DENVER -- Just-released results from the statewide 2001 CSAP tests show 72 percent of third-grade students are proficient or advanced readers.

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The Colorado Department of Education released the results of the 2001 statewide comprehensive assessment for third grade reading Thursday morning.

The results show that 39,814, or 72 percent, of the 55,207 public school third-grade students earned scores that indicate they are proficient or advanced readers. This represents a three percentage point increase over the 2000 scores, according to officials.

The percent of students in each of the two lowest categories of performance decreased. The percent of students in the proficient category remained the same, and the percent of students in the advanced category increased from 7 percent to 10 percent.

While the results show that 14,274 students (26 percent percent of third graders in the state) performed at a below proficient level an this assessment, there was a modest reduction in the number of students at the lowest performance level, Unsatisfactory.

The results show steadily increasing scores. In 1998, this number was 12 percent; in 1999, 11 percent; in 2000, 9 percent; and this year 8 percent; indicating that more students have moved from being non-readers to emerging readers.

"We are moving from mission impossible to mission accomplished," Gully Stanford, of the state board of education, said.

"I think this shows that public schools can do the job of educating all children," state board member Evie Hudak said.

From 2000 to 2001, growth was demonstrated in the percentage of students who are proficient and advanced for Whites, Blacks, Hispanics, and Asian/Pacific Islanders, Performance of white students increased by three percentage points, black students by six percentage points, Hispanics by two percentage points, and Asian/Pacific Islanders by four percentage points.

Students with some of the greatest learning challenges have shown progress over the last four years, according to the report. Those with Individualized Education Programs have made steady growth since the first Grade 3 assessment five years ago.

"We are out of the area of excuses. Poor students can learn. Students of color can learn, and I'm very pleased that we are closing the gap in a very measurable way," Stanford said.

In 1998, 45 percent of these students performed at the unsatisfactory level, 23 percent at the partially proficient level, 18 percent at the proficient level and 1 percent at the advanced level. In 1999, 41 percent of these students performed at the unsatisfactory level, 25 percent performed at the partially proficient level, 19 percent performed at the proficient level and 1 percent performed at the advanced level.

In 2000, the students who took the Spanish version of the CSAP had the following results: 19 percent scored at the unsatisfactory level, 26 percent at the partially proficient level, 45 percent at the proficient level, and 8 percent at the advanced level.

Students who took the Spanish version have also demonstrated improved performance since 1997, Of the 1795 students who took the Spanish version of the CSAP in 2001, 18 percent scored at the unsatisfactory level, 23 percent at the partially proficient level, 48 percent at the proficient level, and 8 percent at the advanced level.

While pleased, educators said that there is still more to do.

"We need to put more resources into the schools were students are not reaching proficiency," Stanford said.

The Colorado Department of Education Web site has posted full test results, with the ability to search for results by school district and individual school.

Additional Resources:

• Search CSAP by school district and school
• Downloadable spreadsheets of CSAP Results