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Challenges for DPS are real, but so are district's successes

Published May 20, 2005 at midnight

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pictureThis week in the Rocky Mountain News you've had an opportunity to explore a tremendous amount of detail and information about Denver's high schools. I'm sure you'll agree that the series has provided a vivid picture of the challenges ahead for all of us.

While it is important to understand what the challenges are, it's equally important to celebrate success.

Last week I received an e-mail from a member of the Denver Citywide Marching Band. The student was expressing thanks for improvements in the school system and emphasizing the importance of the band. He also asked for help securing new band uniforms. The current uniforms are "old" and "falling apart," he said, and a new set would give the band a more polished image and encourage more students to join the band.

Making the band stronger is important, he explained, because the band "has kept several of my friends that have graduated out of trouble."

The student closed with this simple statement: "I believe with everything in me that Denver Citywide Marching Band grows each of its members to be positive-thinking leaders for the future."

For this student, Citywide Marching Band made the difference. For another, it might be the annual History Day contest. For another, it might be the ability to study computer science all the way through high school.

For yet another, it might not be one single "hook" that makes high school compelling. Instead, it might be the ability to sing in a production of Oklahoma, study Advanced Placement calculus, play third base for the girls' softball team — and enjoy tackling other tough courses and other exciting activities — all in the same semester.

It's up to us to find those hooks. It's up to us to find out what works for each student — one at a time. It's up to us to check in frequently with each student and make sure that they feel connected to school, that they see merit and value and growing self-worth from their high school experience, in whatever form or location that experience takes place.

In fact, students are excelling in Denver Public Schools. Too often, these successes are overlooked. Hooks — strong ones — do exist. Can they be expanded? Certainly. Can we develop more? Of course. Can we spiff up programs with new uniforms or whatever it takes to make sure they are as effective and attractive as possible? As a community working together, I firmly believe we can.

In the meantime, I want to celebrate successes in our high schools. There isn't enough room here to list them all. But pause for a minute and consider the students who are engaged, who have learned and applied themselves to grasping new concepts. These are students who have excelled at new and challenging experiences.

Students produce top work

In fact, thousands of high school students in Denver every year are performing top work that meets state and national levels for quality. It's worth noting — and celebrating.

This year, for instance, there will be 87 graduates from the Computer Magnet Program (housed in two schools at North and Thomas Jefferson high schools). Of these, 74 (83 percent) are headed to college. That group has drawn $1.9 million in scholarship money.

George Washington High School was recently named one of the top 100 high schools in the country by Newsweek magazine. The magazine ranks public schools according to the number of Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate tests taken by all students at a school divided by the number of graduating seniors. Also at GW, how about sophomore Jesse Morse, who placed 65th out of 413,000 students nationwide in the U.S. National Math Contest? That's remarkable.

At South High School, where the glow of achievements is growing brighter every day, student Amra Tipura was named first place champion in dramatic interpretation at the state speech meet and qualified for the national event. And South's Destination ImagiNation team is headed for the national competition (one of six DPS teams in all) after winning the state meet.

Thirty students at John F. Kennedy High School will graduate this spring with grade point averages of 4.0 or better — they are cum laude graduates. JFK is home to 26 students who are actively participating in a pre-collegiate program through the University of Colorado at Denver, and one student, Kimberly Spencer, who is headed to the U.S. Naval Academy. That's outstanding.

How about the Career Education Center Middle College of Denver? This unique and outstanding school was accepted into the Middle College National Consortium in February and is one of only 25 schools in this elite consortium. The school provides the only academic/career pathway middle college in this consortium. Student awards flow out of this school regularly. Recently, students studying digital film earned a host of awards at the Denver Film Festival for Youth event, pulling down prizes for best music video, best thriller and best drama. Terrific work.

Colleges draw from DPS

At Millennium Quest High School, part of the Manual Complex, 75 percent of the seniors are planning to attend college and 62 percent have already been accepted. Destinations include Texas Southern University, Colorado State University and the Colorado Institute of Art.

At North High School, one student was named a national finalist in a college photography competition, two students were awarded second place in the state Shafroth Speaking Contest and another was named the outstanding student for all of Colorado in the Mathematics, Engineering and Science Achievement (MESA) program. North is also home to eight Daniels Fund Scholarship recipients and one Boettcher Scholar.

The state of Colorado was represented by East High School's AP government class at the national "We the People" constitutional competition. (This is one of East's pet competitions; they practically own the event in Colorado.) East also is sending seven qualifiers to a national speech competition in New Orleans, and members of East's Black Student Alliance traveled to Ghana with their teacher and professors from Regis University.

At Abraham Lincoln High School, student Adiline Marquez won the Congressional Art Award, and her piece will be hung in the Capitol building in Washington, D.C. Lincoln High School also won the Project PAVE award for safe schools for the 2004-2005 school year.

West High School is home to two students who earned Boettcher scholarships, 11 who earned Daniels Fund scholarships and two students who were rewarded with a Gates Millennium Scholarship, which will cover all tuition costs through all of graduate school, including a Ph.D. Wow.

In addition to three Daniels Fund Scholarship winners at Montbello High School, one student won the MC? award and one won the pre-collegiate award from Children's Hospital. Also at Montbello, another student earned the Genomic Award from the Biological Sciences Department of the University of Colorado.

National arts reputation

And, of course, the awards for Denver School of the Arts are legendary. Not only is it ranked "excellent" by the state, DSA last year received the National Alliance for Arts Education award and performed at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. This year, senior Colin Stranahan is one of only two artists in Colorado selected as a semifinalist in the Presidential Scholar in the Arts, as part of the 2005 Presidential Scholars Program. Another DSA student, Lindsay Miller, is a semifinalist in the academic portion of the program. These two students are among the nation's most distinguished graduating high school seniors.

I could go on . . . and on.

The point is that many, many students find a connection and find success. With attention to each student — one by one — we must find out what works and make sure each student is engaged, involved and growing.

Allow me to paraphrase my e-mail correspondent from the Citywide Marching Band. With one-on-one care and attention, "I believe with everything in me that Denver Public Schools will grow each of its students to be positive-thinking leaders for the future."

Jerry Wartgow is superintendent of Denver Public Schools.

To contact DPS

As it did at the beginning of this series, the Rocky Mountain News offered Denver Public Schools Superintendent Jerry Wartgow the opportunity to share his thoughts on the series' final day. To share thoughts or comments with district officials or the school board, e-mail them at .