should they not be done to ideal state.

    Root Cause Category: Curriculum

    Root Cause: Generic Coaching

    Starting in the 2021-22 school year, U Prep built and implemented a Vision of Excellence (VOE) Rubric to define great teaching and learning across all classrooms and grade levels. The VOE was developed over an entire year with a diverse and large group of stakeholders (i.e. teachers, alumni families, alumni students, community leaders, school leaders, etc.). As the VOE was socialized and became a part of the school's fabric, it meant increased clarity with how to move the needle on the four tenets of effective instruction (defined in the rubric) - High Expectations, Essential Content, Academic Independence & Risk Taking, and Evidence of Learning. At the same time, departmentalized teachers with departmentalized coaches, need very specific areas of focus and action steps to improve content instruction. As such, a gap was created between "generic moves" that represent great teaching, and key/focused moves (both through intellectual prep and lesson execution) that bring a specific curriculum to life.

    Root Cause Category: Instruction

    Action and Progress Monitoring Plans

    Major Improvement Strategy and Action Plan

    > >

    Curriculum Frameworks

    Describe the research/evidence base supporting the strategy:

    		Teachers and leaders both thrive on clarity and simplicity. By establishing frameworks, and ultimately, the Criteria for Success that demonstrate the frameworks are being executed to fidelity, we bring both clarity and simplicity to life for everyone involved (leaders and teachers). Research into best practices tied to instruction illustrates that high quality curriculum is fundamental to children receiving a strong education. And, that same research shows that teacher training and support on how to execute those curricula has to position teachers to be successful year over year. Without the curriculum and the training along with ongoing coaching/support you don't have all the puzzle pieces needed to bring excellence to fruition.

    Strategy Category:

    		Curriculum and Content

    Associated Root Causes:

    Overly Complex Curriculum: The core ELA curriculum, Wit & Wisdom, is highly rated by EdReports and is of high quality (exposing scholars to meaningful knowledge building, complex texts, and significant opportunities for discussing and writing in response to both fiction and non-fiction). However, moving from the curriculum to implementation in the classroom is a significant lift. This "thinking curriculum" is incredibly robust and requires teachers to do high levels of intellectual prep before each module (unit) and each individual lesson. And, it requires them to make a significant volume of choices when it comes to bringing implementation to life in alignment to standards and what matters most. As such, curriculum implementation can range in effectiveness and result in a wide range of student experiences with the content, which can ultimately lead to mixed performance. Further, given the volume of teacher choice inherent in such a complex and "full" curriculum, those decisions may ultimately undermine the intent of the curriculum should they not be done to ideal state.

    Generic Coaching: Starting in the 2021-22 school year, U Prep built and implemented a Vision of Excellence (VOE) Rubric to define great teaching and learning across all classrooms and grade levels. The VOE was developed over an entire year with a diverse and large group of stakeholders (i.e. teachers, alumni families, alumni students, community leaders, school leaders, etc.). As the VOE was socialized and became a part of the school's fabric, it meant increased clarity with how to move the needle on the four tenets of effective instruction (defined in the rubric) - High Expectations, Essential Content, Academic Independence & Risk Taking, and Evidence of Learning. At the same time, departmentalized teachers with departmentalized coaches, need very specific areas of focus and action steps to improve content instruction. As such, a gap was created between "generic moves" that represent great teaching, and key/focused moves (both through intellectual prep and lesson execution) that bring a specific curriculum to life.

    Implementation Benchmarks Associated with Major Improvement Strategy

    Benchmark Name Description Start/End/Repeats Key Personnel Status
    A 5% increase in CMAS proficiency and a 50+ MGP (in ELA)

    		Campus Principal & Dean of Academics (ELA)

    Action Steps Associated with Major Improvement Strategy

    Name Description Start/End Date Resource Key Personnel Status
    a05PU000003XN0v
    		06/03/2024
    07/05/2024     		Executive Director, Chief Academic Officer and Principals
    a05PU000003XN0w
    		06/03/2024
    07/05/2024     		Executive Director, Chief Academic Officer and Principals
    a05PU000003XN0x
    		07/08/2024
    07/12/2024     		Chief Academic Officer and Principals
    a05PU000003XN0y
    		07/29/2024
    08/09/2024     		Deans of Academics (ELA)
    a05PU000003XN0z
    		08/12/2024
    05/30/2025     		Chief Academic Officer, Principals and Deans of Academics

    Progress Monitoring: Student Target Setting

    Priority Performance Challenge : Improved ELA Proficiency

    Performance Indicator:

    Measures / Metrics:
    ANNUAL
    PERFORMANCE
    TARGETS
    2024-2025: 25% of 3rd - 5th Graders Meet Expectations on CMAS
    2025-2026:

    INTERIM MEASURES FOR 2024-2025:

    Priority Performance Challenge : Improved ELA Growth

    Performance Indicator:

    Measures / Metrics:
    ANNUAL
    PERFORMANCE
    TARGETS
    2024-2025: MGP > 50 for ELA (4th and 5th Gr)
    2025-2026:

    INTERIM MEASURES FOR 2024-2025:

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