After a work session last week, the Mancos School District Board of Education gave the nod to Superintendent Brian Hanson to apply for Innovative School status.
If approved, Mancos School District would be the first in Colorado to earn such a status, which would essentially exempt the school district from taking state-mandated tests.
"We are doing all this to shield ourselves from political noise," Hanson said.
Hanson said the state mandates put undue hardships on smaller schools.
"I've always been very vocal and outspoken against reforms and testing," Hanson said. "We all know schools are very successful, and teaching is probably better than it has ever been."
Testing affects the school's accreditation, and that isn't fair, Hanson said.
"My school is graded on a test that kids don't care about," he said. "Because of this, I want to do something different."
Hanson said the Innovative Status would show that the school values teachers, leaders, Colorado Department of Education rubrics, support with peer coaching, Colorado Academic Standards, and teacher and student assessments. It would also require that the district partner with a college.
"There is more to a kid than just a test score," Hanson said.
He said he hopes to have the status approved by next year.
"We will still show growth under the new plan," he said.
Hanson said students will still probably have to test this spring.
"These high-stakes tests don't work," Hanson said. "Whether your scores are good or not good, that's not how you tell if a school is doing well. There are so many great things going on in the classroom."