Slightly more third graders this year than last scored proficient on Colorado’s standardized reading test, according to preliminary data released this morning.
Statewide, 73 percent of third graders scored proficient or better — 67 percent proficient and 6 percent advanced — on the 2011 Colorado State Assessment Program reading test, up 3 percentage points from last year.
The greatest gains were made in rural districts such as McClave, west of Lamar, where the percentage of proficient scores increased to 68 percent from 43 percent last year.
Adams District 14 also had significant gains, with 56 percent of students scoring proficient, up from 45 percent last year.
Two of the state’s larger districts, Greeley and Englewood, showed decreases in reading scores.
Along the Front Range, most districts posted slight gains.
Denver, Boulder and Littleton all logged 5 percentage point gains in proficient scores alone. DPS jumped to 52 percent from 47 percent; Littleton scores went to 76 percent from 71 percent; and Boulder increased to 72 percent from 67 percent.
Douglas County and Jefferson County both improved 2 percentage points in district wide proficient scores.
Within DPS, the highest gains were made at Brown Elementary, and Valdez Elementary, which this year operated as an innovation school. Last year, 23 percent of Valdez’s third grade students scored proficient or advanced on the test. This year, 53 percent of students scored proficient or advanced — a 30 percentage point increase.
At Valdez, more than 80 percent of students are eligible for free or reduced lunch, a measure of poverty.
Across DPS, the percentage of third-graders who scored proficient or advanced increased to 56 percent from 51 percent.
In addition, the number of DPS students who scored “unsatisfactory” in reading fell by 6 percentage points to 18 percent, lowest percentage of DPS students scoring unsatisfactory in eight years.
“This is very encouraging news, especially given that elementary literacy is such a critical foundation for academic success,” DPS Superintendent Tom Boasberg said in a news release. “Nevertheless, we have much work to do to keep these strong gains going to eliminate the unacceptable achievement gaps that remain.”
In Douglas County, 83 percent of third graders scored proficient or advanced.
Yesenia Robles: 303-954-1372 or yrobles@denverpost.com
