D51 test scores, graduation rates surpass pre-pandemic marks

Brandon Leuallen, The Business Times

Mesa County Valley School District 51 students are continuing to post strong gains in literacy, math and graduation rates, according to newly released CMAS (Colorado Measures of Academic Success) and PSAT/SAT scores for the 2024–25 school year.

Elementary students are now exceeding state averages in five of six literacy and math categories, while middle school students continue to build momentum toward state benchmarks. At the high school level, District 51 students are meeting or exceeding the state in all six literacy categories and in half of math categories on PSAT and SAT exams. Freshmen led the way, outperforming the state by 7 percent in reading and writing.

District Superintendent Brian Hill said the results mark progress in areas where the district has traditionally lagged.

“We were able to exceed the state average in five out of the six elementary CMAS categories, which is not something we’ve done before,” Hill said. “At the high school level, we were outpacing the state in nine out of 12 areas. That’s a highlight and something that we haven’t really been able to celebrate in the past.”

Hill acknowledged middle school scores continue to trail the state, even as growth is visible.

According to Hill, much of the improvement stems from early literacy investments. District 51 set benchmarks for K–3 students using DIBELS (Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills) assessments, and last year those targets were met as students made above-average growth.

“That just means it’s building a stronger foundation for those kiddos, and as they move through our school district, ideally that’ll lead to better results down the road,” he said.

Hill credited teachers, principals and the district’s academic leadership team for unifying curriculum and training across schools.

“Having a strategic plan with clear targets has helped us move forward as a district versus in the past, when you had pockets of excellence and not everybody was doing the same thing,” Hill said.

Hill also highlighted the district’s early-release program on Fridays, which gives teachers dedicated, structured time each week for professional learning, training on new curriculum, and team-based planning.

Hill said school-level data will be available within the next week to show how individual schools performed.

Graduation rates continue to rise

The Class of 2024 graduated at 83 percent, the highest rate in district history and one point below the state average. The dropout rate is 1.8 percent, while the statewide dropout rate is 1.9 percent. 

Hill said strong academic outcomes in early grades should continue to boost graduation rates in years to come. He pointed to expanded opportunities in concurrent enrollment as a way to help more students see a pathway to their future.

Those options include taking classes directly at CMU, earning college credit through certified high school teachers, the D51 Career Center, and attending CMU Tech with daily bus service. Hill also highlighted the growing P-TECH program, which allows students to graduate with both a high school diploma and an associate’s degree while completing an industry internship.

He said these opportunities keep students engaged and on track to graduate, and the district has worked to better publicize them, because families were not always aware they existed.

“The research says that if a kid can see a path for their future, that actually helps them belong more in school,” Hill said. “Being able to expand those opportunities has helped keep kids engaged.”

Expulsions

The district is contending with a rise in expulsions, which reached 99 last year, up from 50 the year before and below 107 two years ago. The majority were related to felony assaults or dangerous weapons.

Hill said expulsions do not mean students are abandoned.

“When we expel kids, we actually enroll them in our expulsion program,” he said. “The idea is that we can help support them, so that we can ideally get them back to campus when they’re ready. They’re still getting academic instruction during that time.”

Hill said there were 99 expulsions last year out of about 20,000 students, with the largest share tied to felony assault. The district recorded 41 cases, including 22 at the high school level and 19 in middle schools.

Dangerous weapons were the next most common reason for expulsion, with 20 cases across all levels, including one in elementary. The rest of the expulsions were for other violations, and Hill noted substance-related incidents were relatively low. The district had no alcohol-related expulsions for the past two years and only six drug-related cases last year.

He said the expulsion increase reflects actual incidents and higher reporting through the Safe2Tell hotline, where students can report incidents anonymously.

“I just want folks to know we’re going to be vigilant with following through on when those things happen, that it’s going to lead to something like an expulsion, and we take it very seriously,” Hill said. “If a kid’s doing something they’re not supposed to be doing, and it violates policy and what we have as a district expectation, then it’s going to lead to an expulsion. We’re not going to try to sweep things under the rug.”

Student-age population continues to decline 

Enrollment trends pose a long-term challenge.

Preliminary enrollment reports show District 51 is down 449 students compared to the same time last year. Elementary schools account for a loss of 254 students and high schools are down 233, while middle schools gained 38 students due to a larger incoming class.

The district also reported net gains from outside sources: 87 students entering from private schools versus 41 leaving, 132 coming from homeschool versus 76 leaving, and 208 moving in from out of state compared to 211 leaving.

Hill said these numbers are unofficial and will be finalized during the state’s official October count. Still, he said the trend reflects demographics more than school choice.

The Business Times covered student-enrollment decline in depth in a Nov. 27, 2024 article. Find it online at: thebusinesstimes.com/myriad-reasons-drive-district-51s-declining-enrollment.

Historical comparison

In CMAS math, District 51 trailed the state in 2019 with 24.4 percent proficiency compared to 34.7 percent statewide. Scores dropped during the pandemic to about 22 percent in 2021, but by 2023–24 climbed to 29.1 percent, surpassing pre-pandemic levels.

In English Language Arts, proficiency stood at 36 percent in 2019 compared to 45.8 percent statewide. Scores slipped to approximately 34 percent in 2021 but improved to 39.2 percent by 2023–24, again higher than before the pandemic.

SAT results followed a similar path. The mean score was 975 in 2019, dipped to about 955-960 in 2021–22, and rebounded to 974 in 2023–24, nearly matching pre-pandemic levels.

Graduation rates also illustrate the rebound. District 51 recorded a 79.6 percent four-year rate in 2019, dipped slightly during the first pandemic year to about 78.5 percent, but then rose to 81.2 with the Class of 2024 before reaching a record 83 percent with the Class of 2025.

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