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Fewer schools are on Colorado’s watchlist for low performance this year, according to preliminary data released Monday by the Colorado Department of Education.
More than 50 schools exited what Colorado calls the accountability clock, so named because it ticks toward state intervention. They include Abraham Lincoln High in Denver, Highland Park Elementary in Pueblo, and the Aurora Central Campus.
Nearly two-thirds of Colorado’s more than 1,700 schools earned a green rating — the highest — this year, which is slightly fewer than last year. About 55% of the state’s 184 school districts and co-ops earned a high rating, which is the same as last year.
Colorado’s largest school district, Denver Public Schools, earned a green rating for the second year in a row. The second-largest district, Jeffco Public Schools, was also green. Twelve districts, including Boulder Valley and Littleton, earned top-tier blue ratings.
The ratings are largely based on state standardized test scores, and they matter because the State Board of Education can order schools and districts with five or more years of low ratings to undergo changes to improve student performance. Those changes could be as drastic as closing a school, although the State Board has only ever done that once.
Schools and districts can appeal their preliminary ratings by presenting additional academic data. After considering appeals, the state will finalize the ratings later this fall.
“It is encouraging to see that most Colorado schools are meeting or exceeding state expectations and that fewer schools are on the Accountability Clock,” Colorado Education Commissioner Susana Córdova said in a statement.
“At the same time, we know that too many students are still attending schools that are struggling to meet their needs,” she said. “Our job is to learn from what is working, strengthen instruction where it matters most and partner with local leaders to provide the support schools need so that every student has access to a high-quality education.”
Only one district and 30 schools earned the lowest rating this year, signified by the color red. That’s fewer than last year. The district, the tiny Deer Trail 26J located 60 miles east of Denver, had its preliminary rating downgraded due to low participation on state tests.
The 30 red schools include two in Denver Public Schools (Joe Shoemaker and Kaiser Elementary), one in Jeffco Public Schools (Swanson Elementary), and two in Adams 12 Five Star Schools (Leroy Elementary and Northglenn Middle).
Twelve districts are on the accountability clock this year, which is less than last year. The Fort Morgan, East Otero, and Las Animas districts were among those that exited.
The Adams 14 district in Commerce City has spent 13 years on the clock, the longest of any district. The State Board of Education ordered Adams 14 to reorganize in 2022 but later backed down in the face of community pressure. Adams 14 earned an orange rating this year, which is the second lowest on a five-color scale. But two of its schools, Alsup Elementary and Central Elementary, showed enough improvement to exit the clock.
The number of schools on the accountability clock based on their preliminary ratings fell from 176 to 148 this year. The number of schools that have been on the clock the longest, for six years or more, also decreased from 10 to four. Among the four that remain are two in Aurora Public Schools: Gateway High and North Middle.
Melanie Asmar is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Colorado. Contact Melanie at masmar@chalkbeat.org.
