Denver, Colorado is home to one of the fastest growing urban school districts in the nation. The proportion of children receiving free or reduced-price lunch has also been steadily increasing. In the 2013–14 school year, over 70% of children were eligible, ten percentage points higher than a decade ago. Unfortunately, as in too much of the United States, demographics correlate with academic achievement. The state has one of the largest achievement gaps in the country, and only half of students in the Denver Public School system are reading at grade level.
Schools like Rocky Mountain Prep are working to change that.
The elementary school’s 378 students are more diverse than most. They come from homes that speak 23 different languages. 27% are English-language learners.
To bring students up to reading level, the school uses a variety of tools. They’ve extended their school year until the end of June. Tablets spread throughout classrooms use specialized computer programs as part of both their math and literacy curriculums. The school uses teaching fellows and emphasizes individualized and small group learning. And given the tremendous diversity of the student body, teachers take extra care to build a space where students feel comfortable and can come together.
[For more of this story, written by Benjamin Rasmussen, go to https://medium.com/bright/meet...nguages-f9740f5f08c7]
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