The results of Durango School District’s end-of-year assessments were a mixed bag.
Students in grades K-12 take a series of national standardized tests three times each year to measure their progress in reading and math.
The district framed the 2024-25 testing outcomes as a resounding success – many of the results outpaced national averages. But when compared to the district’s own scores from previous years, the interpretation of the numbers becomes more nuanced.
On one hand, overall reading and math proficiency for K-5 students improved. On the other, while secondary students saw some bright spots, declines outnumbered gains.
And across all grade levels, achievement gaps persisted for students of color, students with disabilities, multilingual learners and those from low-income households.
Elementary students across Durango School District outperformed national averages in several key learning areas.
Students in grades K-5 scored anywhere from 10% to 25% higher than national benchmarks, according to data provided by the district.
In many early grades, students also outpaced their peers from previous years.
“Our students who are in K-2, for example, are outperforming students of past years in reading and math. So that’s a huge celebration,” said Laurie Rossbock, the district’s director of curriculum, instruction and assessment.
Rossbock attributed the success to improved teacher support and professional development.
In recent years, the district has implemented higher-quality teaching materials and better aligned them across classrooms and schools, she said.
Prior to the pandemic, Rossbock said, teachers had more autonomy in choosing classroom materials and resources. Now, those materials are more standardized and aligned with Colorado Academic Standards.
Durango’s middle and high school students did not perform as well as their younger counterparts.
There was a sharp decline in upper-grade reading performance, and just 31% of middle school students were proficient in math – the same as at the beginning of the year.
A major factor, Rossbock said, may be testing fatigue. Older students face a heavy assessment load throughout the year, including Advanced Placement exams, PSATs, SATs and CMAS. By the time they take the Star Reading and Math diagnostics, many may be burned out.
“That’s one of our hunches. It’s just mostly related to fatigue,” she said.
The data also showed persistent achievement gaps for students of color, multilingual learners, students with disabilities and economically disadvantaged youths – a pattern Rossbock said is both concerning and, to some extent, expected.
“With multilingual learners, if they’re a newcomer and they’re still learning English, well, they’re being tested in English, so there’s going to be a gap for a period of time as they acquire English as another language in their repertoire,” she said.
It’s a similar situation for students with disabilities, she added. Many already have individualized learning plans aimed at closing the gap, so persistent disparities are anticipated.
The end of year achievement results for students eligible for free or reduced lunch programs demonstrated a significant gap when compared to their peers.
Karla Sluis, spokesperson for Durango School District, said coming from a lower-income family poses an additional challenge to learning.
But although the gap is still large – over 20 percentage points in some occasions – it is narrowing.
An example: The high school reading scores demonstrated a 1% increase in proficiency while their non-FRP eligible peers saw a 5% decline.
One notable area of improvement came from students of American Indian and Alaska Native descent.
Among middle school students in this group, 40% achieved proficiency on end-of-year math assessments – more than double the 18% who did so the year before.
The district has made efforts to support these students with additional help in math, as well as culturally responsive lessons, Sluis said.
She added that the district provides resources such as tutoring, small-group instruction and family support to the students who need it most.
jbowman@durangoherald.com
