In DCSD we exceed Common Core standards
CASTLE ROCK - As Colorado continues the implementation of Common Core Standards, some parents are becoming concerned about the impact they may have on the education of their children. Superintendent Dr. Liz Fagen wants Douglas County School District parents to know that the Common Core Standards are not rigorous enough for our kids. That is why DCSD has created World Class Outcomes—which surpass the state standards by requiring students to use higher levels of thinking.
“The state has adopted the Common Core. That is what is required on the state level. There are districts that are implementing the Common Core and everything about it. That is not Douglas County. That is not what we are about,” explained DCSD Superintendent Dr. Liz Fagen.
Douglas County teachers evaluated the standards and found them to be inadequate.
“Most of the standards, including the common core standards just ask our students to use low-level thinking skills. That is not good enough in this day and age—not for our students and frankly, not for any students,” Fagen said.
As a result, DCSD and other progressive school districts are setting the bar higher.
District News
High school students across Douglas County, and many students in respective feeder schools, are once again learning that a little kindness can go a long way. Again this year, our high schools hosted Wish Weeks to make dreams come true for Make-A-Wish Foundation beneficiaries.
The Douglas County School District (DCSD) Board of Education has named Thomas S. Tucker, Ph.D. as the sole finalist to lead our 68,000-student district as superintendent on a unanimous vote.
The American School Counseling Association (ASCA) has certified Sagewood Middle School as a Recognized ASCA National Model Program (RAMP). A prestigious honor, Sagewood is now the only middle school in the state of Colorado to have gained this certification. Schools must receive a near-perfect score on ASCA’s scoring rubric, which outlines guidelines for building and maintaining student achievement, behavior, counseling curriculum, school culture, and several other factors, in order to become certified.