Durango district staff push to expand advising, CTE access for Big Picture students

Durango School District No. 9-R staff told a board meeting that the district is working to expand student-directed advising and ensure students enrolled in the Big Picture program can access Career and Technical Education (CTE) and other high school offerings.

The move centers on the district’s effort to have students “co-design” their pathways and on a recently piloted curriculum and assessment, which staff said will help advisers guide students toward postsecondary and career options. “We adopted the curriculum as well as the assessment, and we prototyped that curriculum this year,” a staff member said during the meeting.

Why this matters: district officials said the changes are intended to increase equity and keep more options open for students who do not follow a traditional high-school schedule. Staff described advisory conversations, individualized learning plans and a monthly work group as the main mechanisms for making those pathways visible to students and families.

District staff told the board that advisory teachers and academic advisers are developing a seven‑year scope for the advisory curriculum and are holding regular meetings to improve implementation. “How do we hold up the mirror to the students so they know themselves so well that they know what makes them tick, what they love to do,” the staff member said, describing the advisory work.

Students and families raised concerns about access and communication. “So, while I’m with that, is there more opportunity to give parents that message?” asked a parent during public comment, noting that families need clearer, repeated communication about available pathways. Staff said that some advising content could be placed on demand for families and that the district is working to use multiple channels to reach parents.

A student who described herself as nearing completion of a CTE pathway praised the availability of courses and said she had not been denied coursework she wanted. “I’ve never been turned down for a course ever,” the student said, adding that CTE and concurrent-enrollment options helped her build a résumé and organize a large community event as a class project.

Staff acknowledged practical barriers that have kept some Big Picture students from accessing courses at Durango High School (DHS), including visitor/badge procedures, scheduling conflicts, transportation and data/accounting systems. “We’re literally taking that whole process from start to end and saying for a student to participate at DHS from Big Picture, what all do we need to do to make sure that they don’t experience what you experience,” a staff member said, describing ongoing process mapping between administrative teams.

Officials said the district pursues alternative partnerships — including with a community college — when distance or program cost makes on-campus participation impractical. Some such arrangements are reimbursable expenses, staff said.

Board members and staff emphasized that the goal is to keep rigorous college-preparation options and industry-credential pathways available side by side. “How do you personalize a big old school?” a staff member said, noting that the district is trying to offer both highly rigorous college tracks and full industry credential opportunities.

The discussion concluded with staff saying they will formalize the cross-school process and continue monthly workgroup meetings to refine advising, share course information and smooth logistics for Big Picture students who want to take DHS classes or outside offerings.