Colorado Board Of Education Wants To Resume State Tests And Ratings

[Camryn LevyGuest]

The Colorado Board of Education recommended on Thursday that comprehensive statewide testing be resumed and that the findings be used to reinstate accountability ratings, but it is up to state legislators to determine how the system will work next year.



The State Board spoke out as key Democratic legislators examine legislation that would give schools a grace period before facing the full brunt of poor student performance.
The board adopted three resolutions at a special meeting Thursday morning, proposing that full state testing return this spring and that school and district accountability ratings be reinstated. The resolutions also offered provisions for establishing a transitional year in which the stakes for schools and districts would be reduced.

Because these amendments are part of state law, the legislature will have the ultimate word this session, but the board authorized the proposal to show legislators what they favor. During the epidemic, the accountability system was put on hold. The most recent ratings were released in 2019.

According to the board's recommendations, the 2022 evaluations would not automatically send schools or districts onto or off the state's low-performing watchlist.
Instead, the state board might implement policy adjustments that allow schools or districts with more representative outcomes — at least 90% participation rates — to seek a hearing with the state to reassess their ratings.