Press Releases

Denver Public Schools Selects Encore! from Spectrum K12 School Solutions

TOWSON, Md. – November 14, 2006 – Denver Public Schools (DPS) has selected ENCORE!® from Spectrum K12 School Solutions to provide a comprehensive, Web-based solution for managing its special education program. The district, which serves approximately 75,000 students across 151 schools, joins several Colorado districts — including St. Vrain Valley School District, Cherry Creek School District, and the South Central BOCES — in implementing the award-winning ENCORE! solution to manage all phases of the Individualized Education Plan (IEP) process for special populations.

“Previously, our teachers created IEPs using a ‘home-grown’ software program that was installed on individual computers throughout the district. The program was rarely networked and was never available on the Web. Paper copies of the IEPs were created at meetings and sent to the central office. Once received, salient pieces of the paper documents were manually entered into the districts’ student information system. This process was staff intensive and did not adequately manage the increasing demands for student data," said Lisa Bernadett, director of operations for student services at Denver Public Schools.

"We were looking for a more robust, yet efficient, system that would streamline the management of IEP paperwork, guide our teachers gently through an IEP meeting, while tracking and making available the data we need for reporting,” Bernadett said. “The people at Spectrum K12 focus exclusively on special education. They know the complexities inherent in the process, and have built a solution that will save our teachers time, and allow them more time to deliver quality instruction while increasing the quality of the collected data.”

Designed specifically for the K-12 education market, ENCORE! helps school districts increase the effectiveness of their programs for special populations by automating time-consuming data collection and reporting processes, and reducing the paperwork burden. As data are entered, compliance requirements are automatically verified, ensuring that paperwork is completed accurately and on time. As a result, educators can spend more time in the classroom, focusing on improving student learning and achievement.

“Coupled with our dedication to student achievement, the Denver Public Schools is committed to compliance with special education law,” said Bernadett. “So, one of the main reasons we selected ENCORE! was its built-in compliance engine. It prompts the user when data entered into the system aren’t compliant so the data can be corrected before the completion of the IEP meeting. With ENCORE! we can also build prompts into the program and customize it to match the unique processes we have implemented in Denver. We conducted a thorough review of all available products, and there is no question that ENCORE! is by far the superior solution.”

About Denver Public Schools

While its roots can be traced to 1859, when the city was founded, the Denver Public Schools was officially created in 1902 when voters approved a constitutional amendment that created the City and County of Denver. Today, the district is widely recognized as one of the best urban school systems in the country. Under the direction of Superintendent, Michael Bennet and Chief Academic Officer, Jaime Aquino, the DPS embraced the Denver Plan which outlines the revitalization of this urban school district and delineates the changes required in its relentless pursuit of student achievement.

About Spectrum K12 School Solutions

Based in Towson, Md., Spectrum K12 School Solutions Inc. helps school districts more effectively manage the individualized learning process for all students receiving special services or interventions. Spectrum K12 works collaboratively with districts of all sizes to deliver scalable, easy-to-use software solutions that lift the burden of paperwork from educational professionals so they can focus on the most important part of their work: educating children and improving student achievement.