CSAP district-by-district breakdown

By Nancy Mitchell, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Published July 30, 2008 at 12:05 a.m.
Updated July 30, 2008 at 12:23 a.m.

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District-by-district breakdown

Here are brief summaries of 15 metro-area districts on the 2008 state exams. Each shows how many tests improved, declined or stayed the same in the percentage of students scoring proficient or advanced compared to last year. A total of 24 tests are included - reading, writing and math in grades three through 10. Results of science exams are not included because the tests changed this year.

Adams Five-Star

* Gained: 8

* Fell: 11

* Unchanged: 5

Reading results fell in three of the eight grades tested, gained in two grades and were flat in three. Math scores improved in three grades, fell in three and were flat in two. Writing fell in five grades and gained in two. Overall, the percentage of students achieving proficiency in writing dipped slightly, was flat in math and improved slightly in reading.

Aurora

* Gained: 14

* Fell: 7

* Unchanged: 3

This district is changing under the direction of Superintendent John Barry, a former Air Force major general who took over schools here in 2006. Scores improved on five of the eight reading tests, with gains in grades 3-6, a dip in grade 7 and flat in grades 9 and 10. Six of the eight grades tested improved in writing. In math, four grades out of those tested were up and four were down slightly. The percentage of students proficient or advanced in reading, writing and math is up.

Boulder Valley

* Gained: 12

* Fell: 8

* Unchanged: 4

Boulder students continue to place among the highest in the metro area in overall reading, writing, math and science results. Reading scores were mixed this year, with gains in grades 3, 6 and 8 and declines in grades 7, 9 and 10; grades 4 and 5 were flat. Math scores rose in five grades and fell in three. Writing results were up in four grades.

Brighton

* Gained: 14

* Fell: 7

* Unchanged: 3

This rapidly growing district in Adams County posted twice as many increases as declines. Reading was strong, improving in five of the eight grades, and especially strong in the middle-school grades. Writing results were similar. Math saw declines in two grades, flat results in one and gains in four.

Cherry Creek

* Gained: 9

* Fell: 9

* Unchanged: 6

A static year for the typically high-performing district as it adjusts to greater diversity and mobility among its 50,000-plus students. Reading scores were up in grades 4, 5, 8 and 10 and down slightly in grades 3, 6 and 9 while grade 7 was flat. Math scores improved in two grades, fell in three grades and were flat in three. Writing was similarly mixed.

Commerce City

* Gained: 10

* Fell: 9

* Unchanged: 5

One of the metro area's lowest-income districts sustained some of the strong gains it made last year. Results improved in four of the eight grades tested in reading - 5, 6, 7 and 8 - but fell in grades 3, 4 and 10 and were unchanged in grade 9. In writing and math, scores broke even - gains in three tests, declines in three tests and a flat line in the other two. Overall, the percentage of district students scoring proficient or advanced in reading and math increased this year.

Denver

* Gained: 16

* Fell: 4

* Unchanged: 4

One of the capital city school district's strongest years on the state exams, with improvement on 16 of the 24 tests. Reading was particularly strong as results increased in every grade level from 3 through 10. Math scores were increased or sustained in six of eight grades. Writing was less positive, though three grades improved and three were flat. The percentage of students achieving proficiency was up.

Douglas County

* Gained: 12

* Fell: 11

* Unchanged: 1

A fairly flat year for one of the metro area's highest-performing districts. Reading scores improved in five of eight grades but fell in grades 7, 9 and 10. Math scores improved in four grades, fell in three grades and stayed flat in one. Writing fell in five grades and improved in three. The affluent district south of Denver outperforms other metro districts in most grades.

Englewood

* Gained: 8

* Fell: 15

* Unchanged: 1

Results improved in four of the eight grades tested in reading - grades 5, 6, 7, and 9 - but fell in the other four. Math scores fell in five of the eight grades and increased in the other three. Writing scores fell in six grades, gained in one grade and were flat in one. The district struggles in writing, is flat in reading and is seeing a slight gain in math.

Jefferson County

* Gained: 10

* Fell: 10

* Unchanged: 4

District continues to hold steady with reading, writing and math scores above statewide averages. In reading, five of the eight grades tested either improved or were flat while grades 7 and 10 dipped slightly. Math rose in five grades of those tested and fell in three. In writing, scores fell in five grades, gained in two and were flat in one.

Littleton

* Gained: 10

* Fell: 9

* Unchanged: 5

The district held steady in reading, dipped slightly in writing and inched up in math. Reading improved or was unchanged in five of the eight grades tested and fell slightly in grades 3, 6 and 10. Math scores rose in three grades, fell in three and were flat in the remaining two. Writing improved in four of the eight grades, fell in three and were flat in one.

Mapleton

* Gained: 5

* Fell: 15

* Unchanged: 4

Reading scores fell in six of eight grades tested, gained in one grade and were static in the other. Writing scores also fell in six grades but gained in two. Math scores fell in three grades, were flat in three grades and gained in two.

Sheridan

* Gained: 7 * Fell: 16

* Unchanged: 1

This tiny district at Denver's southwest corner saw its students' overall proficiency in reading, writing and math fall this year. Reading results fell in six of the eight grades, math and writing scores were down in five of the eight grades.

St. Vrain

* Gained: 11

* Fell: 10

* Unchanged: 3

A flat year for results in reading, writing and math. Reading scores were up in four of eight grades, down in three grades and flat in one. Math scores were up in four grades and down in four. Writing results were up in three grades, down in three and unchanged in two. Over three years, the district's overall proficiency rates are steady in reading and writing and up slightly in math.

Westminster

* Gained: 11

* Fell: 6

* Unchanged: 7

Reading scores were up in four of the eight grades, down in two grades and flat in one. Math results were up in three grades, down in three and flat in two.Writing scores increased in four grades, fell in two, and were unchanged in two. The percentage of students achieving proficiency in reading, writing and math is up.

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