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STORIES ABOUT THE REVOLUTIONARY SCHOOL MODEL
“The Competency Based grading system that we use here is the only way I would ever assess student learning.”
Dr. Amy Romanowski, French Teacher at Westminster High School
WHERE EDUCATION IS
UNIQUE
In our Competency Based System, your child is free to progress at their own pace, moving to the next level at any point in the year. They will never feel limited by the pace of their peers, nor will they feel left behind if they find themselves struggling with a certain subject. CBS means meeting the child where they are and allowing them to chart their own course.
WHERE EDUCATION IS
VALUED
We know that having the right teacher makes all the difference. A great teacher cares about their students, thinks of innovative ways to bring a lesson to life and gives thoughtful advice and guidance. By offering the highest starting teacher salary in the state of Colorado, Westminster Public Schools is able to attract and retain the best talent so that your student has the best chance at success.
WHERE EDUCATION IS
INNOVATIVE
Technology is all around us and is advancing at a lightning pace. Your student needs the tools of tomorrow in their hands today so they can be prepared for college, internships, certificates and more. Each student is issued their own Chromebook and has access to things like STEM labs with engravers and 3D printers, Z-space learning experience, Mac labs at Westy and the unique opportunities found in the innovative CTE + STEM programs at our brand new Ranum Campus.
WHERE EDUCATION IS
CARING
Students do better when they can focus on learning. In WPS we aim to support our students and their families with the resources they need to address practical concerns such as food insecurity, transportation and English language acquisition, as well as mental and emotional challenges like bullying. Our new Daniel C. Vallez Family Education Center serves as a community hub to ensure that our families have everything to the need to create the stability to support their student's success.
WHERE EDUCATION IS
FUN (PARA TODOS)
WPS prides itself on being a district where everyone is family and the joy of learning is shared by all. Equity and respect for students, staff and family are core principles of Westminster Public Schools.
WONDERING HOW A COMPETENCY BASED SYSTEM WORKS?
PERSONALIZED LEARNING
Sofia is 9 years old.
In a traditional school, she would be in fourth grade. In our Competency-Based System, since Sofia is great at math, she is already working in Math Level 5, which is above-average. Literacy is a challenge area, so Sofia is getting extra help from teachers as she works in Literacy Level 3. She’s right on track in Science and Social Studies. Like most students, Sofia has subjects she excels in as well as areas where she needs more help.
INDIVIDUAL PACE
Meeting Students' Needs, Now and In the Future
With a traditional school district, Sofia would move through the same content in the classroom along with all the other students at the teacher’s pace. With CBS, Sofia can learn at a customized pace, mastering groups of knowledge and skills called learning targets. If she earns a score of 3 or better on a 4-point scale, she will move to the next performance level, regardless of where her peers are.
FLEXIBILITY
Level Up With Learning Targets
In other school districts, students are placed in one grade level according to their age, for the entire year and in all subjects. In a Competency Based System like Westminster Public Schools, Sofia is not limited by her age. When she demonstrates mastery of all learning targets, she can move to the next level at any point in the school year. Students are held accountable and avoid “social promotion’” to the next grade level without the proper skills and knowledge.
TRANSPARENCY
Everyone on the Same Page
Progress on learning targets is measured and recorded in software that is accesible to students, parents and teachers at all times. Sofia’s parents can check in on her strengths and challenges using real-time data in the Empower system and talk with her teachers about any extra help she may need in any one topic. Students, teachers and parents work together to acheive shared goals and there are no surprises at the end of the year.
STUDENT AGENCY
Get Ready For The Day After Graduation
Our Competency-Based System (CBS) is about more than just earning a high school diploma. It means that students graduate with the skills necessary for the next stage of their lives. WPS students are taught to advocate for themselves and become inspired, self-motivated and life-long learners.