Innovation Plan
As an innovation school, Springs Ranch Elementary School has the appropriate freedom to control its educational program, budget, staff, time and incentives to ensure that Springs Ranch becomes a top achieving school in Colorado Springs and serves as a model of success for schools across the country. We serve a diverse population and work collaboratively to meet the various needs of students that attend our school.
Springs Ranch Elementary School staff work together in professional learning community teams to analyze student data and gain skills in instructional best practices.
Time is built into our calendar to facilitate these meetings when feasible. (we prefer to meet at least half a day, once per month to do this effectively). Professional development supports areas of need based on data analysis. Development must be ongoing to ensure that best instructional practices are implemented effectively. We require special resources to support our professional development needs. Paraprofessionals are included in our professional development program.
Springs Ranch Elementary staff members implement programs and curricular components to address the Colorado State Standards and curricular maps developed at the district and zone levels. Our leadership team and staff have the liberty to make curricular and instructional decisions that are in alignment with our educational plan, state standards, goals and appropriate grade level instruction. This includes establishing an educational program, textbook, supplemental and assessment adoption aligned with the Colorado state standards.
Intervention time is built into the school day to help students needing remediation or extension opportunities to improve their achievement. This sometimes requires us to alter start and end times or altering the school calendar to accommodate needs for intervention. It may also mean hiring support staff to supplement teacher interventions as resources become available.
Intervention time is built into the school day to help students needing remediation or extension opportunities to improve their achievement. This sometimes requires us to alter start and end times or altering the school calendar to accommodate needs for intervention. It may also mean hiring support staff to supplement teacher interventions as resources become available.
We're dedicated to providing high quality instruction on a daily basis.
As such, we obtained the freedom to make decisions regarding the use of district assigned days for professional development and other purposes (e.g. early release days, professional development days, teacher work days, meeting dates). We always meet or exceed the state requirements for student contact hours and days.
Springs Ranch Elementary School faculty are evaluated according to state statute. We will use the District 49 evaluation process and add components that tie directly to our school’s mission, vision, goals and Innovations. Our leadership team may develop our own evaluation tool for walk through evaluations that better focus our improvement efforts in best instructional practice. In addition, we have the authority to redesign our evaluation tools for our classified support staff to better reflect their job descriptions and provide more effective feedback.
Springs Ranch Elementary School faculty are evaluated according to state statute. We will use the District 49 evaluation process and add components that tie directly to our school’s mission, vision, goals and Innovations. Our leadership team may develop our own evaluation tool for walk through evaluations that better focus our improvement efforts in best instructional practice. In addition, we have the authority to redesign our evaluation tools for our classified support staff to better reflect their job descriptions and provide more effective feedback.
Areas our innovations may reach for improving outcomes:
- The school calendar may have to be modified to support the additional professional learning community time needed. The school has the authority to establish its own calendar, including professional development days, days off or late starts and early releases that may differ from the district. Schedule and calendar will meet or exceed statutory minimums for calendar, hours of teacher/pupil contact and schedule.
- Start and end times for students may have to be modified to support instruction. Transportation would have to support these changes to render them possible.
- Personnel decisions need to be made at the building level and supported with the District 49 budget, as resources allow.
- We develop and implement our own professional development plan aligned with our school's innovation plan.
- A budget for technology will have to be added to the school budget to increase student access to necessary tools.
- The principal and assistant principal evaluate teachers through a process tied directly to the school’s mission, vision, goals and educational initiatives for innovation. The evaluation instruments will be comparable to or exceed the standards specified in the state statutes and District 49 policy.
- Our school is able to adapt its instructional program and resources in alignment with state standards. The administration and leadership team shall facilitate the selection of instructional resources and materials that support the standards.
- School improvement planning adheres to state standards.
- Choice enrollment and entrance age is regulated by our innovation zone leadership team.
- We support the initiatives of the Sand Creek Zone in District 49.
Annual Report Documents
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Colorado Department of Education - Growth Model
Data to analyze student performance and inform educational improvements at the policy, state board and classroom level.
Colorado Department of Education - Assessment
Contact information, announcements and resources for and about the CDE assessment unit.
Colorado Department Of Education - UIP
Colorado schools and districts can improve student learning and system effectiveness by engaging in a cycle of continuous improvement to manage their performance.