Transforming Education in Colorado

October 14, 2009
Colorado Fourth-Grade and Eighth-Grade Students Outpace Most Other States in Mathematics

Colorado students in grades four and eight perform higher than the national average on mathematics assessments, according to results released today from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). In Colorado, approximately 2,600 students in 154 public schools in grade four participated. In grade eight, approximately 2,700 students in 121 schools participated. In 2009 the percentage of Colorado students who performed at or above the NAEP Basic level was 84 percent for fourth grade math and 76 percent for eighth grade math. Nationally, 81 percent of fourth grade students and 71 percent of eighth grade students performed at the NAEP Basic level.

Basic is defined by the National Assessment Governing Board as demonstrating prerequisite knowledge and skills that are fundamental for proficient work at each grade assessed. "We are pleased with the strong performance on mathematics and give credit to outstanding math teachers statewide", said Colorado Commissioner of Education Dwight Jones. "At the same time, the focus on improving math instruction, especially at the elementary level, must continue." Commissioner Jones noted the department has formed two partnerships to assist in the effort to improve achievement in math—the first with Compass Learning to provide a three-year secondary math intervention pilot using online instructional tools and the second with EdisonLearning to deliver tutoring services to 1,400 students in 26 rural school districts in southeast, east and northeast parts of Colorado.

Students across the nation participated in the same assessment for each grade and subject. The NAEP mathematics assessment measures students’ knowledge and skills in mathematics and students’ ability to apply their knowledge in problem-solving situations. The test also collects information on students’ performance in five areas: number properties and operations; measurement; geometry; data analysis, statistics, and probability; and algebra. The test requires a little more than an hour per student to administer—about 50 minutes on the math test questions, and about 10 to 15 more minutes on background questions.

The results are reported in average scale scores in which the range is zero to 500. Colorado fourth grade students received an average scale score of 243. Colorado fourth grade students significantly improved their math scale score since the 2007 administration of the test. In the scale score, the fourth grade students in Colorado outscored the public school students across the nation in all of the math areas assessed—number properties and operations; measurement; geometry; data analysis, statistics, and probability; and algebra.

Gaps persist despite gains for some student groups. Colorado students in grades four and eight showed no significant change in closing achievement gaps between white and black students and between white and Hispanic students since 2007. A similar gap pattern was seen for all of the states.  The President and Congress use NAEP results in setting education policy. States are neither rewarded nor sanctioned based on their results.

The NAEP 2009 Mathematics Assessment was administered to a representative sample of fourth and eighth-graders at the national level and at the state level. In addition, twelfth-graders were assessed at the national level in all states and at the state level in eleven states. The twelfth-grade results are expected to be released in 2010.

NAEP, established in 1969, is the only federally mandated and nationally representative assessment of what young students know and can do in key subject areas. Commonly referred to as the Nation’s Report Card, it is used to provide a point of reference for comparisons between states and to provide an accurate and representative picture of student performance over time. NAEP provides national and state results in eight subject areas, including mathematics, reading, writing and science. Results have been produced for the nation and participating states for over 30 years. The Nation’s Report Card is produced by the U.S. Department of Education and has generated more than 600 reports in its history. For more information about the 2009 NAEP mathematics results go to the initial release site: http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/  or the CDE Web site, http://www.cde.state.co.us/cdeassess/documents/NAEP/index_naep.html 
Results from the 2009 NAEP science and reading assessments are expected to be released in 2010.

School Finance – If only wishing made it so
The legislative Commission on Long-term Fiscal Stability is trying to find ways to better ensure the long-term stability of state finances, which have been severely victimized by a combination of the recession and Colorado’s conflicting constitutional provisions. The commission asked CDE to develop an estimate of what an “ideal” education system would cost. The answer? Nearly $9 billion a year, or $2.8 billion more than the $6.1 billion currently spent.

What makes up that extra $2.8 billion? If we had the “ideal” level of funding in place this school year, that amount would be broken down this way:

• $1.2 billion – Bring current spending to national per-pupil average.
• $269.5 million – Raise teacher salaries to national average.
• $151 million – Institute full-day kindergarten for all students.
• $174.6 million – Provide half-day preschool for all 4-year-olds.
• $123.8 million – Pay for dual high school/college enrollment required by increased school time for one-
   third of 12th graders.
• $65.1 million – Extra kindergarten and preschool costs
• $1.13 billion – Increase time in school by 20 percent.
• $74.6 million – Hike in categorical spending required by increased school time. (Categoricals are funds
   earmarked for transportation, special education and other specific programs.)

Commissioner Dwight Jones, along with CDE’s finance director Vody Hermann, recently presented the “ideal” estimate to the Fiscal Stability Interim Committee. Dwight added these comments about specific ideas in the list:

• Teacher pay: “A quality teacher makes a significant difference. … We also know we have to stay
   competitive in the state in terms of teacher salaries.”
• Longer school days and years: “We’d be asleep at the wheel” to ignore growing national discussions
   about this idea. But, Jones said, “Time alone does not guarantee you anything. It’s how we shape that
   day.”
• Preschool and kindergarten: At-risk kids particularly need “that solid foundation,” Jones said, adding, 
  “Kids need to on grade level [in reading] by 1st grade.”
• Dual enrollment: Referring to high school dropout rates and college attendance rates, Jones noted, “I
   would say right now we’re not doing that very well.”

“Those are big ideas that we really have to grapple with … in some cases it is going to take more money; it is going to take more time,” Jones said.

While wishing is nice, current reality isn’t so kind. The state’s continuing revenue and budget crisis will most likely mean state aid to school districts will be trimmed nearly 2 percent in the current 2009-10 budget year. Even with Amendment 23, Colorado has fallen further and further behind the National
Average for per pupil funding ($1,397 below in 2007). Schools will likely experience cuts in January 2010 with worse cuts expected in the 2010-11 fiscal year.

More information at: Great Education Colorado

Voluntary Common Core Standards
The National Governors Association (NGA) and the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) have launched the Common Core Standards Initiative. The goal is to have a common core of standards for K-12 English language arts and mathematics that states can voluntarily adopt.

States may choose to include additional standards beyond the common core as long as the common core represents at least 85 percent of the state’s standards in these content areas. The work builds directly on recent efforts of states that have been developing college-and career-ready standards and ensures that these standards can be internationally benchmarked. 

Colorado is one of forty-nine states and territories that have agreed to participate in the common core standards development consortium. 

At our August meeting, the SBE unanimously approved a resolution supporting the national work on common core standards, but affirmed that the State Board will have the prerogative regarding adoption of the final standards.

At the same time, Colorado educators, parents, business representatives, community members and higher education representatives are in the middle of an ongoing process to revise and update Colorado’s model content standards in 13 subject areas (and personal financial literacy). Our statewide work to develop “fewer, clearer and higher” standards is on track for final SBE adoption in December of this year.
Our resolution states:
“Be it resolved that the Colorado State Board of Education intends to adopt internationally competitive, aligned standards for 13 subjects and financial literacy, preschool through grade 12 by the target date of Dec. 2009; and

“Be it further resolved that the Colorado State Board of Education supports Colorado’s voluntary participation in the consortium to help shape the development of the Common Core Standards; and

“Colorado along with each state throughout the country will make its own determination as to the voluntary adoption of the Common Core Standards.”

Innovation Schools
Recently, the State Board voted unanimously to support Denver Public Schools’ Innovation Schools Act applications for Manual High School and Montclair School of Academics and Enrichment. They are the first Innovation Schools under last year’s SB-130, which allows schools and districts to gain waivers from state laws and collective bargaining agreements. Inall, the two proposals grant waivers of 40 state statutes, 32 district policies and 18 provisions from the district’s collective bargaining agreement. The staffs in both schools voted overwhelmingly (over 90%) to move forward with the applications.

Manual principal RobStein, Montclair principal Shannon Hagerman and teachers from both schools told us about their strong and passionate commitment to what’s best for students and how this opportunity for greater flexibility would allow them to more clearly focus on their mission. Although both schools have been using "shared responsibility" management and leadership structures for some time now, I am still concerned that classroom teachers' ability to truly focus on instruction might be compromised. Rest assured that the state board will be carefully following the progress and results at Manual and Montclair to learn if and how these new approaches can be applied to all schools.

School Readiness Description 
The SBE adopted the recommended definition in December of 2008. The Colorado community helped us in this work. We gathered your ideas along with research from other states. 

Click here to see the School Readiness description.  

Read about all of Colorado's education initiatives and the latest updates here.