Curriculum, Instruction, & Accountability


The Hayden School District has partnered with Marzano Resources to strategically improve our school in five areas in order to become what is known as a High-Reliability School. The Marzano High-Reliability Schools™ (HRS) framework serves as a strategic planning framework to help schools focus on specific, research-based conditions for continuous school improvement. In order to be certified as a High-Reliability School, certification in the following five areas needs to be completed: Level 1: Safe, Supportive, and Collaborative Culture Explore specific strategies for shared decision making and developing collaborative processes that clarify the work of teacher teams and help schools operate as a cohesive network of teams clearly focused on curriculum, instruction, assessment, and achievement for all students. Hayden Valley Elementary School was certified as a Level 1 High-Reliability School in February 2021. Level 2: Effective Teaching in Every Classroom Learn the concept of establishing a district- or schoolwide model of instructional practice and how it can be used to create a culture of pedagogical growth for all teachers. Level 3: Guaranteed and Viable Curriculum Understand the concept and processes for establishing a guaranteed and viable curriculum, which includes establishing a district- or schoolwide comprehensive vocabulary program. Level 4: Standards-Referenced Reporting Understand critical aspects and strategies for implementing a standards-referenced grading and reporting system in your district or school. Level 5: Competency-Based Education Learn specific aspects of competency-based education and review strategic initiatives schools should consider for implementing competency-based education. |


State Standards
General Assessment Information
https://www.cde.state.co.us/assessment
Colorado Arts
Teaching the arts disciplines is essential to developing creativity, synergistic thinking, empathy, expression and the ability to view the world through multiple perspectives. Whether students are learning individual skills or are applying skills to enhance a collaborative ensemble, the arts demand perseverance, diligence, flexible thinking and innovation. The 21st century, conceptual age requires people who are dynamic, multi-disciplined, global thinkers which are the fundamental benefits of a comprehensive arts education.
Comprehensive Health and PE
Comprehensive health and physical education standards incorporate a wealth of 21st century skills that are critical to making healthy choices for the lifelong success of every student. Teaching comprehensive health and physical education in every Colorado school means that students will have more opportunities to master key life skills that employers are increasingly demanding, such as teamwork, goal setting, appreciating people’s differences, managing stress, and resolving conflicts.
Mathematics
Teaching Mathematics is essential for all students as they grow to understand their world and become productive citizens. Mathematical models explain, celebrate, and analyze the world around us; from economic models on the stock market to musical models of symphonies, our world is mathematics. All Colorado students must understand mathematics and its relevance in their lives.
Personal Financial Literacy
Teaching Personal Financial Literacy is essential to creating fiscally responsible citizens. Our complex interconnected economy requires Colorado students develop financial decision-making skills to ensure a secure future.
Reading, Writing, and Communicating
Teaching Literacy is essential to ensuring that all children have the skills to become successful readers, writers, and communicators with the 21st century skills required to be successful as they become post secondary workforce ready. Developing a student’s ability to read, write, and communicate is critical to their success, and directly impacts their ability to perform successfully across all content areas.
Science
Teaching science is essential to developing an inquisitive nature about the world around us. Science provides methods and processes for investigating how things work and why things happen. Science education prepares students to be both the inventors and critical consumers of the 21st century.
Social Studies
Teaching social studies is essential for helping students make informed and reasoned decisions for the public good as citizens of a culturally diverse, democratic society in an interdependent world. Powerful social studies education prepares students to identify, understand, and work together as an informed citizenry to solve the challenges facing our communities, states, nations, and world.
STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics)
STEM Education provides a venue for the transformation of teaching and learning by integrating content and the skills of science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Engaging students in 21st century practices through inquiry, critical thinking and reasoning, collaboration, invention, and information literacy through STEM education directly impacts their ability to succeed by mastering and transferring concepts within STEM disciplines and across all content areas.
World Languages
In the 21st century the ability to communicate in more than one language is an essential skill for all Colorado learners. Learning multiple world languages, developing multiple perspectives and understanding other cultures are vital skills needed to both collaborate and compete in our global community. Languages link people locally and internationally. Interactions in languages and cultures introduce learners to new ways of thinking about, questioning, and interpreting the world. Through such interactions, learners acquire knowledge, skills, and attitudes that equip them for living and working in a world of diverse peoples, languages and cultures.
English Language Proficiency
On December 10, 2009 the Colorado State Board of Education voted unanimously to adopt the World-Class Instruction Design and Assessment (WIDA) standards as the Colorado English Language Proficiency (CELP) standards. English Language Proficiency standards are required by Colorado state and federal law. The CELP standards exceed minimum legal requirements. Overall, the standards center on the English language needed and used by English Language Learners (ELLs) to succeed in school. They guide all educators who teach ELLs and help students’ access grade level academic content while learning English.
Extended Evidence Outcomes
A strong command of academics is vital for being a successful student and ultimately a productive member of the 21st century workforce. Language, math and science skills have always been fundamental for academic and professional success. However, students in the 21st century are now facing more complex challenges in an ever-changing global society. These challenges have created the need for rigorous standards which include content knowledge and application of skills.




District Assessments:
Elementary:
- DIBELS, Parents’ Guide to DIBELS
- NWEA MAP Growth, Parents’ Guide to MAP Growth
- CMAS
- WIDA, WIDA ACCESS
Middle and High School:
For the Hayden School District Accountability information, click the following link:
Understanding Giftedness
Hayden School District has chosen to adopt the Colorado Department of Education definition for giftedness.
“Gifted and talented children” means those persons between the ages of five and twenty-one whose abilities, talents, and potential for accomplishment are so exceptional or developmentally advanced that they require special provisions to meet their educational programming needs. Gifted students include gifted students with disabilities (i.e. twice-exceptional and students with exceptional abilities or potential from all socio-economic and ethnic, cultural populations). Gifted students are capable of high performance, exceptional production, or exceptional learning behavior by virtue of any or a combination of these areas of giftedness:
- General or specific intellectual ability.
- Specific academic aptitude.
- Creative or productive thinking.
- Leadership abilities.
- Visual arts, performing arts, music, dance, or psychomotor abilities.
Mission:
To recognize and nurture exceptional abilities of all gifted and talented students so that they develop high level, creative, and productive thinking, and healthy affective qualities.
Vision:
Gifted and talented students in the Hayden School District are identified in their strength area(s). Educational programming is designed and implemented to maximize their potential. Student progress and achievement are monitored through ongoing assessment.
Beliefs:
- Gifted ability exists and should be identified and served in students of all ages from all cultures, races, ethnic backgrounds and socioeconomic groups.
- District administration, teachers, families, and the community share the responsibility to provide relevant and challenging opportunities to develop the individual potential of advanced learners.
- Gifted students have unique strengths and needs that must be addressed.
- Advanced Learners require rigorous and challenging curriculum with programming and a continuum of services to meet their exceptional needs.
- Students should be active participants and share the responsibility for maximizing the learning opportunities provided.
- We recognize that some children have abilities that are significantly advanced and need additional support to become successful lifelong learners.
- Gifted students may need support and guidance to develop healthy and positive affective characteristics.
- Cognitive development is enhanced within social and emotional wellness.
- Procedures for Kindergarten Early Entrance for Highly Gifted Students
- Screening Procedures for GT Identification
- GT Identification Process
- Flow Chart for Twice Exceptional Identification
Sample Forms from NW BOCES GT
Gifted and Talented Resources
- Parent Group Documents-Information for parents interested in forming a support group for gifted children or just for how to best support their school’s GT efforts individually.
- Gifted Education Dispute Resolution Process
- Guide to Acceleration–
Websites with resources for teachers, parents, and students:
- National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC)
- Colorado Association for Gifted and Talented (CAGT)
- Ricks Center for Gifted Children at the University of Denver
- Colorado Department of Education (CDE) Gifted and Talented Education
- Supporting Emotional Needs of the Gifted (SENG)
- Action-Based Learning– Jean Blaydes Maddigan’s website with strategies that “move” students to learn.
- Hoagies Gifted Education Page
If you have questions regarding gifted and talented, please contact the school principal.