AV #213 - Achievement Gap Data in Colorado - Where we were in May, 2019. Where will we be in 2021?

(Data as of July 2020)

For many years now, August has seen the release of data on student achievement, the Colorado Department of Education's report on CSAP (1997-2011), TCAP (2012-2014), or CMAS (2015-2019).

Not this August. Where, then, do we go for the most recent state-wide data?

With no diagnostic tests this fall, the best data we have is from the state assessments taken in the spring of 2019. That is essentially what I have put together on the pages that follow.

A central question to ask about these results, as we have been asking ourselves for over 50 years, is what those scores tell us about the achievement gaps we profess to be one our main concerns?

A goal most everyone agrees on—to reduce the achievement gap in Colorado K-12 public schools—will become even more paramount this coming year. Many expect the impact of the pandemic on teaching and learning last spring will lead to an even greater achievement gap when schools reopen. Hence the need to put this issue, and the 2019 data, front and center. This data, and the gaps they expose, will have to serve as a baseline against which to measure where our students perform in the spring of 2021.

What we won't miss this month is the all-too familiar statement from the Colorado Department of Education on the results from the previous year. As you will see later in Persistent Gaps (p. 13), CDE’s annual news release often reveals the same finding. True of press reports as well, like this one from last August.

   Most groups improved their CMAS scores, but the gaps between white, black and Hispanic students remained largely unchanged, said Joyce Zurkowski, chief assessment officer at the education department. Those ranged from 24 to 29 points, depending on the grade examined.

   “At this point, I think the gaps are the most concerning,” she said. “There’s progress, but it’s not enough to narrow the gap.” (“CMAS test scores increase slightly in Colorado, but gaps remain,” by Meg Wingerter, The Denver Post, Aug. 15, 2019)  (Bold mine)

 

No such news stories this summer. Here, then, is a version of where the gaps stood a year ago—first on several academic assessments, and then in categories that pertain to student achievement.

Achievement tests – 2019     

1.       CMAS, PSAT, and SAT 

2.       NAEP – Reading and Mathematics, gr. 4 & 8

3.       Advanced Placement

Related data   -   

4.       Remediation Rate (class of 2017)

5.       College Enrollment Rate (class of 2018)

6.       Attendance and Truancy Rates (2019)

7.       Chronic Absenteeism (2019 and 2016)

8.       Dropout Rate (class of 2019)

 

Persistent Gaps – From CDE’s news release on the state assessments (2019, 2018, 2017) 

Achievement Gap in Colorado – Background (2003-2017) 

Afterward – “Achievement gap” versus “Opportunity gap”

 

Achievement tests - 2019

1.     CMAS, PSAT, and SAT

CMAS SCORES – Percent Met or Exceeded Expectations

ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS/LITERACY – GAP White/Asian to Black/Hispanic (approximate)

 

Grade 3 – GAP – 26 pts. (approximate – W/A average close to 51.5, B/H close to 25.5 = difference of 26)

STATE AVERAGE	Black	Hispanic	White	Asian	2 or More Races	American Indian or Alaska Native	Hawaiian/Pacific Islander
41.3	25.4	25.6	51.2	52.8	47.1	26.2	25.8

 

Free / Reduced Lunch Eligible	24.1	GAP 30.1 pts.
Not Free / Reduced Lunch Eligible	54.2

 

Grade 4 – GAP – 28 pts. (approx.)

STATE AVERAGE	Black	Hispanic	White	Asian	2 or More Races	American Indian or Alaska Native	Hawaiian/Pacific Islander
48.0	31.9	31.3	59.0	62.3	55.9	30.3	39.6

 

Free / Reduced Lunch Eligible	30.0	GAP 31.9 pts
Not Free / Reduced Lunch Eligible	61.9

 

Grade 5 – GAP – 29 pts. (approx.)

STATE AVERAGE	Black	Hispanic	White	Asian	2 or More Races	American Indian or Alaska Native	Hawaiian/Pacific Islander
48.4	31.6	31.5	60.1	63.8	55.3	30.6	39.0

 

Free / Reduced Lunch Eligible	30.7	GAP 31.7 pts.
Not Free / Reduced Lunch Eligible	62.4

 

Grade 6 – GAP - 29 pts. (approx.)

STATE AVERAGE	Black	Hispanic	White	Asian	2 or More Races	American Indian or Alaska Native	Hawaiian/Pacific Islander
43.6	27.6	26.6	55.1	63.6	50.5	25.6	31.3

 

Free / Reduced Lunch Eligible	25.2	GAP 32.3 pts.
Not Free / Reduced Lunch Eligible	57.5

 

Grade 7 – GAP - 28 pts. (approx.)

STATE AVERAGE	Black	Hispanic	White	Asian	2 or More Races	American Indian or Alaska Native	Hawaiian/Pacific Islander
46.5	30.1	29.9	57.4	65.5	54.4	28.9	43.3

 

Free / Reduced Lunch Eligible	28.6	GAP 30.8 pts.
Not Free / Reduced Lunch Eligible	59.4

 

Grade 8 – GAP – 26 pts. (approx.)

STATE AVERAGE	Black	Hispanic	White	Asian	2 or More Races	American Indian or Alaska Native	Hawaiian/Pacific Islander
46.9	33.4	31.2	57.1	69.7	54.4	33.8	36.4

 

Free / Reduced Lunch Eligible	30.0	GAP 28.7 pts.
Not Free / Reduced Lunch Eligible	58.7

 

**

CMAS SCORES – Percent Met or Exceeded Expectations

MATHEMATICS - GAP White/Asian to Black/Hispanic (approximate)

 

Grade 3 – GAP – 28 pts. (approximate – W/A average close to 53, B/H close to 25 = difference of 28)

STATE AVERAGE	Black	Hispanic	White	Asian	2 or More Races	American Indian or Alaska Native	Hawaiian/Pacific Islander
41.0	24.3	25.7	51.2	61.3	46.0	22.4	34.2

 

Free / Reduced Lunch Eligible	24.5	GAP 29.6 pts
Not Free / Reduced Lunch Eligible	54.1

 

Grade 4 – GAP – 26 pts. (approx.)

STATE AVERAGE	Black	Hispanic	White	Asian	2 or More Races	American Indian or Alaska Native	Hawaiian/Pacific Islander
33.6	18.2	18.4	43.8	55.1	38.9	16.4	25.3

 

Free / Reduced Lunch Eligible	17.5	GAP 28.8 pts.
Not Free / Reduced Lunch Eligible	46.3

 

Grade 5 – GAP – 28 pts. (approx.)

STATE AVERAGE	Black	Hispanic	White	Asian	2 or More Races	American Indian or Alaska Native	Hawaiian/Pacific Islander
35.7	19.4	20.3	46.0	58.3	40.6	21.1	32.6

 

Free / Reduced Lunch Eligible	19.5	GAP 28.9 pts.
Not Free / Reduced Lunch Eligible	48.4

 

Grade 6 – GAP - 27 pts. (approx.)

STATE AVERAGE	Black	Hispanic	White	Asian	2 or More Races	American Indian or Alaska Native	Hawaiian/Pacific Islander
29.5	13.2	14.8	39.6	54.2	32.5	13.9	15.6

 

Free / Reduced Lunch Eligible	13.5	GAP 28.3 pts.
Not Free / Reduced Lunch Eligible	41.8

 

Grade 7 -GAP – 28 pts. (approx.)

STATE AVERAGE	Black	Hispanic	White	Asian	2 or More Races	American Indian or Alaska Native	Hawaiian/Pacific Islander
31.6	14.6	15.5	41.9	57.0	38.1	15.4	23.8

 

Free / Reduced Lunch Eligible	14.5	GAP 29.4 pts.
Not Free / Reduced Lunch Eligible	43.9

 

Grade 8 – GAP – 30 pts. (approx.)

STATE AVERAGE	Black	Hispanic	White	Asian	2 or More Races	American Indian or Alaska Native	Hawaiian/Pacific Islander
36.9	18.8	19.9	48.1	64.3	43.5	20.7	24.5

 

Free / Reduced Lunch Eligible	18.7	GAP 30.8 pts.
Not Free / Reduced Lunch Eligible	49.5

 

**

CMAS SCORES – Percent Met or Exceeded Expectations

SCIENCE – Grades 5, 8, and high school - GAP White/Asian to Black/Hispanic (approximate)

Grade 5 – GAP – 32 pts. (approximate – W/A close to 49, B/H close to 17 = difference of 32)

STATE AVERAGE	Black	Hispanic	White	Asian	2 or More Races	American Indian or Alaska Native	Hawaiian/Pacific Islander
35.9	15.7	18.1	48.7	49.3	43.5	20.4	24.3

 

Free / Reduced Lunch Eligible	17.7	GAP 32.6 pts.
Not Free / Reduced Lunch Eligible	50.3

 

Grade 8 – GAP – 31 pts. (approx.)

STATE AVERAGE	Black	Hispanic	White	Asian	2 or More Races	American Indian or Alaska Native	Hawaiian/Pacific Islander
31.5	13.0	13.9	43.6	51.1	38.8	15.8	17.3

 

Free / Reduced Lunch Eligible	13.6	GAP 30.2 pts.
Not Free / Reduced Lunch Eligible	43.8

 

High School (often grade 11) – GAP – 22 pts. (approx.)

STATE AVERAGE	Black	Hispanic	White	Asian	2 or More Races	American Indian or Alaska Native	Hawaiian/Pacific Islander
20.7	7.3	8.8	30.7	30.0	25.5	7.1	8.5

 

Free / Reduced Lunch Eligible	9.1	GAP 19 pts.
Not Free / Reduced Lunch Eligible	28.1

 

**

SOCIAL STUDIES – Grades 4 and 7 - GAP White/Asian to Black/Hispanic (approximate)

Grade 4 – GAP – 24 pts.  (approximate – W/A close to 34.5, B/H close to 10.5 = difference of 24)

STATE AVERAGE	Black	Hispanic	White	Asian	2 or More Races	American Indian or Alaska Native	Hawaiian/Pacific Islander
23.9	11.5	9.7	33.8	35.3	28.8	14.3	15.6

 

Free / Reduced Lunch Eligible	9.6	GAP 25.5 pts.
Not Free / Reduced Lunch Eligible	35.1

 

Grade 7 – GAP – 19 pts. (approx.)

STATE AVERAGE	Black	Hispanic	White	Asian	2 or More Races	American Indian or Alaska Native	Hawaiian/Pacific Islander
17.9	9.4	6.3	25.0	35.7	23.1	9.6	12.5

 

Free / Reduced Lunch Eligible	5.9	GAP 20.5 pts.
Not Free / Reduced Lunch Eligible	26.4

 

**

PSAT/SAT – Grades 9, 10, 11 – Mean Score

 

READING & WRITING - GAP White/Asian to Black/Hispanic (approximate)

PSAT - Grade 9 – GAP – 73 pts. (approximate – W/A close to 487, B/H close to 414 = difference of 73)

STATE AVERAGE	Black	Hispanic	White	Asian	2 or More Races	American Indian or Alaska Native	Hawaiian/Pacific Islander
457	413	415	485	493	474	415	427

 

Free / Reduced Lunch Eligible	412	GAP 72 pts.
Not Free / Reduced Lunch Eligible	484

                               

                               

PSAT - Grade 10 – GAP – 77 pts. (approx.)

STATE AVERAGE	Black	Hispanic	White	Asian	2 or More Races	American Indian or Alaska Native	Hawaiian/Pacific Islander
476	429	429	504	518	495	437	452

 

Free / Reduced Lunch Eligible	427	GAP 75 pts.
Not Free / Reduced Lunch Eligible	502

               

SAT - Grade 11 – GAP – 80 pts. (approx.)

STATE AVERAGE	Black	Hispanic	White	Asian	2 or More Races	American Indian or Alaska Native	Hawaiian/Pacific Islander
505	456	456	535	540	523	457	479

 

Free / Reduced Lunch Eligible	454	GAP 76 pts.
Not Free / Reduced Lunch Eligible	530

                                                                               

NOTE

From the College Board – defining SAT College and Career Readiness Benchmarks*

 

“Students are considered college- and career-ready when their SAT section scores meet both the Math and the Evidence-Based Reading and Writing benchmarks. It is important to note that college readiness is a continuum — students scoring below the SAT benchmarks can still be successful in college, especially with additional preparation and perseverance.”

 

Reading & Writing

9^th Grade Benchmark     410

10^th Grade Benchmark   430

11^th Grade Benchmark   460

 

*https://collegereadiness.collegeboard.org/about/scores/benchmarks

 

** 

MATHEMATICS - GAP White/Asian to Black/Hispanic (approximate)

 

PSAT - Grade 9 – GAP – 78 pts. (approximate – W/A close to 484, B/H close to 406 = difference of 78)

STATE AVERAGE	Black	Hispanic	White	Asian	2 or More Races	American Indian or Alaska Native	Hawaiian/Pacific Islander
448	404	407	475	502	462	405	413

 

Free / Reduced Lunch Eligible	404	GAP 71 pts.
Not Free / Reduced Lunch Eligible	475

 

                               

PSAT - Grade 10 – GAP – 67 pts. (approx.)

STATE AVERAGE	Black	Hispanic	White	Asian	2 or More Races	American Indian or Alaska Native	Hawaiian/Pacific Islander
462	420	423	485	524	475	420	443

 

Free / Reduced Lunch Eligible	420	GAP 64 pts.
Not Free / Reduced Lunch Eligible	484

 

 

SAT - Grade 11 – GAP – 84 pts. (approx.)

STATE AVERAGE	Black	Hispanic	White	Asian	2 or More Races	American Indian or Alaska Native	Hawaiian/Pacific Islander
496	444	447	525	564	509	442	472

 

Free / Reduced Lunch Eligible	444	GAP 77 pts.
Not Free / Reduced Lunch Eligible	521

                                                                                                   

NOTE:

From the College Board - SAT College and Career Readiness Benchmarks *

 

Math

9^th Grade Benchmark     450

10^th Grade Benchmark   480

11^th Grade Benchmark   510

*https://collegereadiness.collegeboard.org/about/scores/benchmarks 

In Colorado, the gap between that 510 11^th grade benchmark and the average SAT score for Black, Hispanic, American Indian, and Alaska Native students (all under 450), is over 60 points.

 

 **

2.      NAEP scores – 2019 - Reading & Math, Grades 4 & 8

From the Colorado Department of Education

“Colorado 4^th and 8^th graders continue to outperform nation on biennial tests,” Oct 9, 2019.

   “ACHIEVEMENT GAPS - As with CMAS, the state’s results continue to show significant scoring gaps across student groups, similar to other states. Colorado gaps do exceed the nation for some subgroups.”  

(Actually, most Colorado gaps exceed the nation. Highlighted.) (http://www.cde.state.co.us/newsreleasenaep10302019

 

Colorado – READING - GAP

 

Reading – Grade 4 – GAP – highest to lowest - 27 pts. 

NATIONAL - 34% at or above proficient	219		All Too Familiar Six years ago I wrote “Fourth grade achievement gap – still ‘losing ground’?” (Feb. 4, 2014). I used NAEP results from 2013. One bullet from that piece looks sadly familiar, a quote from CDE’s “Summary of Facts: 2013 NAEP – Reading.” - “In 2013, there is 27 points achievement gap in average scores between Colorado fourth grade White students and Hispanic students. (Whites = 237; Hispanics = 210). This gap was wider than that in 1992 (20 points).”
COLORADO- 40% at or above proficient	225
By race/ethnicity in COLORADO*
White	235
Two or More Races	232
Asian	231
Black	212
Hispanic	208

                 * The Nation’s Report Card, NAEP, https://www.nationsreportcard.gov/. Same source for all other NAEP scores, below.

 

	Grade 4 Reading**
	CO	Nation
White-Black gap	24 pts	26 pts
White-Hispanic gap	27 pts	21 pts
FRL-non FRL gap	30 pts	28 pts
Female-Male gap	7 pts	7 pts
Disabled-non Disabled gap	47 pts	42 pts
ELL and non-ELL gap	44 pts	33 pts

 

 

 

 

 

 **From CDE -2019 NAEP news Release: “Colorado 4th and 8th graders continue to outperform nation on biennial tests,” http://www.cde.state.co.us/newsreleasenaep10302019 ). Same source for the analysis of the Colorado versus nation gaps for the other NAEP assessments, below.

Reading – Grade 8 – GAP – highest to lowest - 35 pts. 

NATIONAL     -      32% at or above proficient	262
COLORADO   -      38% at or above proficient	267
By race/ethnicity in COLORADO*
Asian	281
White	277
Two or More Races	275
Hispanic	251
Black	246

 

	Grade 8 Reading
	CO	Nation
White-Black gap	31 pts	27 pts
White-Hispanic gap	26 pts	20 pts
FRL-non FRL gap	28 pts	25 pts
Female-Male gap	11 pts	11 pts
Disabled-non Disabled gap	41 pts	39 pts
ELL and non-ELL gap	52 pts	45 pts

 

 

 

 

 

        

Colorado – MATHEMATICS - GAP

 

Mathematics – Grade 4 – GAP – highest to lowest  -  32 pts. 

NATIONAL    -        40% at or above proficient	240
COLORADO   -       44% at or above proficient	242
By race/ethnicity in COLORADO*
Asian	256
White	252
Two or More Races	244
Hispanic	227
Black	224

 

	Grade 4 – Mathematics			Among nation’s highest gaps NAEP's report* found Colorado's 25 point White-Hispanic gap in mathematics to be among the highest in the country. Only the District of Columbia, Minnesota, and Pennsylvania had a higher White-Hispanic gap on NAEP’s 4th grade math assessment in 2019.
	CO	Nation
White-Black gap	28 pts.	25 pts.
White-Hispanic gap	25 pts*	18 pts
FRL-non FRL gap	29 pts	24 pts
Female-Male gap	-5 pts	-3 pts
Disabled-non Disabled gap	37 pts	30 pts
ELL and non-ELL gap	34 pts	24 pts

 

 

 

 

 

 

       

*https://www.nationsreportcard.gov/profiles/stateprofile/overview/CO?cti=PgTab_GapComparisons&chort=1&sub=MAT&sj=CO&fs=Grade&st=MN&year=2019R3&sg=Race%2FEthnicity%3A+White+vs.+Hispanic&sgv=Difference&ts=Single+Year&sfj=NP

 

Mathematics – Grade 8 – GAP – highest to lowest - 53 pts. 

NATIONAL    -        33% at or above proficient	281
COLORADO   -       37% at or above proficient	285
By race/ethnicity in COLORADO*
Asian	314
White	295
Two or More Races	286
Hispanic	268
Black	261

 

	Grade 8 Mathematics
	CO	Nation
White-Black gap	34 pts.	32 pts.
White-Hispanic gap	27 pts	23 pts
FRL-non FRL gap	32 pts	30 pts
Female-Male gap	-1 pts	1 pts
Disabled-non Disabled gap	46 pts	40 pts
ELL and non-ELL gap	49 pts	41 pts

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

       

 

 

 

3.      Advanced Placement – 2019 - Public School Students*

GAP White/Asian to Black/Hispanic (approximate) 

Passing rate – GAP – 25 pts. (approximate – W/A close to 67%, B/H close to 42% = difference of 25 % pts.)

Overall	Average	Black	Hispanic/ Latino	White	Asian	2 or More Races	American Indian or Alaska Native
Colorado	60.6%	36.2%	43.9%	66.2%	69.5%	63.2%	36.3%
National	57.9%	30.6%	43.2%	64.3%	72%	61.2%	33.9%

  

Mean score

Overall	Average	Black	Hispanic/ Latino	White	Asian	2 or More Races	American Indian or Alaska Native
Colorado	2.92	2.22	2.45	3.07	3.22	3.00	2.19
National	2.85	2.05	2.42	3.02	3.32	2.95	2.15

 *College Board- Research - https://research.collegeboard.org/programs/ap/data/participation/ap-2019

 

   

Related Data – GAPS

4.      Remediation – From High School Class of 2017, most recent data available

2019 Legislative Report - "The Postsecondary Progress and Success of High School Graduates: DEVELOPMENTAL EDUCATION NEEDS," by the Colorado Department of Higher Education

Class of 2017

School Graduates at In-State, Public Institutions Requiring Developmental Education by Race/Ethnicity

 

Highest to Lowest Overall – GAP – 32.6 % pts.

By race/ethnicity in COLORADO -	Overall	English	Math
African American / Black	58.7%	42.2%	51.4%
Hispanic	52.5%	37.2%	44.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native	45.1%	28.6%	35.2%
Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	36.6%	19.9%	34.1%
Two or More Races	30.4%	17.7%	25.9%
Asian	26.2%	19.9%	19.7%
White	26.1%	14.0%	22.2%
COLORADO - TOTAL	34.8%	21.9%	29.5%

Requiring Development Education – Socio-Economic Status 

Free / Reduced Lunch Eligible	55.2%	GAP 27.3%
Not Free / Reduced Lunch Eligible	27.9%

https://highered.colorado.gov/Publications/Reports/Remedial/FY2018/2018_Remedial_relJuly2019.pdf

 

5.      College Enrollment – From High School Class of 2018, most recent data available

2020 Legislative Report – “Postsecondary Access and Success for Colorado’s High School Graduates”

Highest to Lowest Overall – GAP – 35.2 % pts.

By race/ethnicity in COLORADO -	% students enrolled in college	Total High School Graduates
Asian	79%	2,048
White	61.4%	33,725
Two or More Races	59.1%	2,127
African American	55.1%	2,832
Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	48%	144
Hispanic	45.9%	18,658
American Indian / Alaska Native	43.8%	461
TOTAL # of high school graduates		59, 995
Total # of grads enrolled in college		33,974
% of students enrolled in college	56.6%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

    College Enrollment – Socio-Economic Status -  % of students enrolled in college 

Free / Reduced Lunch Eligible	42.7%	GAP 19.4%
Not Free / Reduced Lunch Eligible	62.1%

https://highered.colorado.gov/Publications/Reports/Legislative/PostSecondary/2020_Postsecondary_Progress_rel20200515.pdf

 

6.      Attendance and Truancy Rates* – Percent – 2018-191.      

COLORADO	Attendance Rate	Truancy Rate
By race/ethnicity in COLORADO
American Indian / Alaska Native	89.2%	5.3%
Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	90.6%	5.2%
African American / Black	90.7%	5.25%
Hispanic	90.7%	4.7%
Two or More Races	92.5%	2.6%
White	93.3%	1.75%
Asian	94.75%	1.75%
COLORADO - TOTAL	92.3%**	2.98%***
FRL - Free Lunch Eligible	90.1%	5%
FRL - Reduced Lunch Eligible	92.8%	2.8%
Not Free / Reduced Lunch Eligible	93.3%	2%

 

*Data comes from CDE following a data request. Email sent to me May 15, 2020.

** From CDE’s “2018-2019 State Policy Report: Dropout Prevention and Student Engagement.”  http://www.cde.state.co.us/dropoutprevention/2019statepolicyreportondropoutpreventionandstudentengagement

***http://www.cde.state.co.us/datapipeline/2018-19chronicabsenteeismpdf

7.      Chronic Absenteeism – Rate for Colorado – 2018-19 – from CDE

 

The Colorado Department of Education defines “chronically absent” this way:

“… when a student misses 10 percent or more of a school year or approximately 18 days a year. This is equivalent to two days every month.” 

“Similar to the previous year, one in five Colorado students was chronically absent in 2018-19.”

http://www.cde.state.co.us/dropoutprevention/2019statepolicyreportondropoutpreventionandstudentengagement

  

COLORADO	Chronic Absenteeism Total
*By race/ethnicity in COLORADO
American Indian / Alaska Native	2,603
Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	988
African American / Black	13,133
Hispanic	88,555
Two or More Races	8,241
White	80,223
Asian	3,649
**COLORADO – TOTAL #	197,392
**COLORADO -  RATE 197,392 chronically absent out of total student population of 877,308	22.5%
*FRL - Free Lunch Eligible	91,863
FRL - Reduced Lunch Eligible	92,023
Not Free / Reduced Lunch Eligible	13,506

*Email from CDE, May 15, 2020, following data request, providing breakdown by race/ethnicity and FRL/not FRL.

**2018-19 Students with Chronic Absenteeism and Truancy Rate by District-

http://www.cde.state.co.us/datapipeline/2018-19chronicabsenteeismpdf

 

 

Chronic Absenteeism – Rates by ethnicity/race – 2015-16*

Presented in a report by the U.S. Department of Education – 2015-16 Civil Rights Data Collection

Average Rate	Black	Hispanic	White	Asian	2 or More Races	American Indian	Pacific Islander
COLORADO  19%	24%	25%	15%	12%	20%	35%	29%
NATION–  16%	20.5%	17%	14.5%	8.6%	18.4%	26%	22.6%

 

Chronic absence –Defined in this national report as “students who are chronically absent … miss at least 15 days of school a year.” CHRONIC ABSENTEEISM IN THE NATION'S SCHOOLS, U.S. Department of Education, https://www2.ed.gov/datastory/chronicabsenteeism.html

 

 

8.      Dropout Rate – Percent and # of students who dropped out – 2018-19*

                                              Highest to Lowest % 

COLORADO	Dropout Rate	# of students
By race/ethnicity in COLORADO
American Indian / Alaska Native	4%	147
Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	3.4%	45
Hispanic	3.2%	5,055
African American / Black	3%	678
Two or More Races	1.6%	306
White	1.2%	2,916
Asian	.8%	120
COLORADO - TOTAL	2%	9,277 students

*“By Colorado law, a dropout is defined as a ‘person who leaves school for any reason, except death, before completion of a high school diploma or its equivalent, and who does not transfer to another public or private school or enroll in an approved home study program.’” “Dropout Rates by District and Race/Ethnicity” – http://www.cde.state.co.us/cdereval/dropoutcurrent

 

  

** 

Persistent Gaps 

Annual News Release by Colorado Department of Education 

Colorado's 2019 State Assessment Score/Growth Release (Aug. 15, 2019)   (Emphasis mine)

 

“It is gratifying to see such accomplishments in the performance of so many students across the state, but it is still difficult to see large groups of students who are not advancing as they should,” Commissioner Katy Anthes said. “This was the fifth administration of CMAS ELA and math, and still the achievement gaps remain. Students from historically disadvantaged groups are not making the gains necessary to catch up. I know districts are working hard on this, and the reality is that there is no one answer to these persistent challenges that every state across the nation is facing. Our mission here at CDE is to ensure equity for every student, every step of the way. And for that, we must continue to make it a top priority to raise the achievement level for all students.”

“Persistent Achievement Gaps in CMAS: Large disparities in academic performance continue to exist between races and ethnicities, males and females, economically disadvantaged students and students designated for special education services and their peers.

·         Poverty: Achievement gaps of about 30 percentage points across all grades persist for students who qualify for free and reduced lunch benefits -- an indication of poverty -- compared with students who don’t receive the benefits. The largest difference was a 32.3 percentage point gap on the sixth-grade English language arts assessment.  

·         Races and Ethnicities: Smaller percentages of blacks and Hispanics met or exceeded expectations in every grade on the CMAS math and English language arts tests when compared with their white peers. For example, a total of 60.1% of white fifth-graders met or exceeded expectations in the 2019 English language arts assessment compared with 31.5% of Hispanic students and 31.6% of black students. Those gaps have remained relatively unchanged for five years.”
http://www.cde.state.co.us/communications/20190815assessmentrelease

 

2018 State Assessment Score/Growth Release (Aug. 16, 2018)

“Persistent Achievement Gaps: Large achievement gaps remained relatively unchanged between races and ethnicities, males and females, economically disadvantaged students and students designated for special education services and their peers. For example:

·         Races and Ethnicities: The gaps between black and Hispanic students compared to white students ranged from 23.4 points to almost 29 percentage points in students who met or exceeded standards in CMAS math and English language arts tests. Those gaps have remained relatively unchanged since 2015.

·         Poverty: For students who qualify for free and reduced lunch benefits – an indication of poverty – two-digit gaps persisted compared with students who don’t receive the benefits. The most pronounced difference is a 33.6 point gap on the fifth-grade science test.” http://www.cde.state.co.us/communications/20180816stateassessmentrelease

 

2017 State Assessment/Growth Release (Aug. 17, 2017)

 

“Achievement gaps. Performance improved in English language arts and math for many groups across many grades, but the persistent gaps between the groups did not narrow much. For example, Hispanic fifth-graders improved 4.4 percentage points over 2016’s English language arts scores to 29.4 percent meeting or exceeding expectations. Yet, the improvement wasn’t enough to narrow the gap between their white peers, who also improved by more than 5 points to 57.4 percent meeting or exceeding expectations.”   http://www.cde.state.co.us/communications/20170817assessmentnewsrelease

 

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Achievement Gaps in Colorado - Background

 

From “COLORADO'S K-12 ACHIEVEMENT GAPS,” by Lisa Gezelter

Colorado Legislative Council Staff, ISSUE BRIEF, A Legislative Council Publication, Nov. 2014

 

2003, 2008-2009, 2014

“Legislative efforts to close achievement gaps.”

  “In 2003, the General Assembly passed Senate Bill 03-254, which created the Closing the Achievement Gap Commission, and directed the commission to address effective approaches to closing the achievement gap in elementary and secondary education….

  “The law also created a Closing the Achievement Gap Program within the Colorado Department of Education (CDE)…  The General Assembly appropriated $1.8 million each year from 2008 to 2010 to fund the program within CDE…. An external evaluation of the program revealed mixed results in improving standardized test scores. The pilot districts narrowed gaps for most student groups, but sometimes these gains were no greater than state average gains.

Colorado’s Reading Gap Among Nation’s Largest (Jan. 31, 2014) “In Colorado, a growing number of children are reading proficiently, but the state has one of the widest gaps between low-income and high-income students in the nation—and it’s getting worse. In 2013, nearly 80 percent of low-income fourth-graders in Colorado were reading below grade level, compared to 45 percent of higher-income students.” (Annie E. Casey Foundation Report, https://www.coloradokids.org/annie-e-casey-foundation-report-colorados-reading-gap-among-nations-largest/

  “The General Assembly passed other legislation intended to close achievement and growth gaps, such as the Preschool to Postsecondary Alignment Act in 2008. In 2009, the General Assembly repealed and reenacted the state's accountability system. The new accountability system made closing achievement and growth gaps a factor in accrediting school districts.

  “In 2014, legislation passed to measure and close opportunity gaps in education by tracking participation and proficiency rates at the core course level for high school students. The Public School Finance Act aims to close gaps by funding the Education Innovation grant program …” https://leg.colorado.gov/sites/default/files/14-17_k-12_achievement_gap_ib.pdf

 

From Colorado School Laws – “Education Accountability Act of 2009”

 

“22-11-102 – Legislative declaration”

“(1) The general assembly hereby finds that an effective system of statewide education accountability …

(d) Assists the state in closing the achievement gaps that plague the public education system by spotlighting the gaps in students' academic growth rates and ensuring that educators have the data necessary to assist the neediest students in making more than a year's academic growth in a year's time so that these students can catch up to the academic performance levels of their peers…”

https://codes.findlaw.com/co/title-22-education/co-rev-st-sect-22-11-102.html

 

From “2017 Colorado Test Results: Pockets of Improvement, Stark Achievement Gaps, and What Can be Done,” by Kelly Caulfield, Colorado Succeeds (Aug. 30, 2017)

 

“What the Data Shows”

“Persistent and Stark Achievement Gaps Among Student Groups: On average, Colorado Hispanic and Black students continue to perform and grow at much lower levels compared to their White and Asian peers. This is true across grade levels and content areas. While achievement by all student groups has fluctuated the last three years, large gaps persist and Colorado currently has the second largest achievement gap in the country.

“Stark achievement gaps also exist between the state’s low-income and non-low-income students. While improvements in achievement can be seen by both low-income and non-low-income students, the gap between the two groups has remained consistently between 25 and 30 points, depending on grade level.”

https://coloradosucceeds.org/teachers-leaders/2017-colorado-test-results-pockets-improvement-stark-achievement-gaps-can-done/

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Afterward  -  “Achievement gap” versus “Opportunity gap”

I hope Another View #213 can stand on its own, with little commentary. My opinion on the data is limited to the simple request that addressing the achievement gap should be a priority for K-12 public education in Colorado. Not much controversy there.

But I would be naïve to overlook the controversy around a presentation such as this. Some will find it neither a fair nor a meaningful portrayal of a central issue for our state. I know it falls short in many respects.

I fail to explore WHY the gap exists, and WHY it continues. I appreciate the concerns some have raised.

    But as educators discuss these predictable differences, a new study confirms discourse about the achievement gap could also feed the problem if it is framed as a student outcome issue instead of one related to structural racism.

   “Past U.S. presidents and education secretaries have framed the racial achievement gap as 'the civil rights issue of our time,' and publicizing between-group achievement inequalities is often part of a strategy to make educational equity a national priority,” said University of Southern California Assistant Professor David M. Quinn, whose findings were published in the journal Educational Researcher. “However, researchers have expressed concern that by focusing on student outcomes, rather than on structural inequities that lead to the outcome disparities, this framing assumes a deficit orientation that reinforces stereotypes and has a detrimental effect on public support for policies aiming to end structural inequities.”  (“Amid concerns of widening equity gaps, Black educators suggest a starting point,” https://www.educationdive.com/news/amid-concerns-of-widening-equity-gaps-black-educators-suggest-a-starting-p/579924/)

 

I fail to explore poverty and race as key factors. And I do little to offer a historical or national context.

   “In 50 years, the achievement gap has been unchanged, with the poorest 10 percent of students performing three to four years behind the wealthiest 10 percent of peers, finds a new study in the journal Education Next.” “The Achievement Gap Fails to Close,” Education Week, 4/9/10.

 

   “Achievement gaps between white students and students of color are large. On average across the country, white students are scoring nearly two grade levels higher than black students — the difference between fifth and third grade achievement, for example.” “An analysis of achievement gaps in every school in America shows that poverty is the biggest hurdle,” Hechinger Report, 9/23/19.

Finally, I am conscious of framing the issue using the traditional term–“the achievement gap”—rather than the more popular phrase, “the opportunity gap.” “The achievement gap” has been criticized as judging students. As if exposing the gap is another way of blaming certain groups of students for their lower scores. I appreciate attempts to avoid painting groups of students with a broad brush, showing data that could quite wrongly be read as predictive or, most cruelly, as a false message about ability.

Perhaps it is just a personal preference. I consider “the opportunity gap” to be a euphemism. It makes it too easy to overlook the stark contrast in academic performance by different groups. Educators and policy makers cannot ignore hundreds of years of a lack of opportunity, but we can try to be honest about where our low-income students and students of color are performing against our state standards. I don’t see how we serve equity by not reckoning with that.

Especially when, considering the description of what CMAS, PSAT, and SAT assess, “achievement” seems the appropriate term. After all, it is what they claim to measure. 

Colorado Measures of Academic Success (CMAS)

“… state summative assessments are designed to be point-in-time snapshots of what students know and can do in core content areas at the end of the school year…  They enable teachers to see how their students are performing against the standards and identify areas they may need to adjust in their practice for the future. They also provide school/district leaders, the state, policymakers, and the public with information on how well the system is meeting the goals of helping every child attain academic proficiency….

“Colorado’s statewide assessments help to determine if students have mastered the grade-level expectations by the year’s end.” 

https://www.cde.state.co.us/communications/factsheetsandfaqs-assessment#:~:text=The%20Colorado%20Measures%20of%20Academic%20Success%20(CMAS)%20are%20the%20state's,math%20and%20English%20language%20arts.

PSAT and SAT

Connecting PSAT and SAT scores to “achievement” is more complicated. The College Board, which administers these assessments, uses this language:

“… the SAT serves as both a measure of students’ college readiness and as a valid and reliable predictor of college outcomes…. the SAT covers core content areas deemed essential for success in college—reading, writing and language, and mathematics.”

https://collegereadiness.collegeboard.org/educators/higher-ed#:~:text=Today%2C%20the%20SAT%20serves%20as,likelihood%20to%20succeed%20in%20college.

 

“Students who take the PSAT/NMSQT, PSAT 10, and PSAT 8/9 see grade-level benchmarks on their score reports. Grade-level benchmarks indicate whether students are on track for college and career readiness. They are based on expected student growth toward SAT benchmarks at each grade.”  https://collegereadiness.collegeboard.org/about/scores/benchmarks 

Of course PSAT and SAT scores reflect the different opportunities students experienced in their elementary and middle schools, and, beyond that, throughout their lives. For example, one thinks of the different opportunities for students whose family does not yet speak English, or for students who arrives here as a 10^th grader, refugees from a war-torn country. 

But what is measured is student performance on “core content” – much like CMAS – “reading, writing and language, and mathematics.” In other words, academic achievement.