Colorado SAT Scores Take Big Hit

Something Coloradans always seem to take a lot of pride in is our level of education, which is a fair point.

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In fact, Colorado is a place that is absolutely chock full of amazing education opportunities.

According to U.S. News, the state ranks 5th in the United States in terms of overall education quality, which is absolutely amazing. The best school district in the state belongs to Cheyenne Mountain School District No. 12.

This top quality billing is reflected in the numbers as well. WalletHub created a study that found that Coloradans are the second highest percentage of bachelor’s degree holders, and we’re first in associate's degrees. 

However, there is a concerning trend that hopefully is not indicative of a drop in the great education people can get here in Colorado.

Colorado SAT and PSAT Math Scores Drop

Last year, there was a major shift in how both the SAT and PSAT were administered.

For most of its history, the SAT and PSAT were traditional tests, in that they were taken on paper. For many people, this seems completely obvious: Why wouldn’t these tests be physical?

Well, last year was the first time ever in Colorado that both the SAT and PSAT were given out digitally.

Before, there was some worry about what could happen with the change. Unfortunately, those fears may have had some merit.

Scores on the math sections of SAT and PSAT in Colorado dropped significantly.

For example, ninth grade students had a shocking drop in performance. According to Chalkbeat Colorado, 49.6% of ninth graders were able to pass or even exceeded the expected math standards. 

This year, that percentage absolutely plummeted all the way down to 39.%. This number is also a huge dropoff from the 46.5% in 2023 as well.

Some people suggest that this could be due to ninth graders starting middle school during the pandemic.

What is Colorado Going to Do?

According the the Denver Post, there is a chance that the Colorado Department of Education could take some decently drastic measures this year to help students graduate.

There’s a chance for the Class of 2025 will be the first to get a lower passing test score.

If the State Board approves of it, the minimum passing score for the math portion of the exam will be 480 instead of 500. 

The reason they are considering this change is because there is a chance that almost 3,400 students may not be able to graduate without it.