Many of you are beginning to think about the various preschool options available in Denver. Eileen Piper, CEO of the Denver Preschool Program, contacted us recently with  information regarding the DPP. I visited their website and learned a lot. A neat feature on the website is a tool where parents can search preschools to learn more about their programs and what they have to offer. Be sure to check it out! Please read below to learn more about the Denver Preschool Program (what is it?) and the results of their recent evaluation. Thank you Eileen for sharing this information.

By Eileen Piper

There isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t think about the education of my children. As the CEO of the Denver Preschool Program and as a parent myself, I’m constantly considering how to best educate and support my children so that they become well-rounded and successful adults.

In my position at the Denver Preschool Program, I have the advantage of learning preschool’s benefits on a deep level and am happy to report to other parents that preschool is an investment worth making. I’ve seen it in my own children, and we see it in many of the students who enroll in the Denver Preschool Program.

For those who aren’t familiar, the Denver Preschool Program is the result of a ballot initiative that passed in 2006. The program sets aside .12 percent of Denver sales tax revenue to fund tuition credits to help families pay for preschool and quality improvement grants to help providers improve their programs. All Denver children are eligible to participate in the year before kindergarten, and today nearly 70 percent of the city’s 4-year-olds are participating, making us one of the highest enrolled preschool programs in the country.

After only five years as a program, we’ve helped pay for more than 20,000 kids to go to preschool and are already seeing positive results from the program.

We just released our annual evaluation report (click here), which revealed that Denver Preschool Program students made significant progress during their preschool year—progress that is above and beyond what is considered typical. The vast majority of Denver Preschool Program children leave the program ready for kindergarten, both academically and emotionally. And we know that those kids who are ready for kindergarten are more likely to be successful in school and later in life.

We also learned from our evaluation report just how important preschool quality is to parents. Parents surveyed revealed that quality was a more important factor in selecting a preschool than cost. That may be why more than 90 percent of DPP students are enrolled in the highest quality preschools.

Many parents begin considering where to send their child to preschool at this time of year. As you think about that decision, I encourage you to consider the school’s quality rating. You can learn more about these quality ratings – as well as further information about the Denver Preschool Program’s various preschool partners – by visiting our website here!

In considering your child’s future, remember that preschool is an investment in a bright future for your child. To learn more about enrolling in the Denver Preschool Program, visit our website or contact us at 303-595-4DPP or info@dpp.org.

DPS recently announced a later start date to the school year. Next year, DPS will start school on August 27th and the students last day of school will be June 4, 2013. Parents were up in arms last year when children were diagnosed with heat-related illnesses at the start of the school year. The majority of DPS schools do not have air conditioning and the mid-August start to the school year seems cruel. Parents started a petition for a later school start, many signatures were gathered, surveys were completed and the idea of a later school start has been on the minds of many for years. DPS listened and the Board of Education voted YES in a 6-1 vote to delay the start date for the 2012 school year. 

Is starting a week later in August such a drastic change? No. Is it still going to be very hot in late August? More than likely. Wouldn’t it have made more sense to start school after Labor Day?  

What are your thoughts on the new school calendar? Does it seem like our children are in school a lot less than we were? Are you happy with a late August start date? Read the article below from the Denver Post re: next year’s school calendar for DPS. 

Denver school board approves school-start date of late August, seeks heat-days plan

A calendar pushing Denver Public Schools’ start date later by a handful of days was approved by the Board of Education on Thursday night.

“Changing the school start date is not going to be the solution for the heat, we all know that,” said board member Anne Rowe. “What it did do, I think, is set the stage for a much larger discussion around the school year, with regards to how that works in the best interest for students. That is a robust discussion.”

Superintendent Tom Boasberg was asked to commit to presenting the board with a plan for issuing heat days, which would work in the same way as snow days, by the board’s March meeting.

The calendar option approved in a 6-1 vote will have students starting school on Aug. 27 and ending June 4. That calendar would see a later winter break — from Monday, Dec. 24, returning to class Jan. 8 — and would shrink no-contact days, when teachers evaluate assessment data, to three days in the year.

During a discussion Thursday prior to the vote, board members considered various amendments to the calendars and weighed issues of sport schedules, test-preparation time and day care as they would be affected by the calendar changes.

Board member Andrea Merida, who voted against the calendar, attempted first to introduce an amendment to allow schools without air conditioning to choose their own start dates anytime up to Labor Day. That amendment failed with only Merida approving it.

In a public-comment session before the vote, four student representatives of the district’s student board of education talked about their preference for a calendar year to start Aug. 23.

The student board members conducted a poll at various high schools asking students about their preferences.

According to their poll, 75 percent of students wanted to start Aug. 23, compared with 11 percent who would have liked school to start after Labor Day.

A heat wave that coincided with the beginning of this school year in mid-August left students and teachers dealing with 90-degree heat in classrooms without air conditioning.

At least three incidents of heat-related illness were reported in the first week of school.

Parents had gathered and delivered more than 3,000 signatures asking DPS to start the school year after Labor Day.

DPS then created a task force of parents and teachers to design and distribute a survey that was available online for nearly three weeks in November.

Respondents were almost evenly split among three options: no changes, starting in the fourth week of August, and starting in the first week of September.

In other board action, three new schools received innovation status for their opening this fall. Also, Trevista ECE-8 was approved to begin a turnaround — in which a new principal will be hired, staff will have to reapply for their jobs, and the school will get additional federal funds and flexibilities to design a program for improvement.

Read more:Denver school board approves school-start date of late August, seeks heat-days plan – The Denver Posthttp://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_19781569#ixzz1k0OAfUGS

Read The Denver Post’s Terms of Use of its content: http://www.denverpost.com/termsofuse

It’s freezing cold outside.  You’re finally recovering from holiday planning and bills.  Super viruses are rampant and your kids have been out sick for a week at a time.  We parents have been sick for a week at a time.  You just can’t catch a break because now you are tasked with focusing your attention on the summer.  Besides your annual trip to Cape Cod, or to Disney World, or home to Iowa, you have 12 more weeks to plan for so that your children can be occupied and entertained this summer.  Who’s got time for that?

ScoopToo is here to help…a little.  Our annual Denver Summer Camp List has been in the works for a couple of years now.  Every year, we hope to make it more comprehensive with your help.  Talk to us. Tell us what you did last summer and this summer.  Help your fellow parents with feedback on camps that your kids loved.  We will continue to aggregate the information and deliver it right to you.  This year, we have a downloadable list for your convenience.  Enjoy and good luck!

Download a PDF here: Denver Summer Camps 2012

DENVER SUMMER CAMPS 2012

List Compiled by:

For those with TWINKLE TOES:

• Cleo Parker Robinson Dance
• Cherry Creek Dance
• Dance Conservatory of Denver

For the ANIMAL LOVER:

• Denver Zoo
• The Wildlife Experience
• Butterfly Pavilion
• Normandy Farms and Stables

For the OUTDOOR ADVENTURER:

• Avid4Adventure
• Altogether Outdoors Summer Camps
• Bluff Lake Nature Center

For those with GLOBAL SIGHTS:

• Denver Montclair International School
• BIENVENIDOS Spanish Denver

For the SPORTS ENTHUSIAST:

Gymnastics:

• University of Denver 

Golf :

• The First Tee of Denver

Fencing:

• Denver Fencing Center

Basketball:

• Denver Nuggets

Tennis:

• Denver Park and Rec Tennis Camps

Soccer:

• Little Kickers
• Skyline Soccer
• YMCA of Denver
• University of Denver

Lacrosse:

• Gamebreaker Lacrosse Camp 
• Denver Lacrosse Club

Multi-sport:

• Stapleton All Sports
• University of Denver Youth Camps
• Jewish Community Center
• Bladium
• Dream Big Sports Camps
• YMCA of Denver

For the next PICASSO:

• Art Students League of Denver
• The Art Garage
• Mizel Museum
• Artful Journey

For the next OCSAR WINNER:

• Rocky Mountain Theatre for Kids
• Catchpenny Theatre
• Denver Center for the Performing Arts
• KidsTheatreWEST

For the SCIENTIST:

• Denver Museum of Nature & Science

For the future ENGINEER:

• Lego Camp
• Science Matters

For the TECH INSPIRED:

• Open World Learning
• Internal Drive

For the PIONEER:

• Four Mile Historic Park

For those with PATENTS PENDING:

• Camp Invention (you will find several locations around Denver that host this camp)

For the NATURALIST:

• Nature Rangers
• Denver Botanic Gardens

For the CREATIVE:

• Denver Children’s Museum
• All About the Arts

For the FOODIE:

• Sticky Fingers Cooking

For the ROCKER:

• Camp Jam

For the DAY CAMPER (various programs):

• Dream Big Day Camp
• JCC day camps
• Colorado Academy
• Montessori School of Denver
• Stanley British Primary
• South Suburban Parks & Rec
• Girl Scouts of Colorado
• Paddington Station
• Denver Parks & Recreation

For the OVERNIGHTER:

• Sanborn Western Camps
• Geneva Glen
• Camp Chief Ouray

PLEASE CONTACT US IF YOU HAVE A CAMP TO ADD OR MAKE A COMMENT IF YOU’VE HAD A GOOD EXPERIENCE WITH ONE OF THESE CAMPS.  LET US KNOW IF ONE OF THE LINKS IS BROKEN SO THAT WE CAN UPDATE IT.  THANK YOU!

Head of School, Stephanie Flanigan, stood before the Montessori School of Denver community Wednesday night and announced the exciting news that the school will be launching a middle school in August of 2013.  The MSD Board of Trustees had voted unanimously to extend MSD’s grades from Toddler through 6th grade to Toddler through 8th grade.

The idea of opening a middle school has been tossed around since the 1980′s at MSD but until now, “the time was not right” according to Stephanie. Last night, the audience stood up and cheered with the revelation of this news; it is something they’ve been waiting for for a long time.

This will be the only Montessori middle school option in Denver and will implement best practices for a top-notch, 21st century education for elementary and middle school students.  There is an exciting new and enhanced curriculum being developed that will take students outside the walls of the school, literally and figuratively, to encourage each student to be the critical thinkers, entrepreneurs,  globally minded,  stewards of our next generation.

Along with facilities planning for the addition of the 7th and 8th grades, the school will complete a comprehensive master plan, designed to address all MSD’s program and campus needs including acquiring additional property on which to build.

Enrollment will be for 40 additional students, 20 each for 7th and 8th grade, bringing the school’s total enrollment to 340 students by August of 2014.  At this point, the Montessori School of Denver will celebrate it’s 50th year in operation, a true legacy of premier education in Denver.

To learn more, please visit the Montessori School of Denver website for frequent updates.

School: Cole Arts and Science Academy

Website: http://www.coleacademydenver.org/

Type: Public-DPS Innovation School

Enrollment: 635 students

Tours:  Call school to make an appointment

Main Phone: 720.423.9120

Principal: Julie Murgel (2 vice principals and a principal intern)

Location:  3240 Humboldt Street, Denver 80205 (Cole and Whittier neighborhood)

Hours: ECE 8:30 am-3:30 pm; K-5th 8:15 am- 3:45 pm; Middle School  8:15 am- 3:30 pm

Grades:  ECE-5^th Grade along with DSST Middle School (6-8^th grade)

Average Class Size: Approximately 26 students per classroom (3 classrooms per grade level plus middle school)

Before/After Care:

-Kaleidoscope Corner for grades K-5

-Fit Fun and Literacy for Grades K-4 (an after-school program providing physical fitness and nutrition with homework assistance)

-Cole Beacon Neighborhood Center for 5^th-8^th grade students (funding from the Boys and Girls Club…program offers a variety of enrichment opportunities to students focusing on skill building and relationship building)

Facilities/Playground: 

There is a learning landscape west of the entrance to the school (north of the tennis courts).  Cole has a huge field north of the school that is used for P.E. outdoor learning, middle school sports and by DSST for outdoor P.E. (soccer, flag football, and baseball). There are basketball courts north of the field used primarily afterschool. A smaller playground for ECE is to the north side of the school (MLK Blvd).

Special & Core Programs:

• The Denver School of Science and Technology at Cole opened its doors this year. Currently it’s a middle school that welcomed sixth graders only in 2011 (each year it will add a grade). To learn more, click here.
• Cole became an Innovation School in August 2009. It is achieving its goals according to the District’s SPF. The school will be up for review this June 2012. Innovation schools are up for review every three years to monitor their accountability to the children they serve.
• Students partake in physical education each day. They rotate every 3 weeks for art, music and technology classes.
• In the primary years (ECE-1^st grade) there are 3 programs for the students: a traditional classroom, ELA (English language acquisition classroom), and a Spanish speaking only classroom. Students in 2^nd grade and up are provided a more traditional classroom approach. They are assessed and grouped according to need for math and science as well as literacy instruction. The second – fifth grade classrooms use a platoon model where two teachers partner; one teaches literacy and the other math and science.
• Cole is a designated American Indian Focus School. The program provides one location where all DPS students with American Indian heritage are invited to learn together.
• Afterschool tutoring by staff for students who need support.
• This school offers the Primary Multi-Intensive program for students in grades 1-3 and the Intermediate Multi-Intensive for students in grades 3-5. The children are placed by the district’s special needs team. Many are bussed in but some live within the neighborhood. The programs provide support for students that have development delays specifically cognitive delays.
• Infusions–Cole offers two separate Infusion sessions. Each session is 6 weeks long and takes place for an hour and a half, once a week.  Students choose classes based on their interests. The classes are composed of a mix of children from varying grade levels with a teacher other than that of their homeroom. Some of the past infusion classes offered included Salsa Dancing, skateboarding, photography, History of Five Points, History of Mexico, Nutrition, Horseback Riding, etc.

Impressions:

Cole Arts and Science Academy opened four years ago in the Cole and Whittier neighborhood (northwest of City Park) in Denver. The building itself was a former middle school. Two failing elementary schools in the neighborhood, Wyman and Mitchell, shut down not long ago and as a result, Cole Arts and Science Academy opened its doors hoping to provide a successful school in this very diverse community.

Cole’s exterior is old, beautiful and grand. It’s a huge school on the outside and within. As you enter the school, you can’t help but notice the various pendants hanging from the foyer’s ceiling. These pendants represent the staff’s college alma maters. As you walk a bit further, you’ll see a number of banners in the hallway boasting the words, Class of 2021, Class of 2023, etc. I learned that those years represent when the present students will graduate college, something many of their parents never had the opportunity to do. The banners and pendants are visual reminders to the students that anything is possible even a college education. This inspiration tactic from the staff reminds students that the Cole faculty believes in them. It’s the first thing students see when arriving and leaving school each day.

Elena Saenz, a family liaison, greeted me and led me on a tour of the school. She is a full-time family liaison. Her job is to advocate for families and make sure they know their role when it comes to supporting their child at home. She works with classroom teachers as well to help make sure this happens. Family outreach and engagement is a big priority at this school. Elena is bilingual like many of the staff at Cole. This comes in handy for the 60% Hispanic population that attends the school. Elena gives tours to families, too. If only every DPS school could have a family liaison!

We started our tour on the first floor. The school is complete with three levels and shaped like the letter H. The vastness of the school was a bit overwhelming. I am guessing that becoming comfortable in such a large building takes time for new families and students. With that being said, the first floor houses the primary wings: ECE for 3 and 4 year olds, Kindergarten, first, second grade classrooms, and a large auditorium. Although the school is very old, the classrooms were spacious and bright. I saw many smart boards in the classrooms, a tool growing in popularity throughout DPS. The hallways were adorned with beautiful artwork. This year, two full-time art teachers work at the school and they’ve done wonders beautifying the school hallways with projects created by the students.

One of the primary classrooms we visited had a classroom teacher from the Teach for America program. This program helps ensure that children growing up in poverty can receive an excellent education. She went through the two year program at Cole and is now teaching here full-time. I enjoy hearing stories such as this. These high achieving educators are placed in urban schools within low-income neighborhoods. Currently, Cole has a 96% free and reduced lunch ratio.

This school has 11 DTR’s (Denver Teacher Residents). This program offers yet another way to bring in motivated and passionate educators who want to make a difference (both programs are enticing high caliber educators and providing them the support and resources they need along the way). I chatted briefly with a number of staff members that day, including the principal. Everyone seemed to be very energetic, happy and proud to be working at this school. With that being said, there seems to be some teacher turnover, 11 new teachers started this school year.

On the second and third floors are the upper elementary classrooms, middle school (separate entrance), two gymnasiums, cafeteria, huge music room, two art rooms, library, two technology labs, etc.  Each floor has access to a classroom set of net books, too. I was amazed at all the technological resources this school has despite the fact there is no PTA.

Students were coming and going as we made our way through the hallways. They wear uniforms at the school. Due to the recent partnership with DSST, Cole has adapted some of their cultural system. As a result, school behavior has improved this year. Julie mentioned that the partnership between DSST and Cole is unique in that it benefits both programs. For example, Cole has been influential to DSST on family and community engagement.

Since Cole is an innovation school, they have greater autonomy when it comes to their budget, hiring and curriculum. A short time ago, students were not finding success with the district’s reading curriculum. Students were struggling with phonics. The staff re-evaluated and decided that another more structured literacy model with a strong emphasis on phonics would be more successful for the kids.  This is why innovation is important, folks. If children are lacking important skills and not finding academic success, the school should have the freedom to find something that works! Shouldn’t more turnaround schools apply for innovative status so they have the freedom to see what works, what doesn’t and make the best possible decisions for their students based on these findings? The ultimate goal is to set our children up for success, not failure.

Elena mentioned repeatedly that Julie Murgel, Cole’s principal, is an extraordinary leader who works tirelessly on searching for funding to ensure that these children are getting what they need. I could see this by the abundant resources that the school has and the partnerships Cole has created within the community.

Has Cole made progress the past few years? Yes. Is Cole setting up systems to help students reach their full potential? Yes. Does Cole have a long way to go when it comes to academic achievement? Yes. This is a school that is trying to beat the odds by creating a team of intentional and passionate educators, having strong leadership at the helm, patience in making decisions based on the best interest of the child, and hope that every child no matter race or socioeconomic status can and will learn. Julie Murgel said it all when I asked what makes Cole special. She said, “Cole is Hope. It is an example of a school defying all the odds.” I hope it does!

We welcome your comments and impressions on your experience with Cole Arts & Science Academy.

 At times, it’s very confusing when looking at data regarding public schools in Colorado. Recently, a new website was unveiled to help bring some clarity to this task. This new system has taken all of the data collected by the Colorado Department of Education and translated it into a simpler language, a letter grade. The tool can be used for parents when searching for a school of interest for their child. Other parents may want to view it to find out if their present child’s school is making the grade.  No matter your reason for visiting the website, the information is presented in a simple way for all to understand. Please read the article below from 9News regarding the new site or click here to see if your school is making the grade! 

Simplifying your child’s school performance

KUSA – Understanding your child’s school performance is now as easy as going online. The confusing language is gone and, now, the schools just get a simple letter grade – A to F.

There is a statewide-advertising campaign already up and running with television, radio spots and billboards telling people about Colorado School Grades.com.

There were 18 groups and organizations involved in this 14-month-long process. Tim Taylor is with one of the groups: Colorado Succeeds.

“We wanted to make sure it was simple enough to understand,” Taylor said “Then there are opportunities to dig deeper. This is the first step no one should make a decision based solely on a grade a school got. It should encourage visits and additional research.”

—–

When Megan Talley works with special education students at Stony Creek Elementary, she knows she’s part of an aggressive approach that’s increasing academic achievement.

“It’s a very rare thing for special education students to meet, exceeds, or even meets progress,” said Talley, special education teacher at Stony Creek Elementary in Jefferson County. “To be in those categories is unheard of.”

The Colorado Department of Education examines numerous things when deciding how to score a school. Academic growth and student achievement are primary factors.

The state looks at different groups of students and decides if those students are meeting expectations, exceeding expectations, or needs improvement in areas of academic growth.

At Stony Creek, special education students met expectations in writing and exceeded expectations in math.

“The scores have gone up tremendously,” Sue Whelan, instructional coach at Stony Creek Elementary, said.

Whelan says teachers and administrators decided that what they were doing for special education students wasn’t enough.

“We noticed that structures that were in our school were not systemic,” Whelan said. “We talked about creating structures that made sense.”

Whelan says more time was created for teachers to work together on how to address student needs. She says teachers started monitoring progress of students more often. And, they created a team to intervene with students who really needed more help in reading, writing or math.

“You specifically get a group of people together to focus on that need and you go at it until that child meets that expectation, that’s going to push kids along,” Whelan said.

Stony Creek is an example of successes happening across Colorado. Overall, there are more high performing schools than last year. There are also fewer schools listed at the bottom of the list. Schools districts are classified into five categories:

1. Accredited with Distinction
2. Accredited
3. Accredited with Improvement Plan
4. Accredited with Priority Improvement Plan
5. Accredited with Turnaround Plan

Individual schools are classified into four categories:

1. Performance Plan
2. Improvement Plan
3. Priority Improvement Plan
4. Turnaround Plan.

VIEW: District ratings (Excel document)

The schools or districts listed as “turnaround” or “priority improvement” need to make academic gains quickly in the coming years, or else the state may take measures against the school or district.

VIEW: School Ratings (Excel document) (note: Aurora is listed as Adams-Arapahoe 28J)

Tally says seeing a strong school report card is encouraging.

“I love my job. I love coming to school every day. I love working with the kids,” Talley said. “But when you see growth like that, it makes it all worth it.”

The impending first round of school choice is fast approaching. If you are feeling a bit stressed about the new enrollment process or have questions now is the time to seek some clarity. Be sure to attend one of the two information sessions being offered by Get Smart Schools to get the answers you need before completing the choice application–deadline is January 31, 2012. Please read the information below…

Click here to read a recent article from the Denver Post regarding the new choice process. It should answer some of your questions especially ones relating to your neighborhood school.

ScoopToo Readers,

Recently, two different media organizations, 5280 Magazine and the DIY Network, have reached out to us hoping to make you aware of some things they are working on here in Denver.  Though it is not core to the educational theme of the blog, we do feel that you might be interested in what they have to offer. Please see the two announcements below:

5280 Magazine to Sponsor Toy Drive

December 1, 2011 (Denver, CO) – 5280 will partner to collect toys at The Orchards for Volunteers of America for underprivileged families this holiday season. 5280 will place gift-wrapped donation boxes at participating stores for shoppers to drop off their contributions to the Toy Drive at The Orchards shopping center. New, unwrapped toys for children of all ages will be accepted.

WHEN: November 28 – December 16 WHERE: The Orchards Shopping Center

The corner of South Holly and Orchard Road.

PARTICIPATING STORES:

Boxwood and Begonia, Christy Sports Ski & Patio, Fast Frame, Mailboxes Plus, Matelasse, Rice Bistro, State Farm Insurance, and VCA Orchard Animal Hospital

Media Contact:

Carrie Horn, Marketing Director, 5280 Magazine Phone: 720-266-6245; Email: Carrie@5280.com

DIY Network

The DIY Network’s hit show “RESCUE RENOVATION” is now searching for do-it-yourself Denver area homeowners who have gotten in over their heads and have stalled in their home renovation project. Selected applicants should have started a remodel of one area of their home (demolition stage preferred), but are now stuck for one reason or another and don’t know what to do next.

Licensed contractor and host, Kayleen McCabe, and her team of experts will come to the rescue and save these project-challenged homeowners! Applicants must have an appropriate budget already set aside for the renovation. If interested, please e-mail rescue@highnoontv.com for an application, or apply on-line at:  http://www.highnoonentertainment.com/casting_apply_new.php?application_id=2A

The new enrollment program for DPS seems to be the talk of the town. I am curious to see how this new system will roll out. Parents are looking forward to an easier and streamlined application. While there are many changes that happen year to year regarding schools within a district, it’ll be reassuring to know that there will be consistency (ONE application) when enrolling your child in a Denver Public School. SchoolChoice guides and forms should be available this week. A special thanks to Sandra Konta, Application Processing Representative at DPS, for sending us this informative update detailing the enrollment process. 

Enrolling Your Child In a DPS School:  DPS SchoolChoice

Any student planning to attend a new school in the 2012-13 school year, including those entering ECE, elementary, middle or high school for the first time, should complete a DPS SchoolChoice form.  The SchoolChoice form is the one-and-only school application that needs to be completed for all DPS traditional boundary schools, magnet schools and programs*, and charter schools*.

*Please note that some magnet programs and charter schools require extra enrollment steps.  Please contact individual schools for details.

Step 1: Research

• Learn about DPS resources and programs: Consider your child’s strengths, challenges, and the kind of learning environment in which he/she is most successful. Then review the SchoolChoice Guide to create a list of schools that might be a good match for your child.

• Understand the DPS rating and ranking system: DPS uses the School Performance Framework (SPF) to evaluate how well Denver schools support student achievement. The rating is developed based on criteria that include academic growth, academic proficiency (status), student engagement, re-enrollment rates and parent satisfaction. Based on these criteria, all schools in the district are ranked on a 100-point scale and classified in five categories.  School-specific SPF ratings can be found in the SchoolChoice Guide.
• Research schools: Research schools by reviewing the SchoolChoice Guide, conduct online research at http://schoolchoice.dpsk12.org, and/or attend any of the upcoming events:

Far Northeast Denver Regional School Expo – December 3^rd; 10:00 AM – noon; Evie Dennis Campus

Southeast Denver Regional School Expo – December 3^rd; 10:00 AM – noon; Merrill Middle School

Southwest Denver Regional School Expo – December 3^rd; 9:00 – 11:00 AM; Lincoln High School

Near Northeast Denver Regional School Expo – December 6^th; 6:00 – 8:00 PM; Bruce Randolph Middle/High School

Northwest Denver Regional School Expo – December 10^th; 9:00 – 11:00 AM; North High School

• Visit schools that interest you: If possible, we strongly recommend that you visit the schools that interest you and your child. You may contact the school directly to meet the principal, take a tour, find out about an open house, or set up a classroom visit.

Step 2:  Prioritize

• After you’ve researched schools, resources and programs, prioritize your child’s top five schools in your order of preference.

Step 3:  Complete

• After identifying your child’s top five school preferences, determine if any of those schools require additional enrollment steps. Contact a school directly to learn what, if any, additional enrollment steps are required.  Information on which schools have additional enrollment steps can be found in the SchoolChoice Guide.
• List your child’s school preferences in order on the SchoolChoice form. It is important to list a total of five schools in the exact order of preference. Every effort will be made to assign your child into his/her highest preference school.  Please note that only listing one choice will not increase your chances of getting assigned to that school, and that your child is guaranteed a seat at his/her boundary school.
• Be sure to complete all the fields on the SchoolChoice form, fill in all five of your child’s top choices, and sign and date the form. SchoolChoice forms will be available on or before December 1, 2011 at any DPS school or online at http://schoolchoice.dpsk12.org.

Step 4:  Submit

• Submit your SchoolChoice form at any DPS school or bring your form to 900 Grant Street no later than 5:00 PM on January 31, 2012. Make sure to ask the school staff person who receives your form to make a time-stamped copy for you.  All SchoolChoice forms received by this date will be given full consideration for school assignments in the 2012/13 school year.  There is no benefit to submitting the SchoolChoice form earlier rather than later.

During the month of February, the DPS Office of Choice and Enrollment Services will work to collect and process all SchoolChoice forms in an attempt to get each student into his/her most highly preferred school.  SchoolChoice applicants will be notified in writing of their 2012/13 school assignment on or around March 1, 2012.

DPS Office of Choice and Enrollment Services 

(720) 423-3493 

schoolchoice@dpsk12.org