Turbulent Charter Conversion in Colo. Spurs Call for Change

Colorado’s closely watched effort to forcibly convert a low-performing Denver school into a charter school has been rocky, but early indicators suggest that Cole College Prep may be better off for the change, a new study concludes.

Commissioned by two Colorado foundations, the report criticized the conversion process, including its timeline, and noted that the school suffered significant staff turnover. Its recommendations include altering a recent rewrite of the state’s law for failing schools and building better capacity at the state level for such conversions.

The school in question, previously called Cole Middle School, is the first in Colorado ever forced to close by the state board of education and reopen as a charter school. It was also the first attempt by the Knowledge Is Power Program, or KIPP, a national network of middle schools, to transform an existing school rather than start...