Press Release - October 30, 2024

Contact: Nan Baumbusch
EDUCATE Denver Staff Director
info@educatedenver.org | 303-501-7287

EDUCATE Denver releases Board of Education progress reports to evaluate governance of Denver Public Schools

Reports highlight minimal academic progress in 2023-2024; emphasize student achievement and safe, welcoming schools for 2024-2025

Denver – EDUCATE Denver, a civic coalition for DPS students, issued two Board of Education progress reports today as part of a campaign to focus district leaders on activities that support high-quality education in Denver Public Schools. The first report incorporates recently released CMAS data to provide a final assessment of progress made during the 2023-2024 school year. A new, quarterly report articulates updated objectives for the 2024-2025 school year and narrows focus to academic success and a positive student experience – key priorities among Denver’s civic leaders.

2023-2024 BOE Progress Report Summary Highlights

The 2023-2024 BOE progress report evaluated Board efforts in four categories: academic outcomes, school safety, parent engagement, and high-quality leadership. Noteworthy results include:

  • Insufficient progress to return students to 2019 pre-pandemic levels of academic achievement. Most student demographic groups within DPS saw achievement levels below 2019, suggesting that the impacts of the pandemic remain. 

  • A failed effort to reduce achievement gaps for Black, Hispanic, Asian, FRL, and ELL students; we largely saw achievement gaps grow in 2024.

  • Adoption of a revised discipline matrix.

  • No work toward a Board-approved strategic plan for the district.

See the 2023-2024 Summary Progress Report for details.

2024-2025 BOE Progress Report Summary Highlights

EDUCATE Denver’s 2024-25 Board of Education progress report includes two primary objectives for this school year:

  1. All students receive a high-quality education that supports proficiency in key subjects, exposes students to a broad curriculum, and prioritizes 21st-century skills.

  2. All students learn in a safe, welcoming environment that supports a culture of belonging.

Progress toward those objectives will be assessed through six metrics presented in the progress report, when data is published next year. In the meantime, EDUCATE Denver will track Board of Education activity and policymaking to determine subjective progress toward the objectives. Updates will be published quarterly to sustain Board accountability and to provide the community with more transparency around Board of Education efforts. The report aligns with the four focus areas of the EDUCATE Denver Platform.

Today’s report is the first of four that will be published this school year in conjunction with Board of Education meetings that occur through June.

About EDUCATE Denver

EDUCATE Denver is a coalition of civic leaders who are elevating ECE-12 education as the city’s No. 1 priority. The coalition is made of over 40 business, philanthropy, public policy, faith-based and community leaders who understand that high-quality education and a thriving city go hand in hand. Learn more and see the full list of participants at educatedenver.org.