Locating Quality and Access: The Keys to Denver's Plan for Educational Excellence
Author: National Association of Charter School Authorizers
Date: 2009-12-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Public Schools,Urban Schools,School Location,Enrollment,School Effectiveness,Educational Quality,Elementary Schools,Middle Schools,High Schools,Educational Change,Neighborhood Schools,Charter Schools,School Choice,Disadvantaged Youth,School Demography,Ethnicity,Magnet Schools

This report provides essential new information on the relationship between the location of and enrollment in Denver public schools that meet the 2009 School Performance Framework (SPF) standards. Funded by the National Association of Charter School authorizers (NACSA), this research is designed primarily to identify and highlight those areas with the largest numbers of school-age children and the fewest seats in schools that meet SPF standards. The report details how many of the 75,000 Denver Public Schools (DPS) students are enrolled in these schools and where these schools are located. Then it ranks or prioritizes the need for better performing elementary, middle and high schools within Denver's neighborhoods as measured by DPS' high school zones, the geography on which this analysis is based. This leads to a clear set of priorities for school transformation, new school creation, and reform. In addition to the needs assessment, &quot;Locating Quality and Access: The Keys to Denver's Plan for Educational Excellence&quot; provides a comprehensive analysis of Colorado's Schools of Choice Program in Denver (Choice Program). This report compares students in their neighborhood or attendance schools with students choosing to attend other neighborhood and non-attendance area schools. The description of these students at the city and neighborhood level includes a breakdown of the students by the type of school, free and reduced price lunch eligibility (FRL), ethnicity, and school performance. The research for &quot;Locating Quality and Access&quot; was conducted by IFF, a nonprofit and community development financial institution that engages in independent external research, finance, and real estate consulting. The analysis uses a methodology that IFF developed in 2003 to analyze Chicago's Public Schools and make recommendations on where charter schools should be located in the city. This is the first time the method is being applied in a district outside the Midwest and in a state with a school choice program. It is clear that in Denver and DPS there is a commitment to using data not only to guide the work of DPS, but to educate stakeholders and families. As a national voice for charter schools, NACSA recognizes the value of this educational needs assessment and of making available detailed data on students, school location, and school choice. By sharing the data and profiles in this report, not only with DPS, but with fellow stakeholders, NACSA strengthens the ability of the entire educational community in Denver to take advantage of opportunities to achieve the district's improvement goals. Appended are: (1) Detailed Methodology; (2) Ethnicity of DPS Students Compared to Denver Population; (3) Elementary School Zone Summary; (4) Middle School Zone Summary; (5) High School Zone Summary; (6) Students Enrolled in Each Zone by School Type and Choice Status; (7) Students Enrolled in Each Zone by Free and Reduced-Price Lunch (FRL) Qualification and Choice Status; and (8) Students Enrolled in Each Zone by Choice Status and FRL Qualification. (Contains 9 tables, 8 figures, 8 maps, and 3 endnotes.)