DPS Snapshots Show with Natalie Brigham - District Updates for Aug. 29

The Denver Public Schools Podcast

1. Celebrating Attendance Growth Across DPS

Team DPS visited Legacy Options High School and Cheltenham Elementary to celebrate each school’s improvement in attendance!

• Legacy Options High School improved their overall attendance from 78.19% to 83.17% for a total improvement of 4.98%. They also decreased chronic absenteeism from 73.68% to 64.49% for a total improvement of -9.20%!
• Cheltenham Elementary increased their overall attendance from 86.02% to 89.04% for a total improvement of 3.02%. They also decreased chronic absenteeism from 56.5% to 41.29% for a total improvement of -15.21%!

Legacy Options and Cheltenham are among 58 DPS district-run schools that made notable progress in improving attendance and reducing chronic absenteeism during the 2024-25 school year.

2. Upcoming Board Engagement Sessions

The Board of Education is hosting in-person community engagement sessions to gather feedback that will directly influence the Ends Policies for the 2025-26 school year and beyond. Please RSVP for the session you would like to attend. Childcare, light refreshments and interpretation services will be available at each meeting.

Board District 2 (Southwest Denver) - Director Xóchitl Gaytán

Tuesday, Sept. 2 from 6-8 p.m., Board District 2 will host their meeting at Lincoln High with Director Xochitl Gaytan Both the English and Spanish are linked in our show notes. RSVP English | RSVP Spanish

Board District 4 (Far-Northeast Denver) - Director Michelle Quattlebaum

Wednesday, Sept. 10 from 6-8 p.m. Board District 4, will host their meeting at Montbello High with Director Michelle Quattlebaum. Again both the English and Spanish RSVP are linked in our show notes.

• RSVP English | RSVP Spanish

3. CMAS and CoAlt Score Reports Now Available!

As a reminder, the Colorado Department of Education (CDE) posted final CMAS/CoAlt student score reports at the end of June. Paper copies were delivered to “tested” schools for distribution this fall. To view your student’s score online, head to the link in our show notes for step-by-step instructions for accessing and interpreting your student's scores.

4. Shaping Stronger Family-School Partnerships

DPS is partnering with Coaction Collective and the Family & Community Engagement (FACE) team to strengthen connections between families, schools and the community. A Family Engagement Survey is linked (in English and Spanish) and will remain open until Sept. 26.

If you’d prefer to share your thoughts in conversation, join a virtual focus group happening Sept. 2-5.

5. Green Valley Elementary Celebrates 25 Years

Green Valley Elementary is celebrating 25 years of serving the community this year. Families and students gathered at the School’s Back to School Night got to witness something special–the opening of the school’s original time capsule, sealed in 2000. What the video: https://youtu.be/mDr6LZm8tsM