Prairie Heights Middle School receives national award
Prairie Heights Middle School is one of only two schools in the nation to receive the Rise Award from Summit Learning, a program that has been a part of the schools’ successful Innovation School plan.
Summit Learning is a program that drives student engagement, strong student-teacher connections and mastery-based learning. It is used in nearly 400 schools across the nation, including Prairie Heights and Franklin Middle School in District 6.
Prairie Heights implemented the Summit Learning program in 2017. Since then, Prairie Heights has seen measurable success, including improved state performance rankings, increased test scores, and decreased discipline referrals. Prairie Heights’ performance rating from the Colorado Department of Education rose from the second-lowest-ranked framework to the highest-rated ranking after the first year of implementation.
Prairie Heights staff were honored at a virtual celebration Wednesday afternoon, which included staff members from Gradient Learning, the non-profit that leads Summit Learning. Principal Stephanie Knox said during the celebration that her staff is the reason for the recognition.
“I have the pleasure of working alongside a team of people who always want to do what is best for kids,” Knox said during the celebration. “I really mean it when I say they have put the extremely hard work into this.”
Staff members from Gradient Learning said Prairie Heights has become a model Summit school that is often used as the example for other schools of how to implement the program successfully.
“Congratulations to Prairie Heights for receiving our inaugural Rise Award," said Andrew Goldin, Executive Director of Gradient Learning.. “This school has created tremendous programs that allow students to reach their full potential, leading to a successful future. This recognition is well-deserved, and Prairie Heights is a model of success that we and other schools can all look to in terms of ensuring students are thriving.”
The Rise Award affirms the hard work of the educators, students and families that come together to constantly improve the quality of teaching and learning while creating a safe and welcoming school where students master challenging and engaging experiences.