June3,2003

Superintendent’sOffice

Tribute to Mayor Wellington Webb

DPS employees are encouraged to attend the Board of Education’s tribute to Mayor Wellington Webb during the board meeting at 5:00 p.m., Thursday, June 19.

Third Annual STAR Party at the Zoo—August 19

Be sure to save this date on your school calendar. The third annual STAR Party at the Zoo for teachers, school secretaries, and principals is from 6:30 to 9 p.m., Tuesday, August 19 at the Denver Zoo. Watch for details in August.

Department of Research, Planning, and Special Programs

The attached information on school improvement planning requires no action at this time and only elaborates on the information provided in the Budget Guidance Manual about School Improvement Planning.

Curriculum and Instruction

The attachedmedia arts 2002–2003 final report provides an overview to DPS’ media arts program.

PublicInformation

2003–2004 Calendars

Last week’s issue of the Tuesday Telegram linked to the revised 2003–2004 calendars at Please post copies for employees in schools and departments.

June Inside DPS

Printed copies of the June Inside DPS will be arriving soon at departments and continuous-year schools. Schools on the traditional calendar will receive five copies. Please distribute the June issue to all employees currently in your buildings.

Marketing Tip of the Week

Is your Website up to date for the summer? Provide updates about activities, school calendars, class supply lists, profiles of teachers and staff, etc. Research reports that people increasingly use the Internet to “belong to a community.” Use your Website to help parents feel part of your school community.

TUESDAYTELEGRAMARCHIVE(clickonthislink)

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Denver Public Schools Media Arts

2002–2003

This year will be remembered as the year that DPSacknowledged the importance media arts plays in learning—an understanding long overdue. This effort was possible only by the dedication and commitment of teachers. We have only just begun.

The vision of the future is in our hands, and only with commitment and participation can we continue to progress.

I would like to thank Daniel Salazar for a great job as moderator and JoAnne Hilton for her support and vision.

Accomplishments

  • We identified all the district media arts teachers.
  • We created our first Media Arts Contact List.
  • We developed three districtwide inservices.
  • We planted the seed for future curriculum and academic guidelines.
  • We established a network with outside providers, including UCD College of Art and Technology and ColoradoCommunity College.

Next Year

  • We will continue working, advocating, and advancing the district’s media arts program.
  • We will develop the phases for the creation of a rigorous curriculum.
  • A portion of the visual arts budget will be dedicated to basic needs of media arts teachers (e.g., conferences, substitute teachers, registration fees)
  • We will produce the first DPS Film Festival.

Have a restful summer!

Maruca G. Salazar

Visual Arts/Media Arts Coordinator

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DENVER PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Department of Research, Planning, and Special Programs

SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT PLANNING

School improvement planning requirements for 2003-2004 are briefly described below.Plans will be due September 15th, except that schools need to submit budgets in May that allocate resources needed (based on availability) to implement the district’s literacy and mathematics programs at the elementary and secondary levels.These programs are the district’s highest priority.Other strategies in the school improvement plans should also be accounted for in the budget (again, based on availability).

Detailed information on school improvement planning requirements and examples of exemplary plans will be discussed in August at principals’ meetings that will be set up in each quadrant.Our goal is to provide very clear directions and expectations as support for 2003-2004 school improvement planning.By August, CDM reform commission recommendations should be finalized and information about new requirements should be available.Training will also be provided to parents and CDM members.Finally, schools will not need to make changes in the plans that were completed last year, except for new Title I schools.These schools will only need to update plans completed last year.

  1. Accountability
  1. Schools will be expected to write three objectives based on the school performance indicators or to meet Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP), including one in reading and one in math.[*]
  1. Principal and teacher objectives, to the extent appropriate, will be aligned with school objectives.*
  1. Implementation of the district literacy program
  1. Determine where resources need to be allocated for 2003-2004 in order to further implement the district’s literacy program.Be sure that the needs are reflected in the budget that you submit in May.Schools should also begin thinking about setting aside some dollars to address the strategies that are developed, as described in #4 below.
  1. Identify staff strengths and needs.*
  1. Analyze classroom implementation of the literacy program.*
  1. Based on the unique characteristics of the school and the needs identified, develop two or three strategies that, when implemented, will increase the effectiveness of the literacy program.[*]
  1. Implementation of the district mathematics program
  1. Determine where resources need to be allocated for 2003-2004 in order to further implement the district’s mathematics program.Be sure that the needs are reflected in the budget that you submit in May.Schools should also begin thinking about setting aside some dollars to address the strategies that are developed, as described in #4 below.
  1. Identify staff strengths and needs.[*]
  1. Analyze classroom implementation of the mathematics program.*
  1. Based on the unique characteristics of the school and the needs identified, develop two or three strategies that, when implemented, will increase the effectiveness of the mathematics program.
  1. Develop and implement a parent compact.*
  1. Review implementation of the literacy and mathematics programs on an ongoing basis.*
  1. These requirements will apply to new Title I schools only.Specific directions will be provided in August.No change in format from what was submitted last year will be required.

* Further elaboration and examples will be provided in August at Principals’ Meetings that will be held in each quadrant.

School Improvement Planning: Requirements

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