DOCUMENT RESUME UD 034 478 ED 459 226 State Summary of Colorado. Ed Watch Online. TITLE INSTITUTION Education Trust, Washington, DC. Carnegie Corp. of New York, NY. SPONS AGENCY 2001-00-00 PUB DATE 27p.; Also supported by the Washington Mutual Foundation. NOTE For the other State Summaries, see UD 034 473-523. For the Summary of the Nation, see UD 034 472. The Education Trust, 1725 K Street, NW, Suite 200, AVAILABLE FROM Washington, DC 20006. Tel: 202-293-1217; Fax: 202-293-2605. For full text: http://204.176.179.36/dc/edtrust/edstart.cfm. Numerical/Quantitative Data (110) PUB TYPE MF01/PCO2 Plus Postage. EDRS PRICE *Academic Achievement; *Black Students; Curriculum; DESCRIPTORS Educational Attainment; Educational Finance; Elementary Secondary Education; Equal Education; *Hispanic American Students; Mathematics Achievement; Minority Group Children; *Poverty; *Racial Differences; Reading Achievement; Science Achievement; Special Needs Students; Tables (Data); Teacher Effectiveness; Teaching Skills; White Students African Americans; Colorado; Latinos; National Assessment of IDENTIFIERS Educational Progress ABSTRACT This report provides data on the academic achievement gap that separates low-income and minority students from other students, examining how well different groups of students perform in Colorado and noting inequities in teacher quality, course offerings, and funding. Included are tables and data that provide: a frontier gap analysis (a comparison of Colorado to the leaders in achievement and gap closing); student profile (the demographic distribution of youth in Colorado); state performance (academic opportunity (well prepared teachers, achievement and educational attainment) ; challenging curricula, special student placements, effective instruction, and annual per pupil investments); minority achievement gains, state by state; and analysis of minority-white achievement gaps by subject area and grade level. African American 8th graders in Colorado out-perform African American students nationwide in science and are among the highest scoring compared to African American students in other states in math and reading. However, African American 8th graders in Colorado are scoring more than 2 years behind white 8th graders in the state in math and writing and more than 3 years behind in reading. Hispanic 8th graders in Colorado score more than 2 years behind white 8th graders in the state in all four areas. There are significant differences in measurable teacher quality and course offerings that may contribute to the achievement gap in Colorado. (Contains 24 references.) (SM) Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the ori inal document. c.)D of mmary State St Colorado To eliminate the achievement gap that separates low-income and minority students from other students, we must understand what that gap looks like and where it originates. How well are different groups of students in your state performing? Could inequities in course selection or teacher quality be contributing to the gap? This State Summary Report provides at least some of the answers. COLORADO HIGHLIGHTS Some of the facts from Colorado's State Summary Report include: African American 8th graders in Colorado out-perform African American students in all other states in science, and are among the highest scoring compared to African American students in other states in math and reading. However,African American 8th graders in Colorado are scoring more than two years behind White 8th graders, in the state in writing and math, and three years behind in reading. Latino 8th graders in Colorado are scoring more than two years behind White 8th graders in the state in math, science, reading and writing. There are some substantial differences in teacher quality and course offerings that probably contribute to the achievement gap in Colorado. (The description above is meant to provide a general overview of the state's gaps and progress in student achievement. Readers who wish to compare states on these measures should consult the precise figures reported on the "Frontier Gap Analysis" page inside.) U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE AND Office of Educational Research and Improvement DISSEMINATE THIS MATERIAL HAS EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION "Th cation Edue BEEN GRANTED BY CENTER (ERIC) 130<tis document has been reproduced as Trust received from the person or organizaiion P gctAl_ originating it. O Minor changes have been made to improve reproduction quality. www.edtrust.org TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES Points of view or opinions stated in this o INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) document do not necessarily represent 1 official OERI position or policy. Table of Contents Frontier Gap Analysis I a comparison of your state to the leaders in achievement and gap closing Student Profile 2 the demographic distribution of youth in your state State Performance 3 Academic achievement 3 NAEP, ACT/SAT scores by group Attainment 7 high school & college by group Opportunity 8 Well-prepared teachers 8 Challenging curricula 8 Special student placements 9 Effective instruction 9 Investments I 0 Biggest Gainers I 2 How big is the achievement gap in your statO 15 analysis of minority-White gaps by subject area and grade level 23 References PLEASE NOTE that the State Summary Reports are merely a selection of the data from the Education Watch Interactive Data site. For more complete data, and for more cross-state com- parisons, please visit the site at www.edtrust.org. Do remember, however, that you may have fuller, richer or more current data sets in your state for some of the indicators we report, because we only use data that can be compared across states.We there- fore encourage you to gather and examine a wide range of data from your own state and local districts. In this way, communities will come to see a full picture of how their students are faring and what can be done to improve results. COLORADO (Frontier Gap Analysis Education Watch Online introduces a new way to look at achievement gaps in each state: by comparing them with the "frontier" state for a particular group of students, that is, the state with the highest average score for that group.The comparison shows that, in most cases, achievement gaps would shrink dramatically if a state's poor or minority students performed as well as the same group of students in the frontier state. But that's only part of a longer journey; visit the Education Watch Online interactive Web site to see how far your state has to go before all groups of students perform at the "proficient" level on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). How to read the table: Group's Distance to Frontier State: For African American, Within-State Achievement Gap: For African American and Latino, and low-income students, this is the difference between Latino students, this is the difference between that group's aver- their average score and the average score for the same group of age score and the average score of white students on a particu- students in the frontier state. lar test. For low-income students, this is the difference between their average score and the average score of non-poor students Example: "Latino students in Colorado scored 12 points behind on the test. Latino students in North Dakota, the frontier state for Latino stu- dents on that test" Example: "On Average, Colorado's Latino students scored 23 points lower than the state's White students on NAEP's 1996 4th Grade Amount State's Achievement Gap Would Shrink:This is Math Assessment" approximately how much the state's achievement gap would Frontier State for Group:This is the state where a particu- shrink if its African American, Latino, and low-income students scored as well as the same group of students in the frontier lar group of students - African American, Latino, or low-income state. - scores the highest on the test. But, because such students can achieve much higher than they do even in the frontier state, the Example: "If Colorado's Latino 4th graders scored as well as those current frontier should be viewed as a short-term target rather in North Dakota, the state's math achievement gap between than a long-term goal. Latino and White 4th graders would shrink by 52%." Example: "Latino students in North Dakota out-perform Latino students in all other states on NAEP's 1996 4th Grade Math NOTE:A difference of 10 points is roughly equivalent to one year's Assessment" worth of learning. Amount State's Frontier Within-State Group's Achievement Gap State for Distance to Achievement NAEP Would Shrink * Frontier Group Group Gap Assessment TX 44% African American 37 16 4th Grade ND 52% Latino 23 12 Math (1996) ND 57% Low-Income 23 13 NE African American 28 4% 1 8th Grade IA 43% Latino 26 I I Math (1996) ND Low-Income 65% 23 15 CO African American 0 0% 20 8th Grade MT 44% Latino 27 12 Science (1996) ND 20 Low-Income 87% 23 I 1% CT African American 27 3 4th Grade IA 30% 27 8 Latino Reading (1998) 48% Low-Income ME 25 12 39% African American KS 12 31 8th Grade VA 32% 28 Latino 9 Reading (1998) 26 62% ME Low-Income 16 TX 56% 25 African American 14 8th Grade VA 56% 25 Latino 14 Writing (1998) OK 38% 26 Low-Income 10 Note: Low-Income refers to students eligible for * Calculations take into account decimals. For clarity of presentation, data are displayed as whole numbers. free and reduced price lunch. Therefore, some figures may differ slightly from hand calculations, SOURCE: Education Trust calculations based on average scale scores on the National Assessment of Educational Progress as reported by the National Center for Education Statistics. The Education Trust, Inc. 4 1 COLORADO (Student Profile STUDENT PROFILE Population and enrollments:These data will offer a picture of the student population in your state. Comparing the demographic distribution of students across each educational level will show what happens to children as they journey through the education system. Significant differences should raise questions about equity. Four Year Two Year Population Public K-I 2 Private K-I 2 Colleges Colleges Ages 5-24 4.2% African American 3.2% 4.3% 4.7% 5.6% 3.9% 2.8% 2.5% Asian 2.5% 2.7% 7.6% Latino 14.2% 10.0% 19.3% 19.4% Native American 0.6% 1.2% 1.5% 0.7% 1.1% White 81.0% 76.4% 82.5% 71.3% 72.7% Other 3.1% 0.9% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% Total 100.0% 79,977 172,771 687,167 Number 53,941 1,169,998 Population and Enrollment 100% -- 90% -- 80% - 70% - 60% -- O African American 50% -- O Asian Latino 40% -- O Native American 30% -- Mite 20% -- O Other 10% - 0% Four Year College Private K12 Population Two Year College Public K12 5 4/6 2001 Education Watch State Summaries 2 COLORADO (State Performance ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT NAEP achievement levels: The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) is administered to representative samples of students nationally and in participating states. NAEP achievement is reported by percents in four categories: Advanced, Proficient, Basic and Below Basic. "Proficient" indicates the desired level of competency for students at a particular grade in a particular subject. In this indicator, closing the achievement gap between groups is critical, but it is not enough. Schools have a long way to go to move all American young people to proficiency. 1998 NAEP 8th grade reading Adv. Prof. < Basic Basic 6° 50 African American 0 45 48 7 24 Asian 45 29 2 Latino 46 43 0 11 Native American -50 White -50 48 2 36 14 All 46 24 28 2 Non-Poor 48 2 35 15 -100 44 Poor 44 0 12 -100 1 1 1 Poor Non Poor Native American African American Asian White Latino All *Note:all proficiency level data in percents. L: Proficient 0 Basic 0 Advanced Below Basic 1998 NAEP 8th grade writing Adv. Prof. < Basic Basic 50 60 African American 0 64 27 9 Asian 56 35 2 7 0 Latino 0 30 59 11 Native American White 9 59 -50 31 1 All 26 59 14 1 Non-Poor 9 59 31 1 Poor 29 60 0 -100 11 100 1 Poor Non Poor Native American African American White Asian Latino All *Note:all proficiency level data in percents. [_: Proficient 0 Basic 0 Advanced Below Basic 1998 NAEP 4th grade reading Prof. Adv. < Basic Basic 50 50 African American 27 56 2 15 Asian 32 8 35 25 0 0 Latino 54 2 13 31 Native American -- White -50 32 37 22 9 -50 All 27 7 35 31 Non-Poor 37 32 23 8 -100 Poor 30 53 2 15 1 1 100 Poor 1 Non Poor Native American Asian White Latino All African American *Note:all proficiency level data in percents. Proficient 0 Basic 0 Advanced Below Basic L 6 3 The Education Trust, Inc. fir COLORADO (State Performance 1996 NAEP 4th grade math Adv. Prof. < Basic Basic 50 50 African American 0 4 22 74 48 Asian 32 3 17 Latino 0 54 38 8 Native American 46 42 0 12 White 48 24 26 2 All 45 20 2 33 Non-Poor 0 36 55 9 .100 Poor 49 26 2 23 1 NonPoor Poor African American Asian Native American Latino White PB *Note:all proficiency level data in percents. E: Proficient 0 Basic 0 Advanced Below Basic 1996 NAEP 8th grade math Adv. Prof. < Basic Basic 50 50 African American 0 32 8 61 39 24 Asian 7 30 o Latino 57 33 9 1 Native American White -50 4 27 24 45 All 42 22 33 3 Non-Poor 54 35 10 1 44 Poor 4 -100 27 25 100 NonPoor Poor African American Asian Native American Latino White All *Note:all proficiency level data in percents. Proficient 0 Basic 0 Advanced Below Basic 1996 NAEP 8th grade science Adv. Prof. < Basic Basic 50 50 African American 49 35 15 1 4 Asian 35 36 25 Latino 57 31 11 1 Native American 0 27 22 51 White 37 -50 37 23 3 All 32 36 2 30 Non-Poor 29 55 15 1 Poor 37 25 -100 35 3 -100 NonPoor Poor African American Asian Native American Latino White AJI *Note:all proficiency level data in percents. Proficient 0 Basic 0 Advanced Below Basic I, 7 4 2001 Education Watch State Summaries 4Tit6 COLORADO (State Performance ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT NAEP multiyear trends: Looking at change over time both in absolute student performance and in achievement gaps can show whether a state is making progress, holding static, or even backsliding.This can help states focus actions needed for improvement, and measure whether existing initiatives are effectively meeting their goals in achievement and equity. 1992-98 4th grade reading Gap Changes Over Time Colo:Ins& Om& 41. Riaidlno Bigdo African American- Latino- 250 Year - White Gap White Gap no- ND 20 20 1992 210 29 1994 Haw 31 t00- 27 27 1998 100 1i0 Change* 1 ma 92-98 7 7 1994 1903 1595 10110 * Labui Whits * ia tea * Micas Assalisman OWN. American Note:Change based on absolute difference in average group scale scoreinterpret with caution (not necessarily statistically significant) *positive change=gap widened; negative change=gap narrowed 1992-96 4th grade math Gap Changes Over Time African American- Latino- Year White Gap White Gap 27 1992 21 1=77: 37 23 1996 M- Change* 109. 92-96 2 10 100 1 Note:Change based on absolute difference in average group scale 1990 1990 1898 10911 scoreinterpret with caution (not necessarily statistically significant) Aaiun * Lotam * Maki= Atimanean Maine Amor:Carl * Whits 'EP tato *positive change=gap widened; negative change=gap narrowed 1990-96 8th grade math Gap Changes Over Time Beak Btió 3 iltola B African American- Latino- Year 1100 White Gap White Gap ND 890 28 37 1990 HD* 24 36 1992 950 940 26 28 1996 230 Change* 90-96 -9 -2 loge 1505 1082 1990 WM Ma*. ,Iltnarteari,* 'MOS * *Opp * kettria /*big= Agromr.an Note:Change based on absolute difference in average group scale scoreinterpret with caution (not necessarily statistically significant) *positive change=gap widened; negative change=gap narrowed 5 8 4r6The Education Trust, Inc. COLORADO (State Performance Average scores on college admissions tests:While increasing numbers of minorities are taking college admissions tests, in virtually every state,African American, Latino and Native American students still score well below other students.To close this gap, states should ensure that all students complete a rigorous college preparatory sequence, and that all students are held to the same expectations of postsecondary attainment.The SAT and ACT are the major nationally used college admissions tests. Below we report the scores for the predominant test used by your state's colleges and universities. ACT Performance ACT Performance by Race/ Ethnicity, 2000 25 20 211 AJ 15 10 5 0 African American Asian Note: A perfect score for the SAT is 1600. A perfect score for the ACT is 36. Distribution of ACT Test Takers, 2000 Test Takers African American 3.6% Asian 4.2% Latino 10.5% Native American I.r. White 81.6% Total I 00.0% Number 24,117 1.r. low reliability 9 416 6 2001 Education Watch State Summaries COLORADO (State Performance ATTAINMENT In order to determine equity in attainment rates, we compare regular diploma recipients with the number of 8th graders four years earlier, and report freshmen enrollments compared to bachelor's degrees four years later.Taken together, these show the flow of groups of students from middle school to high school graduation and through postsecondary education.Although these data do not track individual students from year to year, they should paint a fairly representative picture of who makes it through high school and college. 8th Graders vs. Diplomas Diplomas 8th Graders 1993-94 1998 African American 4.5% 5.3% Asian 2.4% 3.0% Latino 12.9% 16.6% Native American 0.8% 0.9% White 78.9% 74.9% 78.9% Total 100.0% Number 35,794 47,665 Chances For College, 1998 In the fall of 1998, the percentage of 19 year-olds in Colorado who were enrolled in college was (includes part-time and full-time students): 38.8% Freshmen vs. Degrees Awarded Freshmen* Bachelor's Degrees 1993-94 1997 African American 4.7% 2.6% Asian 3.8% 3.8% Latino 6.5% 11.3% Native American I.r. 1.r. White 80.2% 77.0% Other 3.2% 7.0% Total 100.0% 100.0% Number 20,659 32,441 *Note:Includes first-time full time and part time freshmen at 2-year and 4-year institutions. low reliability 10 stflk 7 The Education Trust, Inc.