Colorado's Unified Improvement Plan for Schools

CIVA Charter Academy 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
  • Postsecondary and Workforce readiness
    		•
  • Increase postsecondary workforce readiness
    		•
  • Postsecondary Workforce Readiness
    		•


    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



    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


    Description of School Setting and Process for Data Analysis

    CIVA Charter High School is a tuition-free, public college preparation high school in Colorado Springs. CIVA's small class sizes and supportive, community-like atmosphere provide a one-of-a-kind experience, where students respect and care for one another.  The strong culture of character and respect at CIVA is one that empowers students succeed in a small public high schools. 
    CIVA Offers:
    • A Variety of  Visual and Performing Arts Electives
    • Unique Physical Education courses
    • College Preparation
    • Character Development
    • Honors, AP and CU Succeed classes   
    CIVA's pedagogical approach is gleaned from Quantum Learning. Quantum Learning is a brain-based research model, which has resulted in amazing academic and social improvements for our students. The Nine Keys of Excellence, our character building program, increases student academic achievement and inspires great personal and character growth.  CIVA offers our students small, personal classrooms with professional teachers who specialize in creating engaging and challenging lessons. Student to teacher ratio is normally 11 to 1 for students in academic courses, which directly results in better student performance. Our dedication to small classrooms helps teachers to truly know the skills and abilities of each student, and provides an environment for the teachers to differentiate the curriculum for each student’s learning needs. Perhaps the best aspect of CIVA is the dynamic peer culture. It is the students that make CIVA such a great place to learn and develop. We believe we have the healthiest and most dynamic peer culture in Colorado Springs. Our student's warmly welcome new students into our community; they encourage one another to become the best scholars, citizens and artisans that they can be.  
    The purpose of the Governing Board is to support CIVA as a charter public school dedicated to developing students' character first by:
    • Preparing administrators, teachers, parents, mentors, and students to develop character within the school curriculum and larger learning environment;
    • Providing and maintaining a school facility and infrastructure in which to carry out the school's mission;
    • Managing research to assess the effectiveness of the school's educational progress.

    CIVA has an enrollment of 180 students.  15% - Special Ed; 10.77%  -  Gifted and Talented; 17% ;  23% - 504's.   CIVA has maintained our rating of ''Performance'' in our SPF for the eleventh year! 

    Secondary students are scheduled with an intentional graduation pathway that is balanced between meeting graduation credit achievement requirements and self- identified career interest through Individual and Career Academic Planning (ICAP).  Students who are identified as performing below grade level may receive supplemental small group reading or math instruction in addition to the classroom instruction.  Likewise, students who are identified as gifted and talented may receive additional enrichment opportunities within or outside of the homeroom classroom.  All students, in cooperation with school counselors, are scheduled with intentionality to expand their participation in a comprehensive schedule that may include post secondary opportunities, career engagement, leadership, and extended achievement in areas of interest.  Students may choose, with the support of parents, to participate in enrichment instruction and extra-curricular activities within the school day, after school or during the summer months.
     
    School administrators annually review available coursework in coordination with numerous data points to include participation and their corresponding course completion rates. These reviews consider data that may not publicly publishable due to student privacy laws. These reviews pinpoint instructional conversations about breadth of coursework available, how to coach staff, and promotion of accessibility to courses for all those who could benefit are planned. Additionally, in any cases that propose students in sub-groups struggle with the rigor of higher level courses, strategies for how to support these students are planned and implemented.
     

    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).

    CIVA students continue to perform higher than District and State averages.  Maintaining growth in mathematics is an ongoing focus.
    We are also working on increasing our college going percentages.


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

    We have expanded to include an extra layer of basic skills supports for math and language arts.  

    Current Performance

    The  2023-24 school year was incredible for CIVA Charter High School.  We have bounced back from the pandemic and the arts, academics and culture are thriving.


    SAT scores spring 2024
    Mean reading writing score for 11th graders 516, higher then the state and district scores.  For Math our 11th graders had a mean score of 463, higher then the district and just below the state averages.
    The total score of the SAT for CIVA was 979; the Districts was 898 and the State score is 974.  We will aim to improve our scores in all three areas by 5% for the  2025 administration.



    PSAT 10 scores 2024:
    Evidence based reading writing, CIVA students scored 531, District 11 was 443 and the state 472.  For Math, CIVA students had a mean scale score of 433, the District 408 and the state 444.  The total mean scores for 10th grade PSAT are CIVA 964, District 11 851 and State of CO 916.  We will aim to increase these scores by 5% for the 2024 administration. 


    PSAT 9 scores 2024:
    Evidence based reading writing 9th grade PSAT, CIVA students earned 466, District 11, 423 and the State scored 4549.  For Math, CIVA earned 416, District 400, State 430.  Total mean scores for CIVA 882, District 823 and State 879.  We will aim to increase these scores by 5% for the 2025 administration.






     

    Trend Analysis

    Trend Direction: Increasing
    Performance Indicator Target: Academic Achievement (Status)

    SAT Scores: The mean score for EBRW is 544, state mean score is 505. The mean score for math is 499, state mean score is 483.  CIVA's total score is 1053. This is higher then the CO State average of 989.
    Trend Direction: Increasing
    Performance Indicator Target: Academic Growth

    PSAT Grade 10 EBRW score of 515. Math score of 457. Total score of 972 above the CO State mean score of 930.
    Trend Direction: Stable
    Performance Indicator Target: Academic Growth

    On 2022 School Performance Framework, CIVA's academic growth is 86.1%
    Trend Direction: Increasing
    Performance Indicator Target: Postsecondary & Workforce Readiness

    Graduation Rate is 91.1% a steady increase over the past few years.
    Trend Direction: Stable
    Performance Indicator Target: Postsecondary & Workforce Readiness

    Dropout Rate for 2023 is 2.9%. Matriculation rate is 52.2%
    Trend Direction: Increasing
    Performance Indicator Target: Disaggregated Achievement

    We don't have enough students who fall into the disaggregated categories to be tracked by the state. The only disaggregated categories shown by the state for CIVA are non-gifted and talented, free and reduced lunch, non-IEP, non-migrant, non-minority, and white. In each category CIVA far exceeds the state's expectations by 20 - 25 percentage points.

    Additional Trend Information:

    We are keeping our strategies intact until data suggest modifications. 

    Priority Performance Challenge and Associated Root Cause

    Priority Performance Challenge:  Postsecondary and Workforce readiness

    CIVA improved on this rating and moved from 'approaching' to 'meets' on our Postsecondary and Workforce readiness. The school has redesigned a course for our seniors to take to increase college matriculation and to support graduation and drop out prevention.


    Root Cause: Increase postsecondary workforce readiness

    Low matriculation into postsecondary educational opportunities, the senior seminar class will adapt to increase college readiness and enrollment.

    Root Cause Category: Instruction

    Why were these challenges selected and what is the magnitude of the overall performance challenges:

    The academic growth is exceeding and the academic achievement is trending upward.  The main goal is to increase on the post secondary and workforce readiness.  Greater emphasis will be placed on preparing, informing and encouraging our students to pursue post secondary educational opportunities.  As new data arrives we will reflect and adjust.

    How were the Root Causes were selected and verified:

    The school accountability committee identified these root causes primarily from the assessment results of the PSAT/SAT and the school performance framework.
    These are the areas of greatest concern based upon this data.  

     

    Action and Progress Monitoring Plans

    Major Improvement Strategy and Action Plan

    >

    Increase Evidence Based Reading and Writing

    What will success look like:

    		Teachers will continue to increase opportunities for students to demonstrate mastery of EBRW. Teachers will provide more in-depth feedback on student work and increase opportunities for students to demonstrate mastery.

    Describe the research/evidence base supporting the strategy:

    		The students demonstrate similar levels of achievement regarding; words in context, command of evidence, expression of ideas and English conventions. Based upon this teachers will continue to balance the instruction, while increasing clarity of analysis on student work.

    Associated Root Causes:

    Literacy Achievement: We will continue to address EBRW achievement through targeted instruction.

    Implementation Benchmarks Associated with Major Improvement Strategy

    Benchmark Name Description Start/End/Repeats Key Personnel Status
    Literacy Achievement Increase EBRW by 5%. 10/10/2024
    05/10/2025
    Monthly     		Watson, Daly, Robertson In Progress

    Action Steps Associated with Major Improvement Strategy

    Name Description Start/End Date Resource Key Personnel Status
    >

    Increase math achievement on PSAT and SAT exams

    What will success look like:

    		Advance 10% of the students who are currently not meeting or exceeding benchmarks to met or exceeded math benchmarks.

    Describe the research/evidence base supporting the strategy:

    		The need to improve match achievement is evidenced by the scores on the PSAT and SAT exams. The percentage increase is based upon statistics of realistic growth possibilities.

    Associated Root Causes:

    Inconsistent math instruction: Inconsistent math instruction and remediation. Adding a skill based class to address learning gaps.

    Implementation Benchmarks Associated with Major Improvement Strategy

    Benchmark Name Description Start/End/Repeats Key Personnel Status
    Math Achievement Increase math scores by 5% 10/01/2024
    05/10/2025
    Monthly     		Wolfe, Benson, Sabo In Progress

    Action Steps Associated with Major Improvement Strategy

    Name Description Start/End Date Resource Key Personnel Status
    >

    Postsecondary Workforce Readiness

    What will success look like:

    		The school has redesigned a course for our seniors to take to increase college matriculation and to support graduation and drop out prevention. The schools aims to increase college matriculation by at least 15%.

    Describe the research/evidence base supporting the strategy:

    		The restructured seminar course is predicted to increase college matriculation. This with increased individual college counseling time should result in a 15% increase in college going.

    Associated Root Causes:

    Increase postsecondary workforce readiness: Low matriculation into postsecondary educational opportunities, the senior seminar class will adapt to increase college readiness and enrollment.

    Implementation Benchmarks Associated with Major Improvement Strategy

    Benchmark Name Description Start/End/Repeats Key Personnel Status
    Postsecondary Workforce Readiness Lower drop-out rate and increase matriculation into college. 10/01/2024
    05/10/2025
    Monthly     		Daly, Robinson In Progress

    Action Steps Associated with Major Improvement Strategy

    Name Description Start/End Date Resource Key Personnel Status
    >

    Increase science CMAS scores

    What will success look like:

    		Increase science CMAS scores by 10% of students that meet or exceed benchmarks.

    Describe the research/evidence base supporting the strategy:

    		Expansion of science courses, including CU Succeed and electives and decreasing class sizes by increasing teaching staff.

    Associated Root Causes:

    Inconsistent science instruction: Inconsistent science instruction and remediation

    Implementation Benchmarks Associated with Major Improvement Strategy

    Benchmark Name Description Start/End/Repeats Key Personnel Status

    Action Steps Associated with Major Improvement Strategy

    Name Description Start/End Date Resource Key Personnel Status

    Progress Monitoring: Student Target Setting

    Priority Performance Challenge : Postsecondary and Workforce readiness

    Attachments List

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