University Schools: About Our School

Located in Greeley, Colorado, University Schools is fifty miles north of the metropolitan Denver area and twenty miles east of the Rocky Mountains. It is an agricultural community with light industry and a major Colorado university. The city has a population of nearly 90,000 in a county of 220,000 people.

University Schools is a charter school in Greeley School District 6. University Schools and District 6 work together to meet the challenges of education. The benefits are many. Greeley-Evans families gain another alternative in education. University Schools teachers and District 6 teachers share in an array of professional development settings. District 6 and University Schools teachers have new avenues to exchange innovations developed in the classroom.

The tradition of developing better ways to teach our children is at the heart of University Schools. University Schools has been a leader in education for more than a century. Innovative, experimental, pioneering, model, research, and creative are words that have been associated with University Schools for the past 120 years. The pre-kindergarten through 12th grade school promotes a student-centered learning program. University Schools' students develop personal and academic plans, portfolios, and community service projects. With their advisors' assistance they seek internships and other special activities in the community. Students learn amidst a supportive community of peers, faculty and parents.

The charter school framework allows University Schools to continue to be an economically stable and academically thriving learning center that develops curricula and teaching methodologies guided by standards and benchmarks imposed by the No Child Left Behind Act and state mandates. University Schools is fully accredited by the North Central Association, the Colorado Department of Education, and holds membership in the College Entrance Examination Board and the National Association of College Admission.

Pillars of our Community

K-12 community focused school
Self-directed, student centered community
High academic standards and expectations for personal responsibility
Supportive, nurturing environment
Small class size

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2013 Middle School Expansion Project

During the 2012-2013 school year, University Schools embarked on an expansion project on their campus. The expansion will include a new Middle School building and increased enrollment at all levels, eventually bringing the K-12 enrollment to approximately 1700 students.

Colorado now looks at student achievement over time. The Colorado Growth Model examines how much students learn every year by comparing a student's TCAP performance over the years to other Colorado students in the same grade who had similar scores in past years. This creates an academic growth percentile that gives parents an explanation of their child's learning. For example, a student in the 60th growth percentile is progressing as well as or better than 60 percent of Colorado students with the same achievement history. The growth model will also show how much improvement is needed for each student to reach post-secondary readiness.

Gone are School Accountability Reports that rated schools from "excellent" to "unsatisfactory" based on their CSAP scores. Underperforming schools will be put on turnaround plans and given state assistance. If problems persist for five consecutive years, the state could turn the school over to a private or public agency, make it a charter school or direct that it be closed. New accreditation categories will be given out next year.

To view the data for University School, click the link to SchoolVIEW and select the Colorado Growth Model or School Performance links. University Schools can be found as a part of Greeley/Evans School District 6.

The No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) of 2001, requires the Colorado Department of Education to make a determination of Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) for every school district in the state. CDE calculates AYP for each district by measuring participation rates, math and reading performance, and graduation rate targets for the elementary, middle and high school levels.

Accreditation Report

Accreditation is Colorado's primary accountability system, incorporating achievement levels, academic growth, achievement gaps, post-secondary readiness, improvement planning, and compliance. The state accredits districts; districts, in turn, accredit individual schools. School District 6 is accredited with a letter of support for 2009.

University Schools Accreditation status is designated by the District and is based on multiple academic and safety measures including CSAP, Achievement Level Tests, the number of students on Individual Literacy Plans, Academic Grades of 'C' or better, etc. During the 2003-2004 school year, the last year for which there was an evaluation, University High School was rated Exemplary by the visitation team. Exemplary schools include those scoring 90-100% on the Accreditation Checklist.

2013 Middle School Expansion Project

Adequate Yearly Progress, 2008-9

Accreditation Report