Mitchell High School in Colorado Springs will adopt an innovation plan, following a recent vote by the state board of education. The plan will allow for career and technical education programs at the school, along with other forms of non-traditional learning.
Had the plan not been adopted, Mitchell risked closure, a take-over by the state or a switch to a charter school. Instead, progress will be monitored every few years and the school will remain under local control.
The state put Mitchell on an accountability clock nearly five years ago because of low performance. Since then, D11 has been under scrutiny to improve test scores, graduation rates and drop out rates.
For the class of 2021, data from the state shows just over 58 percent of students at Mitchell graduated in four years. In 2020, that number was a bit higher at 66 percent. While the number has fluctuated in recent years, graduation rates at Mitchell have consistently been lower than the state average of just under 82 percent.
Four-year graduation rates for students with disabilities did improve last year, but fewer students of color and economically disadvantaged students got their diploma in four years.
In a presentation about the innovation plan, the state department of education said the change will have a "significant, urgent, and positive impact on student learning."
