Keystone Policy Center is a pioneering leader utilizing education data– primarily comprised of assessment testing scores – to help stakeholders and policymakers make analytically informed decisions related to education. To further increase the availability of this data in Colorado, Keystone has partnered with the Colorado Sun to provide an accessible interactive map detailing this testing data on the Colorado Sun’s website. The exploratory map allows users to search the data on a district or state-wide level to empower education stakeholders, families, and policy makers with vital information to drive positive change in Colorado’s education system. The Colorado Sun utilized the data in a recent story about the latest test scores from Colorado students.
The interactive map provides a user-friendly platform for accessing testing results. With just a few clicks, parents, students, educators, and policymakers can access valuable insights on math and English language arts performance in school districts across the state. This transparency encourages collaboration between different stakeholders, creating a shared responsibility for providing a quality education in the state.
One of the most profound impacts of this partnership is the empowerment it offers to families. By having access to comprehensive testing data, parents and guardians can make more informed decisions about their children’s education. With accurate and up-to-date data at their fingertips, policymakers can formulate policies that are grounded in evidence. And educators can learn from each other’s successes, administrators can implement best practices, and communities can rally behind the cause of education improvement. This convergence of efforts has the potential to create a holistic and supportive environment for Colorado’s educational ecosystem.
As a leader in the field, Keystone has issued a series of data-centered reports on education in recent years. Its Back to School reports issued last year analyze Colorado’s academic performance at both district-run schools and charter schools. In August 2022, Keystone released its widely-circulated Homeownership for Colorado Teachers: Affording the American Dream, which evaluated statewide public data to define what earnings would be required for a teacher to purchase a home. In October 2021, Keystone released its first Colorado’s Missing Year report analyzing COVID-19’s impact on student learning as measured by the state mandated assessments. Keystone followed up that report in March 2022 with Colorado’s Missing Year: Charter School Performance, which explored recent enrollment and academic performance data to examine how charter schools fared relative to the state and other school district managed public schools in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.