Colorado test scores improve
Scores hint at a pandemic recovery
Colorado students’ performance in math and literacy is starting to rebound to levels not seen since before the coronavirus pandemic shuttered schools three years ago, according to new data released by the state Department of Education Thursday.
But significant achievement gaps continue to persist statewide among demographic and other groups, most notably among English language learners, according to the latest Colorado Measures of Academic Success test scores.
Another disparity has also emerged: Boys’ test scores appear to be recovering more quickly than girls’, a trend that puzzled state education officials.
“It’s very good we are seeing the rebound for boys, but we need a better understanding of what is happening with the girls in the state,” said Colorado Education Commissioner Susana Córdova.
The news that Colorado students’ test scores are approaching pre-pandemic levels is not only good news but also in contrast to how children are performing nationally.
Students’ math and reading performance on the National Assessment of Educational Progress, a federal standardized exam, has fallen to the lowest point in decades, reported The New York Times.
Colorado educators made a push to improve math scores after noticing a drop in CMAS results in 2021, with officials at districts in Jefferson and Douglas counties saying their schools increased instruction time, improved curriculum, provided training for staff, and turned to tutoring to help children.
“We’re incredibly proud. We’re proud of our kids. We’re proud of our amazing educators,” said Superintendent Erin Kane, noting that Douglas County School District saw the percentage of students who met or exceeded grade-level expectations surpass pre-pandemic levels.
State and district officials praised the efforts by Colorado’s educators to get pupils back on track, but acknowledged that there is still more work to be done, including improving the achievement gaps among different groups of students.
Officials with the Colorado Department of Education also cautioned that while the results are encouraging, they would like to see performance growing at a higher rate than it did this year.
“It’s actually very encouraging and worth some celebration,” said Lisa Medler, the agency’s executive director of accountability and continuous improvement. “Students — they’re making some recovery, however, they’re quite not there.”
While there are hints of a faster recovery in math scores, some of the improvement is also due to the fact that there was a more significant drop in performance, added Joyce Zurkowski, chief assessment officer for the department.