STUDENT PERFORMANCE GOALS OVERVIEW: It is the intent of Heritage Heights Academy ( HHA ) to set ambitious, yet achievable goals for student performance. While HHA intends to fully comply with all state assessment requirements, and will rely on such assessments as a primary means for gauging performance, it plans to exceed the minimum standards set by the state and will utilize the most valid methods available to measure academic achievement. HHA recognizes that Colorado is in a transition from using the Transitional Colorado Assessment Program (TCAP) to a multi-source system called the Colorado Measures of Academic Success (CMAS). This means that HHA will begin operations in an assessment environment that is fluid and cannot yet generate valid growth data. Consequently, the performance goals described in this section are constrained by the limitations in the state system. In addition, since the Colorado Department of Education has explicitly cautioned schools and districts against comparing achievement levels from TCAP to CMAS, our student performance goals employ percentile measures and median growth percentile projections, rather than absolute achievement. As CDE has noted in the development of Accountability 2.0 (an emerging iteration of the state s accountability system) adequate growth has not yet earned credibility as a preferred measure in Colorado. This makes it challenging to set timed performance goals for priority populations, such as those defined as sub-groups for federal accountability purposes especially because the district and school demographics for our target enrollment area suggest that those populations will likely be both small and characterized by significant variability from year to year. Recognizing those considerations about goal-setting, it is the overarching goal of HHA to design a school where every student has the opportunity and support they need to experience academic growth and achievement exceeding the expectations of the parents, district and state that hold us accountable. HHA and its leadership commit to sharing this goal and hiring teachers and administrators who make success for every child the highest priority.
As requested, we have calibrated our performance goals with sensitivity to performance at the schools in the proposed attendance area. The schools with which we are comparing are all within 1.5 miles of our prospective location, and are very reasonably close enough for attendance of these students. ELEMENTARY SCHOOL STUDENT PERFORMANCE GOALS: Goal One- Core Academic Achievement Students enrolled at HHA for three consecutive years will achieve superior performance levels in reading, mathematics, and writing in comparison to other schools in its geographic area. Specifically, HHA students will achieve at 80 th percentile on the CMAS reading assessment (PARCC ELA). HHA students will achieve at the 83 rd percentile on the CMAS mathematics assessment (PARCC Math); and HHA students will achieve at the 78 th percentile on the CMAS writing assessment (PARCC ELA).
The following visual demonstrates that while HHA s goals are within the upper range of comparative schools operating in the intended enrollment area, they are ambitious enough to stretch our teachers, parents and especially students toward higher achievement and growth. Goal Two- Core Academic Growth Students enrolled at HHA will demonstrate superior academic growth levels in reading, mathematics, and writing. Using the Colorado growth model and CDE s school performance framework, HHA will compare the median growth demonstrated by HHA students against those of Colorado students in the same achievement tier. Specifically, HHA students will demonstrate growth at the 58 th MGP on the CMAS reading assessment (PARCC ELA). HHA students will demonstrate growth at the 58 th MGP on the CMAS mathematics assessment (PARCC Math); and HHA students will demonstrate growth at the 56 th MGP on the CMAS writing assessment (PARCC ELA). English language learners (ELL) will demonstrate growth at the 71 st MGP on the ACCESS assessment.
The following visual demonstrates that HHA s growth goals are within the upper range of comparative schools operating in the intended enrollment area, and ambitious enough to ensure that our teachers, parents, and students make academic growth a priority. Goal Three- Annual Academic Growth Eighty (80) percent of students will demonstrate one year s growth in Reading and Mathematics as measured by the Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) from the Northwest Evaluation Association (NWEA). HHA will use the MAP assessments for benchmark screening and progress monitoring to ensure academic gains for students. Goal Four- Reducing Academic Growth Gaps If academic growth gaps exists between students in targeted at-risk student subgroups (economically disadvantaged, English Language Learners, Students with Disabilities and other
at-risk groups) and the general student population, the school will monitor and intervene to decrease the growth gap between each subgroup and the general student population by 30% annually, without reducing the rigor and performance of the general student population. HHA will monitor this goal with the NWEA MAP assessment using three cycles of assessment (beginning, middle, and end-of-year) along with interim assessments for progress monitoring and intervention. Additionally, once the CMAS system has generated a valid baseline and CDE begins calculating growth factors, students at HHA will demonstrate progress to reduce growth gaps between the general population and priority populations as delineated in the following four charts:
The HHA board expects that the HHA administration and faculty should develop goals, objectives, and means of measuring student performance at specific subject and grade levels on an annual basis. Since HHA will use data to drive instruction and measure performance, precise goals per grade level and subject area will be dependent on data systems that are still being implemented and calibrated. In HHA s first year of operation, leaders will use NWEA MAP and CMAS assessments to collect data and set performance baselines. Once the school has baseline data, it will develop achievement level goals for Reading, Writing, and Mathematics with the Colorado Academic Standards, Core Knowledge Curriculum, and over-arching goals in mind. Additionally, grade-levels will develop specific measurable objectives for other subjects such as science, social studies, character and citizenship. Core Knowledge Implementation/Accreditation Goals:
The school will fully implement the Core Knowledge curriculum aligned to meet or exceed Colorado Academic Standards, and will earn accreditation from the Core Knowledge Foundation. Goal Five - One-hundred (100) percent of teachers will regularly participate in formal and informal Core Knowledge trainings every year. Goal Six One-hundred (100) percent of teachers will use the Core Knowledge curriculum, as applicable, each year, aligned as needed to Colorado State Standards 1, and as demonstrated by grade-level and subject area curriculum plans. Goal Seven - The School will earn accreditation through the Core Knowledge Foundation on a time-line to be determined by school board and administration. 1 Core Knowledge Alignment to CCSS: http://www.coreknowledge.org/mimik/mimik_live_data/view.php?id=1833&record_id=77