Accreditation Peer Review Positive for SCSD#3

On October 25, a team of Accreditation Peer reviewers from Wyoming Department of Education, Karen Wattenmaker, Stephanie Benboe and Beth Lougee came to the Arvada Clearmont school, SCSD#3, to observe, and give their comments about how the school is doing. They also added their recommendations for improvement.

Wattenmaker explained what they do

The criteria include the Governing Board; Central Office and School leadership; Climate and Safety; Human Resources; Accountability and Improvement; Professional Development; Instructional Methods, Learning Support and At-Risk and Dropout Prevention and Student Activities.

Wattenmaker said that Clearmont was very good at Student Activities, with most of the students in some school activity.

She had a slide show with grafts for several areas that they focused on. Blue was exemplary, Green was strong, and yellow was adequate and SCSD#3 had several items that were green on the chart.

She said this is just a review, and it is not about accrediting schools.

She added that one of the strengths she saw at A/C School was the climate and culture and the caring for the kids and community, “the collaboration is exceptional,” she said.

She talked about what went into their review.

After they read the information provided and then they come into the district to see how they are performing.

She said that the team wanted to applaud the district for staying the course on where they are moving. She said in the classrooms the team saw a lot of impressive things going on. “The path that you’re on is the right path,” she said.

One area that the team was really excited about how well SCSD#3 does was on intervention. “Your intervention process is amazing,” Wattenmaker said.

Superintendent Chase Christensen felt that the review was very positive for the school.

Another positive that the review board commented on was the fact that the teachers know every student, and every student has an adult they trust and can talk to in the school.

After the review team gave their presentation, the board members and the teachers had some comments about the review and the school.

One thing that the team noticed was how articulate the students were, and how well they talked to the team members. Activities director and history teacher Jennifer Betz commented about the review,

One student was a little confused by the question about what parents do with the four-day school week, and how parents adjust to having the students out of school on Friday. As many parents in the district are ranchers, they don’t necessarily work at a five-day-a-week job, so one or even both parents are usually at home on Friday.

Christensen said that the school staff are doing the right work, and “What we did yesterday, we will do tomorrow.”

Carol Perry, who has taught in the district for over 30 years, was honored on her current retirement at the meeting as well.