Achievement Statistics

Jefferson County students consistently receive high scores in the American College Testing (ACT) and Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT) scores, in addition to high rankings in other areas.

CSAP Testing
The Colorado Student Achievement Program (CSAP) is Colorado's standardized test used to benchmark schools within the state. Based on aggregate CSAP scores, 86.7% of Jeffco schools were rated excellent, high, or average on the 2002-2003 state accountability reports. Overall, Jeffco students continue to exceed the state average on every test.

Indicators of Excellence

• Ten Jefferson County teachers have been chosen as outstandingrepresentatives of their profession by their school communities as honorees in the 2003 Colorado Teacher Awards program.
• Jefferson County students consistently win top honors and awards. The district has won state and national championships in events such as Odyssey of the Mind, Science Olympiad, MathCounts, Spelling Bees, and music competitions.
• Parents take an active role in Jefferson County schools. The County Council PTA has almost 20,000 members in 115 schools.
• Jefferson County has an experienced (average of 13 years) and highly educated staff. About 59% percent of the district staff has master's degrees.
• Jefferson County teachers consistently win state and national awards.
• Jefferson County was named a "Blue Ribbon" school district in 2001 by Expanison Management magazine.

Educational Initiatives

• The business community is an active partner with the schools. Jefferson County's School-to-Career Program connects businesses with schools for career awareness (grades K-6), career exploration (grades 7-10), career preparation (grades 11-12), and career development for out-of-school youth and adults. The program builds bridges between careers and classrooms by helping teachers learn about the changing demands of the workforce and by helping students explore a wide range of career options in order to make good education choices.
• Cisco Systems, the San Jose, CA-based international leader in networking technology partnered with the Jefferson County Public Schools and Red Rocks Community College to train 240 students at seven Jefferson County high schools to design, build, and maintain Cisco computer networks. After completing the four-semester course and graduating from high school, the students will be eligible for jobs at Cisco paying yearly salaries of $40,000 to $50,000. The program is co-funded with a grant from the Colorado Institute of Technology.
• Jefferson County citizens are dedicated to improving the excellence of public education for students through the Jefferson Foundation. The Foundation is a private initiative to develop and fund programs that expand education opportunities for students while fostering innovation and improvement in the quality of education in Jefferson County.
• With a mission of helping Jefferson County families become more aware of literacy, the Jefferson County International Reading Association promotes literacy activities within the school district for teachers and families. The Association consists of teachers, administrators, community members, and children.
• Jefferson County Public Schools has developed and set into motion a comprehensive Strategic Plan based on the input of over 100,000 students, staff, and citizens. The Plan provides a focus for improving learning in the district.
• Jefferson County Public Schools chools has developed a Performance Promise Program to outline how money from a voter-approved mill levy override will be spent to increase student achievement. The program was developed using the most recent research on student learning, analysis of test scores, and a determination of how to most efficiently and effectively impact achievement. These factors include smaller classes, classroom coaches, staff development, extended learning, and individualized attention.

Jefferson County Public Schools
Cindy Stevenson, Ph.D., Superintendent
1829 Denver West Drive, Bldg. 27
Golden, CO 80401
303-982-6800

Four Year Universities in Jefferson County

Colorado School of Mines 1500 Illinois Street Golden, CO 80401 303-273-3000

Located in Golden, the Colorado School of Mines (CSM) is a public research university devoted to engineering and applied science. It has among the highest admission standards of any university in Colorado and among the highest of any public university in the U.S. In addition to strong education and research programs in traditional fields of science and engineering, CSM has broad expertise in resource exploration, extraction, production, and utilization.

CSM has the largest concentration of students enrolled in applied earth sciences and remains the only institution in the United States that offers doctoral degrees in the four related fields of geology, geophysics, petroleum, and mining engineering.

CSM consistently places more than 90 percent of all graduates in jobs within 12 months of graduation. CSM was also ranked as one of the nation's best graduate schools in 2005 by U.S. News and World Report.

Colorado Christian University 180 S. Garrison Street Lakewood, CO 80226 303-202-0100

CCU is the only evangelical, liberal arts Christian university in the Rocky Mountain region. Satellite classrooms exist in Grand Junction and Colorado Springs.

The university offers 25 under-graduate and post-graduate majors and three master- degree programs and is a member of the Coalition of Christian Colleges and Universities.

Community Colleges/Vocational Schools Serving Jefferson County

Red Rocks Community College (RRCC) 13300 W. 6th Avenue. Lakewood, CO 80228 303-914-6600   5420 Miller Street Arvada, CO 80228 303-914-6010

Red Rocks Community College (RRCC) is a fully accredited, two-year institution that is known regionally for its commitment to access, learner-centered educational innovation and community outreach and specialization in learning and training opportunities for both recent high school graduates and the working adult. The college provides a wide assortment of educational and training opportunities and options and focuses on excellence in all outcomes.

For working adults the RRCC Weekend College is the only program in the area offering a business degree that can be earned in less than two years on weekends. Courses start every month; for a complete listing of offerings visit www.rrcc.edu/weekend. The college also offers a comprehensive distance learning program, providing students the opportunity to take classes via the Internet, by self-study or by a combination classroom/online format.

Award-winning programs include Fire Science Technology, a regional OSHA Training Institute, Construction Technology, Multimedia Graphics, Computer Information Systems, CISCO, Oracle and IBM Academies. Red Rocks also is proud to host a Teacher Education program that offers a transfer degree with an emphasis in teacher education at both the elementary and secondary levels. Students wishing to pursue a career in teaching K-12 will complete an Associate of Arts and then transfer to a four-year institution of their choice.

For a complete listing of educational offerings visit www.rrcc.edu.

The Rocky Mountain Education Center, located at the RRCC Lakewood campus, provides educational and training resource for Jefferson County businesses needing short-term, fast track customized individual or group employee training. Since its inception in 1989, the Center has served more than 12,000 employees from 145 businesses in 11 states. The Center has helped companies like Gambro and Coors Brewing Company with on-site training centers. For more information, call 303.914.6767.

For a complete listing of programs, including financial aid options, visit the college Web site at www.rrcc.edu or call 303.914.6600.

Front Range Community College 3645 W. 112th Avenue Westminster, CO 80030 303-466-8811

Serving the northern area of Jefferson County, Front Range Community College (FRCC) is the largest community college in Colorado. In addition to its Westminster campus, FRCC has campuses located in Boulder, Brighton, Fort Collins, and Longmont.

A two-year, state-supported community college, FRCC offers 85 degree, occupational, and technical programs. The Westminster campus features the Business & Industry Center, a customer-driven service to provide customized training and consulting services to businesses and organizations throughout metro Denver.

Rocky Mountain College of Art & Design 1600 Pierce Street Lakewood, CO 80214 800-888-ARTS

Rocky Mountain College of Art + Design (RMCAD) is a private, accredited, four year institute of higher learning offering Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) degrees in a variety of creative disciplines.

RMCAD has achieved the highest level of accreditation attainable. They are regionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (HLC) and nationally accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD). RMCAD’s Interior Design program is accredited by the Council for Interior Design Accreditation, formerly known as FIDER, and the Art Education Program leading to the BFA is accredited by the Colorado Department of Higher Education and the Colorado Department of Education.

Arapahoe Community College 2500 W. College Drive Littleton, CO 80120 303-794-1550

Arapahoe Community College's (ACC) newly renovated main campus is located in Littleton, and has expanded sites are located the Denver Tech Center and University Center at Chaparral in Parker.

ACC offers hundreds of courses in disciplines such as computer science, automotive technology, mortuary science, nursing, interior design, and criminal justice. ACC is a full- service community college with academic tracks leading to both Associate of Arts and Associate of Science degrees.