{"id":1765,"date":"2026-06-02T12:04:28","date_gmt":"2026-06-02T12:04:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/denvermovingchronicle.com\/?p=1765"},"modified":"2026-06-02T12:04:28","modified_gmt":"2026-06-02T12:04:28","slug":"colorado-students-improve-in-math-but-literacy-results-are-mixed-in-statewide-testing-scores","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/denvermovingchronicle.com\/?p=1765","title":{"rendered":"Colorado students improve in math, but literacy results are mixed in statewide testing scores"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

This story was originally published by Chalkbeat. <\/em><\/p>\n

DENVER<\/strong> | The share of Colorado students who met or exceeded state standards on state math tests rose from last year to this year in nearly every grade. But when it comes to literacy, it\u2019s more of a mixed bag.<\/p>\n

Those are two major takeaways from the preliminary results on the Colorado Measures of Academic Success, or CMAS, which were released last week by the Colorado Department of Education. They roughly match nationwide data from last year showing that students\u2019 math performance is ticking up, but that reading scores are stagnant. Explaining those and related trends is not an easy task.<\/p>\n

The state also released PSAT and SAT results, with encouraging signs for younger high schoolers.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

\u201cThese results show both progress and areas where we must continue to improve,\u201d said Colorado Education Commissioner Susana C\u00f3rdova in a news release about the data.<\/p>\n

The preliminary data gives an overall picture of the percentage of students in each grade meeting or exceeding state standards on math, literacy, science, and social studies tests. But it doesn\u2019t show results from specific groups of students, like English learners or students with disabilities. It also doesn\u2019t include district or school level results.<\/p>\n

The full data will be publicly released in August, according to an education department news release.<\/p>\n

The data released Friday shows math proficiency in elementary and middle schools continues to steadily improve after dropping dramatically during the pandemic.<\/p>\n

\n
\n

Get individual CMAS results<\/h2>\n

Check the state\u2019s\u00a0Family Portal. You\u2019ll need your child\u2019s State Student Identifier, which should be available in your district\u2019s online portal or on your child\u2019s previous CMAS score report.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Nine of the 10 grades tested showed improvements. For example, 39% of fourth graders and 37.8% of eighth graders met or exceeded state standards on the CMAS math exam. That\u2019s a slight improvement over last year.<\/p>\n

Literacy proficiency increased for fourth and fifth graders, with students in fourth grade making the greatest strides. The data shows 49.9% of fourth graders were proficient in literacy, up five percentage points from 2025, although proficiency rates for third graders fell.<\/p>\n

Preliminary SAT and CMAS scores show mixed results<\/h3>\n

\u201cEarly literacy has been a major focus in Colorado, and we are encouraged by the progress we are seeing,\u201d Cordova said.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, there was a decline in literacy proficiency in every middle school grade by two percentage points. For example, CMAS literacy proficiency dropped 1.7 percentage points to 42.2% of eighth graders.<\/p>\n

As for high schoolers, PSAT scores for ninth and tenth graders improved from 2025 in both math and literacy.<\/p>\n

In literacy, 65.6% of ninth graders scored proficient or above in literacy while 65.1% of 10th graders did so. Meanwhile, PSAT ninth grade math proficiency increased to 40.6%, and proficiency in math for 10th graders increased to 37.9%.<\/p>\n

The news was less rosy for 11th graders. The rate of students meeting or exceeding standards on the SAT math and literacy tests dropped slightly compared to last year. The education department cautioned that low participation in the test continues to skew how to interpret those results. The news release didn\u2019t include the percentage of eligible students taking the test this year.<\/p>\n

Science proficiency on the CMAS dropped this year in grades five, eight, and 11. And in social studies, which is tested every three years among a representative sample of students, a quarter of fourth graders and third of seventh graders scored proficient.<\/p>\n

In recent years, Colorado lawmakers have sought to make the CMAS shorter, and get testing information out to parents and teachers faster.<\/p>\n

For the CMAS, students take what\u2019s known as adaptive tests, which means that based on how students do on the first section of CMAS exams, they get either an easier or harder second section.<\/p>\n

Next year, fourth graders will also no longer have to take the CMAS social studies test. Lawmakers eliminated the test for that grade to save money after another budget shortfall.<\/p>\n

Jason Gonzales is a reporter covering higher education and the Colorado legislature. Chalkbeat Colorado partners with Open Campus on higher education coverage. Contact Jason at jgonzales@chalkbeat.org. Chalkbeat is a nonprofit news site covering educational change in public schools.<\/em>\n<\/p>\n

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