Middle Schools in Harrison School District No. 2

The Harrison School District No. 2 in Colorado is home to 5 middle schools, serving students in grades 6-8. The schools in this district exhibit a wide range of academic performance, with some standout institutions and others lagging behind state averages.

The top-performing schools in the district are The Vanguard School (Middle) and James Irwin Charter Middle School. Both schools significantly outperform the district and state averages on CMAS tests in English Language Arts and Math, with The Vanguard School boasting proficiency rates of 65.8% in ELA and 49.5% in Math. These charter schools also have more diverse student populations, with James Irwin Charter Middle School serving a higher percentage of Hispanic students and The Vanguard School having a larger white student body.

In contrast, the other middle schools in the Harrison School District No. 2 lag behind, with proficiency rates well below the state averages. There appears to be a clear correlation between student demographics, economic status, and academic performance, as the schools with higher percentages of minority and low-income students tend to have lower test scores. The district as a whole faces challenges in providing a high-quality education to all students, and the success of the charter schools suggests that alternative models may be more effective in this area.