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1. Set high expectations for all students

2. Raise the overall achievement level

three. Close the achievement gap

To meet these objectives, the district is focusing on six strategies, which incorporate enhancing literacy a...

When thinking of Denver, Colorado, do you believe of stunning, snow-capped peaks soaring into the heavens? The Denver Schools program has goals that resemble high mountainsattainable yet difficult. The Denver Schools district has three overarching objectives:

1. Set high expectations for all students

2. Raise the overall achievement level

3. Close the achievement gap

To meet these goals, the district is focusing on six techniques, which include enhancing literacy and math expertise, offering a lot more right after-school help, strengthening middle and high schools, improving expert development for principals and teachers, and rising parental involvement.

The Denver Schools method is widely recognized as one particular of the finest urban school systems in the country. Its roots can be traced to 1859, when the city was founded. The Denver Schools district was officially designed in 1902 when voters authorized a constitutional amendment that created the City and County of Denver.

Denver Schools are made up of 73 elementary schools, 15 K-8 schools, 17 middle schools, 14 high schools, 19 charter schools, 6 other schools, and 7 alternative schools. Student enrollment as of October 1, 2006 was 73,399. 57% of students are Hispanic, 20% are White, 18% are Black, three% are Asian, and 1% is American Indian. 20% (or 14,450) of Denver Schools students are English Language Learners, and 13,337 students are Spanish speakers. Yet another 1,113 students speak a single of 86 other languages. Denver Schools offer an impressive array of foreign language classes. These incorporate Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Lakota, Latin, Russian, and Spanish. 4,555 teachers are employed by the Denver Schools district, and the average teacher read salary is $47,829. Denver Schools have a graduation rate of 76.9%, and a dropout rate (which considers all students in grades 7 by means of 12) of denver it support 4.6%.

Performance and statistics are not the only troubles affecting the Denver Schools technique. A proposal by Superintendent Michael Bennet to cut the districts pension plan is beneath heated discussion by board members and teachers alike. Bennets strategy is to spend J.P. Morgan five.five% a year for the use of $375 million. This would permit the district to use about $11 million that would have gone into the pension and put it into the classroom as an alternative. Of course, the Denver Schools system should ultimately fund the pension any brief-term losses would be their responsibility. The district asserts that it is committed to funding the pension plan, and is making all the contributions it has committed to. The pension board sees this strategy differently. They fear that if the funds doesnt earn 8.five% every single year, they will lose income in the deal. (8.five% is the sum of the five.five% and the districts withheld monies) Also according to the pension board, the proposal ready by J.P. Morgan would have the pension fund borrow $375 million at 5.five% interest, utilizing its $two.8 billion in assets as collateral. Some see this as a case of robbing Peter to pay Paul. If, and its a huge IF opponents argue, the fund returns 8.five%, the district could use that three percentage point distinction (which would equal around $11 million) in the classroom as an alternative. The showdown in between the Denver Schools and the pension board comes as the district is also contemplating closing schools as a way to cope with its deteriorating finances. In the past 4 years, Denver Schools have cut $83.five million dollars from its spending budget.