Dolores School District officials recently learned that the schools received a district accreditation rating of Accredited with Distinction from the Colorado Department of Education.
This is the highest accreditation level handed out by the CDE and placed Dolores Elementary, Dolores Middle School and Dolores High School in the top 10 percent of schools statewide.
This is a great, great honor. This district should be very proud, Dolores School District Superintendent Scott Cooper said.
The award is based on school performance across key performance indicators that best reflect student academic success: academic achievement, academic growth, reducing academic growth gaps and postsecondary and workforce readiness.
This year your district was a stand-out in its achievement and for this, you and your community should be very proud, a letter from Colorado Department of Educations Robert Hammond said.
Cooper shared the news Tuesday night during the Board of Education meeting with board members.
This is just amazing, Board Member Jon Kelly said.
In 2010, school districts accredited with distinction were Academy School District 20, Aspen School District 1, Cheyenne Mountain School District 12, Expeditionary BOCES (Rocky Mountain School of Expeditionary Learning), Hinsdale County School District Re-1, Kiowa School District C-2, Lewis-Palmer School District 38, Littleton Public Schools, Ouray School District R-1, Plateau School District Re-5, Prairie School District Re-11, Ridgway School District R-2, Steamboat Springs School District Re-2 and Telluride School District.
The entire 2011 list of school districts has not been released yet.
This is big news, Cooper said. To do this on such a meager budget and in such a rural part of the state. Its really impressive.
Cooper said that this level of accreditation is due to the hard work of school staff, teachers, students and the community.
This is a reflection on the community, Kelly added.
Cooper said the schools have worked hard to improve test scores, close achievement gaps and make sure graduates are ready for work or college when they leave Dolores High School.
Students, Cooper pointed out, can leave Dolores High School with 32 college credit hours. At the elementary level, Cooper said, Principal Sherri Maxwell has been working hard to close achievement gaps.
So much great work has been done, Cooper said.
Maxwell, along with the Dolores High School student council president, will fly to Denver on Dec. 12 to attend an awards ceremony, during which all the schools accredited with distinction will get certificates. Board members and Cooper will also likely attend because they will already be in Denver for the Colorado Association of School Boards conference.
Maxwell said Tuesday that the award wouldnt be possible without the community, school staff, teachers, students and parents.
