Definitions of the different types of schools:


  • Charter School

    • (1) A charter school shall be a public, nonsectarian, nonreligious, non-home-based school which operates within a public school district. 
    • (2) A charter school shall be a public school within the school district that grants its charter and shall be accountable to the school district's local board of education
    • Source: CDE - The Colorado Charter Schools Act. Read here for more details.

  • Innovation School

    • The Act allows a public school or group of public schools to submit to its school 
      district board of education an innovation plan to allow a school or group of schools to 
      implement innovations within the school or group of schools. The innovations may 
      include but are not limited to innovations in: 
      • delivery of educational services,
      • personnel administration and decision-making, and 
      • budgeting.
    • Source: CDE - Innovation Schools Act of 2008, Fact Sheet. Read here for more details.

  • Pilot School

    • In 2007, Aurora Education Association and Aurora Public Schools Board of Education
      agreed that APS should become a Pilot School district as an effective means to
      generate school reform.
      Both AEA and the school district board and leadership believe the innovations in the
      Pilot School structure are a perfect match for the goals outlined in VISTA 2015 –
      Aurora Public Schools strategic plan. The Pilot model embodies teacher and
      community empowerment.
    • The purpose of Pilot Schools is to promote educational innovation and increase
      student success and achievement while offering a choice to teachers and
      parents.
    • The goal of Pilot Schools is to provide schools with autonomy and maximum
      control over their resources in exchange for increased accountability. The
      anticipated outcome is increased student achievement. Pilot Schools are given
      more freedom but, in return, their students are expected to attain higher levels
      of student achievement that exceed district averages. Pilot Schools are free
      from many constraints in order to be more innovative, empower teachers and
      engage the community. Pilot Schools are exempt from most district policies
      (except those mandated by law or regulation) and are exempt from many
      teacher contract work rules defined by the negotiated agreement. (Teachers
      are entitled to the same salary and benefits of other teachers in the district and
      retain their seniority and transfer rights.) Pilot Schools have collaborative
      cultures that support staff and administration working together to best meet the
      needs of students and families of their school.
    • Pilot Schools can be at any grade level: pre-school, elementary, middle, K-8 or
      high. The only requirement is that no Pilot School can be larger than 500
      students. For larger schools, this means creating separate schools within an
      existing facility. Each school in an existing facility would have its own staff and
      budget with different programmatic focus
    • Source: Aurora Public Schools Pilot School Manual. Read here for more details.

  • Contract School

    • Specialized autonomous schools.
    • School and district negotiate a contract to determine the conditions of their operation within the district.
    • The contract is renewed every 3-5 years by BOE approval.
    • Subject to similar review and approval process as charter schools.
    • The contract defines the financial arrangement between the school and DPS.
    • Source: DPS Office of School Reform and Innovation- Portfolio of Schools. Read here for more details. Also includes DPS definitions for Charter & Innovation Schools.