The latest student achievement data is in, and it paints a grim picture. Colorado kids are still grappling with the academic fallout of pandemic-era school shutdowns, which merely exposed and widened preexisting cracks in a system already failing to lift student outcomes.

Statewide, just 44.1% of 3rd-8th graders are proficient in English; a scant 34.2% meet math expectations. This means the majority — 55.9% in English and 65.8% in math — are lagging behind.

Although there’s been a slight uptick since last year, scores still trail already-bleak 2019 levels.

One bright spot: Third-grade reading has edged slightly above pre-pandemic levels statewide — a critical marker for future success — but it’s still only at 42.1% proficiency.

Among metro-area school districts, only Douglas County and Littleton make the state’s top ten for CMAS scores.

High school performance is equally concerning. Just 34.8% of students met the state’s college readiness benchmark in math on the PSAT/SAT, while 62.9% reached it in reading and writing.

Denver Public Schools, the state’s largest district, shows particularly poor results: 59.3% of students in grades 3-8 are not meeting English expectations, with 68.8% behind in math. Third-grade reading has barely budged from pre-pandemic levels and even dipped down from last year.

A staggering 48.7% of DPS high schoolers are not proficient in English, with 69.3% falling short in math. Yet somehow, DPS still ranks #59 in the state.

Let’s be real: When Denver is underperforming so badly, yet DPS still lands in the top third of districts, it goes to show how deep Colorado’s academic rot runs.

“We are excited about the hard work that our students and educators, both at schools and centrally, continue to do to ensure quality learning experiences that yield increased achievement and growth,” Superintendent Alex Marrero claimed in a statement. “We acknowledge that there is still work to be done to get our scholars to where we want them to be,” he added.

Really, Alex? Marrero’s upbeat spin makes it sound like we’re almost there; all we need is a little fine-tuning.

“Data isn’t a definer. It’s an opportunity to do better,” added Anthony Smith, deputy superintendent of schools, to The Denver Gazette.

These educrats seem to take parents for fools. When the data is this dire, it IS a definer. This isn’t just a chance for improvement — it’s a three-alarm fire demanding urgent action.

Instead of tackling academic declines head on, the education establishment insists on downplaying the damage and lowering the bar for student achievement.

In the name of equity, Denver and other districts advocate “equity grading” — where an “F” for incomplete or failed work is deemed unfair. Instead, assignments are marked “Incomplete” with no GPA impact while offering “credit recovery” opportunities.

DPS pushes this leniency through workshops and books like “Grading for Equity,” which defends grade inflation, particularly among minority students.

There’s an expression for this: the soft bigotry of low expectations.

In January, DPS touted a 2.5-percentage point boost in the four-year graduation rate, reaching 79.0%. The five-year rate ticked up to 80.8%, while the 6-year rate dipped slightly to 80.7%.

Even with a 100% graduation rate, what’s the value of a diploma if students aren’t acquiring essential knowledge and skills?

According to Chalkbeat Colorado, the state board of education is poised to reduce the minimum SAT score for demonstrating proficiency from 500 to 480.

“Without that change, officials say the percentage of students who can use their SAT scores to meet graduation requirements will drop from 45% in 2023 to 39% with these results,” Chalkbeat reported. “That means about 3,400 students might be looking for a last-minute alternative to meet graduation requirements before May.”

Here’s the thing: This isn’t about unfair, last-minute changes that are leaving students in a lurch. Rather, it reveals that some students simply aren’t ready to take the next step.

The National Postsecondary Student Aid Study found that roughly one-third of college students take remedial courses, including nearly 40% in two-year public programs.

“This over-prevalence of remedial courses is a warning sign that suggests many students might not be ready for college-level work, making college completion less likely due to the additional money and time that it requires,” wrote AEI adjunct fellow Michael Brickman.

This hits lower-income students the hardest, as they’re more likely to drop out than their more affluent peers. College dropouts face fewer economic opportunities while shouldering student debt for degrees they never earned — exacerbating income inequality.

According to ThinkImpact, college dropouts earn 35% less annually than graduates. The Education Data Initiative reported in 2021 that high school graduates are 12.7% more likely to live in poverty compared to college students.

Here’s the bottom line: Our education system is failing Colorado kids at every turn. Students aren’t being prepared for high school, high schools aren’t preparing them for graduation — and now, graduation standards are being reduced.

This, in turn, means students are stepping onto college campuses unprepared, leading to a cascade of dropouts and a mounting debt they’ll never pay back. It’s a vicious cycle trapping graduates in financial hardship and stifling their earning potential.

Let’s be honest: What good is a high school diploma if it’s really just a ticket to unending debt and missed opportunities?

Our state’s education establishment deserves an “F.” Without decisive change, Colorado’s schools are setting up a generation for a lifetime of failure, not success.

Jimmy Sengenberger is an investigative journalist, public speaker, and longtime local talk-radio host. Reach Jimmy online at Jimmysengenberger.com or on X (formerly Twitter) @SengCenter.