New CMAS data shows district-level performance in Colorado

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- The Colorado Department of Education has released data showing how each school district performed in the state's standardized tests, the Colorado Measures of Academic Success.

We reported in August when the statewide data was released, showing a large drop in participation rates across the state. CDE said students were only required to take one test per grade level, alternating between English Language Arts and math. Compared to 2019 data, statewide average participation rates dropped by 20-30 percentage points, getting worse at higher grade levels. Still, participation rates were generally above 60% at the statewide average, with the third-grade English Language Arts participation rate in 2021 reaching 76.2%.

According to the localized data, most school districts in the El Paso County area actually met or exceeded the state's average participation rates. One outlier was District 49, which saw participation rates in the 30s and 40s, compared to nearby District 11 and Academy District 20, which had rates from the 60s to the 80s.

Test scores across all of the local districts were largely in line with state averages, despite the differences in participation rates. There was a decrease in the percentage of students who met or exceeded expectations compared to 2019, but the drops weren't as drastic as the participation rate decreases.

See a table of local district data below:

You can explore the full data from the state at this link.