Denver Public Schools recently released state assessment scores for around 55,000 students who participated in CMAS and SAT testing, claiming, “… the district is making a real difference for all of our students.” Digging into the data (as EDUCATE Denver and other civic leaders did recently with an independent data analyst), a more nuanced story unfolds.
It is a proverbial “tale of two cities.” One plot line reveals that approximately three quarters of DPS white students are proficient in reading, outscoring their Colorado peers by 17 points. A parallel tale suggests that of Black, Hispanic, and low-income students who 70% or more are not proficient in reading and, in contrast to their white peers, underperform similar students statewide.
These same terrible patterns hold true in math, where over 80% of Black and Hispanic students perform below grade level and behind peers statewide. We are not making a “real difference” for most of our kids as 65% of students are Black or Hispanic. In fact, the long-term trend suggests that, for many, the situation is only getting worse.
The data is even more confusing. Over three years, test scores for all student groups went up. Up is good and we credit DPS, generally, for this trend. However, when you put the starting line at 2019, scores have just now surpassed pre-pandemic levels for DPS white students, while scores among DPS Black and Latino students are still recovering on most metrics. There is nothing exceptional about the recent rise – we are merely back to where we started, for some.
There is a glimmer of promise when we observe growth scores. These scores reflect performance relative to an expected amount of learning for any given school year, based on typical performance of similar students the previous year. For most DPS subgroups, growth was slightly higher relative to state peers. But there, again, the group that is growing fastest is white students. Most minority students are not growing as much as peers or quickly enough to ever achieve grade level proficiency. Unless DPS can radically accelerate growth rates for historically underserved students, the nearly 50 point achievement gap between white students and students of color will only expand.
It is worth noting that DPS’ actual performance bears no relationship to the wildly unrealistic targets proposed by the superintendent and approved by the school board in January. DPS set strategic targets for minority student subgroups between 10 and 20 points higher than those actually achieved. This failure is not surprising as DPS did not articulate a realistic plan for lifting up the achievement of chronically underperforming groups. It is surprising, however, in the context of DPS’ stated success.
We celebrate the fact that some schools in the district are defying their “demographic destiny.” As measured by test scores, students of color are better served by charter schools than by district-managed schools, and some DPS charter schools have made great headway in closing the gap. There are also some district-managed schools exceeding the odds, which begs the question: What steps is DPS taking to identify and scale strategies that work?
As members of EDUCATE Denver, we invited the superintendent to speak to a forum of community members to find out. We were interested in learning about DPS’ bright spots, challenges, course corrections and efforts to leverage best practice. The Superintendent declined the invitation, refused to send a delegate, and countered that the district would hold its own forum next year – a decision we certainly hope was not motivated by the upcoming Board of Education election this November.
When test scores were publicly released in August, the district celebrated recent gains without putting them into proper perspective. Community members deserve a fuller picture, which we attempt to provide here:
With a budget of $1.5 billion and just over 90,000 students, DPS spends $11,452 per student each year. According to the data, less than one in two students are proficient in literacy and fewer than one in three students are proficient in math. Shareholders (taxpayers) of any other $1.5 billion organization would demand a complete overall of such a failing institution. (In the case of a $1.5 billion public entity whose core business is students’ futures, a more practical solution is to follow the evidence.)
So, what now? Schools and programs in DPS that are closing the achievement gap between white and minority students should be replicated urgently in other schools across the district. In addition to studying the high performers in our midst, DPS should dive into the extensive body of research that exists to identify promising practices around the country. What they will find is that higher performing school districts not only have ambitious goals; they have detailed plans to achieve them. They have leaders who talk to, and work with, their communities. They have school boards who maintain focus on student learning and monitor that plans are executed.
There is no question that DPS teachers, staff and students are working hard, but they need more direction and support. The citizens, taxpayers, and voters of Denver need to express their desire for clear goals from the school board and coherent strategy from the superintendent. It is well past time for serious conversations about the structural issues plaguing Denver Public Schools. It is our only hope for a “tale of one city” in which all children learn and thrive.
Federico Peña is a former mayor of Denver and an EDUCATE Denver member. Rob Stein is a former superintendent of the Roaring Fork School District, a former principal of Manual High School and a member of Educate Denver.
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