By Kelsy Been
The Colorado Department of Education released 2026 results from the Colorado Measures of Academic Success (CMAS), PSAT, and SAT assessments, along with preliminary school and district performance frameworks, in August.
All Archuleta School District schools earned a Performance rating, and the district remains Accredited, the second-highest rating. Assessment results also show continued student growth across several grade levels and subjects. Highlights include::
For the past three years, ASD students in grades 3–8 have demonstrated growth at or above the state average in both English Language Arts (ELA) and Math.
4th-grade students showed the largest growth in proficiency, increasing by 14% in ELA and 16% in Math from the previous year.
6th-grade students demonstrated growth above the statewide median in both ELA (61) and Math (74), compared with the state’s median growth of 50 in both subjects.
SAT Math median growth was also significantly higher than the state average at 68 (versus the state’s score of 50).
ASD also saw improved student performance in areas. At the high school level, ASD’s average SAT scores increased in both Evidence-Based Reading and Writing and Math. With these scores, ASD exceeded the state average in both subjects for the first time in five years.
“These results give us a lot to celebrate as we start the year and reflect on the summative work that has brought us to this point,” ASD Superintendent Rick Holt said. “While we can’t attribute improvement to any one effort, we can look at the collective work we’ve done to improve student outcomes. We’ve remained focused on high-quality instruction, strong curriculum and relationships, and aligning the rigor of classroom learning with grade-level expectations. Our cell phone policy has also helped create learning environments where students can focus more fully on teaching and learning.”
District and school leaders will use the results to identify areas where current practices should be maintained and areas requiring additional instructional focus.
“We need to look carefully at where students are performing at high levels, where we need to maintain that progress and where we need to put additional time, energy, and resources so that all students have access to rigorous grade-level learning and exceptional teaching,” said Holt.
Holt credited district teachers and staff for their continued work with students.
“So much of our success relies on the dedication and individual efforts of our teachers,” Holt said. “Our school district thrives because we have a community of people who care deeply about our students and their success. These results give us reason to celebrate their work while continuing to focus on the students and areas where we have more work to do.”
Kelsy Been handles Communications for Archuleta School District.