The Accountability, Accreditation, Student Performance, and Resource Inequity Task Force released its report Friday, recommending various improvements to better address the needs of students and schools.
The 26-member task force that included parents, educators, students and community leaders from across the state held over 150 hours of meetings over the past year to discuss how to improve the system.
Their focus was to address gaps in educational outcomes and to make sure all students have fair access to resources.
In total, the task force developed 30 recommendations aimed at helping the state better evaluate and support student success.
"I am thrilled that 26 diverse voices from across our state came together to identify ways to strengthen our accountability and accreditation system, focusing on addressing academic inequities and expanding opportunities for all,” said Wendy Birhanzel, Harrison School District 2 superintendent and task force chair.
The task force's recommendations cover four core areas: accountability frameworks, state assessments, public reporting and engagement, and continuous improvement practices.
Within these areas, key recommendations include:
- Refining school and district ratings. The task force suggests changing how schools and districts are rated to reflect the achievements of various student groups more accurately. This includes adding support for smaller student populations and addressing achievement gaps.
- Better metrics for growth, achievement and postsecondary readiness. To give parents a clearer idea of how schools prepare students for college or careers, the task force recommends adding new measures focused on postsecondary and workforce readiness.
- Modernizing state assessments. Recommendations include creating assessments that adapt to student needs, offer multilingual options, and provide quicker results to help teachers and the community understand student progress.
- Improving data sharing and accessibility. Recognizing the importance of accessible information, the task force proposes a statewide dashboard. This dashboard would offer clear, easy-to-understand data on school performance for parents, educators and policymakers.
- Strengthening improvement processes. The task force suggests creating a system of early identification and targeted support to help schools and districts address issues as they arise and recognize their successes.
The task force was formed last year with passage of House Bill 23-1241 by the General Assembly. The bill specifically requires the task force to release a final report of recommendations by Nov. 15.
“I want to express my sincere gratitude to Colorado's legislators for focusing on academic opportunities and inequities that contribute to achievement gaps," said State Board of Education chair and task force co-chair Rebecca McClellan.
The task force encourages the legislature, the State Board of Education, the state Department of Education and all education stakeholders to collectively implement these recommendations, though the law does not require them to do so.
Birhanzel noted that while the recommendations themselves are "essential," they are also "just the beginning."
"Our commitment to this work must continue to ensure that every student in Colorado has access to the educational opportunities and outcomes they deserve."
The full report is available online for the public to view.
©2024 The Gazette (Colorado Springs, Colo.). Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
