Colorado Springs School District 11's Mitchell High School Earns Its Highest State Rating in 10 Years

Mitchell moves out of the state's two lowest performance categories for the first time since 2016.

Colorado Springs School District 11 today announced that Mitchell High School has earned its highest rating from the state in a decade, moving into the Improvement Plan category on the Colorado Department of Education's 2026 School Performance Framework with 42.6% of points earned—up 6.9 percentage points from 35.7% in 2025.

Colorado rates schools annually through the School Performance Framework, assigning one of four accreditation categories—Performance Plan, Improvement Plan, Priority Improvement Plan, or Turnaround Plan—based on student achievement, academic growth, and postsecondary and workforce readiness. Mitchell had been rated Priority Improvement or Turnaround, the state's two lowest accreditation categories, every year CDE has issued a rating since 2016, including a Turnaround Plan rating as recently as 2024.

The results follow a multiyear effort to strengthen classroom instruction and establish shared expectations for rigorous student learning, supported by D11’s partnership with research-based organization Instructional Empowerment.

“Mitchell’s improvement demonstrates what is possible when a school community unites around strong instruction and refuses to lower expectations for students,” said Superintendent Michael Gaal. “The Mitchell team has undertaken focused, disciplined work, and the results are beginning to reflect that commitment. We will build on this momentum as we continue working to provide every Mitchell student with the exceptional education they deserve.”

“Mitchell High School’s progress reflects the hard work of the district and school team as true partners in this work,” said Michael Toth, Founder and CEO of Instructional Empowerment. “We're proud to partner with Superintendent Gaal and Colorado Springs School District 11 to support Mitchell in achieving this important milestone. We look forward to continuing our work together as students engage in deeper learning and develop the skills for lifelong success.”

“At Mitchell, we have worked to build a culture in which every student is challenged, supported, and known,” said George Smith, principal of Mitchell High School. “This rating recognizes the daily commitment of our staff and students, but more importantly, it shows our community that Mitchell is moving forward. We are proud of how far we have come and energized by what comes next.”

Mitchell’s results add to Instructional Empowerment’s growing body of documented school-turnaround outcomes. More information is available in Instructional Empowerment’s online research library: https://instructionalempowerment.com/library/

About Colorado Springs School District 11

Colorado Springs School District 11 is the public school district at the heart of Colorado Springs. Through a diverse portfolio of neighborhood, magnet, alternative, online, and charter schools, D11 is reshaping public education around three priorities: high-quality instruction, modern learning environments, and real-world opportunities. From preschool through postsecondary pathways, the district works to provide a school for every child and a plan for every future. Learn more at https://www.d11.org/.

About Instructional Empowerment

Instructional Empowerment partners with schools and districts nationwide to implement rigorous Tier 1 instruction that ensures deeper learning for all students. The organization's Applied Research Center conducts ongoing research on instructional effectiveness, school improvement, and educator practice. Learn more at https://instructionalempowerment.com/.

Community invited to ceremony honoring those lost, including Mitchell graduate Kathryn Yancey LaBorie

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — Twenty-five years after the attacks of September 11, 2001, the Mitchell High School community remains committed to honoring the lives lost and ensuring that their stories are remembered by future generations.

Mitchell High School will hold its annual 9/11 Memorial Commemoration at 9:45 a.m. Friday, September 11, at the school’s flagpole, 1205 Potter Drive, Colorado Springs.

The ceremony holds particular significance for Mitchell High School. Kathryn Yancey LaBorie, a 1975 Mitchell graduate and the lead flight attendant aboard United Airlines Flight 175, was among those killed when the hijacked plane struck the South Tower of the World Trade Center.

In 2023, the Kathryn Yancey Memorial Scholarship was established in her honor. Her photograph also hangs on Mitchell’s Wall of Inspiration, where students can learn about her life, courage and connection to their school.

This year’s keynote speaker will be Maj. Gen. David A. Piffarerio, a 1990 Mitchell High School graduate. Maj. Gen. Piffarerio serves as the Mobilization Assistant to the Commander of Pacific Air Forces at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii.

Commissioned in 1994 as an honor graduate of the United States Air Force Academy, Maj. Gen. Piffarerio has served in numerous operational, test and command assignments involving the F-15E, F-22 and F-16. He has flown combat missions in support of operations Northern Watch, Southern Watch, Enduring Freedom and Noble Eagle. He was the first U.S. Air Force pilot to reach 1,000 flight hours in the F-22 Raptor and has logged more than 3,500 hours in fighter aircraft. In his civilian career, he is a Boeing 777 pilot with a major U.S. airline.

Mitchell High School invites students, families, alumni and members of the community to attend as the school remembers Kathryn and all those whose lives were lost or forever changed on September 11, 2001.

The ceremony is open to the public.

Community invited to ceremony honoring those lost, including Mitchell graduate Kathryn Yancey LaBorie

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — Twenty-five years after the attacks of September 11, 2001, the Mitchell High School community remains committed to honoring the lives lost and ensuring that their stories are remembered by future generations.

Mitchell High School will hold its annual 9/11 Memorial Commemoration at 9:45 a.m. Friday, September 11, at the school’s flagpole, 1205 Potter Drive, Colorado Springs.

The ceremony holds particular significance for Mitchell High School. Kathryn Yancey LaBorie, a 1975 Mitchell graduate and the lead flight attendant aboard United Airlines Flight 175, was among those killed when the hijacked plane struck the South Tower of the World Trade Center.

In 2023, the Kathryn Yancey Memorial Scholarship was established in her honor. Her photograph also hangs on Mitchell’s Wall of Inspiration, where students can learn about her life, courage and connection to their school.

This year’s keynote speaker will be Maj. Gen. David A. Piffarerio, a 1990 Mitchell High School graduate. Maj. Gen. Piffarerio serves as the Mobilization Assistant to the Commander of Pacific Air Forces at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii.

Commissioned in 1994 as an honor graduate of the United States Air Force Academy, Maj. Gen. Piffarerio has served in numerous operational, test and command assignments involving the F-15E, F-22 and F-16. He has flown combat missions in support of operations Northern Watch, Southern Watch, Enduring Freedom and Noble Eagle. He was the first U.S. Air Force pilot to reach 1,000 flight hours in the F-22 Raptor and has logged more than 3,500 hours in fighter aircraft. In his civilian career, he is a Boeing 777 pilot with a major U.S. airline.

Mitchell High School invites students, families, alumni and members of the community to attend as the school remembers Kathryn and all those whose lives were lost or forever changed on September 11, 2001.

The ceremony is open to the public.

UCCS will be holding a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the renovation of a space for the new Air Force ROTC Detachment 105A. 

The ribbon-cutting will take place tomorrow, Thursday, August 27 at 3 p.m. in the Osbourne building on the UCCS campus. VIPs in attendance will include: 

    The Honorable Dianne Primavera, Lieutenant Governor, Colorado 

    The Honorable Tony Exum, Colorado State Senator 

    The Honorable Jarvis Caldwell, Colorado State Representative 

    The Honorable Amy Paschal, Colorado State Representative 

    From The Colorado Board Of Regents, MR. Ken Montera, MR. Frank Mcnulty, And MR. Ray Scott. 

    From Headquarters Air Force Rotc, Colonel Gabe Fleming And MR. Brian Smith 

    Colonel Sandy Coble, Commander, Air Force Rotc Northwest Region 

    From The University Of Colorado, Colorado Springs, Chancellor Jennifer Sobanet, Interim Provost, Dr. Kevin Laudner, Interim Vice Chancellor For Enrollment Management And Student Affairs, Dr. Jon Caudill, And Dean Of The College Of Education, Dr. Joe Wehrman

Chancellor Jennifer Sobanet, Detachment 105 Commander – Colonel Rebecca Lange and Cadet Wing Commander – Cadet Joshua Boswell will be available for interview.