FiveStarJournal March2014_ENG

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Connecting you to your Five Star Schools March 2014 VOL. 13 | NO. 3 | An Adams 12 Five Star Schools Publication

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THREAT ASSESSMENT PROCESS PROVIDES SWIFT, CONSISTENT RESPONSE

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District faces another challenging budget cycle Superintendents, boards of education and parents encourage legislature to restore K-12 funding Adams 12 Five Star Schools’ budget development process for the 20142015 school year began in January. While budget work is already underway, the district will not know the exact amount of funding it will receive from the state until the Colorado General Assembly finalizes the School Finance Act for the 2014-2015 budget year. The governor’s November 2013 forecast called for modest additional funding for K-12 education to reflect statewide enrollment growth of 1.3 percent and 2.6 percent inflation. For the Five Star District this would equate to an increase of approximately $217 per pupil. Even if the Five Star District receives the additional dollars from the state, a projected 9.3 percent increase in healthcare costs and a 0.9 percent See BUDGET | PAge 10

Broncos’ safety David Bruton presented Hillcrest Elementary third-grader Alen Lupercio-Escoto with an autographed football for his winning essay on why it’s important to fuel up with school breakfast every day during test week. Bruton and Miles the Mascot visited Hillcrest as part of the “It Starts With School Breakfast” campaign, which aims to increase school breakfast awareness and participation and provide resources to help all kids start each day with the fuel they need to succeed. The campaign is a collaboration between Fuel Up to Play 60, Share our Strength’s “No Kid Hungry” campaign and Dean Foods. The assembly was hosted by the Western Dairy Association.

New Colorado academic assessments to begin this spring Assessments to more accurately evaluate what students know and can do

Educational Support Center 1500 E. 128th Ave. Thornton, CO 80241

State-mandated assessments are changing in order to more accurately measure student mastery of the updated Colorado Academic Standards. The new online science and social studies assessments will begin this spring. Colorado’s new assessments, collectively known as the Colorado Measures of Academic Success (CMAS), include both the Colorado-developed science and social studies assessments and the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC)-

developed English language arts and mathematics assessments. CMAS assessments mark the first time social studies-related knowledge will be measured. It is also the first time that assessments, other than the ACT, will be administered in grade 11. The CMAS assessments will be taken on electronic devices. “We’re in the process of improving hardwired and wireless infrastructure in all schools, as well as providing more devices upon which students can test,”

Director of Assessment and Accountability Dave Bahna said. “This also will allow more embedded and integrated use of technology in regular classroom settings.” The technology-enhanced assessments are interactive and will measure the full range of students’ depth of knowledge and critical thinking skills. “The state released sample CMAS assessments in the online format so teachers and students could become acquainted with the assessment and tools associated with the tests,” Bahna See CMAS | PAge 4

STUDENTS PREPARE TAX RETURNS Provide community service

SUPERINTENDENTS REQUEST FUNDING RESTORATION

Volunteers help close gap

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Legislature entertains option

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READING CORPS TO EXPAND


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