Littleton Public Schools Policy

Policy Code   AED Policy Name School District Accreditation Adoption February 24, 2000 Revised June 27, 2002

In order to foster greater accountability and enhance improvement in student achievement, the Board of Education shall enter into an accreditation contract with the State Board of Education.

The approved accreditation contract will bind the Board of Education to manage the District and its schools to meet certain standards, goals, and requirements over the term of the contract. Accreditation by the State Board of Education means that the District and its schools meet the requirements of the accreditation law and the accreditation indicators set forth in regulations.

To meet accreditation requirements, the District will:

Adopt curriculum that meets or exceeds state content standards.

Define achievement performance levels.

Develop systems for improving and measuring student achievement.

To support high student achievement and accountability throughout the District, the Board of Education shall ensure:

Community involvement, including processes for involving parents, the business community, and other interested citizens for the purpose of honoring the values of the community.

Public disclosure of nonidentifying student achievement results for students in the District.

Recognition for schools that meet or exceed accreditation indicators and assistance for schools that fail to meet such indicators.

The Board of Education is also committed to improving each school’s performance in the following areas:

Parent involvement.

Attainment of local achievement goals that meet or exceed the accreditation indicators.

Implementation of District curricula aligned with state content standards.

Attainment of achievement and proficiency levels.

Implementation of systems for measuring student achievement and methods for improving the scores of students who score below proficient in the statewide assessments.

Reduction of consistent patterns of academic achievement discrepancies in student performance related to ethnicity, gender, disability, exceptional ability, or limited English proficiency.

Each year the Colorado Department of Education will conduct a written assessment review of achievement pursuant to the District’s accreditation contract. During this assessment, the District will report on the following:

A plan for technology and information literacy that is integrated into the District’s standards-based educational plan that includes policies and procedures to prevent students from accessing inappropriate material on the Internet.

A plan to recruit, provide staff development for, and retain licensed teachers.

Changes the School District wishes to make in its existing standards, goals, or requirements.

A plan for contextual learning.

A plan to increase academic achievement and graduation and attendance rates.

Legal Reference:  C.R.S. 22-11-101 et seq. (Educational Accreditation Act of 1998)

                           C.R.S. 22-30-105 (school district organization planning process)

C.R.S. 22-55-105 and 22-11-201 (plan for use of increased funding pursuant to Sect. 17, Art. IX of Colorado Constitution must be included in the accreditation contract)

                           1 CCR 301-1, Rules 2202-R. 0.00 (accreditation rules)

Cross Reference: AE, Accountability/Commitment to Accomplishment

                           AE-R, Accountability/Commitment to Accomplishment—Regulation

                           AEA, Standards-Based Education

                           IK, Academic Achievement

                           ILBB, State Program Assessments