Columbia Middle School

Summary:

Columbia Middle School is a public middle school located in Aurora, Colorado, serving grades 6-8 with a total enrollment of 679 students. The school is part of the Aurora Joint District No. 28, which is ranked 107 out of 116 districts in Colorado and has a 0-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Columbia Middle School faces significant challenges in terms of academic performance, student demographics, and overall school quality compared to its peers. The school has a diverse student population, with a higher percentage of Hispanic (44.62%) and African American (15.61%) students compared to the state average. However, Columbia Middle School consistently performs below the state and district averages in CMAS assessments for English Language Arts, Math, and Science, with only 25.5% of students proficient or better in ELA and 13.6% proficient or better in Math, compared to state averages of 44.1% and 34.2%, respectively. The school has consistently ranked in the bottom quartile of Colorado middle schools, with a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger for the past several years.

When comparing Columbia Middle School to other nearby schools in the same district, such as East Middle School and Aurora Hills Middle School, as well as schools in the neighboring Cherry Creek School District, the performance gap is significant. For example, the percentage of students proficient or better in ELA at Falcon Creek Middle School (Cherry Creek) was 49.1%, compared to only 25.5% at Columbia Middle School. The high percentage of economically disadvantaged students (68.92% receiving free or reduced-price lunch) and the racial and ethnic diversity of the student population suggest that Columbia Middle School may be facing significant challenges in providing equitable educational opportunities and addressing the unique needs of its student body.


Detail:

Public 6-8

 17600 East Columbia Ave
       Aurora, CO  80013-4401


(303) 690-6570

District: Aurora Joint District No. 28

SchoolDigger Rank:
398th of 485 Colorado Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $17,942 Help


Students who attend Columbia Middle School usually attend:

High:    Rangeview High School

Feeder schools for Columbia Middle School:

Elementary:    Dalton Elementary School
    Dartmouth Elementary School
    Yale Elementary School

Student/teacher ratio:  16.3 Help
Number of students:  653

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:
46.7%
White:
23.6%
African American:
16.5%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  77.3% Help


 See top rated Colorado middle schools

 Compare Columbia Middle School to nearby middle schools!

Performance Trends
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Compare Details Columbia Middle School ranks worse than 82.1% of middle schools in Colorado. It also ranks first among 6 ranked middle schools in the Aurora Joint District No. 28! (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 16.21. (See more...)
Help
The high school dropout rate measures the percentage of students who do not complete their high school education.
Help
Chronic absenteeism in a school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.
Student Body
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Compare Details Student population at Columbia Middle School is diverse. Racial makeup is: Hispanic (46.7%), White (23.6%), African American (16.5%). (See more...)
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Compare Details 77.3% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. This is the lowest percentage in the Aurora Joint District No. 28. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Columbia Middle School is 16.3, which is the 3rd best among 6 middle schools in the Aurora Joint District No. 28. (See more...)
Help
Compare Columbia Middle School employs 40 full-time teachers.
Finance
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Compare Details The average total spent per student at Columbia Middle School is $17,942. 3 middle schools in the Aurora Joint District No. 28 spend more per student.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Columbia Middle School:

SchoolDigger ranks Columbia Middle School 398th of 485 Colorado public middle schools. (See Columbia Middle School in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


Low Socio Economic Status students:
Female students:
Gifted and Talented students:
Male students:
African American students:
Hispanic students:
White students:


Aurora Joint District No. 28:

SchoolDigger ranks Aurora Joint District No. 28 107th of 116 Colorado school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Rank History for Columbia Middle School

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Rank History for all students at Columbia Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CO State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2004 37.76 229th 336 31.8%
2005 26.12 262nd 340 22.9%
2006 30.45 258th 346 25.4%
2007 34.14 264th 360 26.7%
2008 29.94 275th 362 24.0%
2009 35.02 264th 377 30.0%
2010 32.01 300th 409 26.7%
2011 29.81 317th 422 24.9%
2012 30.71 308th 425 27.5%
2013 38.59 299th 454 34.1%
2014 38.37 287th 461 37.7%
2015 28.96 307th 436 29.6%
2016 24.17 308th 400 23.0%
2017 27.50 304th 424 28.3%
2018 23.72 309th 418 26.1%
2019 21.77 353rd 458 22.9%
2021 16.26 328th 369 11.1%
2022 17.73 367th 448 18.1%
2023 13.87 416th 480 13.3%
2024 16.21 398th 485 17.9%
See the entire list of Colorado Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Columbia Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CO State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 32.63 149th 222 32.9%
2019 28.83 177th 240 26.3%
2022 27.99 144th 197 26.9%
2023 23.27 194th 241 19.5%
2024 20.60 210th 244 13.9%
See the entire list of Best Colorado Middle Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Columbia Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CO State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 24.34 237th 315 24.8%
2019 19.15 289th 352 17.9%
2021 15.23 237th 254 6.7%
2022 16.50 276th 326 15.3%
2023 12.37 321st 363 11.6%
2024 12.02 314th 350 10.3%
See the entire list of Best Colorado Middle Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Gifted and Talented students at Columbia Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CO State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2022 20.99 85th 93 8.6%
2023 9.07 121st 125 3.2%
2024 9.39 120th 126 4.8%
See the entire list of Best Colorado Middle Schools for Gifted and Talented Students!

Rank History for Male students at Columbia Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CO State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 17.86 264th 317 16.7%
2019 21.40 260th 343 24.2%
2021 12.97 236th 249 5.2%
2022 20.38 255th 328 22.3%
2023 11.39 331st 356 7.0%
2024 15.44 301st 357 15.7%
See the entire list of Best Colorado Middle Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for African American students at Columbia Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CO State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 26.87 15th 22 31.8%
2019 25.94 27th 33 18.2%
2024 27.26 20th 25 20.0%
See the entire list of Best Colorado Middle Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Columbia Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CO State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 29.71 115th 165 30.3%
2019 31.15 153rd 220 30.5%
2022 22.15 140th 169 17.2%
2023 19.11 167th 198 15.7%
2024 19.52 168th 199 15.6%
See the entire list of Best Colorado Middle Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Columbia Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CO State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 15.16 177th 199 11.1%
2019 9.73 266th 283 6.0%
2021 18.93 174th 203 14.3%
2022 17.05 223rd 265 15.8%
2023 5.84 278th 286 2.8%
2024 12.54 243rd 273 11.0%
See the entire list of Best Colorado Middle Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Colorado Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Columbia Middle School Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 






Data source: Colorado Department of Education

Review counts

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100%

  

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Enrollment information for Columbia Middle School

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Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1988 775 61 29 36 4 n/a n/a 0 905
1989 751 62 21 30 5 n/a n/a 0 869
1990 753 82 22 33 7 n/a n/a 0 897
1991 760 68 23 33 3 n/a n/a 0 887
1992 756 66 30 46 4 n/a n/a 0 902
1993 778 93 37 52 6 n/a n/a 0 966
1994 768 96 35 57 7 n/a n/a 0 963
1995 744 94 45 72 10 n/a n/a 0 965
1996 744 94 45 72 10 n/a n/a 0 965
1997 725 112 53 71 7 n/a n/a 0 968
1998 688 115 47 70 4 n/a n/a 0 924
1999 684 112 52 84 3 n/a n/a 0 935
2000 667 113 52 96 5 n/a n/a 0 933
2001 635 131 61 116 7 n/a n/a 0 950
2002 568 155 39 187 8 n/a n/a 0 957
2003 568 155 39 187 8 n/a n/a 0 957
2004 570 170 41 206 7 n/a n/a 0 994
2005 506 232 41 221 15 n/a n/a 0 1015
2006 446 259 46 254 8 n/a n/a 0 1013
2007 410 208 50 291 11 n/a n/a 0 970
2008 389 177 43 276 8 n/a n/a 0 893
2009 359 187 39 241 8 n/a n/a 0 834
2010 332 159 48 240 10 n/a n/a 0 789
2011 305 151 32 263 12 3 19 0 785
2012 294 150 30 260 13 3 29 0 779
2013 290 159 27 260 12 3 32 0 783
2014 254 157 31 257 8 1 37 0 745
2015 254 137 38 310 7 0 39 0 785
2016 250 146 40 338 8 0 46 0 828
2017 235 130 38 331 6 1 55 0 796
2018 215 124 26 318 6 2 60 0 751
2019 190 127 25 313 4 3 76 0 738
2020 169 122 21 332 5 1 77 0 727
2021 159 127 24 338 4 4 67 0 723
2022 162 102 29 325 4 4 57 0 683
2023 170 106 31 303 3 3 63 0 679
2024 154 108 30 305 2 5 49 0 653

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Columbia Middle School

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Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 905 52.3 17.3 n/a
1989 869 46.9 18.5 4.9
1990 897 51.4 17.4 6.1
1991 887 49.0 18.1 5.7
1992 902 50.9 17.7 n/a
1993 966 51.6 18.7 6.4
1994 963 52.1 18.5 7.5
1995 965 54.9 17.6 7.4
1996 965 54.9 17.6 7.4
1997 968 50.5 19.2 8.4
1998 924 53.0 17.4 11.1
1999 935 47.8 19.6 8.1
2000 933 46.0 20.3 14
2001 950 45.5 20.9 13.8
2002 957 50.5 19.0 19.7
2003 957 50.5 19.0 19.7
2004 994 52.2 19.0 22.6
2005 1015 53.5 19.0 28.6
2006 1013 52.1 19.4 35.2
2007 970 53.4 18.2 40.9
2008 893 52.5 17.0 41.2
2009 834 48.2 17.3 43.8
2010 789 41.7 18.9 48
2011 785 38.0 20.6 54
2012 779 36.7 21.2 53
2013 783 35.7 21.8 56.7
2014 745 36.5 20.3 55.2
2015 785 35.0 22.4 59.2
2016 828 42.0 19.7 58.8
2017 796 44.3 17.9 55.8
2018 751 38.0 19.7 58.1
2019 738 38.0 19.3 52.8
2020 727 38.1 19.0 67.3
2021 723 39.9 18.1 65.3
2022 683 37.1 18.3 66.6
2023 679 38.0 17.8 68.9
2024 653 40.0 16.3 77.3

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Columbia Middle School

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Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 905 52.3 17.3 n/a
1989 869 46.9 18.5 4.9
1990 897 51.4 17.4 6.1
1991 887 49.0 18.1 5.7
1992 902 50.9 17.7 n/a
1993 966 51.6 18.7 6.4
1994 963 52.1 18.5 7.5
1995 965 54.9 17.6 7.4
1996 965 54.9 17.6 7.4
1997 968 50.5 19.2 8.4
1998 924 53.0 17.4 11.1
1999 935 47.8 19.6 8.1
2000 933 46.0 20.3 14
2001 950 45.5 20.9 13.8
2002 957 50.5 19.0 19.7
2003 957 50.5 19.0 19.7
2004 994 52.2 19.0 22.6
2005 1015 53.5 19.0 28.6
2006 1013 52.1 19.4 35.2
2007 970 53.4 18.2 40.9
2008 893 52.5 17.0 41.2
2009 834 48.2 17.3 43.8
2010 789 41.7 18.9 48
2011 785 38.0 20.6 54
2012 779 36.7 21.2 53
2013 783 35.7 21.8 56.7
2014 745 36.5 20.3 55.2
2015 785 35.0 22.4 59.2
2016 828 42.0 19.7 58.8
2017 796 44.3 17.9 55.8
2018 751 38.0 19.7 58.1
2019 738 38.0 19.3 52.8
2020 727 38.1 19.0 67.3
2021 723 39.9 18.1 65.3
2022 683 37.1 18.3 66.6
2023 679 38.0 17.8 68.9
2024 653 40.0 16.3 77.3

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.
Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Columbia Middle School

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YearTotal Expenditures Per Pupil
2019 $11,609
2020 $12,686
2021 $14,073
2022 $16,125
2023 $17,942

Data source: Colorado Department of Education
Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Columbia Middle School

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Rank
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Ranks 353rd of 458 Middle schoolsRanks 416th of 480 Middle schools
 9.6%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
6th Grade English Language Arts (Columbia Middle School)25.617.4
 8.2%
   6th Grade English Language Arts (Aurora Joint District No. 28)25.323.5
 1.8%
   6th Grade English Language Arts (Colorado)43.643.4
 0.2%
6th Grade Math (Columbia Middle School)16.56
 10.5%
   6th Grade Math (Aurora Joint District No. 28)15.611.6
 4%
   6th Grade Math (Colorado)29.528.2
 1.3%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Columbia Middle School)31.729.1
 2.6%
   7th Grade English Language Arts (Aurora Joint District No. 28)25.225
 0.2%
   7th Grade English Language Arts (Colorado)46.545
 1.5%
7th Grade Math (Columbia Middle School)21.39.6
 11.7%
   7th Grade Math (Aurora Joint District No. 28)14.511.6
 2.9%
   7th Grade Math (Colorado)31.626.3
 5.3%
8th Grade Science (Columbia Middle School)12.312.2
 0.1%
   8th Grade Science (Aurora Joint District No. 28)11.213.4
 2.2%
   8th Grade Science (Colorado)31.531.3
 0.2%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Columbia Middle School)40.719.7
 21%
   8th Grade English Language Arts (Aurora Joint District No. 28)3024
 6%
   8th Grade English Language Arts (Colorado)46.942.4
 4.5%
8th Grade Math (Columbia Middle School)19.111.4
 7.7%
   8th Grade Math (Aurora Joint District No. 28)19.317.3
 2%
   8th Grade Math (Colorado)36.932.7
 4.2%
All Grades English Language Arts (Columbia Middle School)32.722.5
 10.2%
   All Grades English Language Arts (Aurora Joint District No. 28)26.423.3
 3.1%
   All Grades English Language Arts (Colorado)45.843.7
 2.1%
All Grades Math (Columbia Middle School)18.99
 9.9%
   All Grades Math (Aurora Joint District No. 28)18.215.2
 3%
   All Grades Math (Colorado)34.732.9
 1.8%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students738679
 8%
African American127106
 16.5%
American Indian43
 25%
Asian2531
 24%
Hispanic313303
 3.2%
Pacific Islander33
White190170
 10.5%
Two or More Races7663
 17.1%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients52.8%68.9%
 16.1%


Schools Near Columbia Middle School









Frequently Asked Questions about Columbia Middle School

Students at Columbia Middle School are 47% Hispanic, 24% White, 17% African American, 8% Two or more races, 5% Asian.

In the 2023-24 school year, 653 students attended Columbia Middle School.

Columbia Middle School ranks in the bottom 17.9% of Colorado middle schools.

Students who attend Columbia Middle School usually go on to attend Rangeview High School


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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Colorado Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.





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