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Colorado John Irwin Schools of Excellence Awards
Award Criteria
The John Irwin awards are given to schools that demonstrate exceptional academic achievement over time. These schools received an Exceeds Expectations rating on the Academic Achievement indicator of the School Performance Frameworks reflecting exceptional performance in Math, English Language Arts, and Science. (View more information on the School Performance Framework in SchoolView.)
The Excellence Awards are named for a true friend and visionary of education, former Colorado State Representative, John J. Irwin.
John Irwin Biography
John Irwin was born in Kansas in 1926 and went on to earn a chemical engineering degree from the University of Kansas. He continued his education at Harvard where he earned an MBA. In 1971, the Irwin family moved to Colorado where John continued his career at Kodak's new plant in Windsor.
After a long and successful career at Kodak, he retired and successfully ran for a seat in the Colorado House of Representatives, serving three terms. John Irwin served on the state accountability committee, the House Education committee and was the 1992 co-sponsor of a charter school bill, with then Senator Bill Owens, that did not at that time become law. After the untimely death of John Irwin, the bill was carried with bi-partisan support the following year by then-Senator Bill Owens and Representative Peggy Kerns. John Irwin was a true charter school visionary and pioneer, as the law when finally adopted, was only the third such law in the nation. Irwin believed strongly in parental involvement in education and empowering self-governing schools. Irwin loved learning and believed reading was the basis of a solid education. Having benefited from a solid education himself, John worked tirelessly to make sure every child in every part of this state received a high-quality education.
During all of the years Rep. Irwin served Colorado in the legislature, education was his passion. In his final year, in addition to co-sponsoring the precursor to the Charter School Act, John Irwin also sponsored legislation creating the Excellent Schools Program, which through subsequent legislation evolved into the Colorado John Irwin Schools of Excellence Awards program.
Previous Award Recipients
The John Irwin awards recognize the academic excellence that John J. Irwin believed in and supported as a citizen, a father, and a legislator.
Click on the following dates to see award recipients from prior years. Note, awards for 2015 were not determined due to lack of assessment data.
2022 Recipients
Please note: We are working on planning the award recognition and distribution of banners for 2022 award recipients for later this Spring. More information will be available soon.
Academy 20
- Academy International Elementary School
- Antelope Trails Elementary School
- Challenger Middle School
- Chinook Trail Elementary School
- Discovery Canyon Campus Middle School
- Journey K8
- Rockrimmon Elementary School
- TCA College Pathways
- The Classical Academy
- The Classical Academy High School
- Discovery Canyon Campus Middle School
- Mountain View Elementary School
Adams 12 Five Star Schools
- Hulstrom Options K-8 School
- Meridian Elementary School
- Silver Creek Elementary
- Stargate Charter School
- Thunder Vista P-8
Adams-Arapahoe 28J
- Aurora Quest K-8
Aspen 1
- Aspen Community Charter School
Boulder Valley RE-2
- Boulder Universal
- Eldorado K-8 School
- Fairview High School
- Fireside Elementary School
- Flatirons Elementary School
- Meadowlark School
- Mesa Elementary School
- Southern Hills Middle School
- Superior Elementary School
- Bear Creek Elementary School
- Boulder Community School/Integrated Studies
- Creekside Elementary School at Martin Park
- Foothill Elementary School
- High Peaks Elementary School
- Summit Middle Charter School
Charter School Institute
- Colorado Early Colleges Douglas County
- Golden View Classical Academy
- Mountain Middle School
- Steamboat Montessori
Cherry Creek 5
- Altitude Elementary School
- Campus Middle School
- Challenge School
- Cherry Creek Charter Academy
- Cherry Creek High School
- Cottonwood Creek Elementary School
- Dry Creek Elementary School
- Greenwood Elementary School
- Heritage Elementary School
- Homestead Elementary School
- Rolling Hills Elementary School
- Willow Creek Elementary School
- Belleview Elementary School
- Cherry Hills Village Elementary School
Cheyenne Mountain 12
- Broadmoor Elementary School
- Cheyenne Mountain Elementary School
- Cheyenne Mountain High School
- Cheyenne Mountain Junior High School
- Gold Camp Elementary School
- Pinon Valley Elementary School
Colorado Springs 11
- Chipeta Elementary School
- Steele Elementary School
Delta County 50(J)
- Paonia Elementary School
Denver Public Schools
- Bradley International School
- Cory Elementary School
- Denver School Of The Arts
- Edison Elementary School
- Slavens K-8 Schooll
- Steck Elementary School
- Steele Elementary School
- Swigert International School
- Valdez Elementary School
- Willow Elementary School
- Asbury Elementary School
- Lincoln Elementary School
- Morey Middle School
- Park Hill School
- Polaris Elementary School
- Teller Elementary School
- University Park Elementary School
- Westerly Creek Elementary
- William (Bill) Roberts ECE-8 School
District 49
- Pikes Peak Early College
Douglas County RE-1
- Academy Charter School
- Bear Canyon Elementary School
- Ben Franklin Academy
- Buffalo Ridge Elementary School
- Challenge To Excellence Charter School
- Copper Mesa Elementary School
- Cougar Run Elementary School
- Eagle Ridge Elementary School
- Eldorado Elementary School
- Mountain Ridge Middle School
- North Star Academy
- Northridge Elementary School
- Parker Core Knowledge Charter School
- Platte River Charter Academy
- Ranch View Middle School
- Saddle Ranch Elementary School
- Stem School Highlands Ranch
- Stone Mountain Elementary
- Summit View Elementary School
- Timber Trail Elementary School
- Wildcat Mountain Elementary School
- Rock Canyon High School
- Arrowwood Elementary School
- Gold Rush Elementary
- Heritage Elementary School
- Lone Tree Elementary
- Northridge Elementary School
- Stone Mountain Elementary
- Summit View Elementary School
- Trailblazer Elementary School
Eads RE-1
- Eads Elementary School
Englewood 1
- Englewood Leadership Academy
Frenchman RE-3
- Fleming High School
Harrison 2
- The Vanguard School (Middle)
- The Vanguard School (High)
Jefferson County R-1
- Bergen Valley Intermediate School
- Bradford K8 North
- Bradford K8 South
- Evergreen High School
- Evergreen Middle School
- Fairmount Elementary School
- Jefferson Academy High School
- Manning Options School
- Marshdale Elementary School
- Meiklejohn Elementary
- Mitchell Elementary School
- Red Rocks Elementary School
- Shaffer Elementary School
- Sierra Elementary School
- Wilmot Elementary School
- Dennison Elementary School
- D'evelyn Junior/Senior High School
- Devinny Elementary School
- Kyffin Elementary School
- Maple Grove Elementary School
- Marshdale Elementary School
- Parmalee Elementary School
- Ralston Elementary School
- Rooney Ranch Elementary School
- Warder Elementary School
- West Woods Elementary School
Lewis-Palmer 38
- Bear Creek Elementary School
- Lewis-Palmer Elementary School
- Prairie Winds Elementary School
Littleton 6
- Highland Elementary School
- Littleton Academy
- Lois Lenski Elementary School
- Lois Lenski Elementary School
- Wilder Elementary School
- Newton Middle School
McClave Re-2
- McClave Elementary School
Mesa County Valley 51
- Broadway Elementary School
- New Emerson School at Columbus
- Scenic Elementary School
- Wingate Elementary School
North Conejos RE-1J
- La Jara Elementary School
Poudre R-1
- Bethke Elementary School
- Fort Collins Montessori School
- Fossil Ridge High School
- Kinard Core Knowledge Middle School
- Liberty Common Charter School
- PSD Mountain Schools
- Traut Core Elementary School
- Werner Elementary School
- Zach Elementary School
- Prairie Elementary School
Pueblo County 70
- The Connect Charter School
Ridgway R-2
- Ridgway Elementary School
Salida R-32
- Crest Academy
St. Vrain Valley RE-1J
- Blue Mountain Elementary
- Highlands Elementary School
- Hygiene Elementary School
- Lyons Elementary School
- Niwot Elementary School
- Red Hawk Elementary
- Black Rock Elementary
- Erie Elementary School
Steamboat Springs RE-2
- North Routt Community Charter School
- Soda Creek Elementary School
Telluride R-1
- Telluride Middle School
Thompson R2-J
- Berthoud Elementary School
- Big Thompson Elementary School
Weld RE-4
- Windsor Charter Academy Elementary School
- Windsor Charter Academy Middle School
- Windsor Charter Academy Early College High School
Contact Information:
Kim Burnham
Competitive Grants and Awards
(303) 866-6916
Burnham_K@cde.state.co.us
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