Our work continues to define "Quality Neighborhood Schools" (QNS) in D11! In early March, we will be engaging in a discussion with our Board of Education regarding the components they wish to see included in this definition. At this time, we are considering our 5 Essentials Survey, which includes Ambitious Instruction, Supportive Environments, Effective Leaders, Collaborative Teachers, and Involved Families. Research shows schools with strong scores in at least three of these five essentials are ten times more likely to improve student learning. Additionally, we are considering our D11 Graduate Profile components, in order to ensure our focus includes the whole child. Once our QNS components are established, we will also develop a review cycle that each school will use to celebrate successes and plan improvement efforts. Central office staff will also use the review cycle to target intentional support for schools.

We are pleased to announce that the elementary school applications for pathway sites are in! Several schools chose to apply for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM), Visual and Performing Arts (VAPA), and/or Outdoor and Environmental Education (OEE) pathways. The next steps for these schools include an interview with staff and families, a review of applications by an AMP leadership team and by the Superintendent's Executive Cabinet, and finally, a review and approval by our Board of Education in late April. Once identified, schools will engage with a central administration team to begin planning for the successful implementation of their pathway. The 2022-23 school year will be a planning year for pathway schools, and we will launch these opportunities in the 2023-24 school year. Additionally, a marketing plan will be developed and will help all D11 parents to know all of the choices available to them and their children.

A core component of the Career and Technical Education AMP is to support strong neighborhood schools. CTE supports quality Family and Consumer Studies programs that focus on community engagement, educational prep programs and hospitality and culinary arts programs.

District 11 recently organized and hosted the southern Colorado regional meeting of Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA), known as Spanish Peaks. Our leadership team of Annie Friesema, Future Educator instructor at Roy J. Wasson Academic Campus, and Stephanie Ager, ProStart culinary instructor at Doherty High School, are examples of how D11 teachers lead the state in CTE programming. Together, with their students, they hosted a successful FCCLA Spanish Peaks regional leadership conference this week (February 22) at the TESLA professional development center. Students from Doherty, Coronado, Roy J.Wasson Career Pathways, Tesla and Holmes Middles School attended along with students from a handful of other southern Colorado School districts.

As a demonstration of the quality neighborhood programs, the ProStart culinary team from Doherty competed at the state ProStart competition at the Gaylord Hotel on Thursday, February 24. With the support of Doherty instructor Stephanie Ager and the chef mentor, Jeremy Coleman, who works for food and beverage distributor Ben E. Keith, the students prepared a three-course meal under a time restraint and with only hot plates. Doherty students Tamsin Clark, Danica Sanchez, Nate Wilson and Emma Funkhouser showed how well prepared for their careers and college they are under the CTE program at Doherty.

The quality neighborhood program, Biomedical Explorations, at Mitchell High School sent a team of students to the annual state leadership conference this week in Denver, CO. The team of nine students, along with instructor Elaine Keel, competed in the Health Occupation Students of America (HOSA) event and represented their medical knowledge from bedside manner to medical terminology to emergency medicine. Two students, Maya Royer and Madalyn Youngbird placed in the top ten.