Task force weighs in on academic programming

About 45 community members representing 30 different schools joined in the second of three Blueprint Task Force meetings on Feb. 13. Parents, high school students, elected leaders, industry and business partners, along with representatives from higher education, civic, and faith-based organizations, came together to help Adams 12 Five Star Schools further refine its Blueprint plans and provide feedback on proposed investment areas for the next 12 years.  

To gather public input in this process, the district is focusing on two primary areas: academic programming and facility needs. The most recent task force meeting focused on relevant and responsive programming, meaning potential plans, costs, and information to help expand and create academic programs that ensure students get the best education possible. 

Task force members shared their thinking on how the district can best invest in the future of our schools’ curricula, materials, course offerings and outside-the-classroom learning for students. All attendees participated through our interactive voting technology to help us identify priorities and analyze the impacts of potential decisions and outcomes.

Here are some of the key takeaways: 

• About 34% of attendees named expanding high school Career and Technical Education (CTE) as their top priority when it comes to CTE and STEM programming. 
  • Investments in work-based learning and expanding CTE options into elementary and middle schools came in tied for second place, with each option receiving just under 30% of votes.
• When asked to rank different investment investments for innovative programing and options for students, participants ranked scheduling and course flexibility for high school students as their top choice. Adding a P-12 arts integration and/or STEAM pathway came in second place.
• Attendees also heard about proposed investments into targeted supports and interventions for students. They showed strong support for additional mental health supports for middle and high school students, with about 55% naming it as the most important investment.

View the full presentation and voting results from the Feb task force meeting. (En español)