As a coalition of business leaders invested in Colorado’s students, Colorado Succeeds believes all students should have access to a high–quality education focused on preparing students for success in school and life. On behalf of our board of directors, we respectfully submit the following statement for the State Board’s accountability case directed at the Adams County 14 School District, as a whole.
Unfortunately, we believe that immediate and drastic action is needed in the Adams County 14 School District. As you know, the district has been identified as one of the lowest-performing districts each year since 2010 and faces year nine on the accountability clock. State data indicates that fewer than one in five students in Adams County 14 School District was effectively supported to master grade-level academic content in English Language Arts, and about one in 10 was supported to do so in Math.
With this in mind, we acknowledge that this district faces a student population with diverse needs and significant economic barriers. Based on 2019 data, eighty-five percent of students are from low-income background, and 56 percent are English language learners. The students served by this district deserve better options.
To that end, Colorado Succeeds wholly supports the recommendations and findings from the State Review Panel (SRP). We specifically recommend that the following strategies be part of any system improvement plan for the district:
- Reorganize the district and close Adams City High School
- RFP for More High-Quality High School Options
- Approve Charter Applications
- Strongly Encourage Partnership with Teach for America
