Centennial State News

Nearly 50,000 Colorado K-8 public school students failed the state's spring standardized English examination in 2022, performing below their grade level.

That's according to the Colorado Department of Education's (CDE) 2022 State Achievement Results.

CDE found that of the 332,490 students who took the Colorado Measures of Academic Success (CMAS) test for English and Language Arts Literacy, 48,876, or 15 percent, one in seven, failed to meet expectations.

Ten public schools, including Paris Elementary in Aurora (58 percent failure rate) and Manaugh Elementary in Montezuma-Cortez District RE-1 (55 percent), reported English exam failure rates greater than 50 percent.

A total of 291 Colorado school districts reported English exam failure rates greater than 25 percent.

Aurora Public Schools included 38 of the 291. Of its 50 schools reporting, 46 had English exam failure rates greater than 20 percent; 5,146 of the district's 16,844 students are below grade level.

In Cherry Creek Public Schools. Highline Community Elementary in Aurora posted a 35 percent failure rate, with 72 of its 205 students who took the English exam, failing it.

Homestead Elementary School in the district, also in Aurora, stood in contrast, with just three of 212 students failing the exam, a rate of two percent. A total of 82 Colorado schools posted failure rates of three percent or lower.

7,000 failing Colorado third grade boys

Student performance was considerably worse at lower grade levels.

According to CDE, nearly 7,000, or 24 percent of Colorado's 27,864 third grade boys, failed the statewide English exam. That's compared with 20.3 percent of third grade girls.

Boys in eighth grade (21.5 percent failure rate, seventh grade (18 percent) and fourth grade (17 percent) also tested lower than the statewide average.

Demographically, 38.2 percent of American Indian third graders failed the statewide English exam, compared with 36.2 percent of Hispanic students, 35.1 percent of blacks, 13.4 percent of whites and 13.2 percent of Asians.

For eighth graders, test scores were slightly better. CDE reported an American Indian failure rate of 31.0 percent, compared with 26.0 percent for Hispanics, 24.6 percent for blacks, 9.7 percent for whites and 8.4 percent for Asians.

The CMAS English Language Arts/Literacy test reports a "student's mastery of skills and concepts in the academic standards which are the basis for instruction in Colorado schools." In it, students "read and analyze fiction, drama and poetry" and "non-fiction, history, science and the arts." They are evaluated on vocabulary and take a writing exam, composing an essay "using details from what they have read."

In March 2021, Colorado Gov. Jared Polis signed a bill that would require less standardized testing for K-8 students. The bill also barred test results from being used to evaluate teacher or school performance, which might impact their salaries or funding.

Polis previously signed a bill allowing Colorado state universities to omit standardized test scores from their admissions processes. 

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English and Language Arts: Where are Colorado K-12 Schools Failing?

According to the State Department of Education, 48,876 students failed the Colorado Measures of Academic Success (CMAS) 2022 English & Language Arts/Literacy examination. These are the 100 K-8 schools that performed worst.

	School	District	# Students	Failure Rate	# Students Failed
1	Colorado School for the Deaf and Blind	Colorado School for the Deaf and Blind	55	78%	43
2	Poudre Community Academy	Poudre R-1	27	67%	18
3	KIPP Sunshine Peak Elementary	Denver County 1	18	61%	11
4	Vantage Point	Adams 12 Five Star Schools	60	61%	36
5	Paris Elementary School	Aurora Public Schools	120	58%	69
6	Global Primary Academy	Mapleton 1	53	56%	30
7	Manaugh Elementary School	Montezuma-Cortez RE-1	104	55%	57
8	Fulton Academy of Excellence	Aurora Public Schools	160	55%	88
9	Denver Center for 21st-Century Learning at Wyman	Denver County 1	22	53%	12
10	STRIVE Prep - Kepner	Denver County 1	210	50%	105
11	Vega Collegiate Academy	Aurora Public Schools	319	49%	157
12	Monaco Elementary School	Adams County 14	125	48%	61
13	Crawford Elementary School	Aurora Public Schools	185	48%	89
14	Altura Elementary School	Aurora Public Schools	221	48%	105
15	Laredo Elementary School	Aurora Public Schools	185	48%	88
16	Denver Discovery School	Denver County 1	108	47%	51
17	Peoria Elementary School	Aurora Public Schools	150	47%	71
18	Fairview Elementary School	Denver County 1	72	47%	34
19	Iver C. Ranum Middle School	Westminster Public Schools	361	47%	168
20	Jefferson Junior/Senior High School	Jefferson County R-1	213	46%	98
21	Rose Hill Elementary School	Adams County 14	130	45%	59
22	Lansing Elementary Community School	Aurora Public Schools	136	45%	61
23	Kenton Elementary School	Aurora Public Schools	195	45%	87
24	Coronado Hills Elementary School	Adams 12 Five Star Schools	207	45%	93
25	Aurora West College Preparatory Academy	Aurora Public Schools	607	45%	271
26	Orton Academy	Education reEnvisioned BOCES	78	44%	34
27	Mathematics and Science Leadership Academy	Denver County 1	51	44%	22
28	Rocky Mountain Deaf School	Jefferson County R-1	29	44%	13
29	South Middle School	Aurora Public Schools	331	44%	145
30	Smith Elementary School	Denver County 1	108	44%	47
31	Vista Academy	Denver County 1	30	44%	13
32	Virginia Court Elementary School	Aurora Public Schools	188	43%	81
33	DCIS at Montbello	Denver County 1	312	43%	134
34	Academy 360	Denver County 1	53	43%	23
35	Bea Underwood Elementary School	Garfield 16	240	42%	102
36	McGlone Academy	Denver County 1	430	42%	182
37	North Middle School Health Sciences and Technology	Aurora Public Schools	625	42%	264
38	Connections Learning Center on the Earle Johnson C	Jefferson County R-1	33	42%	14
39	Munroe Elementary School	Denver County 1	114	42%	47
40	Farrell B. Howell ECE-8 School	Denver County 1	346	41%	143
41	Kearney Middle School	Adams County 14	706	41%	291
42	Vaughn Elementary School	Aurora Public Schools	167	41%	69
43	ALLIES	District 49	97	41%	40
44	Thomson Elementary School	Jefferson County R-1	107	41%	44
45	Johnson Elementary School	Denver County 1	95	41%	39
46	Iowa Elementary School	Aurora Public Schools	202	41%	82
47	70 Online	Pueblo County 70	59	40%	24
48	Alameda International Junior/Senior High School	Jefferson County R-1	352	40%	142
49	Cole Arts and Science Academy	Denver County 1	99	40%	40
50	Samuels Elementary School	Denver County 1	159	40%	64
51	Aurora Hills Middle School	Aurora Public Schools	836	39%	329
52	Adams City Middle School	Adams County 14	636	39%	249
53	Oakland Elementary	Denver County 1	86	39%	34
54	Dupont Elementary School	Adams County 14	148	39%	57
55	Sixth Avenue Elementary School	Aurora Public Schools	246	39%	95
56	Noel Community Arts School	Denver County 1	122	39%	47
57	Grand Valley Middle School	Garfield 16	270	39%	105
58	Crystal River Elementary School	Roaring Fork RE-1	140	39%	54
59	Montview Math & Health Sciences Elementary School	Aurora Public Schools	134	39%	52
60	Harris Park Elementary School	Westminster Public Schools	102	39%	39
61	Lake County High School	Lake County R-1	135	39%	52
62	Meadow Community School	Mapleton 1	267	38%	101
63	Stevens Elementary School	Jefferson County R-1	145	38%	55
64	Wheeling Elementary School	Aurora Public Schools	202	38%	76
65	Beulah Heights Elementary School	Pueblo City 60	145	38%	55
66	East Middle School	Aurora Public Schools	850	38%	319
67	Deer Trail Junior-Senior High School	Deer Trail 26J	51	38%	19
68	Rocky Mountain Elementary School	Adams 12 Five Star Schools	181	37%	68
69	Force Elementary School	Denver County 1	115	37%	43
70	Park Lane Elementary School	Aurora Public Schools	106	37%	39
71	Sunset Ridge Elementary School	Westminster Public Schools	132	37%	49
72	McElwain Elementary School	Adams 12 Five Star Schools	202	37%	74
73	North Star Elementary School	Adams 12 Five Star Schools	154	37%	56
74	Roncalli Stem Academy	Pueblo City 60	404	37%	148
75	Colorado Sports Leadership Academy	Westminster Public Schools	265	37%	97
76	Cowell Elementary School	Denver County 1	109	36%	40
77	College View Elementary School	Denver County 1	106	36%	38
78	Hallett Academy	Denver County 1	78	36%	28
79	Ricardo Flores Magon Academy	Charter School Institute	182	36%	66
80	Montessori del Mundo Charter School	Charter School Institute	95	36%	34
81	Central Elementary School	Adams County 14	154	36%	55
82	Columbian Elementary School	Denver County 1	74	36%	26
83	International Academy of Denver at Harrington	Denver County 1	63	36%	22
84	Yale Elementary School	Aurora Public Schools	244	35%	86
85	STRIVE Prep - Montbello	Denver County 1	179	35%	63
86	Thornton Middle School	Adams 12 Five Star Schools	783	35%	276
87	Achieve Online	Colorado Springs 11	75	35%	26
88	Highline Community Elementary School	Cherry Creek Public Schools	205	35%	72
89	Pueblo Academy of Arts	Pueblo City 60	558	35%	196
90	Tollgate Elementary School of Expeditionary Learni	Aurora Public Schools	256	35%	90
91	Columbian Elementary School	Pueblo City 60	141	35%	49
92	Molholm Elementary School	Jefferson County R-1	85	35%	30
93	Dartmouth Elementary School	Aurora Public Schools	180	35%	62
94	Sable Elementary School	Aurora Public Schools	185	35%	64
95	Hanson Elementary School	Adams County 14	89	35%	31
96	Arkansas Elementary School	Aurora Public Schools	184	35%	63
97	Boston K-8 School	Aurora Public Schools	259	34%	89
98	STRIVE Prep - Sunnyside	Denver County 1	180	34%	61
99	Vanguard Classical School - West	Aurora Public Schools	220	34%	74
100	Twain Elementary School	Colorado Springs 11	182	34%	61

Source: Colorado State Department of Education