General William J. Palmer High School is a modest-sized secondary school located in downtown Colorado Springs, Colorado. The school has a student body of approximately 1200, and attracts enrollment from all over the city. The first high school of School District 11, Palmer has the oldest International Baccalaureate (IB) Programme in the area, founded in 1993. Palmer is located at 301 North Nevada Avenue in Colorado Springs. The present building was built by the Works Progress Administration under Franklin Delano Roosevelt in 1940. Originally named Colorado Springs High School when it opened in 1875, Palmer High School was re-named in 1959 after the city's founder, General William Jackson Palmer. Our Mission is: William J. Palmer High School, as an International Baccalaureate World School, including Middle Years, Career-related, and Diploma Programmes, is dedicated to pursuing academic excellence by engaging our diverse student body in a globally relevant, appropriately rigorous education to meet the changing demands of the future. Career and Technical Education and academic rigor of the Diploma Programme. Our inaugural group of CP students started their learning in Fall 2022. Our long-term plan will be to expand both our CP and CTE offerings. The 2024-25 school year brings a Patient Care Tech course and and Early Childhood Education course taught by a Colorado College instructor.

We are fortunate that our students come from all over the Pikes Peak region. We have increased access to IB Diploma courses by adjusting course offerings and continuing to expand MYP school wide. Our IB Diploma Programme has become more diverse; however, the demographics do not yet mirror that of the school. Our enrollment continues to decline, with a greater decline in our white student population, while our numbers of students receiving special education and English language supports have increased over time. Returning to the building following distance learning through the pandemic has proved challenging for many students. Approximately half of our students live in our enrollment zone with the remaining student body coming from other high schools in the district (34%) and outside the district (14%).

Reported FRL percentage remained constant around 55%, but observational data would indicate an increase. Free meals being provided during the Pandemic has led to little motivation for families to fill out the FRL paperwork.

Our community population is forecasted to change significantly in the next 10 years with the number of school-aged students increasing. That impact has not yet been realized in our building. Our community is highly impacted by poverty more than 10% of the community living below the poverty line, which is significantly above the state average, manifesting by way of household income and higher numbers of single-parent home. A little over 50% of the adult 25+ population has an education level somewhere between a high school diploma/GED and Associates degree. These numbers are trending toward higher education.

Palmer has 72 teachers (68 experienced and 4 new to teaching), 8 counselors, 24 support staff, and 4 administrative staff. The principal is in her second year and one of the assistant principals is new to the school. Nineteen of these staff members are new to Palmer for the 2024-25 school year.

We serve 149 students identified as gifted with one full time GT Coordinator.

We serve 50 Culturally and Linguistically Diverse students with 2 CLDE Teachers (we have staffing for 1 additional teacher) and 2 para-educators.

We serve 105 students with special education services, 22 of those have significant support needs with 8 Teachers and 8 para-educators (we have 2 vacancies).

Our communication with families most often takes the form of broadcasts. For families who have designated a language preference, communication is sent in English and Spanish. Schools in our district are responsible for their own social media, and we have some presence on platforms. Social media communication most often focuses on athletics and celebrations.

We hold a Back to School Night in August of each year. We also host Parent-Teacher conferences in October. Last year we hosted these conferences in person with an online option. A struggle is that the most at-risk students and their families often do not have reliable internet and phone service. Our 8th grade Open House in December/January is called Palmer Preview and aims at welcoming 8th graders to Palmer, as well as increasing choice permits.

Our Community Liaison is Spanish-speaking and often works with families who need additional assistance (resources, food, clothing, etc.). Families and students often initiate the collaboration. Every year the Student Council collaborates with the Community Liaison to provide food for the two-week holiday break for those at risk and students in need. This includes a full meal for a holiday. We collaborate with Make a Wish within the community to adopt a Wish kid, and the school supports Care and Share (foodbank) with fundraising and donations made every fall. Students partner with elementary schools and volunteer as counselors at High Trails and at Field Day Activities. We invite other community service leaders and school board members to discuss issues with students and get their feedback.

Palmer hosts a large variety of clubs, activities, and programs that work to engage students and families with the larger community. For example, we have an ongoing relationship with the Fine Arts Center (FAC) at Colorado College. One of our student clubs was featured during Día de Los Muertos and special events were held for the community to view the student art. The FAC has also hosted professional development for teachers. Several of the student clubs specifically engage students who are at-risk. The Terror Take Off summer program is targeted at supporting students and families new to Palmer, many of whom are at risk. A parent/guardian Q & A as well as a student panel to help students and their families transition positively to our school is included. The World Languages department supports students’ travel abroad opportunities, and the school and community host foreign exchange students from other countries as well. Palmer’s arts groups frequently utilize community spaces and contacts to highlight students’ talents, such as the First United Methodist Church close to the campus. Palmer hosts a yearly Personal Project Palooza to showcase the Personal Projects completed by Palmer sophomores as a requirement of the IB Middle Years Programme with the community being invited to view the students’ work. Palmer hosts a yearly Theory of Knowledge (TOK) Showcase for the students enrolled in the Diploma Programme to share their personal learning.

The IB CP/DP and MYP Coordinators send a monthly outgoing communication to highlight Learner Profile attributes and Approaches to Teaching and Learning so that the Palmer community gains a deeper understanding of the IB Programmes and philosophies.

The Palmer Counseling Center engages with multiple community service providers and specialty non-profit organizations (TESSA/Inside Out/IMatter). These community groups support students and provide additional insight regarding unique student issues and social-emotional learning. The Counseling Center hosts a FAFSA night and college fair where families are invited in to learn about and meet with different colleges and understand how to fill out the FAFSA correctly. All 9th grade students are enrolled in Terror TRCSS class as a prevention program to incorporate Social Emotional Cognitive Learning (SECL) and work on skills to stay on track to graduate. Our Restorative Practices encourage an inclusive community and have helped Palmer with decreasing behaviors resulting in exclusionary consequences.

Work based learning opportunities connect our students with local and global businesses, employers, etc. so that our students learn about post-secondary opportunities and plan for their futures. For the last 2 years, students presented to visitors at the International Space Symposium. Our Gifted and Talented teacher organized career-focused panels around a variety of professions so that all students gained insight and made connections in fields that may interest them (art, trades, engineering, medicine, etc.). Our staff often invite Guest Lecturers to their classes to provide students with different perspectives and additional voices.

All staff members were asked to complete feedback surveys (5E survey) to help guide our work on the One Plan. Students were also asked to submit feedback via survey (5E survey and Panorama survey). Staff participants volunteered for the One Plan work committee. Our goal was to have representation across the school, involving returning One Plan team members and those new to the team, as well as a balance of staff who are relatively new to our school and those who have been here for many years. We always report our group work and add ideas and thoughts prior to moving on.