Earlier this week, Mountain Middle School announced that the Colorado Department of Education had awarded it the John Irwin School of Excellence Award for the third year in a row.
Mountain’s Executive Director Shane Voss announced the school's success in an email sent to the community on Tuesday.
The John Irwin award is given to schools that demonstrate exceptional academic achievement over time by receiving an exceeds expectations rating in math, science and English language arts on the Academic Achievement indicator of the School Performance Framework.
MMS’s sixth through eighth graders scored above the 90th percentile in mathematics, science and English language arts, earning the designation of exceptional academic performance.
This performance was mirrored by the school’s fourth and fifth graders.
Tailoring instruction to meet the students’ specific needs and fostering a sense of belonging has been a big part of the success, said Voss, who has been the school’s executive director for 12 years.
“We put a lot of energy into getting to know each student, ensuring each one feels seen and heard while never sliding below the radar … these connections are a privilege and make all the difference,” said Nancy Wickham, a seventh grade humanities teacher, in a news release.
Voss also highlighted the school’s purpose-learning approach to education as a reason for the students' success. Purpose learning is an educational framework that integrates academic thinking with the acts of feeling and doing.
He also emphasized the school's purpose driven learning approach as being a key factor in the students' success. Purpose learning is an educational framework that integrates academic thinking with emotional engagement and practical application.
In purpose learning, students publicly present their learning through exhibitions and other creative outlets, demonstrating mastery by teaching back what they’ve learned, he said.
“There’s an acceleration of agency and ownership with our performance based assessment platform,” Voss said.
MMS was also awarded a “Performance with Distinction” rating by Colorado’s Charter School Institute for the ninth time, in 2024. It is given to Colorado schools whose academic performance in the top 25% of all public schools in the state.
“Performance with Distinction,” is the highest possible accreditation schools may be awarded.
“To see kids achieve at this level of excellence year in and year out is a testament to all of the collaboration that goes back to our shared vision of excellence,” Voss said. “The students, parents and faculty are all extremely proud.”
Mountain Middle School is a public charter school for students in fourth through eighth grade. Enrollment is determined by a lottery system, ensuring class sizes never rise above 60 students.
jbowman@durangoherald.com