DPS Students with arms around eachother

Denver’s 2025 CMAS Results

Each year, the Colorado Measures of Academic Success (CMAS) tests give us important insights into how well Colorado and DPS schools are supporting students. CMAS data tells us two key things: whether students are reading and doing math at grade level (proficiency) and how much progress they’re making from year to year (growth).

The 2025 results show areas of progress as well as challenges we must confront to ensure every student has the opportunity to succeed. Overall proficiency improved slightly across DPS, and student growth outpaced the state average. But large gaps remain, especially for students of color, English language learners, students from low-income households, and students with special education needs.

This data helps us see what’s working, where students need more support, and how we can hold our system accountable for delivering a high-quality, equitable education for all.

To dive deeper into the results, read the analysis prepared by an independent consultant for Denver Families.

Read the 2025 CMAS summary here.

See the full CMAS presentation here.

Spotlight: 2025 Latine Student Performance

Student with cell phone in class

Cell Phones, Classrooms and Community Voice: What’s Happening in Denver Public Schools

If you are a Denver Public Schools (DPS) parent, educator or community member, you have probably heard the conversations already—at school pickup, in group chats or maybe around your kitchen table. What should schools do about cell phones? And who gets to decide? By July 1, 2026, House Bill 25-1135 requires every Colorado school district to adopt a formal policy that limits the use of smartphones and smartwatches by students during the school day. The goal of the legislation is

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