NOTES ABOUT THE 1999 FINDINGS: COLORADO
These pages present highlights for your state from the 1999 National Education Goals Report and the companion 1999 Data Volume. The annual Goals Report uses 27 national and 34 state-level indicators to measure progress made toward the eight National Education Goals since 1990, when the Goals were established.
This fact sheet summarizes your state’s progress in key educational areas during the 1990s. Please note the following points:
Goal 3: Student Achievement and Citizenship
Goal 1: Ready to Learn
Goal 2: School Completion
Goal 3: Student Achievement and Citizenship
Goal 5: Mathematics and Science
7. Types of information presented: Four categories of information are provided for your state:
a. Highest-Performing States are states that have performed well in comparison to others. This does not mean that the Goals Panel considers performance in these states to be as high as it should be in order to meet the Goal. It is simply a means of recognizing those states that are doing particularly well relative to others, and that are closest to achieving the Goal by this measure of progress.
b. Most-Improved States are those that made the greatest improvements over time. These states may not yet be among the highest-performing states in the nation, but they were the most successful at pushing their performance in the right direction. "Most-improved" does not necessarily mean that the Goals Panel considers the amount of progress made to be sufficient. It is simply a means of recognizing those states that have made the greatest progress toward the Goal by this measure.
c. Areas of Improvement lists each area in which your state’s performance has improved, compared to where it stood at the beginning of the decade.
d. Areas of Decline lists each area in which your state’s performance has declined, compared to where it stood at the beginning of the decade.
Copies of both reports are available on the Goals Panel’s Web site, at www.negp.gov
COLORADO – Data Highlights
1999 National Education Goals Report
I. HIGHEST-PERFORMING
Colorado placed among the highest-performing states in the nation on 6 measures of progress during the 1990s:
Goal 1: Ready to Learn
1. the percentage of infants born with one or more of four health risks (30%);
Goal 4: Teacher Education and Professional Development
2. the percentage of public school teachers reporting that they participated in in-service or professional development programs (88%);
Goal 5: Mathematics and Science
3. the state’s international standing in 8th grade science achievement (only Singapore would be expected to outperform Colorado);
4. the percentage of degrees earned by all students that were awarded in mathematics and science (51%);
5. the percentage of degrees earned by female students that were awarded in mathematics and science (48%);
Goal 8: Parental Participation
6. the percentage of public school principals reporting that the parent associations in their schools have influence on school policy (50%).
II. MOST-IMPROVED
Colorado placed among the most-improved states in the nation on 3 measures of progress during the 1990s:
Goal 1: Ready to Learn
Goal 8: Parental Participation
2. reducing the percentage of public school principals reporting that lack of parental involvement in their schools is a serious problem; and
3. increasing the percentages of public school principals reporting that the parent associations in their schools have influence on school policy.
III. AREAS OF IMPROVEMENT
Colorado improved on 13 measures of progress toward the Goals during the 1990s:
Goal 1: Ready to Learn
1. Colorado reduced the percentage of infants born with one or more of four health risks (from 33% in 1990, to 30% in 1997).
2. Colorado increased the percentage of mothers who received early prenatal care (from 78% in 1990, to 83% in 1997).
3. Colorado increased the number of children with disabilities enrolled in preschool (from 27 per 1,000 3- to 5-year-olds in 1991, to 45 per 1,000
3- to 5-year-olds in 1998).
Goal 3: Student Achievement and Citizenship
4. Colorado increased the percentage of public school 4th graders who were proficient in reading (from 25% in 1992, to 34% in 1998).
5. Colorado increased the percentage of public school 4th graders who were proficient in mathematics (from 17% in 1992, to 22% in 1996).
6. Colorado increased the percentage of public school 8th graders who were proficient in mathematics (from 17% in 1990, to 25% in 1996).
7. Colorado increased the numbers of Advanced Placement examinations receiving grades high enough to qualify students for college credit. (The number of AP exams with grades of 3 or higher increased from 72 per 1,000 11th and 12th graders in 1991, to 93 per 1,000 11th and 12th graders in 1999.)
Goal 5: Mathematics and Science
8. Colorado increased the proportion of degrees earned by all students that were awarded in mathematics and science (from 48% in 1991, to 51% in 1996).
9. Colorado increased the proportion of degrees earned by minority students that were awarded in mathematics and science (from 46% in 1991, to 49% in 1996).
10. Colorado increased the proportion of degrees earned by female students that were awarded in mathematics and science (from 43% in 1991, to 48% in 1996).
Goal 6: Adult Literacy and Lifelong Learning
11. Colorado increased the percentage of high school graduates who immediately enrolled in college in any state (from 50% in 1992, to 53% in 1996).
Goal 8: Parental Participation
12. Colorado reduced the percentage of public school principals reporting that lack of parental involvement in their schools is a serious problem (from 17% in 1991, to 8% in 1994).
13. Colorado increased the percentage of public school principals reporting that the parent associations in their schools have influence on school policy (from 28% in 1991, to 50% in 1994).
IV. AREAS OF DECLINE
There are 3 measures of progress where Colorado’s performance has declined during the 1990s:
Goal 1: Ready to Learn
Goal 4: Teacher Education and Professional Development
2. The percentage of public secondary school teachers who held a degree in their main teaching assignment decreased from 74% in 1991, to 66% in 1994.
Goal 7: Safe, Disciplined, and Alcohol- and Drug-free Schools
3. The percentage of public secondary school teachers who reported that student disruptions interfered with their teaching increased from 40% in 1991, to 49% in 1994.
This information may be viewed on-line: www.negp.gov/issues/publication/99statefact/co.htm