Blog posts are the opinions of the writers and do not necessarily reflect the views of A+ Colorado.
A + is committed to supporting districts as they meet the needs of their students while continuing to ask the important questions. At this time one such question is: which areas of the state are most vulnerable economically and how might that impact students? We know that students who are eligible for free and reduced…
During these difficult times, as districts are tasked with unprecedented situations and decisions, we wanted to take the time to shine a light on a student population that is often overlooked, those without stable home environments. The state defines students experiencing homelessness as any youth who lacks a “fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence.” This…
Are there any interesting stories in the recently released October Count data? A cursory analysis of the recently released October count data has us talking about school choice and the changing demographic landscape in Colorado education. As the overall student population growth has slowed in recent years, the number of students identified as Hispanic has…
“The interim school finance committee discussed shifting our school funding formula, but didn’t propose changes since there isn’t new funding in the system. What do we know about how money might impact student outcomes?” Many conversations about student success often include a discussion of funding and spending. As parents, community members, and taxpayers we often…
For the nation, this year’s NAEP results have garnered a lot of attention, shining a light on low-performance, minimal progress, and large achievement gaps. However, while NAEP has brought renewed attention to the severity of the state of public education, it still hasn’t shown us why large financial investments and policy innovations have yielded, seemingly,…
Aurora Public Schools (APS) has school board elections on November 5. Here is a quick overview view of who the students in APS are, and how they’re being served so that voters can better understand the challenges facing Aurora Public Schools. Who is running? There are 5 candidates running for 3 seats. Amber Drevon Stephanie…
As we approach the year anniversary of our Many Languages, One Future report release, and celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, in this month’s A+ Answers, we highlight emerging multilingual students, students who make up a large amount of the growing number of Colorado students. These are students who speak a language other than English and are…
An A+ community member asked A+ Answers, “With the “expanding concurrent enrollment” bill on the table, I’m curious, what schools in Colorado are doing concurrent enrollment the best?” Concurrent Enrollment (CE) is a way for students that are still in high school to take classes for college credit. These can either be taken within the…
A community member asked A+ Answers, “How does a rural district like North Conejos have such high graduation rates?” This seemingly simple question is incredibly complicated. Intrinsic in this question are further questions that merit further research, like resource allocation to rural schools and the interplay between graduation rates and other measures of success. To…
The community voted and 62% of voters wanted to know, “Where are students of color graduating at a high rate in Colorado?” Over the past several years, Colorado’s graduation rates for all groups of students has been increasing, across the state. However, when looking at where students of color are graduating at the highest rate, it’s…