Akron School to Host Virtual S-CAP Site Review
The Akron School District is in its fifth year of involvement in S-CAP (Student Centered Accountability Program). S-CAP was designed by a group of Colorado rural school districts as an alternative accountability system that provides school districts with feedback for continuous improvement. Each year, a site review is conducted by reviewers from other S-CAP school districts and representatives from the University of Colorado at Denver.
This year’s site review for the Akron School District will be a one day virtual check-in that will occur on Monday, November 6, 2023. Before the one-day review, the Akron administration will share numerous items including handbooks, testing data, demographics, budget, student program information, strategic priorities, and much more to give the reviewers a snapshot of the school district. Reviewers will be provided with survey results from students, staff, and parents. The Akron administration will provide reviewers with a presentation to start the day. Superintendent Brian Christensen will give an overview of the district and what has taken place with the district during the five-year involvement in S-CAP. Reviewers will also hear from Elementary Principal Shae Smith and Secondary Principal Shawn Randel as part of the opening presentation.
What has Akron done with S-CAP?
Feedback from the year one review supported the school board moving back to a two-principal model. Another takeaway from the year one review was the need to focus on increased internal and external communication. The school added a new website and app with several new communication features including text, push notifications, website live feed, and automated calling. The school administration and staff also used feedback from students, staff, and parents to develop strategic priorities for the school. The final product of priorities was finished right before the year two review. Those priorities are G-Growth, E-2-Engaged Education, and C-3-Climate, Culture and Communication.
The year two review feedback emphasized the need for continued work on communication, deeper commitment to visible learning practices, continued work on curriculum alignment, and a time commitment for teachers to review testing data for improved practice. The school committed to a new student information system (Alma), which has several new features compared to the old system including new and different ways of communicating with students and parents. The administration and school board also committed to including days in the school calendar for staff to analyze testing data for areas of improvement.
The COVID-19 pandemic heavily impacted the reviews for years three and four. The year three review involved a check-in on the reset from remote to in-person learning. The district focused on taking care of student needs and mental health practices. The district committed to adding a counselor to provide greater support to students. The year four review was a two-day comprehensive review. The district had continued its focus on meeting student needs, emphasizing improving the MTSS (Multi-Tiered System of Support) system and expanding its college and career pathways offerings. The two key takeaways for the district were a return to data-driven days for staff development and providing resources and support to help parents help their students. This year’s review will be a one-day virtual check-in. Before the review, survey links will be shared with students, teachers, and families. Please take the time to give us your feedback.
While the S-CAP site review only happens once a year for our school, we value your feedback and continually seek ways to improve. Please get in touch with the school if you want further information or have questions about S-CAP.
Thank you,
Brian Christensen, Superintendent