Start with the Facts: Strengthening Denver Public Schools’ Education Pipeline

Across all grade levels and subject areas, Denver Public Schools’ (DPS) students are making steady gains in academic achievement, but student outcomes remain below state averages for each grade and subject area, according to Start with the Facts: Strengthening Denver Public Schools’ Education Pipeline, released today by A+ Denver, the Colorado Children’s Campaign, and Metro Organizations for People (MOP). The report looks at key transition points for DPS students from 2005 to 2011 in order to assess outcomes and trends in academic achievement and growth as students move from preschool through K–12 and into college. In addition, the report identifies potential barriers to student success and recommends strategies for improvement.

Among the primary findings:

• Enrollment in DPS schools has increased. But, compared to other large school districts in the state, DPS has the highest number of students choosing to enroll elsewhere.
• Data indicate that gaps in school readiness between lower-income children and higher-income children participating in the Denver Preschool Program are minimized by the end of the preschool year.
• Between 2005 and 2011, DPS 4th graders overall made progress in each subject area. But, higher-income DPS students improved faster than their lower-income peers, widening the achievement gap.
• Among DPS students, 8th graders made the greatest overall improvement in the percentage scoring proficient or advanced between 2005 and 2011. Both higher- and lower-income DPS students improved faster than students statewide in all subjects.
• Since 2005, the percentage of DPS 10th graders scoring proficient or advanced has increased in all subjects for both higher- and lower-income students, outpacing gains in state averages. But proficiency levels drop across all subjects between middle and high school for both higher- and lower-income students.
• DPS on-time graduation rates have increased slightly, from 46.4 percent in 2009 to 51.8 percent in 2010, while annual high school dropout rates have decreased substantially from 11.1 percent in 2006 to 6.4 percent in 2010.
• ACT composite scores have improved from 15.4 in 2005 to 17.6 in 2011, outpacing growth at the state level. And, the number and percentage of DPS students going to college have improved. But the number and percentage requiring remediation in college have also increased.

The report provides several recommendations aimed at helping policymakers, education advocates, educators, parents, and students better understand the progress of DPS students. For example, the report suggests tracking the performance of all students in the Denver Preschool Program using a common statewide tool like the Results Matter program, giving equal weight to student achievement scores and student growth scores when reporting on student performance, and including information on each DPS high schools’ on-time graduation, college enrollment, and remediation rates on their school websites and providing parents with that information.