Ignacio school officials, current and former staff, Southern Ute Tribal representatives, and other well-wishers gathered Wednesday afternoon at the high school to celebrate the district and its schools getting off state improvement standards and oversight because of annual scores on standardized tests.
Superintendent Rocco Fuschetto reported that the district got the good news last week "after six long years" from the Colorado Department of Education (CDE).
"It's a great accomplishment by all of you," he told staff. "We started this process six years ago, we've struggled, we had teachers leave meetings in tears some days."
Dr. Kathy Pokorney, district assessment and curriculum director, referred to pressure going back 10 years to improve mandated test scores. "I don't think we were ever off improvement (status) until now," she said. She called on retired elementary school principal Karl Herr with a reference to how he "told the State Department of Education what he really thought of them."
Pokorney speculated that Fuschetto might have wondered if he'd bitten off more than he could chew when he started with the district. "He listened to me rant for two hours and called CDE and said, 'We'll listen to you, but we'll play this game our way.'"
Pokorney wasn't the only one at the gathering to proclaim, "It makes me proud to be an Ignacio Bobcat!"
Ramona Eagle congratulated the district and staff on behalf of the Southern Ute Tribal Council.
"Dr. Fuschetto was new to the district," she said. "He brought a dream that finally came through."
Middle School Principal Chris deKay, now in his eighth year as principal, added, "It feels like every year we've gotten a little bit better. I know we still have work to do."
Tribal Education Director LaTitia Taylor commented, "I think it was a really good thing that we had change and new people coming into the community." She commended Fuschetto for his energy and said, "I'm very proud of our schools, our teachers, our community, our tribe."
Education consultant Jay Thompson worked with the district for several years. He joined the celebration by video link from Indiana. He congratulated school staff for what they've accomplished.
"Where you are now is a starting point," he said. "You aren't done. How do you take it to the next level?" He listed several things, including vision. "If you don't think it's important, look back seven years. Rocco brought a vision that has made you one of the most unique districts in the U.S. with what you've done."
Pokorney said getting off improvement status, for both the district and individual schools, means they are off the CDE accountability clock to improve test scores. The elementary school is off turnaround status, and the mid school received a "performance" rating from CDE, the second highest accountability rating. But she said, "We know we still have a way to go."
Fuschetto said, "We had to make improvements over five years. This was our last year before state sanctions." CDE uses the annual tests that students take in March or April to determine academic achievement at the time, and full-year growth, which monitors whether individual kids are making a full year of academic growth from one year to the next.
A majority of Ignacio students made full year growth, he said. "Academically, we grew in every category, every group of kids. We're going in the right direction."
