Division of Instruction

Our District's Vision and Mission

The vision of the Aurora Public Schools is to graduate every student with the chance to attend college without remediation.

To meet the challenge of this vision, our mission is to teach every student within a safe environment the knowledge, skills, and values necessary to enter college or a career and become a contributing member of society who flourishes in a diverse and dynamic world.

Achievement - Transformational Goals for APS Instruction

The Vista 2015 Plan provides the framework for transforming the Aurora Public Schools into the premiere school district in the state of Colorado. To accomplish this, the Division of Instruction accepts the challenge of promoting learning at the highest level for each student. We believe that the achievement of each and every student can be brought to the highest level through the following transformational goals:

• Accelerate learning and raise expectations for every student
• Increase student achievement and teacher development through precise, individualized professional learning aligned with achievement goals
• Reduce the gap in academic performance of students while raising achievement overall
• Adopt models and structures based on practices that are research based and demonstrated to be effective

To ensure transformational change, we will raise expectations for every student. Through clearly defined standards and identified high expectations for student performance, we can assess each student’s progress. We will create a variety of opportunities for learning and provide students the time they need to achieve their fullest potentials.

 APS Approach to Instructional Coaching

To promote consistency in implementing the APS Approach to Instructional Coaching, the expectation for all parties is to support the purposes, essential elements and roles set forth for instructional coaching, while understanding the need for flexibility and professional judgment based on school needs and available resources

• APS Instructional Coaching Report

K-8 Schools in Aurora Public Schools

The construct for K-8 schools in APS is, by intent and design, unique.

Because of our unique K-8 structures, we view them as neither an elementary nor a secondary school.

Since the inception of K-8's in APS, we have worked hard and communicated clearly to staff, students and parents that K-8's are neither elementary schools nor middle schools. Our K-8's have a unique staffing model, a unique academic program and unique co-and-extracurricular offerings.

APS K-8's provide instructional minutes that meet or exceed the Colorado Department of Education's (CDE) secondary minimum for student instructional contact time. All students (1st-8th) have access to approximately the same number of instructional contact hours. Each teacher in a K-8 has approximately the same amount of contact and non contact time.

It is our intention to continue moving forward with this construct at our K-8's until, or unless we have more specific guidance from CDE.

Across the district, teachers in APS are meeting in small teams to focus their efforts on student achievement. These teams examine data and use the information gathered to shape classroom practices and instruction. To learn more about data teams in APS, visit the Data Teams in APS page.