Science Fair at Local Elementary School

One of the great challenges facing Colorado is how best to improve public schools. Despite the efforts of parents, teachers, and school leaders, public schools continue to leave too many children behind. The gap between low-income mostly minority youngsters and their peers remains unacceptable.

State Standards Revision
The Colorado State Board of Education with the Department of Education are undertaking a comprehensive revision of standards. These standards identify what students should know and be able to do. They were first created and adopted in 1994. At the time, Colorado was a leader in standards-based reform. Three years later it based its 3-10 grade state assessments on each of those expectations.

Senate Bill 08-212 called "CAP4K" requires that there be a revision of standards and a third party analysis to improve the standards and to bridge pre-school to post-secondary expectations. This work to modernize standards is taken with an eye to incorporating 21st century skill, college readiness and career/workforce skills.
CSAP Scores
Colorado Student Assessment Program (CSAP) scores released in July 2009 reaffirm the need to move forward with bipartisan education reforms enacted in 2008 and to adopt yet other new policies. Across the state, assessment scores were largely flat. Sen. Spence feels that there is much more work that lies ahead if we are serious about reform -- and about tackling these mediocre CSAP scores.
Charter Schools
In 2009 there are 160 charter schools in Colorado serving thousands of youngsters in kindergarten through grade 12. Sen. Spence has been recognized as the Colorado League of Charter Schools best advocate for capital funding. She has passed legislation to provide fair and equitable treatment of all charter public schools.