Chalkbeat Colorado: In 2016, amid pervasive worries about data privacy and governmental intrusion, the State Board of Education put the brakes on a proposal for a detailed public report showing whether Colorado kindergarteners are ready for school.

In a move counter to its own staff recommendation, the board opted for a slim summary containing little of the information schools collect on their kindergarteners, and none on district-by-district differences.

For those who want to invest in young children, the board’s March 2016 decision led to a data dead end, sweeping a rich source of information about Colorado’s early childhood landscape under the rug. With hundreds of millions in public and private dollars devoted to early childhood programs each year, they say the dearth of data makes it harder to figure out whether these investments are paying off or falling short.

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