Under Dr. Cheser's leadership, the district's successes in three years include:
- The district is scoring overall in the top 20% in the state in Reading and Math.
- Our district is only one of three districts in the state (with at least 1,000 students) that has increased scores in reading and math since the pandemic.
- Our district was selected (for our innovation and Portrait of a Graduate work) for the EdLeader21 2023-24 national virtual site visit, with hundreds of educators attending the session last fall. Watch the EdLeader21 virtual visit here: https://vimeo.com/showcase/10091472/video/878816275
- We are ranked #24 in the state (out of 178 districts) on Niche.com and increasing. This is up from #101 from 2020. Review our district here https://www.niche.com/
k12/survey/start/?e=durango- ]school-district-no-9-r-co&t=d - 93% of Durango High School and 100% of Big Picture High School students take at least one college course in high school.
Dr. Cheser has recently been named by Transcend to the fifth cohort of its Learner-Centered Leadership Lab (LCLL). Transcend is a national organization that works with communities to create and spread excellent, equitable learning environments to enhance learner-centered leadership.
Our focus on innovation and finding new ways to reach all students has resulted in multiple new opportunities, such as: SOIL Outdoor Learning Lab, Impact Career Innovation Center, new rigorous K-12 math curriculum, a focus on Project-Based Learning and Global Connections, and multiple career exploration and work-based learning programs. More about our actions can be found in our Strategic Plan. https://www.durangoschools.org/apps/pages/index.jsp?uREC_ID=458567&type=d&pREC_ID=1828878