Colorado Department of Education honors PSD schools’ outstanding academic achievement

Alicia Stice

The Colorado Department of Education announced Wednesday that it is honoring 18 Poudre School District schools with prestigious awards for academic excellence and student academic growth.

Among the PSD schools to receive these distinguished awards is Putnam Elementary, which has earned the Centers of Excellence Award for a second consecutive year. Just 15 Colorado schools were selected for this award that recognizes schools with a student population of which at least 75 percent of students are at-risk, and that have demonstrated the highest rates of student growth, along with impressive academic results.

Seventeen other PSD schools were selected for the Colorado Governor’s Distinguished Improvement Award or the John Irwin Schools of Excellence Award. Two of those 17 schools were honored with both awards. Liberty Common Charter School was honored with the state’s High School Growth Award.

“We are proud of the hard-working and talented educators we have in PSD, and it is fitting that we should acknowledge their accomplishments,” said Todd Lambert, PSD’s assistant superintendent of elementary schools. “All of our schools take great care of their students. To have so many recognized by the Colorado Department of Education is truly an honor.

We never take our success for granted. We know it’s about the work between the teachers and the students, and we’re blessed to have so many high-performing teachers in our schools. They’ll celebrate for a bit and then aim even higher next time.”

CDE will recognize the award recipients at a ceremony this spring.

Colorado Centers of Excellence Award

Putnam Elementary has earned a Colorado Centers of Excellence award for academic achievement. This CDE award celebrates schools with the highest rates of student growth in schools in which at least 75 percent of students are considered at-risk. Putnam was one of just 15 schools in the state to receive this award. Read their success story here.

Governor’s Distinguished Improvement Award

Four PSD schools were selected for a Governor’s Distinguished Improvement Award, which is given to schools that demonstrate excellent student growth. On the school performance framework used by the state to evaluate schools, these schools exceed expectations on the indicator related to longitudinal academic growth over three years.

Governor’s Distinguished Improvement award schools are: Harris Bilingual Elementary, Livermore Elementary, Red Feather Lakes Elementary, and Traut Core Knowledge Elementary.