Accelerating student achievement and success

Don Haddad, Ed.D.
Superintendent
St. Vrain Valley Schools

We have much to celebrate in the St. Vrain Valley community, and I want to extend my gratitude for your continued partnership and support in advancing our students and schools. As we prepare to return for the 2023-2024 school year, we’ve seen an unprecedented level of success across all of our schools.

Students within St. Vrain Valley Schools have access to numerous high-quality programs and opportunities designed to provide a strong academic foundation and to advance their engagement and exploration in cutting-edge fields. These experiences will provide them with a strong competitive advantage in our complex, globalized world. In just the past year, our on-time four-year graduation rate has reached the highest level in our district’s history – approaching 94% while maintaining the most rigorous requirements in the state and beyond – alongside increased student achievement at all levels PK-14. This includes reading and math accomplishments and significantly increased enrollment in college-level Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, concurrent enrollment, honors, and Pathways through Technology Early College High School (P-TECH) coursework. Further, our students have earned an unprecedented number of state, regional, national, and international awards in various fields such as robotics, athletics, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, visual and performing arts, business, debate, and many other areas of student excellence, both academic and co-curricular.

Additionally, every school in our system was buzzing with multiple high-quality activities this summer. This included advanced learning opportunities, robust co-curricular activities, and construction projects that support growth and enhance the quality and safety of our schools. Additionally, thousands of students continued their learning through our Project Launch program, which provides four additional weeks of full-day instruction in math and language arts. At the Innovation Center, hundreds of students participated in coursework and pursued advanced STEM opportunities in robotics, biomedical engineering, aeronautics, artificial intelligence, and music innovation. While our students were highly engaged in rigorous summer programs, our teachers and staff focused on professional development designed to advance their knowledge and skills. Thousands of teachers and staff enrolled in St. Vrain courses over the summer, with a focus on collaboration and accelerating student achievement through high-quality instruction.

I want to express my heartfelt gratitude for your unwavering support and dedication to our students, teachers, and staff. Your continued commitment plays a pivotal role in the success and progress we celebrate each year, and it humbles me to witness the powerful impact we can achieve when we work together to elevate the success of our students, schools, and community. This fall, I’ll be scheduling our annual open forums in each of our areas to listen to our community’s questions and suggestions, share our many successes, and discuss our bold vision for continuing to build new schools as our student enrollment continues to climb. I look forward to seeing everyone at one of our upcoming community meetings in order to personally thank you for everything that you do to support our students, teachers, and staff. Together, we are building a stronger future for our children, our community, and our world.

Sincerely,
Don Haddad, Ed.D.

Superintendent
St. Vrain Valley Schools