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News Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE! Colorado Springs School District 11's Mitchell High School Earns Its Highest State Rating In 10 Years! - 08/31/26

Colorado Springs School District 11's Mitchell High School Earns Its Highest State Rating in 10 Years

 

Mitchell moves out of the state's two lowest performance categories for the first time since 2016.

 

Colorado Springs School District 11 today announced that Mitchell High School has earned its highest rating from the state in a decade, moving into the Improvement Plan category on the Colorado Department of Education's 2026 School Performance Framework with 42.6% of points earned—up 6.9 percentage points from 35.7% in 2025.

 

Colorado rates schools annually through the School Performance Framework, assigning one of four accreditation categories—Performance Plan, Improvement Plan, Priority Improvement Plan, or Turnaround Plan—based on student achievement, academic growth, and postsecondary and workforce readiness. Mitchell had been rated Priority Improvement or Turnaround, the state's two lowest accreditation categories, every year CDE has issued a rating since 2016, including a Turnaround Plan rating as recently as 2024.

 

The results follow a multiyear effort to strengthen classroom instruction and establish shared expectations for rigorous student learning, supported by D11’s partnership with research-based organization Instructional Empowerment.

 

“Mitchell’s improvement demonstrates what is possible when a school community unites around strong instruction and refuses to lower expectations for students,” said Superintendent Michael Gaal. “The Mitchell team has undertaken focused, disciplined work, and the results are beginning to reflect that commitment. We will build on this momentum as we continue working to provide every Mitchell student with the exceptional education they deserve.”

 

“Mitchell High School’s progress reflects the hard work of the district and school team as true partners in this work,” said Michael Toth, Founder and CEO of Instructional Empowerment. “We're proud to partner with Superintendent Gaal and Colorado Springs School District 11 to support Mitchell in achieving this important milestone. We look forward to continuing our work together as students engage in deeper learning and develop the skills for lifelong success.”

 

“At Mitchell, we have worked to build a culture in which every student is challenged, supported, and known,” said George Smith, principal of Mitchell High School. “This rating recognizes the daily commitment of our staff and students, but more importantly, it shows our community that Mitchell is moving forward. We are proud of how far we have come and energized by what comes next.”

 

Mitchell’s results add to Instructional Empowerment’s growing body of documented school-turnaround outcomes. More information is available in Instructional Empowerment’s online research library: https://instructionalempowerment.com/library/

 

About Colorado Springs School District 11

 

Colorado Springs School District 11 is the public school district at the heart of Colorado Springs. Through a diverse portfolio of neighborhood, magnet, alternative, online, and charter schools, D11 is reshaping public education around three priorities: high-quality instruction, modern learning environments, and real-world opportunities. From preschool through postsecondary pathways, the district works to provide a school for every child and a plan for every future. Learn more at https://www.d11.org/.

 

About Instructional Empowerment

 

Instructional Empowerment partners with schools and districts nationwide to implement rigorous Tier 1 instruction that ensures deeper learning for all students. The organization's Applied Research Center conducts ongoing research on instructional effectiveness, school improvement, and educator practice. Learn more at https://instructionalempowerment.com/.

 

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE! Colorado Springs School District 11's Mitchell High School Earns Its Highest State Rating In 10 Years! - 08/31/26

Colorado Springs School District 11's Mitchell High School Earns Its Highest State Rating in 10 Years

 

Mitchell moves out of the state's two lowest performance categories for the first time since 2016.

 

Colorado Springs School District 11 today announced that Mitchell High School has earned its highest rating from the state in a decade, moving into the Improvement Plan category on the Colorado Department of Education's 2026 School Performance Framework with 42.6% of points earned—up 6.9 percentage points from 35.7% in 2025.

 

Colorado rates schools annually through the School Performance Framework, assigning one of four accreditation categories—Performance Plan, Improvement Plan, Priority Improvement Plan, or Turnaround Plan—based on student achievement, academic growth, and postsecondary and workforce readiness. Mitchell had been rated Priority Improvement or Turnaround, the state's two lowest accreditation categories, every year CDE has issued a rating since 2016, including a Turnaround Plan rating as recently as 2024.

 

The results follow a multiyear effort to strengthen classroom instruction and establish shared expectations for rigorous student learning, supported by D11’s partnership with research-based organization Instructional Empowerment.

 

“Mitchell’s improvement demonstrates what is possible when a school community unites around strong instruction and refuses to lower expectations for students,” said Superintendent Michael Gaal. “The Mitchell team has undertaken focused, disciplined work, and the results are beginning to reflect that commitment. We will build on this momentum as we continue working to provide every Mitchell student with the exceptional education they deserve.”

 

“Mitchell High School’s progress reflects the hard work of the district and school team as true partners in this work,” said Michael Toth, Founder and CEO of Instructional Empowerment. “We're proud to partner with Superintendent Gaal and Colorado Springs School District 11 to support Mitchell in achieving this important milestone. We look forward to continuing our work together as students engage in deeper learning and develop the skills for lifelong success.”

 

“At Mitchell, we have worked to build a culture in which every student is challenged, supported, and known,” said George Smith, principal of Mitchell High School. “This rating recognizes the daily commitment of our staff and students, but more importantly, it shows our community that Mitchell is moving forward. We are proud of how far we have come and energized by what comes next.”

 

Mitchell’s results add to Instructional Empowerment’s growing body of documented school-turnaround outcomes. More information is available in Instructional Empowerment’s online research library: https://instructionalempowerment.com/library/

 

About Colorado Springs School District 11

 

Colorado Springs School District 11 is the public school district at the heart of Colorado Springs. Through a diverse portfolio of neighborhood, magnet, alternative, online, and charter schools, D11 is reshaping public education around three priorities: high-quality instruction, modern learning environments, and real-world opportunities. From preschool through postsecondary pathways, the district works to provide a school for every child and a plan for every future. Learn more at https://www.d11.org/.

 

About Instructional Empowerment

 

Instructional Empowerment partners with schools and districts nationwide to implement rigorous Tier 1 instruction that ensures deeper learning for all students. The organization's Applied Research Center conducts ongoing research on instructional effectiveness, school improvement, and educator practice. Learn more at https://instructionalempowerment.com/.