Jeffco Public Schools — Policy Analysis 2026
Grand Total
85 / 106
80.2%
Base Score
76 / 96
Extra Credit
9 / 10
Score by Section
| Section | Score | Max | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Culturally Responsive Training | 5 | 8 | Notes |
| Clear & Consistent Policies | 8 | 8 | Notes |
| Restorative Justice Practices | 3 | 8 | Notes |
| Bias Awareness & Mitigation | 7 | 8 | Notes |
| Culturally Relevant Curriculum | 6 | 8 | Notes |
| Community Engagement & Collaboration | 8 | 8 | Notes |
| Professional Development on Equity & Inclusion | 4 | 8 | Notes |
| Mental Health & Trauma-Informed Practices | 6 | 8 | Notes |
| Data Collection & Analysis | 8 | 8 | Notes |
| Student Voice & Leadership | 6 | 8 | Notes |
| Equitable Access to Support Services | 8 | 8 | Notes |
| Continuous Evaluation & Improvement | 7 | 8 | Notes |
| Extra Credit | 9 | 10 | Notes |
Suggestions to Improve the Score
Every item below its maximum, worst gap first, with the reviewer's own notes as the rationale.
Show suggestions (18)
- 3.4 [Restorative Justice Practices]: Peer mediation program — Currently: Not Implemented (0/2 pts). No public documentation was found of a formal Jeffco peer-mediation program (student mediators trained to resolve peer disputes).
- 7.4 [Professional Development on Equity & Inclusion]: Participation in equity-focused conferences — Currently: Not Implemented (0/2 pts). No public documentation was found confirming staff participation in external equity-focused conferences as a district practice or requirement.
- 10.3 [Student Voice & Leadership]: Students facilitate restorative processes — Currently: Not Implemented (0/2 pts). No public documentation was found showing students are trained to independently facilitate restorative circles/conferences in Jeffco; restorative processes appear to be facilitated by adult liaisons/staff.
- 1.2 [Culturally Responsive Training]: Mentorship programs for culturally diverse staff — Currently: In-work (1/2 pts). The JCEA contract commits the district to <cite index="8-1">create a 1:1 mentorship program for educators of color in the District to be mentored by more experienced educators of color</cite>, but this is a negotiated commitment rather than confirmed full implementation, and past affinity-group efforts drew controversy, so it's rated in-work.
- 1.3 [Culturally Responsive Training]: Culturally relevant PD resources in staff learning — Currently: In-work (1/2 pts). Jeffco <cite index="35-3,35-4,35-5">partnered with the organization StandUp to codesign a "train-the-trainer" equity professional learning series, resulting in four equity-focused modules rolled out sequentially, beginning with early adopter schools</cite> — real but not yet districtwide.
- 1.4 [Culturally Responsive Training]: Regular feedback/measurement on training effectiveness — Currently: In-work (1/2 pts). District staff report gathering informal feedback on training ("<cite index="29-1,29-2">Several groups...have already received the training. 'We've received great feedback,' said Renee Nicothodes</cite>"), but no systematic effectiveness-measurement process was found.
- 3.1 [Restorative Justice Practices]: Restorative circles/conferences to repair harm — Currently: In-work (1/2 pts). Restorative circles/conferences exist (<cite index="85-5">community-building circles and greeting students at the door</cite>), but participation is via <cite index="93-1">two pathways: professional learning opportunities on districtwide PD days or becoming a cohort school</cite> — not yet mandatory or fully districtwide.
- 3.2 [Restorative Justice Practices]: Staff training in restorative practices — Currently: In-work (1/2 pts). As of 2023-24 <cite index="225-6,225-7">nine schools participated in the cohort restorative-practices model, with 860 additional educators across 168 sites trained</cite> — significant but partial coverage of the district's ~170 schools.
- 3.3 [Restorative Justice Practices]: Curriculum integrates conflict-resolution skills — Currently: In-work (1/2 pts). SEL curriculum and restorative practices are integrated into the <cite index="90-6">prevention and intervention continuum, teaching accountability, responsibility and reflection</cite>, but no explicit standalone conflict-resolution curriculum requirement was found districtwide.
- 4.1 [Bias Awareness & Mitigation]: Implicit bias training for staff — Currently: In-work (1/2 pts). As of March 2026, <cite index="131-5,131-6,131-7,131-8">"Understanding Implicit Bias" training has reached 461 employees from three schools and seven central departments, with districtwide rollout to every employee planned beginning August 2026</cite> — in progress, not yet complete.
- 5.2 [Culturally Relevant Curriculum]: Teacher PD on integrating diverse perspectives — Currently: In-work (1/2 pts). Equity-focused PD modules on culturally responsive practice are being rolled out via the StandUp partnership, but coverage remains partial (early-adopter schools) as of the latest reporting.
- 5.4 [Culturally Relevant Curriculum]: Culturally specific courses/electives — Currently: In-work (1/2 pts). Jeffco offers <cite index="58-3">Spanish for Heritage Speakers</cite> and Dual Language programs, but no evidence was found of dedicated ethnic-studies or culturally specific history/identity elective courses districtwide.
- 7.2 [Professional Development on Equity & Inclusion]: Workshops on culturally responsive teaching — Currently: In-work (1/2 pts). Culturally responsive teaching workshops are being developed via the StandUp partnership's equity PD modules, but rollout is still in early-adopter phase rather than universal.
- 7.3 [Professional Development on Equity & Inclusion]: Equity topics in staff meetings/PD — Currently: In-work (1/2 pts). Equity topics have reached leadership groups (<cite index="198-8">the EAC, Jeffco's cabinet, and the Ethnic Minority Outreach Action Team have already received the training</cite>), but there is no confirmation this is a standard, recurring agenda item in regular school-level staff meetings districtwide.
- 8.2 [Mental Health & Trauma-Informed Practices]: Safe, supportive spaces (mindfulness/sensory) — Currently: In-work (1/2 pts). The district provides a <cite index="95-1,95-2">Jeffco Schools Virtual Calm Room with tools and strategies to manage emotions and stress by integrating purposeful pauses throughout the day</cite>, but evidence of physical in-school sensory/calming rooms districtwide (beyond special education settings) was not confirmed.
- 8.3 [Mental Health & Trauma-Informed Practices]: Trauma-informed staff training — Currently: In-work (1/2 pts). Trauma-informed practices are used in specific programs (e.g., Affective Needs Center) and <cite index="82-6,82-7">three certified Crisis Prevention Intervention (CPI) trainers support a non-violent crisis program providing staff with skills to safely manage challenging behaviors</cite>, but this isn't confirmed as universal staff training.
- 12.4 [Continuous Evaluation & Improvement]: PD & reflective practice culture — Currently: In-work (1/2 pts). The district describes ongoing reflective practice ("<cite index="171-16">Peña acknowledged that the pace of implementation can be frustrating for some but that it's necessary to go slow to go far</cite>") but a formalized, universal PD/reflective-practice cycle tied specifically to discipline equity wasn't confirmed districtwide.
- EC5 [Extra Credit]: Dedicated Dropout Prevention and Re-Engagement team of Student Engagement Advocates providing case management, mentoring, and cultural programming for at-risk/opportunity youth. — Currently: In-work (1/2 pts). The team is made up of <cite index="208-2">eight Student Engagement Advocates who work directly to support 'opportunity youth' defined as students who have dropped out or are at-risk of dropping out</cite>, providing mentoring and cultural programming support.