COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — Woodmen-Roberts Elementary in Academy School District 20 has earned a recognition for teacher collaboration and professional development shared by only three other schools across Colorado during 2026.
The honor comes from Solution Tree, the organization behind Professional Learning Communities (PLC), and is awarded to schools that demonstrate at least three years of student growth and achievement. Woodmen Roberts is only the second school in El Paso County to receive it; the first was in 2018.
For about the past six years, Academy School District 20 has been shifting its educational philosophy to incorporate PLCs as part of its core programming. That means more teacher collaboration, vertical learning integrations, and occasional two-hour delays on Fridays.
The past three years of that focus at Woodmen-Roberts have paid off. Solution Tree provides strategies to help educational districts meet their goals, and at this school that has meant creating additional collaborative space for teachers — including 90 minutes each Friday, along with 12 two-hour delayed start days interspersed throughout the school year, where educators come together to discuss strategy.
"We invest in our teachers, and we know our teachers learn best when they have time to collaborate and work together to talk about student achievement. So we're able to gather together, and we're able to align ourselves," said Nate Hansen, principal at Woodmen-Roberts Elementary School.
According to Brittany Graham, a fourth-grade teacher at Woodmen-Roberts, part of the collaborative model involves vertically aligning lesson plans across grade levels, with teachers from different grades working together to identify what students need.
"What do they need more in fifth grade, or what do third graders need to come up to us — just understanding a little bit more," Graham said.
The two-hour delayed starts have also made broader, school-wide collaboration possible, rather than individual grade-level teams working separately.
"The two-hour late starts have really made it possible for us to meet as a whole team, not just fourth grade in our little bubble, but the fact that we're able to meet with everybody means we're able to go further with the kids," Graham added.
According to Hansen, the school's state testing scores have improved since implementing PLCs, along with scores in math, science, and English language arts.
"The last five years, as we look at our overall student achievement and growth results, kids are starting the year higher, and they're ending the year higher. So we've seen that progress over time, so we know the work our teachers are doing is really making a difference in student learning," Hansen said.
For additional information regarding PLCs and the recent recognition of Woodmen-Roberts Elementary School, click here.
___________________________________________________________________________
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
___________________________________________________________________________
Right to Hunt and Fish? Amendment 83
____
Watch KOAA News5 on your time, anytime with our free streaming app available for your Roku, FireTV, AppleTV and Android TV. Just search KOAA News5, download and start watching.
