What your Colorado K-12 report card does and doesn’t tell you
A new report from the Data Quality Campaign finds that Colorado K-12 report cards, most often referred to as school performance frameworks (SPF) or district performance frameworks (DPF) are easily accessible but could be improved by sharing and communicating essential information to parents and guardians. The outcomes and data highlighted matter because parents and community members often use information from the report to advocate for their student, and for collective improvements to the school experience.
Data from the DQC report show that Colorado is one of 42 states with report cards that can be found within the top three results of a simple internet search, and one of 30 states that offers a PDF friendly of version of the report card. Colorado’s performance frameworks are not accessible through mobile devices, nor is the data downloadable. Our performance frameworks include information regarding student achievement growth and student demographics.
The data confirm that Colorado could do better to make performance information about school and student success accessible to families and communities. If we want communities, including parents and students, to be able to advocate for ways the system can improve, we must ensure that our report cards are accessible and readable. Only 15 states have report cards that are translated in languages other than English, and most require some college education to understand.
As we think about the broader conversation around improving student performance and our state accountability system, we must ensure that the content and quality of information empowers those who want better for kids.
