What is the Selection Process?
Below is the selection process for the 2018 Transformational Impact Awards.
Check back soon for more information about 2019.
- Colorado Succeeds hired Augenblick, Palaich and Associates (APA Consulting) to create an index to rank schools using publicly available data (from CMAS), identifying the top schools in elementary, middle, and high school grades.
- The index is weighted accordingly: 40% is a composite measure of student growth, 40% a composite of overall achievement controlled for students socioeconomic status, and 20% is an equity measure that is a composite of the performance of students who qualify for free and reduced lunch.
- APA then prepared an overview of the top schools in each category, masking school names so that they remained anonymous during review. Colorado Succeeds reviewed the data and relevant information to select a group of semifinalist schools with compelling data that were also representative of Colorado’s diverse demographic and geographic make-up.
- Colorado Succeeds then sent a short survey to each of the semifinalist schools to learn more about their approach to teaching and learning, and how that aligns to the Vision 2030 Framework. Responses were reviewed by an Advisory Committee consisting of school leaders, education partners, and business leaders to select three finalists in each category. Committee members served on one of three subcommittees based on their experience/expertise, as well as any potential conflicts of interest with a semifinalist school.
- Members of the subcommittees then visited finalists to observe classrooms and meet with students, parents, teachers, and school leadership in order to better understand what makes each school special.
- Subcommittee members presented a summary of their reflections and takeaways from each visit, which were taken into careful consideration in the final deliberation for school winners.
What are the Criteria?
In addition to the data-driven selection process, winners of the Transformational Impact Awards exhibit the following characteristics:
- Demonstrated impact on student learning and preparation for college and career
- Gains in test scores, graduation rates, and acquisition of essential skills
- Innovative approach to school/program design and implementation
- Ideas that can be replicated and scaled for the benefit of students statewide
- Culture that rewards and challenges students to elevate their life goals and expectations and rewards them for taking risks, failing, and then refining their approach
- Demonstrated impact on growing the whole child
- Fostering a love of learning, acquiring diverse skills, and supporting well-rounded interests
Advisory Committee Members
- Elliott Asp – Senior Partner, CEI
- Jason VanTiem – Dean of Students, DSST GVR (DPS)
- Jessica Buckley – Principal, Valdez (DPS)
- Rod Link – Principal, Pioneer Elementary (Morgan County)
- Andy Burns – Deputy Superintendent, Durango Schools
- Floyd Cobb – Executive Director of Teaching and Learning, CDE
- Justin McMillan – Principal, Casey MS (BVSD)
- Sam Cox – Principal, Paonia Elementary (Delta)
- Pat Donovan – Vice President of Operations, RootEd
- Jess Valsechi – Moonshot Fellow
- Davis Turner – Director of Professional Learning, mindSpark Learning
- Lee Wheeler-Berliner – Managing Director, CWDC
- Rich Herbst – Vice President of Learning and Development, TTEC
- Brunilda Wright – Client Services Management, First Western Trust
- Kyle Harris – Vice President of Community Development, McWhinney
- Micah Gurard-Levin – Community Relations & Corporate Responsibility, Liberty Global
- Akasha Absher – Chief Consulting Officer, Syntrinsic Investment Counsel
- Mark Sass – Executive Director, Teach Plus
