Revitalization News

Over the last two school years, Montclair has been engaged in a process of revitalization. With the appointment of a Revitalization Committee and new principal, the process of change was initiated in the fall of 2004. The revitalization effort began in earnest in October 2004 when  a comprehensive neighborhood survey was conducted to establish an understanding of the community’s perceptions of the school and what would be required to rejuvenate the instructional program at Montclair. Using the information revealed through a detailed ogranization diagnosis, coupled with the results from the community survey, a detailed plan for redesign was submitted and approved by the Denver Public Schools’ Board of Education in February 2005.

In March 2005,  a Community Kick-Off was held to unveil the plan to the community and to begin recruitment efforts. Shortly on the heels of this event, Montclair was the recipient of significant positive press in the local and national media. John Temple's editorial column in the Rocky Mountain News published on  Saturday, March 5, 2005 had an incredible impact on changing the perceptions of the community in relation to the school. Montclair was later showcased in a segment focused on the marketing of public schools that aired on Fox National News on March, 26, 2005.  Since that time there has been a tremendous change in the overall acceptance of Montclair both within the district and the larger community.

On the heels of an intensive staff retreat in June 2005, which provided intensive professional development, the new instructional program based on the Schoolwide Enrichment Model (Renzulli) was implemented in the fall of 2005. A sharp increase enrollment ensued. Families from all portions of the school’s boundary area, from other areas within the district, as well as nearby private schools began attending Montclair. Data-driven, student-focused instruction with curricular integration and enrichment experiences are extended to all students.

We were honored to be nominated for the 2006 National School Change Award in March. We submitted a lengthy and detailed application however given the fact that we are only in the beginning stages of our revitalization effort, we were not one of the six national finalists. We were strongly encouraged to re-apply in the upcoming years.

In June 2006, the majority of classroom teachers for the upcoming school year will be attending the Association of Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD) national summer conference. This will serve as another valuable professional development opportunity as teachers develop and refine their skills in the area of instructional differentiation.