Assessment

Fact Sheets

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Frequently Asked Questions

The frequently asked questions are grouped into categories for easier navigation. This section continues to be updated. Please check back often for additional information!

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Colorado Measures of Academic Success

What are the Colorado Measures of Academic Success assessments?

The Colorado Measures of Academic Success, known as CMAS, are the state’s common measurement of students’ progress at the end of the school year in English language arts, math and science.

Students in grades three through eight take the CMAS tests in math and English language arts. Students in fifth, eighth and 11th grades take the CMAS science assessments.

Who developed the CMAS assessments?

These assessments are developed collaboratively by the Colorado Department of Education, the assessment contractor Pearson and Colorado educators.

What grade levels and content areas will be assessed by the CMAS assessments in spring 2024? How will the tests help my child?

• English language arts and math: Students in grades three through eight.
• Science: Grades five, eight and 11.

How will the tests help my child?

The tests allow your child to show what they have been learning and practicing in their classroom, and how well they are connecting with classroom instruction. The results will let you know how well your school is teaching all students and will provide you and other families in your community with information about how local schools are meeting the needs of all students. The results will help you check your child’s progress toward mastering the academic standards’ grade-level expectations.

How will the tests help my child's school or district?

The tests provide critical information to the district and state on how well all students in your child’s school are doing, so the school can be supported. They allow teachers and principals to see any differences between groups of students and make improvements to instructionso that all students can succeed. The results can highlight gaps in achievement, so steps can be taken to ensure all students are supported in making meaningful progress. And the results can help state policymakers and local school boards identify schools that may need more assistance or resources.

Which college entrance suite of assessments will be administered in Colorado public high schools in spring 2024? Are states required to administer statewide assessments and what are the minimum requirements?

Colorado will provide the current PSAT/SAT suite of assessments in spring 2024 to public school students in grades nine, 10 and 11.

Are states required to administer statewide assessments and what are the minimum requirements? Will Colorado administer more assessments than the federal minimum in 2024?

Federal law requires statewide testing in certain grades and subjects. All students in these grades take state tests. By requiring that all students take state tests, the law requires schools to start thinking about all students when designing learning opportunities and setting goals. Not long ago, some students were not included in testing. Back then students with disabilities and English learners were often excluded.

Colorado receives approximately $350 million in federal funds yearly to support the education of children in poverty, English language learners and students with disabilities. States that receive these funds are required by the federal government to administer annual statewide assessments to all students. The minimum required assessments are:

• Grades three through eight for English language arts and mathematics.
• At least once in high school for English language arts and mathematics.
• At least once in elementary school, once in middle school, and once in high school for science.

Colorado law also has assessment and participation requirements and includes provisions regarding parent excusals from state assessments. Click here for more information about participation and parent excusal. There are also some required assessments specific to certain populations of students (e.g., language screeners for English language learners).

Will Colorado administer more assessments than the federal minimum in 2024?

Yes. Colorado’s state assessment system for the 2023-24 school year includes the following tests:

• English language arts in third through eighth grade
• Math in third through eighth grade
• Science in grades 5, 8 and 11
• PSAT in ninth and 10th grade*
• SAT in 11th grade

*These assessments are solely required by Colorado law.

When will the tests be given in 2024?

CMAS tests in English language arts, math and science will be administered in one window from April 8-26. All elementary and middle school science tests must be scheduled and completed during the April 8-26 testing window. Based on requests made in December, some districts may administer the English language arts, math and high school science CMAS tests as early as April 1.

Colorado’s ninth- and 10th-grade students will take the PSAT, and 11th-grade students will take the SAT. The 2024 testing window for the PSAT and SAT is April 15-26.

Can students see sample items before testing?

Districts are encouraged to give students time to interact with the selected test format (online or paper) before testing begins. Colorado Practice Resources (CPRs) that help to familiarize students with the test format and questions can be accessed here. Additional resources, including CPR Scoring Guides and resources for educators, can be accessed through this page.

For the college entrance suite of assessments, free PSAT and SAT resources from Khan Academy include interactive questions, guided essay practice, video instruction sessions, thousands of practice questions, a mobile app for daily practice and the ability to scan and score practice tests.

Are the CMAS tests given on a computer?

The assessments are designed to be administered on the computer, and they feature a variety of interactive questions that are more engaging and aligned with 21st-century teaching and learning practices. However, in 2015, the state legislature passed a law allowing districts to request paper versions of the tests.

Are students able to practice with the tests before actually taking them? How can I help my student mentally prepare for the tests?

Sample items and tasks for mathematics, English language arts and science, along with a range of supplementary materials and additional resources are available here.

How can I help my student mentally prepare for the tests?

Talk with your child and make sure they understand why they are taking state tests. Also, reach out to your child’s teacher about any accessibility needs to see if some supports or accommodations might help your child access instruction and state tests. When talking to your child about the test, use positive language about testing and help your child use positive self-talk, such as, “I can do my best” or “Making mistakes is OK.”

To help reduce nerves, practice stress-reducing strategies, such as breathing exercises, stretching, and other activities with your child. Remind your child that testing is a regular part of learning and share your experiences with testing in school.

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Participation and Parent Excusal

How do participation rates impact results?

Participation in the state assessments can vary across schools, grade levels and student groups. Participation information should always be reviewed and taken into consideration thoughtfully when interpreting state assessment results, particularly at the district and school levels. As participation rates decrease and vary across student, school and district groups, challenges with interpreting results will increase. Depending on the specific school or district, some student groups may be overrepresented in the results and others may be underrepresented. Participation information may indicate that in some cases, conclusions should be drawn with caution or completely avoided. Data will not support all cross-state comparisons and historical uses when participation rates are low. Additionally, participation rates and differences across years should be considered for any comparisons that are made across years.

Can parents excuse their children from taking the state tests?

Yes. Colorado law allows parents to excuse their children from state assessments. This law requires districts to have policies that explain how parents may excuse a student from participating in one or more state assessments and notify parents of those policies. Local school districts can share their specific policies with parents.

What are the consequences of excusing a child from participating in state tests?

According to state law, districts cannot impose negative consequences on students or parents if a parent excuses his or her student from participating in an assessment, including prohibiting school attendance, imposing an unexcused absence, or prohibiting participation in extracurricular activities. Likewise, districts cannot impose unreasonable burdens or requirements on a student to discourage the student from taking an assessment or to encourage the student’s parent to excuse his/her child from the assessment.

Legislation passed in 2018 mandates that schools must offer all students who are excused from testing the opportunity to participate in celebrations and/or incentives related to the assessments.

It is important to note that non-participation in state assessments means parents will not have information about their child’s attainment and growth on the state standards compared to other students in their school, district and state.

Will my school or district’s accreditation rating be impacted by low participation on tests?

In some cases, low participation on state assessments can impact school and district plan-type assignments. State and federal law have shaped these state assessment expectations. State statute requires assessments for evaluating students’ mastery of and growth in the Colorado Academic Standards and evaluating the performance of districts and schools. Third- through ninth-grade students are to be assessed in English language arts and math, as well as science and social studies. Federal law requires 95% of students overall, and in each demographic category, take the required assessments. However, the assessment participation requirements are applied differently for the state accountability system (e.g., School and District Performance Frameworks) and for identification of schools for support and improvement under the federal Every Student Succeeds Act or ESSA.

For identification under ESSA, Colorado must count all non-participants, including parent excusals, over 5% as non-proficient records..

Under state accountability, if a school or district fails to meet the 95% participation rate requirement in two or more content areas for reasons such as students refusing to take the test without a parent's excuse, then the school or district’s plan type will be lowered one level.

The Colorado State Board of Education passed a motion in February 2015 that says districts will not be held liable under the state system when parents excuse their children from testing. This means that parent excusals are not counted in the required 95% accountability participation rate on the performance frameworks.

Are there financial impacts on teachers or schools for low participation?

There is no fiscal impact on a district or teacher, at the state level, for parents excusing students from state assessments.

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Score Reports

When will students, families and educators receive the scores?

Individual student scores for CMAS English language arts and math tests completed in April 2024 will be provided to all school districts in June 2024 and hard copy student performance reports will be provided to school districts in July. School-, district and state-level scores will be publicly released during the August State Board of Education meeting.

What do the score reports include?

The CMAS score reports are designed to provide educators, families and students with better information about students’ mastery of grade-level academic standards. Score reports offer an overall measurement of performance in a particular subject, as well as how a student compares to other students in the school, district and throughout Colorado.

How will the test scores impact other measurements of students’ performance?

The test scores do not impact grade point average, class ranking or college acceptance.

 

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Scoring the tests

Who scores the tests?

For human-scored questions, qualified scorers are recruited and must have a bachelor’s degree or higher in mathematics, English, education or a related field. Scorers for the mathematics assessments hold at least a four-year degree in a related field and have demonstrated the knowledge needed to effectively score responses to math questions. Scorers for the English language arts assessments hold at least a four-year degree in English, education, history, psychology, journalism or a related field, and/or teacher certification or other work experience that will enable them to effectively score the literary analysis, research simulation, or narrative writing tasks found in the assessments. Not all scorers are teachers, but as many as three-quarters have previous teaching experience. Half of all scorers are current K-12 teachers.

How are scorers trained?

All scorers receive extensive training to evaluate student performance on a select and specific group of questions across multiple exams. To ensure that scoring is fair and unbiased, scorers are trained on specific questions instead of a student’s full assessment. Each scorer receives extensive training at a regional scoring center on his or her specific question or group of questions and must pass two evaluations before they are deemed eligible to score an assessment.

How are the tests scored?

There is a regimented and defined process to score every student exam that ensures accuracy and security of the assessments and students’ information. First, all students are assigned an identification number to protect their privacy. Student answers are then separated and sorted question-by-question and sent to the scorers who have been trained and qualified to score that question. This maintains student anonymity and allows scorers to become experts in scoring one question at a time. Scorers assign points to each answer. Depending on the question, up to six points could be available. Each scorer has a binder for each question with the scoring rubric and examples of pre-scored answers that he or she can use to compare his or her scoring against the guide prepared by educators. To ensure scorers are maintaining accuracy standards throughout the scoring process, they will routinely be given pre-scored answers along with un-scored answers. A scorer’s evaluations must match the “true” scores at least 70% of the time. When a scorer’s accuracy declines, he or she receives additional training on the test question. If a scorer cannot maintain consistency and accuracy, his or her previous scores are all put back into the system for re-scoring.

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What are some of the ways CMAS scores are used?

How can parents use the scores?

Score reports demonstrate students’ understanding of grade-level subject standards at the end of the school year. Families can use the scores to begin a discussion with their child’s teachers and school officials about the child’s academic strengths and areas for improvement; together everyone can decide how best to support the student’s needs.

How can teachers use the scores?

Teachers can use the scores to support students’ needs, identify strengths and weaknesses, and enhance learning for all students. Because the scores reflect high expectations for what students should know and be able to do, aligning with the demands of today’s global economy, teachers can use them to plan instruction and enrichment for students in the coming year that prepare students for life beyond high school.

How will tests be used to evaluate schools and teachers?

Colorado law requires 50% of an educator’s evaluation to be based on student academic growth as demonstrated by various assessments or “measures of student learning,” including but not limited to state assessments.

However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the law was changed this year. For the 2022-23 school year, the use of student growth from the Colorado Growth Model or district/school performance frameworks may not be used as a part of licensed personnel's Measure of Student Learning/Outcome. All other aspects of the system will remain the same. All licensed personnel are still required to be evaluated annually, which includes generating a final effectiveness rating consisting of 50% Measures of Student Learning/Outcomes and 50% Professional Practices (Quality Standards).

For more information about the changes this year, visit the Educator Effectiveness webpage.

Accountability

A large part of Colorado’s educational accountability system is based on the results of state assessments. School ratings are based on average scores on state assessments as well as growth students show from year to year on assessments.

 Preliminary school and district ratings are typically released in August with final ratings approved by December. View more information about Colorado’s school and district accountability system. Score reports comprise only one part of how district and school accreditation ratings are determined.

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Accommodations

Are students with disabilities required to take state assessments? If so, are adjustments made?

State and federal law require all students to be held to the same standards and participate in the state assessment program. There are three ways that students with disabilities can participate in the state assessments:

1. Take the general assessment without accommodations.
2. Take the general assessment with accommodations.
3. Take the alternate assessment for students with significant cognitive disabilities.

What are accommodations and what are some examples?

Accommodations are changes in how the test is given without changing what is being assessed. Students with an Individual Education Plan (IEP), 504 plan or English Learner (EL) plan, can use specific accommodations allowing the student better access to the test as long as there’s alignment between the accommodation and the student’s educational plan. That plan may also indicate the student is eligible to participate in Colorado’s alternate tests. Accommodations can be divided into four categories:

1. Presentation accommodations – changes in the way test items are presented to a student (i.e., large print, braille, oral presentation, translated oral presentation, etc.).
2. Response accommodations - changes in the way a student responds to test items (i.e., uses scribe, responds in Spanish, uses assistive technology device, etc.).
3. Setting accommodations - changes in the test environment's setting (i.e., small group or individual administration).
4. Timing accommodations – changes in the scheduling of the assessment (i.e., allowing multiple breaks, providing extra time, testing at specific times of the day, etc.).

What is the CoAlt?

A small number of students, approximately 1% of the student population, take the Colorado Alternate assessment. These are students who have significant cognitive disabilities. Special accommodations are built into the CoAlt specifically for these students.

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Impact on Accountability

How are schools, districts and educators held accountable for the test results?

Colorado’s education accountability system is based on the belief that every student should receive an excellent education and graduate ready to succeed in careers or in college. Successful schools and districts are recognized and serve as models, while those whose students struggle are identified for support.

Specifically, schools are identified for support and improvement under various state and federal laws that look at performance on several indicators.

Schools, districts and educators are expected to use the results to reflect upon the education program and progress of individual students to improve attainment for students. Part of this work is done through the Unified Improvement Plan.

Funding is never withheld from schools or districts based on low test scores. Instead, increased funding is available to support school and district improvement in places where students are struggling.

Schools’ overall performance is evaluated by looking at scores on assessments, measuring how well students are growing academically year to year and seeing how well they are preparing students for success after high school. Under this measure, districts and schools are given performance ratings. Those that need additional support (e.g., grants, specialized programming) for improvement are also identified.

If a school or district has been consistently underperforming on multiple measures (e.g., achievement on state assessments, growth, graduation rates, dropout rates, matriculation rates) for five years or more, the State Board of Education must direct the local board of education to take a more drastic measure to improve performance for students.

Additionally, schools with lower graduation rates on the four-year and seven-year cycle may be identified for additional support. Schools are also examined for how well they are serving students from specific groups on academic achievement and academic growth, how well they are being prepared for life after high school, and whether they are chronically absent. These specific groups of students include English learners, students with disabilities, those who are economically disadvantaged and students with individual race and ethnicities.

State assessment results may be used as part of an educator’s evaluation, as a measure of student growth in the current school year only if results are received two weeks prior to the end of school. If results are not received at least two weeks before the end of school, the assessments may be used as prior-year data for the following year.

Will test scores impact the statewide system of accountability for districts and schools?

The 2009 Accountability Act requires CDE to issue annual school and district ratings, called “performance frameworks,” that let communities know how their schools and districts are doing. The ratings are based on performance and growth on state tests, as well as postsecondary measures, to help identify schools and districts that are struggling, so they can receive additional support. Schools that are succeeding are recognized so others can learn from them.

Keep in mind that the state’s rating system is just one measure of how we’re doing. So much more goes into the effectiveness of a school, including culture, the commitment of staff and the involvement of parents and community members.

Typically, elementary and middle school ratings are based on state assessments in English language arts and math – both the average scores students received in spring as well as the average growth they showed over the last three years. High schools and districts are also rated on graduation and dropout rates, college matriculation numbers and SAT scores. There is also information on specific groups of students, based on race, gender, free and reduced lunch eligibility, those in special education and who are English language learners.

The state releases preliminary school and district ratings through the School Performance Frameworks (SPF) and District Performance Frameworks (DPF) in August. Reports are finalized in December.

In addition to state ratings, the federal Every Student Succeeds Act also requires that states hold schools accountable for the performance of all students, the performance of specific student groups, and the graduation rates of all students.

The state provides additional resources for schools and districts in the most need of support whether identified through the state or federal accountability systems.