On Wednesday, Sept. 3, the Colorado Department of Education (CDE) released preliminary school and district accountability frameworks based on 2024-2025 data, with Archuleta School District (ASD) deemed an accredited school district.
In 2021-2022 and 2022-2023, the district was accredited with improvement, then improved to an accredited rating in 2023-2024.
“We are an accredited school for the second year in a row,” Superintendent Rick Holt told the ASD Board of Education on Tuesday, Sept. 9, during an update on the district’s strategic initiatives.
Holt also discussed the plan ratings received by the district’s schools.
Schools can receive one of several plans, as described by the CDE’s website:
• Performance Plan: Schools with a Performance Plan are meeting expectations on the majority of performance metrics.
• Improvement Plan: These schools are identified as lower performing. They may be meeting expectations on some performance metrics, but they are not meeting or are only approaching expectations on many.
• Priority Improvement Plan: These schools are identified as low performing. They are not meeting or are only approaching expectations on most performance metrics. The state will provide support and oversight to these schools until they improve.
• Turnaround Plan: These schools are identified as among the lowest performing schools in the state. They are not meeting or are only approaching expectations on most performance metrics. The state will provide support and oversight to these schools until they improve.
The performance ratings are based on assessment achievement and growth results, graduation rates, dropout rates, matriculation rates and participation rates.
Holt informed the board that the high school continued to receive a performance plan, the middle school received a performance plan for the second year and the elementary received an improvement plan for the second year, down from performance in 2021-2022 and 2022-2023.
Holt then explained that the way the performance rating works at the elementary school level isn’t “fair” for schools the size of Pagosa Springs Elementary School, which serves kindergarten through fourth grade.
He indicated that 75 percent of the framework is aimed at fourth grade, with the framework formula favoring elementary schools that serve kindergarten through sixth grade since there are more grades to inform the rating.
He added they are looking at how to change it at a state level for K-4 elementary schools.
He also noted the school has made shifts in how it’s doing individual intervention and academic coaching.
CDE data notes that Pagosa Peak Open School also received an improvement plan rating.
School districts have until Sept. 26 to provide additional data through the “request to reconsider” process, which may result in a rating change before frameworks are presented to the State Board of Education later this fall, the CDE explains.
The preliminary frameworks will be finalized by the end of 2025, according to the CDE, with Holt indicating in an email to The SUN that ASD does not intend to appeal its ratings.
Statewide improvement
The CDE press release on the performance frameworks stated that this year’s trends are largely consistent with last year.
“The steady progress in the school and district frameworks is a testament to the dedication and hard work of our students, staff, and communities over the past few years,” said Colorado Education Commissioner Susana Córdova via the press release. “These frameworks provide valuable insight into how our schools are performing, while also highlighting the areas where we need to continue strengthening support for schools and districts still navigating significant challenges.”
The preliminary 2025-26 ratings are available on the Performance Frameworks Results webpage, https://www.cde.state.co.us/accountability/performanceframeworkresults, or the school and district dashboard, https://www.cde.state.co.us/district-school-dashboard.
Key results of the preliminary release for the 2025-2026 school year (before the request to reconsider process) include:
• 55 percent of districts earned an Accredited or higher rating compared to 52 percent in 2024-2025.
• 66 percent of schools earned a Performance plan type or higher compared to 64 percent in 2024-2025.
• 14 districts were on the Accountability Clock (receiving the two lowest performance ratings — Priority Improvement/Turnaround) compared to 11 in 2024-2025.
• 176 schools were on the Accountability Clock, compared to 190 in 2024-2025.
The Colorado State Board of Education directs an improvement course of action for schools and districts on the Accountability Clock for five consecutive years.
randi@pagosasun.com
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