A correction on this article ran, post-publication. The overall CSAP scores for Aurora Public Schools were incorrect. The percentage of APS students who scored proficient and advanced on the CSAP was 45 for reading, 34 for math and 30 for writing.
The Denver Plan, superintendent Michael Bennet’s exhaustive strategy to turn around the city’s public schools, is working.
Yes, Denver still lags far behind state averages in reading, writing and math scores, but the urban district has posted impressive gains in those subject areas, according to the latest Colorado Student Assessment Program results.
We give an A for effort to Denver Public Schools students, teachers, administrators and parents.
However, we concur with Bennet, who said: “It is clear we have a long way to go in Denver.”
Specifically, Denver’s overall CSAP scores remain significantly below the state average: 46 percent proficiency in reading compared to the state’s 68 percent; 35 percent in math against 53 percent for the state, and 33 percent in writing compared to a statewide 53 percent.
Still, as Bennet said, “I am confident we are moving in the right direction.”
DPS this year introduced a complicated computer matrix that allows educators to tap into the successes of other DPS schools with similar student populations. The idea is to share what works.
To stay on this upward trend, DPS should continue giving more autonomy to schools that have shown success, such as Bruce Randolph, at one time a low-performing middle school. There, principal Kristin Waters, who successfully petitioned the district last year for increased autonomy, introduced Saturday classes, after-school tutoring and summer school for students who were lagging. The 2008 results: increases for all tested grades in nearly all subjects.
Aurora Public Schools, another district that has been implementing innovative reform measures, came in with its largest increase in six years: 75 percent proficiency in reading, 62 percent in math and 61 percent in writing. Aurora has some of the same challenges as DPS, including a high number of students who qualify for free or reduced lunch and non- English-speaking students.
DPS points out that 43 percent of the students taking CSAP this year were ESL, or English as a second language learners, which makes the district’s gains even more impressive.
And despite the fact there is still a glaring achievement gap between ethnic groups and white students, in 2008 Latino students gained 4 percentage points in reading compared to a 1-point gain by white students.
Meanwhile, we remain concerned about the 2008 General Assembly’s plan to overhaul the state’s assessment program, ultimately eliminating CSAP tests by 2010. This will make it harder to track student progress, considering we’ll lose more than a decade of good data.
For now, we hope the 2008 scores serve as a boost for DPS students and teachers who have been working hard, and help propel the district upward.
A correction on this article ran, post-publication. The overall CSAP scores for Aurora Public Schools were incorrect. The percentage of APS students who scored proficient and advanced on the CSAP was 45 for reading, 34 for math and 30 for writing.
