Denver’s test scores are up, but not high enough to meet all of the superintendent’s strategic plan goals

Denver Public Schools' standardized test scores have risen under Superintendent Alex Marrero's leadership, but they haven't reached all his strategic plan goals. In 2022, Marrero unveiled his first-ever strategic plan, aiming to raise the number of students scoring at grade level in math and literacy by 10 percentage points by 2026. However, the district's overall scores didn't improve by 10 percentage points.

The district made the most progress in early literacy. In 2022, 60% of kindergarten through third grade students scored at grade level or above in reading; by 2026, this number had increased to 69%. Marrero's focus on early literacy includes initiatives like the Black Student Success Team and the Latine Student Success Team. The district also introduced a new early literacy curriculum aligned with the science of reading and invested in teacher training and intervention programs for struggling readers.

Despite these efforts, gaps between Black and Latino students and their white peers persist. Black and Latino students' scores have increased, with some improvement of 10 percentage points or more, but significant discrepancies remain. As Marrero considers his future with the district and potential job offers elsewhere, he remains committed to Denver and has plans to finalize a new strategic plan through 2030.