Colorado students outperforming national averages, still behind pre-pandemic levels

DENVER (KDVR) — "The Nation's Report Card," formally known as the National Assessment of Educational Progress was released on Wednesday morning and showed that Colorado students, including those from Denver Public Schools, were performing above the national average.

The assessment also revealed that while Colorado students did improve, they remained under the scores prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Every two years, the U.S. Department of Education administers the assessment to fourth and eighth-grade students across the nation. The assessment analyzes reading and math results.

For Colorado reading scores, results were stable since the last assessment in 2022 but have not reached the levels before 2019. However, the students still remained above the national public average and increased the percentage of students performing at or exceeding basic and proficient levels in reading.

For the math portion of the assessment, the results are a bit more complex. For the fourth graders, math performance has returned to pre-pandemic levels but only matched the national average. For the eighth-grade students, results were below pre-pandemic levels but remained above the national average with an increase in students at or above the basic and proficient levels.

"Colorado students and teachers have worked hard, and we’re proud our students are outperforming the national average," said Colorado Education Commissioner Susana Córdova. "Today’s fourth and eighth graders have overcome pandemic challenges, but learning gaps remain for some groups, like students with disabilities, multilingual learners, and those from underserved communities. We must keep working to close these gaps so all students can succeed."

According to the assessment, one top-performing district was Denver Public Schools.

Since 2017, DPS has participated in the Trial Urban District Assessment, an assessment that focuses on trends in urban education areas nationally. Out of the 27 districts participating in the program, DPS eighth graders performed as the second best in reading scores, while the fourth graders came in at sixth highest.

“The district’s strong performance on NAEP is a testament to the board, administration, and staff remaining steadfast in the pursuit of their goals for improving outcomes for all students in the district,” said Dr. Ray Hart, executive director of the Council of the Great City Schools.

DPS scores in reading and math increased from 2022 scores as the national average decreased significantly, according to a press release from DPS. The mean scale score for DPS increased at a higher rate than the national average or other public Colorado schools.

Out of three of the four assessments taken, results did not skew too far from 2019 levels while the nation had a decrease in all four assessments.

"The gains we've seen reflect the commitment of our entire community to educational excellence,” said DPS Superintendent Dr. Alex Marrero. “We must continue to push forward, ensuring that even more of our students are equipped and on track for long-term academic success. Every step we take is a step closer to achieving the high standards we’ve set for all of our learners."