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Aurora East USD 131 hears school improvement plans from Dietrich and Gates elementaries
Summary
Principals from Dietrich and Gates Elementary outlined goals to raise literacy and math proficiency and to strengthen belonging; Dietrich reported very low current proficiency numbers and rising daily attendance, while Gates set 5% proficiency goals and a 95% attendance target for 2025–26.
Dietrich Elementary and Gates Elementary presented school improvement plans to the Aurora East USD 131 curriculum committee on Nov. 17, outlining academic goals, targeted classroom practices and steps to boost attendance and belonging.
Lauren Cunningham, principal of Dietrich Elementary, summarized her school's three priorities: literacy, numeracy and a culture of belonging. Dietrich reported assessment snapshots the presenters said they used to shape the plan: MAP math achievement at about 18% overall, literacy at roughly 10.77% overall, IAR‑related proficiency for math at 3.7% and literacy proficiency at 6.57%. Cunningham described classroom-level actions including adoption of the HMH curriculum, regular professional development, peer observation and frequent progress monitoring. "By the end of the school year, Dietrich Elementary will increase the percentage of students meeting and/or exceeding grade level expectations by 6% as measured across all groups on IAR," Cunningham said.
Gates Elementary principal Fatima said Gates set parallel targets: a 5% increase in students meeting or exceeding grade-level expectations in reading and a 5% increase in mathematics by spring 2026 IAR measures, and a goal to maintain a 95% attendance rate for the 2025–26 school year. Gates reported a current attendance rate of 92.7% and described steps to build teacher capacity (work with WestEd, instructional coaches, posting student‑friendly objectives and vocabulary aligned to the district's dual‑language program).
Both schools emphasized targeted small‑group instruction, teacher coaching and use of formative assessments to make midyear adjustments. Dietrich noted a recent rise in daily attendance (slides cited 94.4% at one point and 95.2% on the day of the presentation) and said chronic absenteeism remains near 16%, with staff conducting home visits and truancy meetings. Gates flagged chronic absenteeism as an ongoing focus and described incentives and data monitoring to identify students who need additional supports.
District committee members asked how PD is timed to minimize classroom disruption and how school leaders collect teacher input on PD needs; presenters said a mix of surveys, SIP/institute days and after‑school offerings is used, with some time reallocated for building‑led PD tied to school improvement efforts.
District staff said school leaders will continue to monitor these initiatives and report back on early indicators; the committee did not take formal action on either plan at the meeting.
