Almost all BVSD, SVVSD schools earn top two state ratings

Sep. 9—All but one school in Boulder Valley and one in St. Vrain earned the top two state ratings, based on preliminary accountability ratings released Thursday by the Colorado Department of Education.

Boulder Valley and St. Vrain Valley both earned the state's second highest rating of accredited. That was the same rating both districts received in 2019, which was the last year the state assigned ratings to schools.

Boulder Valley officials noted the district was two points away from earning the highest rating, accredited with distinction. Boulder Valley also earned the highest percentage of points — 72% — of school districts in the Denver metro area.

The ratings are based mainly on achievement on statewide tests and growth from year to year on language arts and math tests. At high schools, ratings also include graduation and dropout rates and college entrance exam scores. This year was the first full administration of the statewide tests since 2019.

The school ratings are, from lowest to highest, turnaround, priority improvement, improvement and performance. Schools in the lowest two categories face state sanctions if they don't improve after five consecutive years. During the pandemic, most schools kept their 2019 ratings and the five year "accountability clock" was paused.

In Boulder Valley, Lafayette's Alicia Sanchez Elementary was the only school on the accountability clock after receiving a turnaround rating in 2018. This year, Sanchez earned the state's highest rating, performance.

Sanchez received a priority improvement rating in 2019 and, if the state approves, will need to earn a rating of improvement or higher only one more year to move off the accountability clock.

Three other elementary schools with lower ratings — Columbine in Boulder, Kohl in Broomfield and Pioneer in Lafayette — also improved and earned performance ratings this year.

District officials said the gains are the result of the additional support and funding provided to its high needs, traditionally lower achieving elementary schools. Along with increased support from the district, Sanchez, Columbine and Kohl are working with the University of Virginia's Partnership for Leaders in Education program.

"We're excited for the really high growth at Sanchez," said Jonathan Dings, Boulder Valley's executive director of student assessment. "They had high participation and high scores."

Other schools that improved their ratings to performance were Arapahoe Ridge High and Nederland Middle/Senior High School.

The news wasn't as good at the middle school level. Three middle schools — Angevine, Broomfield Heights and Casey — earned lower ratings this year. Casey's rating dropped to priority improvement, the second lowest category.

Dings said Boulder Valley plans to provide support to its middle school teachers and principals, including improving the instructional model and incorporating best practices learned at its high needs elementary schools. At Casey, the district plans to involve the school community in the improvement process.

"We believe we will see better results over time," Dings said.

Four Boulder Valley schools didn't have enough test data for the state to assign ratings. Tiny Gold Hill and Jamestown elementary schools had too few students enrolled, while Nederland Elementary and Boulder Universal — an online school — didn't have enough students take the state tests.

Like Boulder Valley, St. Vrain Valley only has one school that's not in the top two performance categories.

Longs Peak Middle School's rating dropped from performance to turnaround, the lowest rating. Because the state considers this a transition year, schools like Longs Peak with low ratings will have until next year to improve before they're placed on the accountability clock.

"We will work closely with staff to ID root causes or other factors," said St. Vrain Valley Executive Director of Assessment Ann Reed. "We also know student achievement is more than a test score."

Carbon Valley Academy, Coal Ridge Middle, Timberline PK-8, Rocky Mountain Elementary and Sanborn Elementary all improved their ratings. Ratings dropped at Alpine Elementary, Longs Peak and Northridge Elementary.

Five St. Vrain schools didn't have enough test data for the state to assign ratings.

The ratings are preliminary, and districts can contest the ratings before they're finalized later this year.

St. Vrain Valley officials said they're still deciding if they will appeal any of the ratings. Boulder Valley plans to appeal the rating at Coal Creek Middle School in Louisville, which dropped from performance to improvement.

District officials noted Coal Creek students were impacted by December's Marshall Fire, but still scored close to the level needed for performance status. They plan to present additional evidence of student growth and achievement to the state.