DENVER (KDVR) — The Colorado Department of Education released state assessment results Wednesday that showed some improvements since 2021, but educators said the impact of the pandemic is still apparent. 

During the pandemic, there was no CMAS, Colorado Measures of Academic Success, testing in the spring of 2020, and testing was modified in 2021. So, this is the first year that Colorado has had a typical testing schedule since 2019.

The 2022 spring testing data provided by the CDE showed participation in CMAS improved from 2021, and many scores improved as well.

However, the scores still show a decline from 2019 in almost every grade and subject area.

The Colorado education commissioner said the students have not fully recovered from the lost learning opportunities.

“We have not completely gotten back to our pre-pandemic academic achievement levels, but what we did see is a fair amount of growth, which means that our educators and our districts have been working so incredibly hard to close those learning gaps,” said Katy Anthes.

Data showed one of the biggest drops was on the PSAT 9th grade math test, in which the percentage of students who met or exceeded expectations fell 8.8 percentage points from 2019.

“Our students have gone through a collective trauma,” said Amie Baca-Oehlert, the president of the Colorado Education Association. 

She believes the state needs to double down on funding for students, adding the achievement gap persists.

“Our students were highly impacted by the pandemic. I think that’s the biggest takeaway is that we can see, especially in our communities of color and our communities of high poverty, that we’re disproportionately impacted by the pandemic, that our scores show that as well,” Baca-Oehlert said.

The commissioner said federal funding is helping to provide things like tutors and after-school programs.

For a look at the full report go to the Colorado Department of Education’s website.