Rock Canyon Rock Star OneRepublic music video shares student’s story with the world p. 4

Cougar Run CelebratedReceives national Blue Ribbon Award p. 8

Colorado History Teacher of the Year Cimarron Middle School honored p. 17

Lights, Camera, Action!Middle school students produce third full-length film p. 18

DCSD Unveils Strategic Plan

p. 10

Digital Natives Flourish in Classroom of the FutureElementary teacher transforms learning p. 14

2

Let’s Talk EducationGet in tune with what’s happening now in Douglas

County Schools! Let’s Talk Education broadcasts every week on DougTV (Comcast channel 54).

This broadcast is hosted by DCSD Superintendent Elizabeth Fagen and features different guests each week, focusing on news, initiatives, and

the latest topics in education. You may listen to previous broadcasts online at www.dcsdk12.org.

To view Let’s Talk Education or any DCSD video, visit our YouTube channel at

www.youtube.com/DougCoSchools.

New Courses Ahead for Parent University!

Check out Parent University for upcoming classes on Bullying Intervention, 7 Habits, Organization and Study Skills, Connecting with Your Teen, and more.

Space is limited, so enroll now! www.dcsdk12.org/parent-university

ContentsLetter from the Superintendent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

OneRepublic music video shares Rock Canyon student’s story with the world . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Colorado Proud Day . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Nutrition Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Teacher Retention . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

World Class Outcomes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Alumni Spotlight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Cougar Run Blue Ribbon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

DCSD: Best. Year. Ever . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

DCSD Strategic Plan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10

Sustainability. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12

Tech leaders of tomorrow represent DCSD at national competition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13

Primary innovation studio already reaping rewards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14

DCSD By The Numbers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15

PISA - DCSD High Schools Rock International Assessments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16

Cimarron home to Colorado History Teacher of the Year. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17

Connect with DCSD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17

RHMS Film Festival . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

DCSD is home to four recipients of the prestigious 2014

Boettcher Scholars award

3

Reinventing American Education – Building on Strong Traditions The 2014-2015 school year in the Douglas County School District is off to an excellent start. I have been thoroughly impressed by the extraordinary work happening in DCSD classrooms across the district this fall. I have seen some of the most forward-thinking, student-centered instruction imaginable. Our pioneer classroom leaders are teaching important knowledge and skills deeply, by using modern, personalized strategies that are best for our students. It is our best year ever and our commitment to continuous improvement continues with our newest strategic plan.

The Douglas County School District has three strong, long-standing traditions of innovation, excellence, and economic efficiency. Building on our district traditions, and under the direction of our Board of Education, in 2011 DCSD set a goal to prepare our students to be, as Dr. Tony Wagner encourages, “ ... college, career, and citizenship ready for the 21st century.” In other words, we are preparing each student to compete on the world stage for any college or career of his/her choice.

We launched our comprehensive, systemic plan to reinvent American education for the 21st century in March of 2011 - “New Outcomes for a New Day.” We recently launched the next iteration of that plan, our 2014-2017 DCSD Strategic Plan - “Reinventing American Education.” Our plan is informed by the latest education literature and research. It continues our focus on four priorities — safety, choice, world class education, and system performance.

Safety is our number one priority in DCSD. It is the first priority in our new strategic plan and includes physical, psychological, and online/data safety. We employ a multi-layered approach to providing the safest learning environments possible for our students and staff. We are very proud of our strong partnership with all four of our local law enforcement agencies, as these have been critical to successfully implementing our multi-layered approach and strategies.

DCSD remains committed to Choice — partnering with and empowering families with quality information and tools that will support them in selecting the best school and learning environment for their child. Whatever opportunity they choose, all DCSD students will have the opportunity to master the 21st century knowledge and skills they will need for future success. In DCSD, Choice is for kids.

Providing a World Class Education means our students will be able to compete with students from across the country and around the world for any college or career of their choice. We are reinventing our curriculum (the knowledge and skills we teach and develop) and our instructional strategies to make sure learning sticks with our students and is sustainable. We have aligned our outcomes and curriculum to what we know our students will need — and what both higher education and businesses expect.

Finally, we are committed to defining and measuring what matters most through our priority of System Performance. We embrace our responsibilities to our students, staff and community, and welcome quality accountability at all levels and for all aspects of our educational organization. We continue to develop our cutting-edge System Performance Framework that measures student, educator, school, leader, and District performance on all of the targets that are most important to student success.

Thanks to your support, we are effectively taking education to the next level and the results are positive. Two of our high schools recently participated in the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) test, with results similar to Finland — a country often regarded as one of the international leaders in education. Our ACT scores, graduation rate, number of national merit semi-finalists, and more continue to climb. Douglas County has recently been ranked as one of the best places in the country to live, and DCSD is fast becoming a lighthouse for the reinvention of American education. The support found across our community is remarkable. It is an important part of the partnership that ensures a bright future for our students. Research shows that the success of a community is tied to the success of its school district. Thank you for being part of our district.

Dr. Elizabeth FagenDCSD Superintendent

4

So far, more than 2.4 million people have watched OneRepublic’s newest music video, “I Lived” on YouTube. The video is a celebration of the life of Rock Canyon High School sophomore Bryan Warnecke who has battled cystic fibrosis (CF) since birth.

In the uplifting video, Bryan shares his story, discussing what it has been like to fight the life threatening disease, which affects approximately 30,000 children and adults in the United States and 70,000 worldwide.

“Cystic fibrosis is a disease that attacks the digestive system and slowly shuts down the lungs,” Bryan explained in the video. “The mucus in everyone else’s lungs is mostly water, so you can clear it easier. When it comes to my lungs, the mucus is very syrupy.”

Until the video, most students at Rock Canyon High School probably had no idea that Warnecke was battling a serious disease, and forced to endure treatments every day for the past 15 years to ease the impact of the disease.

“It feels like I’m breathing through a straw. Whenever I try to breathe hard, it hurts.”

Bryan’s dad, Steve, says last winter was especially tough. “He missed four or five weeks of school and he was at Children’s Hospital for a week,” Steve Warnecke said. “He got really, really sick. He had to go in and get a full tune up at the hospital, with heavy antibiotics and heavy steroids.”

Bryan, however, hasn’t let the disease slow him down.

“I want to make the most out of my life and have as much fun as I can. My biggest fear is not being able to do that,” Bryan said.

Even as Bryan struggled through the toughest moments last winter, he and his dad were already planning on an even bigger feat: conquering the grueling Courage Classic bicycle tour. They rode 1,065 miles through 46 Colorado cities and over 8 mountain passes in 43 days—raising a record $300,000 for Children’s Hospital of Colorado.

OneRepublic music video shares Rock Canyon student’s story with the worldBand highlights Bryan Warnecke’s fight with cystic fibrosis

“For Ryan Tedder and OneRepublic to do

something like this, to take a chance and take a

hit song and make it something really good…

there is no way we can repay them for the level of

awareness they’re giving to the CF community.”

Steve WarneckeBryan’s father

Continued on page 19

5

Celebrating Colorado Proud DayColorado is a rich source of healthy and delicious foods, grown and produced right here in our state. DCSD recently celebrated “Colorado Proud Day,” recognizing Colorado agriculture and nutritious foods with a school lunch showcase.

The special meal included:

• Western BBQ Burger or Cheeseburger (featuring Colorado beef)

• Seasoned Potato Wedges (grown in the San Luis Valley)

• Harvest Bar (salad bar featuring Colorado produce)

• Watermelon (grown in Colorado)

• Chocolate, Chocolate Chip Cookies (made in Colorado, featuring whole

grain and low sugar)

• Milk (produced in Colorado)

At Mammoth Heights Elementary, this special meal was served by Parker Mayor Mike Waid and DCSD Board of Education members Kevin Larsen and Judi Reynolds.

DCSD and the National School Lunch ProgramThe Douglas County School

District is no longer participating

in the National School Lunch

Program at the high school

level. Instead, DCSD Nutrition

Services staff will maintain

their focus on providing

healthy and delicious food for

students, without following

the tight federal regulations

on specific food choices.

What does this mean

for my child?

The tasty and nutritious foods

your high school student is

accustomed to will remain in

place. This decision does not

impact any students who qualify

for free or reduced lunch, as

DCSD will continue to provide

these meals and absorb the cost.

CNN Money says good schools in the Douglas County School District bring families to

the area, and set the stage for the highest graduation rate in the state — nearly 89%

6

Recruiting and retaining the best teachersMore than 90% of Highly Effective teachers and 94% of Effective teachers staying in DCSD

Through an innovative Pay for Performance system, Douglas County School District is one of the first school districts in America to truly address the lack of professional compensation for education professionals. Recent teacher retention data shows the system is working.

Following their annual evaluation, DCSD teachers are rated in one of four categories:

1. Highly Effective2. Effective3. Partially Effective 4. Ineffective

Ratings determine whether or not a staff member qualifies for a pay raise and if so, how much.

“We are very pleased to say that we are attracting and retaining the very best teachers and rewarding them with significant raises,” said DCSD Chief Human Resources Officer Brian Cesare.

Ninety-four percent of teachers rated as Highly Effective remained at DCSD for the 2014-15 school year.

More than 90 percent of those rated as Effective stayed in the Douglas County School District this year. One-hundred percent of teachers rated as Ineffective left the District prior to the start of the 2014-15 school year.

“The higher turnover in the ineffective and partially effective categories allows us the opportunity to get the best teachers in front of our students,” said Cesare.

In 2014, DCSD had a total teacher turnover rate of 13.1 percent. Turnover of Partially Effective teachers was nearly 30 percent.

In addition to successfully implementing Pay for Performance, DCSD launched a market pay system that allows the

District to offer higher salaries in order to recruit hard to fill positions, such as special education teachers. The system is built on pay bands that categorize positions based on market forces.

Beginning in the 2012-13 school year, all new teachers were hired using the market-based pay system, which takes a wider picture of a candidate’s education, certificates, experience and skill to determine a baseline offer.

The combination of an outstanding work environment that rewards performance and the use of market forces is delivering a quality candidate pool to the District.

“In hard to fill positions such as special education, positions have gone unfilled in the past due to a lack of quality candidates,” explained Cesare. “This year, we had great candidate pools and were able to hire outstanding teachers in all of our traditionally hard to fill categories.”

The Douglas County

Educational Foundation ranks 14th

in a national study of K-12

education foundations

7

2014 Legend High School graduate Madison Turner was among the 1,200 freshman cadets who arrived at West Point in July. Only 15% of incoming cadets are women.

World Class Outcomes

LHS graduate completes basic training, begins life as cadet at West Point

August traditionally finds college freshmen packing their bags and preparing for campus life and the adventures that await them as they leave home. Saying goodbye to high school friends and starting a new chapter is a perennial scene that invokes excitement for students, and a sense of pride for parents.

As the annual trek to college unfolded, a graduate from Legend High School could be found in the Acceptance Day Parade at West Point – a tradition that welcomes new cadets at the military academy into the “Long Gray Line.”

Madison Turner was among the 1,200 freshman cadets who arrived at West Point in July for a six-week interval of basic training at Camp Buckner. It was then that Turner officially started the new chapter of her story — a story that came to life with a visit to West Point in the summer of 2013.

Acceptance into the 2013 Summer Leaders Experience at West Point gave Turner the opportunity to experience what the life of a cadet entails. The weeklong program of academic classes, military and physical fitness training,

and intramural athletics provided affirmation for Turner that she was destined to pursue a military education. Turner began the arduous application process, which included securing a congressional nomination.

Turner’s mother, Karrey, was certain that Madison would reach her goal. “It was her determination to make it through that led to her acceptance,” she said. “She has worked for five years to do this. I know, and Madison knows, that a lot of the classes Legend High School offered allowed her to accomplish this.”

Among those classes is Chinese, a language that Turner speaks fluently. Additionally, advanced placement classes in Biology, Calculus and Chemistry have laid the groundwork for Turner to advance her studies into the field of chemical engineering.

Turner is excited to branch out into the military environment, and has found a diverse array of qualities among her fellow cadets — 17 of them have already served in combat.

“I was known as ‘that smart girl’ in high school. Everybody has left that behind and we see each other for who we are,” Turner reflected.

I know, and Madison knows, that a lot of the classes Legend High School

offered allowed her to accomplish this. Karrey Turner Madison’s mother

Continued on page 16

8

Taylor R. Blatchford Mountain Vista High SchoolThis 2014 graduate was named the National High School Journalist of the Year at the Journalism Education Association’s Spring National High School Convention. Blatchford is the first student in Colorado to receive the honor.

Alumni Spotlight

Stephen Kissler Douglas County High SchoolUniversity of Colorado Boulder student Stephen Kissler has received the Gates Cambridge Scholarship for doctoral studies in the United Kingdom, funded by Microsoft founder Bill Gates.

Kissler, a Boettcher scholar completing concurrent B.S. and M.S. degrees in applied mathematics at CU-Boulder, will complete a Ph.D. in applied mathematics and theoretical physics at Cambridge University through the highly competitive award, which will provide three years of full funding.

At CU-Boulder, Kissler is working on groundbreaking research to model the spread of meningitis in Nigeria. At Cambridge, Kissler plans to study the spread of influenza. New research indicates that influenza spreads not quickly and sporadically, as previously believed, but in a slower, more unified manner. Kissler’s research will consist of mathematically describing this surprising pattern to identify key factors in the spread of the infection. The outcome of his work could give cities more notice before flu outbreaks hit, and change vaccination and prevention strategies.

Kissler is only the second CU-Boulder student to win the award. Gates Cambridge scholars are selected for their outstanding intellectual ability, their leadership potential and their strong commitment to improving the lives of others.

Cougar Run ElementaryBlue Ribbon award winnerDouglas County’s Cougar Run Elementary was one of 337 schools selected nationally as a 2014 Blue Ribbon School by the U.S. Department of Education. The award is recognition of overall academic excellence.

Cougar Run was named a Blue Ribbon School in the department’s Exemplary High Performing Schools category. The school was one of only four Colorado schools to be honored this year.

Principal John Gutierrez says the award recognizes the collaborative efforts of the school’s staff, students and parents.

Cougar Run will be among the 287 public and 50 private schools to be recognized by the Department of Education during a November ceremony in Washington, D.C.

“This is a huge honor for our school and for Douglas County Schools. It is a big celebration, acknowledging the collaboration within our school community and our focus on student achievement and growth. We are focused on continuous improvement at Cougar Run.”

John GutierrezPrincipal

The Class of 2014 earned more than $65.5 million in scholarships

9

The school year is in full swing in the Douglas County School District. After dozens of school visits, forums with parents, and meetings with staff members, I believe this year is shaping up to be the best year ever in DCSD.

In fact, we recently learned that 21 DCSD students have been named National Merit Scholarship Semifinalists – five more than last year. Student achievement overall has remained high on just about every measure and national publications such as Movoto Real Estate have named Douglas County as one of the top places in the nation to live, due in large part to our excellent schools.

Unfortunately, misinformation and attacks against the Board of Education and the District continue. At the heart

of many of these critiques is the fact that DCSD no longer has a collective bargaining agreement with any teachers’ union. As a District, we made a decision to do what is best for students and teachers, not what is best for the union. That is a decision we will continue to defend.

Some of the recent attacks have trumpeted a need to return to the ‘good old days.’ Simply put, that is a terrible idea. I know that DCSD is better off today than it was five years ago. As a candidate for the Board of Education in 2011, I ran on a platform of providing a world class education for our students, increased choice for parents, Pay for Performance for our teachers, and financial stability for our taxpayers. I firmly believe we have achieved the goals and are a better District for it.

Consider the budget situation just five short years ago. DCSD was paying union leaders $300,000 a year to build a union with no benefit to students or schools; DCSD was paying $410,000 a year to a benefits consultant who produced very little measurable result; DCSD had a negative fund balance and was in jeopardy of a lower bond rating; DCSD funded constitutionally mandated

TABOR dollars with a letter of credit; and, DCSD was in the midst of a four year pay freeze for teachers with no plans to end the freeze.

You might think much of the financial predicament in DCSD five years ago was due to the faltering economy. To an extent, that is true. However, DCSD actually began implementing cuts to the classroom and pay freezes before any other school district and before the state legislature cut budgets.

Today in DCSD, the outlook is much brighter and more responsible. Our bond rating is AA+, one of the highest in the state and results in millions of dollars of savings to the taxpayer. TABOR is fully funded without the need for a letter of credit. DCSD ended the practice of paying union leaders to build a union that has little to no benefit for teachers. DCSD has increased the percentage of every dollar going to the classroom. DCSD has significantly increased financial transparency and provides the community with quarterly financial reports and budget projections.

Thanks to the implementation of a Pay for Performance compensation system, DCSD has offered some of the biggest employee raises in Colorado over the last two years. In addition, the District’s teacher retention numbers are very impressive. In 2014, DCSD had a total teacher turnover rate of 13.1%. Perhaps most impressive, the District retained 94% of teachers rated as highly effective and 90.4% of teachers rated as effective. There was a 100% turnover of ineffective teachers and a nearly 30% turnover of partially effective teachers.

By every measure, DCSD is on the right course and the sky is the limit. Our students and staff are accomplishing amazing things every day. I encourage every community member to visit the District website (www.dcsdk12.org) or download the DCSD mobile app from iTunes orGooglePlay and learn more.

Kevin Larsen is President of the Douglas County School District Board of Education. He was elected to the Board in 2011.

DCSD: Best. Year. Ever.

10

Choice

World Class Education

Safety

World Class Education

Choice

Priorities 2010-2013

System Performance

“We want more for our students and

our community, so we are transforming

education. We don’t want to be the

best in the state or even the nation.

We want to be the best in the world.”

Dr. Elizabeth Fagen

DCSD Superintendent

As a District, we have strong

traditions of innovation, excellence

and economic efficiency.

Strategic Plan

System Performance10

11

Priorities 2014-2017Maximizing physical, psychological and online safety for students, staff and community• Ensuring physically safe learning environments

• Collaborating with all schools to create a system-wide culture that prioritizes and values psychological safety and wellness

• Ensuring online safety and data privacy

Providing each child the maximum opportunity for success• Communicating the unique qualities of each school to our

students, staff, parents and community gives all students the highest probability for success

• Empowering every school to achieve their desired state provides many learning opportunities for students and synergy in our schools

Achieving sustainable learning for the 21st century• Preparing students to compete on a world stage for jobs that

require a high level of creativity and innovation

• Offering essential sustainable learning that requires the most important information to be taught in a way that can be retained, that stretches across content areas and that incorporates the tools our young people will be required to use in the workforce

• Personalizing education so students develop a deep understanding of self, world, career and their own pathway to success

Defining and measuring what matters most• Defining what matters most to our stakeholders

• Developing a cutting-edge System Performance Framework that will measure student, educator, school, leader and District performance

• Integrating authentic measurements that will lead to continuous improvement for our students and allow our stakeholders to remain informed

Choice

World Class Education

Safety

System Performance

12

The U.S. Department of Education showcased Douglas County School District’s sustainability efforts by recently visiting several DCSD schools as part of their Green Strides Best Practices Tour.

Students and staff at Flagstone, Heritage and Larkspur elementary schools welcomed representatives from the U.S. and Colorado Departments of Education.

The Green Strides Tour highlights what districts and schools are doing to improve the overall wellness, productivity and achievement of students through health, environmental and educational improvements. All three of the schools featured have recently won national awards for their sustainability work.

“These awardees are doing absolutely fantastic work that should be shared,” said Andrea Suarez Falken, director of U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools.

DCSD Sustainability Highlights

• Douglas County School District received Colorado’s first ever U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools District Sustainability Award in 2013.

• The U.S. Department of Education awarded its Green Ribbon Award to Larkspur (2014) and Flagstone (2012) elementary schools.

• Four DCSD schools have earned the Green Flag Award from Eco-Schools USA, including Castle Rock (2014), Heritage (2014), Copper Mesa (2013) and Flagstone (2013) elementary schools.

• $18.3 million has been saved through District sustainability efforts over seven years, including mechanical and electrical upgrades and energy conservation efforts.

• The creation of an incentive program sends some of the money saved to each of the participating schools. During the 2013-14 school year, $389,000 was returned to DCSD schools.

DCSD hosts USDE Green Strides Best Practices Tour

12

13

More than 6,800 students and educators from across the United States recently converged near the nation’s capital to display their technology acumen, creating an atmosphere charged with enthusiasm and innovative ideas.

Competitors from Mesa Middle School, and Legend and Mountain Vista high schools, arrived with an ingenuity that impressed judges, and then returned home with eight awards from the 2014 National Technology Student Association Conference. Teams that captured top honors at state tournaments earned the opportunity

to compete in the national event. In addition to designing and producing projects, students were required to complete extensive documentation detailing the processes they followed.

“The skill and knowledge demonstrated by all students at this year’s conference was remarkable,” declared Technology Student Association (TSA) Executive Director Dr. Rosanne White. “It is proof that the breadth of opportunity to gain hands-on career preparation in the STEM disciplines through TSA and its competitions has been embraced and is valued by students and educators alike.”

Kent Allison, a technology and engineering teacher at Mountain Vista High School (MVHS), agrees. Allison coached students from MVHS toward five national awards.

“These students are competing in events that they choose, they find interest in, and ultimately, some of them are majoring in college in. Being

involved with the TSA gives them perspective; they can see how their learning stacks up to other students who have similar passions across the country. They can work as a team to build something extraordinary, just as they will when they get careers in engineering, computer science and technology,” Allison said.

Tech leaders of tomorrow represent DCSD at national competition

DCSD was named a top school district in productivity (lowest cost with highest achievement) by the

Center for American Progress

14

When Mammoth Heights Elementary School’s Mary Lisa Harper redesigned her second-grade classroom, lesson plans and teaching style to meet the needs of digital natives, there were some who thought she was crazy.

While the integrated technology and new, innovative furniture, provided by generous contributions from the Morgridge Family Foundation, the Douglas County School District and twenty1five, were really cool, some couldn’t fathom an environment where a teacher let go of the old model and with careful coaching, trusted seven and eight year-olds to lead their own learning.

“One of the misconceptions about this classroom is that kids are just running wild and free and doing what they please at all times, but that couldn’t be further from the truth,” explained Harper. “Everything is strategically self-directed. Many of the activities and projects had to be written up in a plan by the student — kind of a scope and sequence of how

and what they plan to achieve, and how it connects to content and standards for second grade.“

The impact of the changes is evident. While each and every student is working on a different project of their own design, they are focused, passionate and driven.

“Workshop means that we do all these quality products in our classroom. You get to choose assignments like painting, or doing Lego Robotics,” explained second-grader Elliana Cipcic.

Classmate Trey Jutting added, “It’s what you want to connect to your learning, in a quality product.”

“Remember, they’re only seven or eight, but we’re continually talking about how they can create a product that they are proud of and that shows that they’re learning. That has been my mantra ever since day one and right now I’m reaping the rewards of that,” Harper added.

She says the biggest success of allowing more freedom in the classroom is that kids discover who they are and what they are good at — and in that she has discovered more about them as well.

Primary innovation studio already reaping rewards Second-grade digital natives flourish in classroom of the future

Twenty-one DCSD students were

named 2015 National Merit Scholarship

semifinalists

15

DCSD by the numbers

16

Proving that world class education allows DCSD students to compete and win on an international level, a recent assessment demonstrates that students are paving their way to success.

The Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) focuses on skills that 15-year-olds have acquired both inside and outside of the classroom. The test

assesses not only what students know, but also how well they are able to reflect on and apply their knowledge to real-life situations.

Highlands Ranch and Ponderosa high schools recently received PISA results from the most recent assessment, which was conducted in 2012. PISA focuses on reading, math and science.

When compared to the 34 countries involved in the PISA assessment, Highlands Ranch High School’s average scores are higher than national and international schools participating in the test. Ponderosa High School had similar results.

“We want to make sure students are really prepared on a world stage and that is why we like the PISA test,” said DCSD Superintendent Dr. Liz Fagen. “If you look at DCSD scores against the rest of the country, we’ve done some really interesting things and may be performing better than Finland in some of our high schools – a country that is often regarded as one of the international leaders.”

A school’s average performance is reported as higher or lower than the average score of a given comparison group if there is a 95% level of confidence. PISA was first administered in 2000 and is conducted every three years. Schools have the choice to opt-in to the test.

Continued from page 7

Moving forward, Turner and her fellow cadets will become more focused on who they will become. West Point encourages participation in extracurricular clubs, which range from sports and academics to hobbies and religion. Turner has found several activities that match her interests, including the Jazz Forum, the Crew team (where she will be rowing year-round), a Christian fellowship, and the Women’s Society of Engineers.

Turner has already reached a notable milestone – she passed her first SAMI (Saturday A.M. Inspection). “They really do come in with a white glove,” Turner’s mother shared. Mrs. Turner has no doubt that passing the inspection was symbolic of the many accomplishments the future holds for Madison.

“As parents, we worked very hard to set a strong family foundation for both of our daughters and Douglas County School District gave them both opportunities for academic success,” Mrs. Turner reflected. “With those foundations, we are excited to see the path Madison follows with her military career and life.“

Six DCSD libraries are designated as

having “Highly Effective School

Library Programs” by the Colorado Department of

Education

PISA DCSD high schools rock international assessments

17

Board Briefing Coverage of Board of Education meetings, including video recap and audio recordings

Crisis Communication DCSD partners with local law enforcement and health agencies to expedite the flow of information and assist people in need

Board Recognitions Accomplished students and staff are recognized at regular Board of Education meetings throughout the school year

DCSD Events Calendar A calendar of District, school and community happenings

Community Outreach Partnerships with civic and business organizations increase the strength of our schools and communities

District Website The online home of all things DCSD, from A to Z.

Connect with DCSD!

The Douglas County School District is committed to providing our stakeholders, including parents, employees, students and community members, with updated and accurate information. We know that people have different preferences on how they receive news, emergency notifications and other updates. For this reason, we work to provide as many communication avenues as possible.

Cimarron Middle School home to Colorado history teacher of the yearA crowd of students and staff erupted with cheers at Cimarron Middle School when Shannon Shelton was announced as the 2014 Gilder Lehrman Colorado History Teacher of the Year.

Stephanie Hartman, the Social Studies Content Specialist for the Colorado Department of Education, made the announcement during a school assembly.

“I’m here today to honor a very special teacher with a national award,” Hartman said. “This particular teacher is being recognized for her amazing dedication to her students.”

Shelton has been teaching at Cimarron Middle School in Parker for six years. In 2010, she started an annual student-led Veterans Day assembly at the middle school. Each year, the event honors veterans in the community before an audience of more than 1,000 community members.

Shannon Shelton Cimarron Middle School

DCSD was awarded the Association of School Business Officials

(ASBO) International Certificate of Excellence in Financial Reporting

18

Two college students among the crowd at the gala unveiling

of Rocky Heights Middle School’s (RHMS) third full-length film,

“Nighthawk Man Origin,” were amazed at how their successors

had brought new, big-screen life to their creation.

Nicole Givin, now a senior and television producer at Boston College,

and Annie Meyer, a senior at the University of Colorado Boulder,

came up with the idea of Nighthawk

Man about a decade ago while

seventh-grade students at RHMS.

“They have just taken it and have done

incredible things. I would have never

thought in a million years that they

would have done this,” Meyer said.

The caped-crusader was originally created

for a Public Service Announcement (PSA) project in a multi-media class.

“Mr. [Kelly] Corr was running around in one of his costumes, so

we asked him if he would be in our movie,” Meyer explained. “It

turned into this huge thing because everyone wanted more.”

The two former students are amazed at what is happening in

the RHMS program today. Three years in a row, the students

have produced full-length films. The first two were based on

the Hollywood films “The Breakfast Club” and “Mean Girls.”

The latest was an original creation. A teacher wrote the screenplay and

students took the lead in photography, editing and special effects.

“I am just so impressed with what everyone is doing

at Rocky Heights with technology,” Meyer said.

Originators of ‘Nighthawk Man’ astonished by work of successors

18

“I am so jealous! My studio at college right now is nothing compared to this.”

Nicole Givin Boston College Senior and Television Producer

19

It is this spirit that caught the attention of OneRepublic.

“They said, ‘you know, we’ve been looking around the country over the past four or five months trying to find the right story to pair up with this song, ‘I Lived.’ We really want to do a music video about your son’s life,’” Steve said. “Within a week, they were out here doing a concert and we were shooting video and three weeks later they had the video all put together and up on YouTube. It was an incredible experience.”

“It is a dream come true,” added Bryan. “It was so much fun spending so much time with these guys from OneRepublic. Honestly, these guys were larger than life.”

The Warnecke family says they are thankful for the band, as well as the 40 members of the video crew who have helped to bring attention to this important issue.

“For Ryan Tedder and OneRepublic to do something like this, to take a chance and take a hit song and make it something really good… there is no way we can repay them for the level of awareness they’re giving to the CF community,” Steve said.

The touching video has moved thousands of people from around the world to leave comments on YouTube. Some of the writers were from as far away as Germany, Japan and China. Nearly all said they were inspired by Bryan’s courageous story.

Steve, who also serves as a senior vice president for the Children’s Hospital Colorado Foundation, says it is difficult for an organization like the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation to get the type of exposure that OneRepublic has brought to the issue.

“Thank goodness that guys like Ryan Tedder are out there trying to make a difference in the world, instead of shooting a lot of the garbage that is out on video today,” Steve said.

The Warnecke family says they hope the attention will help researchers find a cure.“We are really very close,” Bryan said. “We already have one drug that works for about four percent of the CF population. There are a couple more coming along. The cure is really within sight in the case of this disease.”

“This means the world to me,” Bryan added. “If we can cure this disease it would change everyone’s lives, not only now, but also in the next generation and the generation after that, the generation after that, and every other generation to come.”

“I watched this video and now my life is different. I was on my bed, doing nothing, and I realized that outside there was a beautiful world, I took my bike and...I LIVED.”

“Bryan is such an inspiration for everyone who is going through something and every time I watch the video I’m motivated because of him.”

“Wow! This makes you appreciate life so much! Like we complain about the smallest things but then you see people who are going through so much and they don’t complain and they appreciate the opportunities they have and make the most of it.”

“Cried my way through this song. I am 12 and have cystic fibrosis. I am a fighter!”

Comments

Continued from page 4

“I Lived”OneRepublic

Producer: Wondros

So Little Time. So Much to Know.

A Special Thank You To Our Partners

Now you can have everything right

at your fingertips!

The Douglas County School District App

saves you time and connects you...

24/7!

Emergency Alerts

Notifications

Calenders

Lunches

News

Videos

Sports and More!

•

Customizable

Parent Access

For Each Child.

•

Get it Now!

Search “DCSD”

iTunes Google Play

Universityof ColoradoDenver