The Colorado Springs Gazette final

Report shows students who stay in WPSD are thriving

Performance improves over students who continue education elsewhere

BY PAT HILL pat.hill@pikespeaknewspapers.com

Students who remain in the Woodland Park School District have consistently scored higher in state testing than those who opt to go to other schools or districts. In a report to the school board Sept. 8, Tina Cassens, executive director of student success, provided data that tracked student progress over the years.

For instance, in the spring, WPSD third graders scored lower than their peers in other districts in English language arts. But by the seventh and eighth grades, students consistently scored above state averages. “This is a trend we continue to see and have seen for quite some time,” Cassens said.

Math scores for fourth graders in the district were significantly below the state, she said. “But you’ll see that students in from sixth through eighth who have been in our system score above the state in math,” she added. “The longer they stay in our system, they are growing and achieving with us.”

In the spring of 2020, district ninth graders exceeded the state average in reading and writing, while students in the next two grade levels met the state average, according Cassens. Seniors’ SAT and PSAT scores reflect the incremental annual increase in scores, Cassens said.

As education models have evolved over the years, district teachers ensure that students learn real-world skills along with the basics to guide their future. “We have an urgency to go where our kids are. If kids don’t know the critical concepts, we have to do something about it now,” Cassens said.

While COVID-19 was (and remains) an educational disrupter, WPSD teachers have an intervention plan for those experiencing mental-health or academic issues. “We saw some students who really struggled last year with what happened,” Cassens said.

However, by identifying specific issues and individualizing interventions, students are thriving. “It’s amazing, and I’ve been a teacher for 27 years,” she said.

This year’s interventions have taken on new meaning. “Maybe these have been in place for years, but I feel like there is this broad urgency right now, with COVID, for teachers to put energy in classrooms to help our students get that individual plan,” said district superintendent Mathew Neal. “I think we have an amazing staff.”

In tracking social/emotional levels, Cassens reported that 89% of students last year said they had a trusted adult in the school, someone to whom they could talk about their problems. “That’s hugely significant,” Cassens said.

But last year, 23% of dis

trict middle schoolers and 36% of high-school students reported they felt sad every day over a two-week period and that the feelings interrupted their daily life. As well, 18.7% of students reported having thoughts of ending their lives by suicide.

The report was part of the annual national Healthy Kids Survey.

To help families and students, the district partners with 200 agencies in the region, including Community Partnership Family Resource Center. “We have more than $1.2 million in mental-health grants that provide 15 positions in our schools,” Cassens said.

Cassens ended her report on a positive note. Last week, a group of students studying education at Colorado College observed classrooms at Woodland Park High School and remarked on the engagement of the students and the culture of the school.

The CC professor called Cassens that evening with a compliment which she relayed to the board. “‘Wow! Just wow! Woodland Park High School is knocking it out of the park.’”

Cassens added, “Do we have work to do? Yes. But I feel like we have a dedicated staff to do it.”

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2021-09-15T07:00:00.0000000Z

2021-09-15T07:00:00.0000000Z

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The Gazette, Colorado Springs