DENVER -- The results are in, and it’s good news for Colorado schools. A new report from Colorado Education Commissioner Katy Anthes shows the state’s 178 school districts are making progress.
The final accountability rating report -- based on several indicators, including student achievement – shows 30 school districts received the highest rating of "distinction" and no districts in Colorado earned the lowest ranking of “turnaround,” which education officials say marks the first time in the history of the report that has occurred.
The report also highlighted the removal of four districts from the state's accountability clock -- a designation placed on struggling school districts facing state action, including closure. However, five new districts were placed on the list in 2017.
The report is put together each year to provide the State Board of Education an idea on which of the state’s 178 school districts may need more support and intervention.
Ashley Piche, the director of accountability at the Colorado Department of Education, said this year’s report reflects the hard work by Colorado students.
“I think it's the hard work being done across the state, in districts across the state,” said Piche. “There is still more work to do to make sure we’re meeting the needs of all students, but we've seen a lot of great progress across the state this year.”
Details of the report revealed 65 percent of Colorado’s districts received the top two accreditation ratings, and only nine districts were on “priority improvement,” representing 2.7 percent of all Colorado students.
