January 19th, 2025
Focus on the Fabulous
On Tuesday evening, before the Board work session and Regular Board meeting, the R&R team hosted a fun meet-and-greet event with our Board members to kick off Board Appreciation Month. Agnes Salazar and Dawn Frank prepared a lovely spread that everyone enjoyed, creating a warm and welcoming atmosphere.
It was great to see staff members stopping by to connect with the Board and express their appreciation. We had fun with an engaging trivia game, which gave us the opportunity to learn more about our Board members in a lighthearted way.
On Friday, we held another impactful professional development day centered on evidence-based instruction aligned with our District Ownership Plan goals. The morning sessions focused on cultivating critical thinking skills through Socratic Seminars and Kagan strategies, providing practical tools for staff to enhance classroom engagement and learning outcomes.
In the afternoon, our ELD and Special Education teams led specialized sessions designed to support our commitment to meeting all students' needs. The SPED team delivered an insightful workshop on Executive Functioning, while the ELD team shared effective strategies for supporting our Multilingual Learners.
The day concluded with table talk discussions on various safety scenarios facilitated by Mr. Lavier and Mr. Kuhns. These conversations fostered collaboration and ensured a proactive approach to maintaining a safe learning environment.
Thank you to everyone who contributed to making both events meaningful and successful!
Exciting News from Our Transportation Department
Our Transportation Department is thrilled to announce the addition of two "new-to-us" buses to our fleet! Thanks to the dedication and resourcefulness of our Director of Transportation, Tony Garcia, these buses were acquired at a great value to enhance our services.
These additions will play a vital role in ensuring our students travel safely to and from the wide range of events and activities that make CCSD such a vibrant community.
We’re proud to continue our commitment to providing safe and reliable transportation for all our students. Thank you, Tony, for your hard work and dedication!
Mid-Year Focus
Last week, we conducted a mid-year review of progress on our District Ownership Plan goals. A midyear review of our district goals is crucial for ensuring that educational initiatives remain on track and aligned with the district's vision. The review was shared with the District Accountability Committee, the School Board, the District Ownership Team, and the staff. This review will help us assess whether we are meeting benchmarks and milestones established at the beginning of the year. It also allows us to celebrate successes and identify challenges in implementing the strategies.
By conducting a midyear review, the district fosters continuous improvement, ensures accountability, and maintains a focus on achieving its vision for student success.
District Ownership Plan at Work
The District Ownership Team (DOT) has established long and short term goals for each of our improvement strategies.
Priority #1- Curriculum and Instruction: At CCSD, staff are committed to leading rigorous, engaging, and collaborative learning experiences in every classroom, ensuring alignment with CCSD Instructional Expectations.
Priority #1 directly supports our core beliefs:
The first goal under Priority #1 focuses on ensuring quality instruction consistently takes place in the classroom. By the end of the first semester, administrators conducted 165 classroom observations and reviewed 106 lesson plans.
To meet instructional expectations, staff aim to achieve:
-70% or higher proficiency by mid-year, and
-80% or higher by the end of the year.
Observation Data | |
Evid. Based Inst. (TQS1) | 90.4% |
Culture & Climate (TQS 1 & 2) | 98.05% |
Engagement & Tech. (TQS 3) | 81.55% |
Scaff. & Diff (TQS 1 & 2) | 61.8% |
Rigor & Relevance (TQS 1 & 3) | 64.45% |
Assessment (TQS 1 & 3) | 56.6% |
The end-of-semester data reveals that staff are exceeding expectations in the first three categories. However, performance in the bottom three categories falls slightly below expectations, with assessment identified as the lowest-performing area.
These insights provide direction for targeted professional development and support to address growth areas, ensuring we meet and exceed our instructional goals by year-end.
Objectives are posted an average of 94% of the time, and formative assessments are posted 93% of the time. The goal is to reach 100% with both of these expectations.
Mid-Year Data Review: Guiding Instruction through EvidenceOur mid-year data provides a wealth of insights to guide and refine instruction across all grade levels. The NWEA results revealed solid performances in both math and reading, with specific highlights in the following areas:
Kindergarten: Strong performance in both math and reading
2nd Grade: Solid growth in math
3rd Grade: Strong results in both math and reading
6th Grade: Solid performance in reading
8th Grade: Strong results in both math and reading
While every grade demonstrated growth, we remain focused on ensuring all students meet or exceed their expected growth goals.
In addition, students in 7th through 10th grades were assessed on critical content, with areas of strength identified and highlighted for targeted celebration and reinforcement.
By analyzing this data, we can better align instructional strategies to support student achievement and growth in the coming months.
Critical Content:
ELA- Areas of Strength- 7th ELA- 70% Combined Evidence, Author’s Structure- 60% 8th ELA- Connotation- 75%, Characterization- 66% 9th ELA- 82% explicit info., explicit relationship, author’s reasoning 10th ELA- 78.6% Explicit info, 78.6%- meaning and context, 71.4%- logical inference, 71.4% reasonable summary | Math- Areas of Strength- 7th math- 63.6%- Opposite Quantities, 60.6%- Inverse Rational Numbers, 57.6%- Quantities nd Proportions 8th math- 97.3% square root solutions, 86.5% linear equations, 73% integer exponents 9th math- fluent linear equations, linear equations, input/output pairs 10th- lines and angles |
The assessments also identified areas that will need to be targeted during the second semester. Textual evidence was an area of weakness at each level in English Language Arts, so this will be an area of focus for all content areas.
High school students participated in Horizon testing which is closely aligned to the PSAT and SAT state assessments. The results are informative and will help us to guide instruction during the second semester. Reading and writing scores tended to be slightly higher than math scores in 9th, 10th, and 11th grades.
Priority #2 Post-Secondary and Workforce Readiness (PWR): CCSD seeks to develop hard working learners that are contributors, problem solvers, effective communicators, future ready and empowered with the skills necessary to meet and handle the challenges they will face in today’s world.
Priority #2 directly supports:
This priority focuses on developing and aligning the Individual Career and Academic Plans (ICAP) curriculum to standards, ensuring students are prepared for post-secondary success. Mrs. Rounds is doing an outstanding job leading our ICAP courses at the high school. These classes are designed to help students explore life and career options beyond high school, providing them with essential skills for the future.
Our CHS juniors are deeply engaged in their Capstone projects. On Tuesday night, a student-led team presented their innovative proposal to the Board for implementing a cashless system for concessions. Josue Roblero is the Project Lead, with Camila Carrasco, Damian Casanova, Alejandro Puentes, and Elijah Swanson all supporting the work as team members. The Board expressed strong support for the project, and the students are moving forward with the next steps.
We are also extending PWR initiatives to our elementary students. The goal is for Haskin students to participate in at least two ICAP activities throughout the year. So far, they’ve actively engaged in the district Career Fair, and plans are underway for a second event to further introduce students to career exploration.
Through these efforts, CCSD is ensuring that students at all grade levels are equipped with the tools and experiences needed to thrive in their academic and professional futures.
Priority #3- Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS): CCSD will maintain high expectations for student learning and behavior. Structures are in place to support academic and behavioral needs of all students.
Core Belief #2: With our support, ALL children can achieve at high levels and be successful in life, is the foundation of Priority #3.
MTSS aims to promote positive student behaviors while reducing inappropriate ones. Although there was an increase of seven inappropriate behaviors from the 1st to the 2nd quarter, efforts are underway to address this. Staff are actively awarding Viking Bucks to recognize students meeting expectations daily. This initiative reinforces positive behavior and encourages a culture of accountability and achievement.
A key focus of MTSS is increasing family engagement across the district. Progress is being tracked through parent participation at events and engagement metrics from communication platforms. There was a 4% increase in views of the Center of Focus and an average approximately 300 attendees participated in parent night events. While the first-semester engagement growth fell slightly short of the 5% quarterly goal, the upward trend highlights positive progress. Continued efforts will focus on expanding the use of Viking Bucks to recognize student success, implementing strategies to reduce inappropriate behaviors, and strengthening outreach to families to meet and exceed engagement goals. Through collaboration and intentional action, MTSS ensures that CCSD supports the success and well-being of every student.
Priority #4- Recruitment and Retention:
CCSD is committed to attracting the best and brightest to teach our students. Our goal is to recruit, train, and retain highly qualified teachers. Effective educators are the single most important school-based factor in determining student success.
Core Belief #4- Everyone must be committed to excellence in ALL they do, every day.
The R&R team has been diligently working throughout the year to attract and retain the highest-quality staff, ensuring CCSD remains a leader in education.
So far, the district has attended one job fair this year and is scheduled to participate in a second fair in March. The goal is to have district representation at three job fairs by year-end, broadening our reach and connecting with top candidates.
In 2024, our district received state-level recognition six times, a testament to the hard work and innovative initiatives happening at CCSD. Highlights included CDE recognition of our staff daycare program, multiple articles in the Colorado Sun showcasing our leadership in school finance and equitable funding advocacy, recognition from the Speaker of the House for our work on school finance, Coverage in Chalkbeat and the impactful video, Standing with Center. We were also featured a number of times in the Center Dispatch and the Valley Courier.
Additionally, the R&R team has been proactive in creating positive promotions, and advertisements shared widely on social media to celebrate our successes and engage the community.
The district set a goal to maintain a retention rate of 85%, exceeding the state average of 82%. At mid-year, CCSD is proud to report a retention rate of 87%, reflecting the supportive environment we’ve cultivated for our staff.
The R&R team is also working to implement a comprehensive exit interview process to gather valuable insights from staff who leave the district. This data will help inform future strategies to further improve retention and workplace satisfaction.
Through these efforts, the R&R team is strengthening CCSD’s position as a district of choice and ensuring the district continues to provide exceptional education for all students.
Fast Forward
Calendar Dates
Monday, January 20th –Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Inauguration Day, ICAP Planning Meeting, Department Head Meeting, MLT Meeting
Tuesday, January 21st – Mid-Year Evaluations, Child Welfare Education Liaison Meeting
Wednesday, January 22nd- Skoglund Access Testing, Rural Alliance Advocacy Call, Opportunity Coalition, Mid-Year Evaluations, Superintendent PLC
Thursday, January 23rd – Early Release/ICAP, Weekly Construction Meeting- Spencer Architects, CHS Basketball vs. Sargent
Friday, January 24th – CHS Basketball vs. Crested Butte
Saturday, January 25th – CHS Basketball @ Hoehne
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