State assessment results released by the Colorado Department of Education show ongoing gains in student achievement across several grades and subjects, while also highlighting persistent gaps among student groups. The latest data, based on the spring 2025 administration of the Colorado Measures of Academic Success (CMAS), PSAT, and SAT to public school students from third through eleventh grade, reflect a trend of steady or improving performance for many students.
Student growth overall is nearing pre-pandemic levels. However, gaps remain for certain populations unless efforts are made to accelerate progress toward grade-level expectations.
“We’re encouraged by the progress many student groups are making,” said Colorado Education Commissioner Susana Córdova. “At the same time, we know there is work ahead to ensure more students are meeting Colorado’s academic expectations across every grade and subject. Persistent achievement gaps highlight the importance of continuing our efforts to support every learner. These results reinforce our commitment to equity, strong support systems, and high expectations for all students.”
Colorado Governor Jared Polis noted improvements in math scores and pointed to state investments in educational supports as a contributing factor. “We are proud to see student achievement improve, especially in math,” Polis said. “Colorado has invested in support for students and educators to increase learning in math and other areas, as well as after-school education, and the results are now showing real improvements for Colorado students.. I want to thank all the incredible educators who are helping students fulfill their greatest potential.”
Among all students statewide, CMAS English Language Arts (ELA) scores were stable with slight increases in fifth, sixth, and eighth grades and a larger gain in seventh grade. In mathematics, elementary and middle school students continued an upward trend since 2021 with year-over-year gains from fourth through eighth grades. Most CMAS scores have reached or surpassed pre-pandemic levels except for fourth-grade ELA and eighth-grade ELA and math.
SAT results showed improvement among eleventh graders in both reading/writing and math compared to last year. PSAT 9 scores remained steady in reading/writing but declined in math; PSAT 10 scores increased in math but decreased in reading/writing.
Disaggregated data show that most racial/ethnic groups had higher percentages of students meeting or exceeding expectations on CMAS assessments compared to 2024—particularly notable were gains among Black and Hispanic student groups across multiple grades and subjects on both CMAS and PSAT/SAT tests. Black students were unique in showing an increase on the PSAT 10 Reading/Writing assessment.
Students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch saw improved performance in eighth-grade science while maintaining consistent results elsewhere. More of these students met or exceeded expectations on SAT Reading/Writing and PSAT 10 Math than last year.
Multilingual learners’ overall achievement remains low across grades but was mostly stable compared with 2024; declines appeared only in third-grade ELA. Sixth- through eighth-grade multilingual learners performed at rates comparable to pre-pandemic years on math assessments but continue to lag behind benchmarks for ELA and elementary math.
Students with Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) showed steady or improving performance—especially notable were gains in seventh-grade CMAS ELA, fifth- and eighth-grade science, PSAT 9 Reading/Writing, and PSAT 10 Math—though their overall percentage meeting or exceeding standards remains relatively low.
The department emphasized that despite positive trends among many groups, longstanding achievement gaps persist between different student populations.
Detailed state-, district-, and school-level results can be found on the Colorado Department of Education website.
The department states its vision is “to create equitable educational environments where all students and staff in Colorado thrive,” focusing on improving outcomes so that families have access to high-quality schools throughout the state’s districts.
