To the bench of the accused the Adams 14

State Board of Education will hold Adams 14’s accountability hearing

Newsroom El Comercio de Colorado

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The State Board of Education will proceed with the scheduled hearings on the district and Central Elementary School on April 14. State board members expressed a sense of urgency in addressing the long-standing issues at the district to ensure that all students receive a high-quality education. Adams 14 School District submitted a written request to delay the hearing until June. The State Board of Education rejected the requests and kept the date for Adams 14’s hearing.

The Education Accountability Act requires the State Board of Education to direct action to dramatically improve student achievement at districts and schools with repeatedly low ratings in the accountability system. Adams 14 received the two lowest ratings since 2010. In 2018, the state board directed the district to turn over management to an external manager for at least four years. The district terminated its contract with the external manager in January 2022.

The state board will hold an accountability hearing to determine next steps. The board received an independent State Review Panel. This independent evaluation – along with any proposal the district may choose to submit, a report from the Colorado Department of Education (CDE), and comments from the public – will all be considered by the State Board of Education during the accountability hearing.

Recommendations

Chalkbeat, an electronic publication specializing in education, released the recommendations of the independent State Review Panel. According to the electronic publication, independent experts suggest the closure of Adams High School, the district’s only comprehensive high school. Other schools would likely be closed, to allow the district to focus on improving its performance while the state establishes a district-wide reorganization plan.

“There is evidence of a lack of leadership capacity and stability at the highest levels of the district to lead change work effectively to increase student achievement,” the panel’s recommendations say. “Furthermore, Adams City High School continues to be underperforming and there is no prioritization plan for the school and its students, who likely have better options that are geographically closer [to] their homes,” says the report released by Chalkbeat

Public comments

The public is encouraged to provide comments to inform the actions the board will direct to Adams 14. Details on submitting comments are available on the State Board of Education’s webpage. The deadline to provide comments to the board is Friday, April 8.