Colorado State Board reviews progress on attendance and literacy initiatives

During its October meeting, the Colorado State Board of Education received updates on the Department of Education’s ongoing work to improve student engagement and academic performance. The department has set goals for the 2027-2028 school year, including reducing chronic absenteeism by half from its peak of 35.5% in 2021-22 and increasing the percentage of third graders who meet or exceed expectations on state English Language Arts tests to 60%.

For the 2024–25 school year, average daily attendance was 91.4%, with 28.4% of students classified as chronically absent—numbers that are consistent with last year’s data. Sixty percent of districts saw improvements in both attendance and chronic absenteeism, and gains were noted among kindergarten through second grade students statewide. Two-thirds of districts involved in the Attendance Learning Cohort also reported progress.

The Department’s Every School Day Matters campaign now includes over 50 schools and districts participating in a challenge to cut chronic absenteeism by half. The department is also expanding professional learning opportunities, building partnerships with families and communities, and promoting engaging instruction to help students connect with their schools.

Colorado’s aim is for every child to read at grade level by the end of third grade. The goal is to increase third-grade proficiency on English language arts tests from 42% in 2024 to 60% by 2028. Department staff told the board that reading deficiency rates are declining across the state, with schools involved in the Early Literacy Grant program showing greater gains than average. Nearly 60% of K–3 students now attend schools using the Early Literacy Assessment Tool project.

To support these efforts, CDE is sharing effective instructional practices, redesigning data systems for better district support, and strengthening local instructional leadership.

In other actions during the meeting, board members unanimously approved new rules for administering the Public Transportation Fund—raising the threshold for capital outlay expenditures from $100 to $10,000 and expanding what qualifies as reimbursable expenses. They also updated accounting rules to reference new programs such as Universal Preschool Program and Healthy School Meals for All.

"The Colorado Department of Education’s vision is to create equitable educational environments where all students and staff in Colorado thrive. Our role is to improve student outcomes and ensure students and families across Colorado have access to high-quality schools by serving, guiding, and elevating our state’s 178 school districts and BOCES."