April 10, 2018 Denver – Results from the semi-annual National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) show slight gains for Colorado students in reading and math, but the state continues to maintain one of the largest achievement gaps in the nation between white students and black students, and for those who live in poverty.
Colorado Succeeds President Scott Laband issued the following statement regarding the results of the 2017 administration of NAEP:
“Colorado has made incremental change over the past decade to improve education in the state, and as a result, we’ve seen incremental progress on NAEP. While NAEP represents just one data point and experts and the public alike need to be careful about our interpretation of the data, the 2017 scores send a strong signal that transformational results will only happen through an investment in transformational change.”
“Our current education system was built for a past era and now we know that we aren’t’ going to realize our ambitions for Colorado’s students by iterating or improving it. It’s simply not enough. What we see in the NAEP results is the urgent need to build a new education system that is responsive to the unique needs and interests of today’s students and the dynamic pace of change in our economy and society. Rather than asking students to conform to a rigid and antiquated system, we need an agile system that adapts to learners of all backgrounds.”
“In our Vision 2030, we commit to creating an agile education system – one where we don’t predict the future, but where we support students in developing a love for learning, a commitment to life-long learning, and a transferable set of skills and competencies that will empower them to shape the future of technology, rather than being replace by it. Will Colorado rise to the challenge? The only way we will get there is if Colorado’s next governor prioritizes transformational change in education statewide.
“To ensure this, Colorado Succeeds and the Common Sense Policy Roundtable—in collaboration with the Denver Business Journal and 18 statewide business groups—will unveil new economic data demonstrating the astounding impact that transforming education could have on Colorado, including what it means for students, employers, and the state’s economy if we closed the achievement gap and created the talent our labor market is demanding. On May 15, we will launch a Business Guide for Colorado’s Next Governor to ensure he or she supports the strategies that will deliver the greatest outcomes for Colorado’s kids and businesses.”
We look forward to working alongside leaders from education, business, and government to learn, reflect, and strategize the bold changes Colorado needs to set all children up for success.
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