{'fraction_non_alphanumeric': 0.032321899736147755, 'fraction_numerical': 0.032981530343007916, 'mean_word_length': 5.01984126984127, 'pattern_counts': {'":': 0, '<': 0, '<?xml version=': 0, '>': 0, 'https://': 0, 'lorem ipsum': 0, 'www.': 0, 'xml': 0}, 'pii_count': 0, 'substrings_counts': 0, 'word_list_counts': {'cursed_substrings.json': 0, 'profanity_word_list.json': 0, 'sexual_word_list.json': 0, 'zh_pornsignals.json': 0}}
The Status of Geography Education in Colorado

Introduction and Context Geography’s place in the K–12 classrooms of Colorado has been anything but stable over the past 20 years. Numerous successes and challenges have faced geography educators as they have sought to provide Colorado students with the knowledge and skills they need to become ‘geographically informed citizens’. From the highs of establishing a state endowment for geography education and the inclusion of geography as a required course in Denver Public Schools, to the lows of cancelling a planned state assessment in geography and the decision by the Colorado Department of Education to discontinue funding the Geographic Alliance, the status of geography education in Colorado has varied considerably. A brief overview of geography’s situation in Colorado’s schools follows. Colorado has a total population of approximately 4.3 million, ranking it 24th in the nation according to the 2000 census. Between 1990 and 2000, the state’s population grew 30%, adding just over one million new citizens. The racial/ethnic composition of the population is: 74.5% White, 17.1% Hispanic or Latino, 3.8% African American, 2.2% Asian, 1% American Indian, and 1.4% Other Races. In 1999, the state per capita personal income was $31,550, which ranked it seventh in the nation. Educational attainment in Colorado is generally high, with 87% of the population 25 years and older holding at least a high school diploma and 33% holding a bachelor’s or higher degree.