Nathan W. Armes / Chalkbeat A bill that would launch a far-reaching audit of Colorado’s school accountability system cleared its first legislative hurdle Thursday, despite concerns from some advocacy groups that the questions it asks are too vague and won’t produce valid results. House Bill 1294, sponsored by Democratic state Reps. Shannon Bird of Westminster and Serena Gonzales-Gutierrez of Denver, calls for an independent third-party audit to determine whether the school accountability system is meeting its goals of improving student achievement, whether it allows for fair comparisons among schools, and whether it perpetuates bias. Colorado’s school accountability system, created in 2009, rates schools largely based on student performance on standardized tests. High school rankings also include factors like graduation rates and college enrollment. Schools with persistently low test scores face state intervention, including closure or external management.