Latest news with #SusanaCórdova
Yahoo
7 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Free summer meals available for Colorado children aged 18 and younger
GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (KREX) — On Tuesday, the Colorado Department of Education (CDE) announced that 635 summer meal sites are open throughout Colorado to provide free meals to children aged 18 and younger. Out of those 635 locations, 16 are open in Grand Junction. In Grand Junction, these locations include: Chipeta Elementary School, Dos Rios Elementary School, Pear Park Elementary School, Pomona Elementary School, Tope Elementary School, Bookcliff Middle School, Orchard Mesa Middle School, Grand Junction High School, CMU Tech, Candlewood Park, Clifton Community Center, Dual Immersion Academy School, EUREKA! Science Museum, Kimwood Park, Lincoln Park and Mesa Avenue Park. Parents, families and community members can learn more about locations and hours at No registration, identification, or proof of income or enrollment is required to access summer meals. All meals served meet USDA nutrition guidelines. The Colorado Department of Education's School Nutrition Unit, in partnership with community-based program sponsors, runs the Summer Meal Program and provided over 1.9 million meals to Colorado youth last year. The U.S. Department of Agriculture funds the program. CDE is currently working with 82 community organizations to run the 635 meal sites across the state. In rural areas, a to-go or delivery option for meals may be offered. Local schools, nonprofits, government agencies, camps, faith- or community-based organizations can join the program to provide new meal sites at any time throughout the summer. 'Many Colorado children rely on their schools for access to food, and our Summer Meals Program provides a critical resource for children and families during the summer months. We are grateful to our 83 community partners for stepping up to serve them,' said Colorado Education Commissioner Susana Córdova. In addition to the Summer Meals Program, children and teens can get free meals over the summer through the Lunch Lizard. The mobile summer food program operates across Mesa County and served its first set of children on Monday in Fruita. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
29-01-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Colorado students outperforming national averages, still behind pre-pandemic levels
DENVER (KDVR) — 'The Nation's Report Card,' formally known as the National Assessment of Educational Progress was released on Wednesday morning and showed that Colorado students, including those from Denver Public Schools, were performing above the national average. The assessment also revealed that while Colorado students did improve, they remained under the scores prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. Every two years, the U.S. Department of Education administers the assessment to fourth and eighth-grade students across the nation. The assessment analyzes reading and math results. AI could help fight Colorado wildfires under newly introduced bill For Colorado reading scores, results were stable since the last assessment in 2022 but have not reached the levels before 2019. However, the students still remained above the national public average and increased the percentage of students performing at or exceeding basic and proficient levels in reading. For the math portion of the assessment, the results are a bit more complex. For the fourth graders, math performance has returned to pre-pandemic levels but only matched the national average. For the eighth-grade students, results were below pre-pandemic levels but remained above the national average with an increase in students at or above the basic and proficient levels. 'Colorado students and teachers have worked hard, and we're proud our students are outperforming the national average,' said Colorado Education Commissioner Susana Córdova. 'Today's fourth and eighth graders have overcome pandemic challenges, but learning gaps remain for some groups, like students with disabilities, multilingual learners, and those from underserved communities. We must keep working to close these gaps so all students can succeed.' According to the assessment, one top-performing district was Denver Public Schools. Since 2017, DPS has participated in the Trial Urban District Assessment, an assessment that focuses on trends in urban education areas nationally. Out of the 27 districts participating in the program, DPS eighth graders performed as the second best in reading scores, while the fourth graders came in at sixth highest. 'The district's strong performance on NAEP is a testament to the board, administration, and staff remaining steadfast in the pursuit of their goals for improving outcomes for all students in the district,' said Dr. Ray Hart, executive director of the Council of the Great City Schools. Bill limiting semiautomatic firearm sales passes Colorado Senate committee DPS scores in reading and math increased from 2022 scores as the national average decreased significantly, according to a press release from DPS. The mean scale score for DPS increased at a higher rate than the national average or other public Colorado schools. Out of three of the four assessments taken, results did not skew too far from 2019 levels while the nation had a decrease in all four assessments. 'The gains we've seen reflect the commitment of our entire community to educational excellence,' said DPS Superintendent Dr. Alex Marrero. 'We must continue to push forward, ensuring that even more of our students are equipped and on track for long-term academic success. Every step we take is a step closer to achieving the high standards we've set for all of our learners.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
