Colorado students still lag pre-pandemic learning
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Colorado K-12 students' scores on national reading and math exams remained stable in 2024 and exceeded the performance of counterparts in other states.
Yes, but: It's not all good news. The results remain below pre-pandemic learning levels.
Why it matters: The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) tests, given to fourth and eighth graders every two years, are a key biennial benchmark for learning and often referred to as the Nation's Report Card.
What they're saying: "Not only did most students not recover from pandemic-related learning loss, but those students who were the most behind and needed the most support have fallen even further behind," the U.S. Department of Education said in a statement.
Zoom in: A slightly greater proportion of Colorado students performed at basic and proficient levels in 2024, compared to 2022, but the increase was not statistically significant, our education reporting partners at Chalkbeat write.
- The state's students are moving closer to pre-pandemic levels in math at both grade levels and reading in eighth grade. But fourth-grade reading scores are down slightly.
The intrigue: Colorado's improvement compared to 2019 is the third greatest in the nation, exceeding the averages for the nation and large cities.