- Westminster Public Schools
- May 10th - AdvancED Accredits Westminster Public Schools
Insider 2015 -16 Archives
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- May 24th Edition
- WHS Class of 2016 Graduates
- WHS Seniors Honored
- Westminster Academy for International Studies to Open in the Fall
- Free Full Day Preschool Coming to 7 Elementary Schools
- Meet Teacher of the Year Angie Edmundson
- Outstanding ESP Employees Named
- Emotional Premiere for Documentary Film ‘MEDIC!’
- ‘Daniels Scholar’ Brandon Dickerson Headed to School of Mines
- Sandi Nees Named ‘Education Partner of the Year’
- Bus Rodeo Honors Best Drivers
- WPS Says ‘Thank You’ to Retirees
- WPS TV Schedule
- Calendar
- May 10th Edition
- AdvancED Accredits Westminster Public Schools
- Community Survey Now Underway
- Meet Teacher of the Year Terri Hutchinson
- Eric Hodges Honored
- Foundation Breakfast Inspires, Raises Money
- ‘MEDIC!’ Premiere is Friday May 20th
- More ‘Westy Idol’ Highlights
- Class of 2016 Prepares to Graduate
- Retirement Celebration is Next Week
- WPS TV Schedule
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- April 26th Edition
- Teachers of Year Named
- Phil Love Greenhouse Dedicated
- ‘Westy Idol’ Highlights District Talent
- BOE Hears from WHS Students
- Six Students Receive Youth Awards
- Former Hidden Lake Student Honored as a Hero
- 9 News Profiles Teacher Who Makes Molly Brown Come Alive
- Retirement Celebration Set for May 17th
- Foundation Breakfast Friday, Golf Tournament June 1st
- WPS TV Schedule
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- April 12th Edition
- Two Classroom Days Restored to Spring Calendar
- Swanson Pushes for Equitable Funding
- WHS Students Partner with Congressman Perlmutter for Documentary
- FRED Award Winners for March Honored
- Skyline Vista ‘Celebrates the Beat’
- WHS Wind Ensemble Learns From the Best
- Greenhouse Dedication Combined with District Plant Sale
- Westy Idol Still Seeking Performers
- Broncos Great Karl Mecklenburg to be Joined by Tammy Vigil at Foundation Breakfast
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- March 22nd Edition
- March 8th Edition
- District Changes Name to Westminster Public Schools
- State Ed Commissioner Endorses Competency Based Education
- Westminster Public Schools Searching for Great Teachers
- BOE Shares Views on ‘VISION 2020’
- Class of 2020 Visits Westminster High School
- Schools Celebrate ‘Read Across America Day’
- Joanna Ramsey Theatre Unveiled next Tuesday
- Centerstage Theatre Production Opens Next Week
- ‘Chester the Cheetah’ Profiled on TV
- Tennyson Knolls Teaches Good Health
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- February 23rd Edition
- District Celebrates Academic Excellence
- Joanna Ramsey Theatre to be Unveiled March 15th
- Broncos Great Karl Mecklenburg to Speak at Foundation Breakfast
- Your Chance to Comment on BOE ‘VISION 2020’
- FRED Award Winners Named
- Scholarship Deadline Approaching
- Tickets on Sale for D50 Nuggets Game
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- February 9th Edition
- January 26th Edition
- ‘State of District 50 is Strong’
- Julie Arellano Remembered as ‘One of our Best’
- BOE Supports CBS
- Board of Education Joins Call for More Ed Funding
- New Video Spotlights Steve Sandoval, ‘A Leader to Learn From’
- College Tuition Fair and Scholarship Panel on Saturday, January 30th
- High School Juniors to Take ACT Test in Spring
- STEM Academy Open House Wednesday
- ‘Celebrating Academic Excellence’ Set for February 20
- Metz Students Bring Wizard of Oz to Stage
- D50 Nuggets Game set for Sunday, March 6
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- December 15th Edition
- Football Team Honored by Westminster City Council
- Education Week Honors Steve Sandoval as a ‘Leader to Learn From’
- New Video Highlights Colorado STEM Academy
- PARCC Results Released
- Hodgkins’ Garage Sale Sends African Students to School
- November ‘Fred’ Award Winners Recognized
- GRAMMY Foundation Recognizes WHS
- Mesa, WHS Singers Help Light Christmas Tree at City Hall
- Consider District 50 Education Foundation for End of Year Giving
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- December 1st Edition
- Valente Elected BOE President
- Colorado STEM Academy Expanding
- WHS Greenhouse, Theater, to be named after Love, Ramsey
- Flynn Elementary Honors Our Veterans
- Readers are Leaders
- Students Throw Pies at Teachers
- Board President Says an Emotional ‘Goodbye’
- Christmas Celebrations begin this Week
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- November 10th Edition
- Voters Choose Valente, Ciancio and Math for BOE
- Future Center Steering Kids to Tomorrow
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- Possible Name Change Survey: Round Three
- Academy Helps Connect Parents to Education
- Major Improvements on the Way for Flynn Elementary
- CenterStage Theater Company Presents ‘Just Like Us’
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- October ‘Fred’ Award Winners Recognized
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- October 27th Edition
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- October 13th Edition
- District 50 Considers a Name Change, Wants Your Input
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- Community Celebrates Drug Free Message
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- Skyline Vista Playground Celebrates Partnerships
- Renowned Cartoonist Visits D50
- Defense Shines, Wolves remain Undefeated
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- District Showcase, Future Center Ribbon Cutting Set for November 2
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- September 29th Edition
- WHS Football Rolls, Running Back Dickerson Nominated for State Award
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- Scott Carpenter Students Head to Great Outdoors
- Closure of 72nd Avenue to Begin Wednesday
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- September 15th Edition
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- Rods for a Good Cause Returns
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- Parents Honored for their Work in Preventing Suicide
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- September 1st Edition
- New Teachers Experience Joy and Jitters as Careers Get Underway
- 5 Candidates to Compete for Three BOE Seats
- September is Attendance Awareness Month
- ‘Stuff for Students’ Sets Students on the Right Path
- Ranum/Westy Golf Tournament to Tee Off September 25
- Mark Your Calendar
- Closure of 72nd Avenue Delayed
- Co-workers Share Their Summer Stories
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- August 28th Edition
AdvancED Accredits Westminster Public Schools
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After a nearly yearlong comprehensive assessment of Westminster Public Schools (WPS) including more than 500 interviews and visits to 215 classrooms, AdvancEd announced last week that it is awarding Performance Accreditation to the District.
AdvancED is non-profit, non-partisan organization that conducts on-site external reviews of 32,000 PreK-12 schools and school systems across the United States and 70 other nations. The organization focuses on instruction and continuous improvement and will complement the Colorado Department of Education’s (CDE) Accountability and Accreditation process, which was paused last year by the state legislature.
The “stamp of approval”, delivered at last week’s Board of Education meeting was an important step for both Westminster Public Schools and AdvancED. “We have long believed that competency based education is the right way for students to learn, so we jumped at the chance to evaluate a district where personalized learning is used and educators are thinking outside the box,” said David Hurst, Deputy Chief Operations Officer. “Westminster Public Schools is definitely on the right track and should not return to business as usual.”
WPS’s Competency Based System (CBS) aims to eliminate social promotion by advancing students to the next learning level only after demonstrating mastery of a learning topic. CBS allows students to move forward at a faster pace, if appropriate, or to take more time to fully learn a topic or fill in a learning gap.
WPS began looking at the benefits of inviting AdvancED into the district last summer.
“We really needed to have an outside group of education experts take a critical look at the district and identify what we are doing well and what we can improve on,” said Superintendent Pam Swanson. “The accreditation is validation of CBS and our work, but one of the other great benefits of AdvancEd is their focus on rigor and continuous improvement.”
AdvancED was created through a merger of the North Central Association Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement (NCA CASI) and the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Council on Accreditation and School Improvement (SACS CASI)—and expanded through the addition of the Northwest Accreditation Commission (NWAC) in 2011.
Many of Colorado’s highest performing schools are accredited by AdvancEd including Mullen, Valor Christian, Cherry Creek and Regis High Schools.
During last week’s external review, 22 educational professional observed classrooms across the district and interviewed students, parents, teachers, administrators, Board of Education members and community leaders to reach a consensus view about the district’s strengths and weaknesses. Prior to AdvancEd’s visit, the District participated in a preparation process that included data analysis, explanations of processes and procedures, community surveys and an executive summary.
At Wednesday night’s Board of Education meeting, Hurst provided the Board with a broad overview of the team’s findings and announced that the review team recommended accreditation for Westminster Public Schools. A detailed report and formal letter of accreditation will be sent to the District in June after a final review by the National AdvancED Accreditation Commission.
“We want to stand with districts like Westminster Pubic Schools,” said Hurst. “You need to build upon your success while expanding your practices to move from good to great.”
Swanson was pleased by the pending accreditation, but noted that AdvancEd found examples where the District could and should do better. “We still have a lot of work to do in our schools and at all levels of the organization,” she said.
More information about AdvancEd can be found at http://www.advanc-ed.org/.
You can see the presentation to the Board of Education here.
The power point presentation can be viewed here.
Posted May 9, 2016