Denver Public Schools’ superintendent should break achievement gap

The start of each school year conjures up a familiar image: yellow bus lights flashing; kids lined up to load; backpacks at the ready. The picture conveys a kind of hopeful energy that often accompanies fresh starts: no score, just potential.

For Colorado schools, the reality is that we do start with a score. Each August we receive CMAS results – our best (although imperfect) assessment of learning. Just as many anticipate the new year, I anticipate these outcomes with optimism, hoping this time Denver will move the needle.

The recently released 2023-24 results included bright spots: nineteen Denver Public Schools are expected to come off the state’s watch list! Rocky Mountain Prep Creekside, Bill Roberts K-8, Morey Middle School, Isabella Bird Community School, Escuela Valdez, Sabin World School, and DSST: Cedar showed particularly strong achievement for students from low-income households. Congratulations to the hard-working educators and students at those schools.

But like many years past, there was also troubling news. In aggregate, DPS did not return to pre-pandemic levels of performance, and worse, the achievement gap between affluent students and those experiencing poverty actually grew.

We must be careful to see the information for what it is and not to manufacture a story we wish to hear. In the DPS Board of Education meeting on Sept. 19, Superintendent Alex Marrero celebrated that overall reading and math proficiency improved slightly on CMAS. What he failed to emphasize is the fact that improvements did not occur equitably across subgroups and some, notably Black students, went down.

Additionally, while there are large academic gaps across the state that must be addressed, these gaps are wider in Denver than the state overall and many of our peer districts. The superintendent also highlighted growth surpassing the state average but ignored that white, affluent students drove this outcome in many ways. In fact, Black students, Hispanic students, English language learners, and students from low-income households all saw less growth than their peers within DPS (although they largely did outperform their demographic peers statewide).

We do want to acknowledge strong gains by DPS in reading scores for students in grades K-3 under the Read Act, although this internally administered assessment proved inconsistent with CMAS results and as such, makes it difficult to draw definitive conclusions.

The stark reality is that we aren’t moving the needle at all for most at-risk students. As a district, DPS is struggling to support historically disadvantaged learners to a level of proficiency that will afford them a life of opportunity. While myriad underlying conditions impact their success – housing, hunger, mental health and safety – our first, most important step toward change is an honest assessment of results.

EDUCATE Denver calls on Superintendent Marrero and the Board of Education to own DPS’ outcomes for what they really are. We encourage his team to dive deep into the wins that did occur and to replicate the strategies those schools and instructors employ far and wide across the district.

As community members, we, too, must recognize the results and work to solve the web of challenges our students face. A couple of opportunities to support students are front and center this fall:

1. Support the 2024 DPS Bond: The November ballot will include a $975 million DPS bond proposal to fund capital improvements among Denver Public Schools. The package is designed to improve facility conditions, heighten safety, expand enrichment, and maintain school environments that are maximally welcoming. EDUCATE Denver believes that all students deserve a high-quality learning environment, which contributes to their learning potential.

2. Support Families through School Consolidation: Superintendent Marrero recently announced his commitment to right-size the district this year. Our coalition agrees with this strategic decision and asks for community support as DPS families work through this process. School closure is hard, emotional and yet, sometimes, the best path forward. Informational meetings will occur at schools throughout the city from Sept. 24 through Oct. 14 and we encourage all DPS families and Denver community members to attend. This can be a win for students, if executed thoughtfully.