Prairie Middle School

Summary:

Prairie Middle School is a public middle school located in Aurora, Colorado, serving grades 6-8 with a total enrollment of 1,383 students. The school is part of the Cherry Creek School District, which is ranked 28th out of 116 districts in Colorado and has a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Prairie Middle School faces significant academic challenges, particularly in comparison to its district and state counterparts, as well as nearby schools within the same district. The school has consistently underperformed in standardized test scores, with only 19.7% of students proficient or better in CMAS/English Language Arts and 9.3% proficient or better in CMAS/Math, compared to the district and state averages. The school's performance is especially low for certain student subgroups, such as African American, Hispanic, and low-socioeconomic status students. This raises concerns about equity and the need to address the unique challenges faced by these student populations.

When comparing Prairie Middle School to other nearby schools within the Cherry Creek School District, such as Horizon Middle School and Campus Middle School, the performance gap is quite significant. These schools, which serve more affluent and less diverse student populations, consistently outperform Prairie Middle School across various academic measures. Addressing the equity concerns and developing tailored strategies to support the diverse student population at Prairie Middle School will be crucial in improving overall student outcomes and ensuring that all students have access to a high-quality education.


Detail:

Public 6-8

 12600 East Jewell Avenue
       Aurora, CO  80012-5325


(720) 747-3000

District: Cherry Creek School District No. 5

SchoolDigger Rank:
439th of 485 Colorado Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $14,675 Help


Students who attend Prairie Middle School usually attend:

High:    Overland High School

Student/teacher ratio:  15.0 Help
Number of students:  1,383

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:
41.5%
African American:
25.7%
White:
18.5%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  71.1% Help


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 Compare Prairie Middle School to nearby middle schools!

Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details Prairie Middle School ranks worse than 90.5% of middle schools in Colorado. It also ranks last among 11 ranked middle schools in the Cherry Creek School District No. 5. (See more...)
Help
Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 11.92. (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 high 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
Help
Compare Details Prairie Middle School has the largest middle school student body size in the Cherry Creek School District No. 5.  (See more...)
Finance
Help
Compare Details The average total spent per student at Prairie Middle School is $14,675, which is the 4th highest among 11 middle schools in the Cherry Creek School District No. 5.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Prairie Middle School:

SchoolDigger ranks Prairie Middle School 439th of 485 Colorado public middle schools. (See Prairie Middle School in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


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


Cherry Creek School District No. 5:

SchoolDigger ranks Cherry Creek School District No. 5 28th of 116 Colorado school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

Read all reviews and ratings detail for Prairie Middle School.

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Rank History for Prairie Middle School

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Compare

Rank History for all students at Prairie Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CO State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2004 26.14 257th 336 23.5%
2005 22.61 275th 340 19.1%
2006 19.39 297th 346 14.2%
2007 23.16 295th 360 18.1%
2008 23.96 295th 362 18.5%
2009 24.55 303rd 377 19.6%
2010 28.11 317th 409 22.5%
2011 31.20 308th 422 27.0%
2012 29.97 314th 425 26.1%
2013 28.71 343rd 454 24.4%
2014 27.00 350th 461 24.1%
2015 34.85 275th 436 36.9%
2016 30.39 273rd 400 31.8%
2017 21.35 329th 424 22.4%
2018 16.47 351st 418 16.0%
2019 17.57 374th 458 18.3%
2021 11.07 353rd 369 4.3%
2022 12.35 400th 448 10.7%
2023 10.83 446th 480 7.1%
2024 11.92 439th 485 9.5%
See the entire list of Colorado Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Prairie Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CO State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 7.73 14th 14 0.0%
2019 13.80 29th 31 6.5%
2024 14.84 24th 25 4.0%
See the entire list of Best Colorado Middle Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Prairie Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CO State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2019 16.65 20th 20 0.0%
See the entire list of Best Colorado Middle Schools for English Language Learner Students!

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

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CO State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 22.60 187th 222 15.8%
2019 25.77 191st 240 20.4%
2021 14.10 112th 114 1.8%
2022 18.11 185th 197 6.1%
2023 13.66 237th 241 1.7%
2024 12.88 233rd 244 4.5%
See the entire list of Best Colorado Middle Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Prairie Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CO State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 14.62 272nd 315 13.7%
2019 16.42 295th 352 16.2%
2021 13.11 240th 254 5.5%
2022 8.62 308th 326 5.5%
2023 8.18 347th 363 4.4%
2024 9.10 333rd 350 4.9%
See the entire list of Best Colorado Middle Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Gifted and Talented students at Prairie Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CO State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 32.89 102nd 121 15.7%
2019 41.23 94th 134 29.9%
2024 39.24 95th 126 24.6%
See the entire list of Best Colorado Middle Schools for Gifted and Talented Students!

Rank History for Male students at Prairie Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CO State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 13.18 289th 317 8.8%
2019 15.22 292nd 343 14.9%
2021 9.24 246th 249 1.2%
2022 11.82 301st 328 8.2%
2023 10.03 338th 356 5.1%
2024 10.70 334th 357 6.4%
See the entire list of Best Colorado Middle Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Asian students at Prairie Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CO State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2019 30.68 20th 25 20.0%
See the entire list of Best Colorado Middle Schools for Asian Students!

Rank History for African American students at Prairie Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CO State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 17.87 21st 22 4.5%
2019 18.28 31st 33 6.1%
2021 8.54 8th 8 0.0%
2022 17.11 18th 20 10.0%
2023 14.44 24th 25 4.0%
2024 18.62 23rd 25 8.0%
See the entire list of Best Colorado Middle Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Prairie Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CO State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 21.54 139th 165 15.8%
2019 20.89 185th 220 15.9%
2021 13.10 82nd 83 1.2%
2022 14.66 155th 169 8.3%
2023 9.82 195th 198 1.5%
2024 10.96 196th 199 1.5%
See the entire list of Best Colorado Middle Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Prairie Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools CO State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 12.91 180th 199 9.5%
2019 12.32 259th 283 8.5%
2022 6.07 260th 265 1.9%
2023 4.27 283rd 286 1.0%
2024 7.47 265th 273 2.9%
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.

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






Data source: Colorado Department of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 2.8)
25%

25%

0%

0%

50%

  

Reviews:
by a parent
Wednesday, October 2, 2019

Open Quote My son was assaulted by a bully, then my son was suspended. I saw the surveillance video and the bully was the aggressor the entire time. My wife and I are still puzzled by this. We’re contacting the school board. The teachers, counselors and even the “dean” all refused to help. It honestly seems like discrimination. The previous Principal and vice principal were arrested the year before, so I’m wondering if they’re just trying to avoid a lawsuit. Also, the “dean” stormed out of the room threatening to get security on me, solely because I told her she was wrong. The bully completely provoked, threatened and assaulted my son. Close Quote


by a student
Thursday, December 1, 2016

Open Quote This school is the worst school I have ever been too Close Quote


by a student
Friday, September 23, 2011

Open Quote I have just recently transferred from my old school to this one for the eigth grade year and I so far love it! The school overall makes you feel welcomed and doesn't give children that "new kid" type feeling. Even the students are quite nice to eachother and students who have been here for the whole middle school year have been trained on what respect looks like. At the first week of school there was a bit of confusion but after teachers hand out schedules, fgive out lockers, and start settling students at were there soppose to be, you end up getting use to it. The school is also very strict about when students approuch to class and were they should be. The princapel is very engaged with the students and connected. She would walk through the hallways during transtion time and say hello to fellow students. This is a great place to send your child!! Close Quote



Enrollment information for Prairie Middle School

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Compare
Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1988 677 58 42 33 4 n/a n/a 0 814
1989 626 79 37 23 4 n/a n/a 0 769
1990 774 119 53 33 2 n/a n/a 0 981
1991 907 165 77 46 4 n/a n/a 0 1199
1992 970 157 74 60 11 n/a n/a 0 1272
1993 1043 178 98 64 8 n/a n/a 0 1391
1994 1028 177 102 80 10 n/a n/a 0 1397
1995 962 219 79 79 3 n/a n/a 0 1342
1996 962 219 79 79 3 n/a n/a 0 1342
1997 970 222 85 97 5 n/a n/a 0 1379
1998 975 259 86 107 6 n/a n/a 0 1433
1999 915 328 101 124 7 n/a n/a 0 1475
2000 864 340 85 147 6 n/a n/a 0 1442
2001 825 365 97 192 11 n/a n/a 0 1490
2002 763 433 113 267 7 n/a n/a 0 1583
2003 763 433 113 267 7 n/a n/a 0 1583
2004 690 528 109 297 12 n/a n/a 0 1636
2005 638 512 89 328 9 n/a n/a 0 1576
2006 584 522 82 357 14 n/a n/a 0 1559
2007 513 537 82 405 10 n/a n/a 0 1547
2008 491 547 98 444 9 n/a n/a 0 1589
2009 445 512 99 465 7 n/a n/a 0 1528
2010 398 556 96 489 11 n/a n/a 0 1550
2011 354 499 90 551 9 3 66 0 1572
2012 380 551 97 590 13 7 77 0 1715
2013 379 528 104 585 14 4 86 0 1700
2014 414 485 95 606 13 7 85 0 1705
2015 429 430 90 627 16 7 101 0 1700
2016 412 425 93 659 19 6 113 0 1727
2017 394 447 84 707 14 7 118 0 1771
2018 389 484 63 669 14 12 116 0 1747
2019 343 427 74 657 17 15 113 0 1646
2020 325 438 71 664 15 8 109 0 1630
2021 300 416 74 629 11 11 118 0 1559
2022 269 392 70 603 7 12 126 0 1479
2023 256 355 61 574 11 10 116 0 1383

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 Prairie Middle School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 814 52.2 15.5 n/a
1989 769 48.6 15.8 6.9
1990 981 56.2 17.4 9
1991 1199 72.4 16.5 10
1992 1272 69.5 18.3 10.7
1993 1391 75.9 18.3 10.1
1994 1397 75.7 18.5 12.2
1995 1342 73.0 18.4 13.7
1996 1342 73.0 18.4 13.7
1997 1379 71.2 19.4 14.2
1998 1433 83.8 17.1 15.6
1999 1475 89.2 16.5 15.2
2000 1442 87.1 16.6 29.7
2001 1490 94.3 15.8 28.1
2002 1583 105.4 15.0 37.7
2003 1583 105.4 15.0 37.7
2004 1636 104.6 15.6 41.9
2005 1576 103.5 15.2 45.4
2006 1559 103.1 15.1 48.6
2007 1547 104.7 14.8 54.8
2008 1589 103.4 15.4 59.7
2009 1528 108.0 14.1 61.2
2010 1550 99.7 15.5 65.1
2011 1572 102.6 15.3 68.1
2012 1715 102.5 16.7 70.7
2013 1700 99.3 17.1 65.9
2014 1705 100.4 16.9 66.9
2015 1700 100.0 17.0 74.4
2016 1727 100.0 17.2 74.7
2017 1771 103.5 17.1 75.9
2018 1747 100.1 17.4 74.2
2019 1646 101.2 16.2 74.5
2020 1630 99.2 16.4 73.1
2021 1559 82.4 18.9 70.8
2022 1479 87.2 16.9 65.1
2023 1383 91.8 15.0 71.1

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 Prairie Middle School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 814 52.2 15.5 n/a
1989 769 48.6 15.8 6.9
1990 981 56.2 17.4 9
1991 1199 72.4 16.5 10
1992 1272 69.5 18.3 10.7
1993 1391 75.9 18.3 10.1
1994 1397 75.7 18.5 12.2
1995 1342 73.0 18.4 13.7
1996 1342 73.0 18.4 13.7
1997 1379 71.2 19.4 14.2
1998 1433 83.8 17.1 15.6
1999 1475 89.2 16.5 15.2
2000 1442 87.1 16.6 29.7
2001 1490 94.3 15.8 28.1
2002 1583 105.4 15.0 37.7
2003 1583 105.4 15.0 37.7
2004 1636 104.6 15.6 41.9
2005 1576 103.5 15.2 45.4
2006 1559 103.1 15.1 48.6
2007 1547 104.7 14.8 54.8
2008 1589 103.4 15.4 59.7
2009 1528 108.0 14.1 61.2
2010 1550 99.7 15.5 65.1
2011 1572 102.6 15.3 68.1
2012 1715 102.5 16.7 70.7
2013 1700 99.3 17.1 65.9
2014 1705 100.4 16.9 66.9
2015 1700 100.0 17.0 74.4
2016 1727 100.0 17.2 74.7
2017 1771 103.5 17.1 75.9
2018 1747 100.1 17.4 74.2
2019 1646 101.2 16.2 74.5
2020 1630 99.2 16.4 73.1
2021 1559 82.4 18.9 70.8
2022 1479 87.2 16.9 65.1
2023 1383 91.8 15.0 71.1

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 Prairie Middle School

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YearTotal Expenditures Per Pupil
2019 $11,657
2020 $12,082
2021 $11,041
2022 $13,191
2023 $14,675

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

Impact of COVID-19 on Prairie 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 374th of 458 Middle schoolsRanks 446th of 480 Middle schools
 11.3%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
6th Grade English Language Arts (Prairie Middle School)22.914
 8.9%
   6th Grade English Language Arts (Cherry Creek School District No. 5)47.946.5
 1.4%
   6th Grade English Language Arts (Colorado)43.643.4
 0.2%
6th Grade Math (Prairie Middle School)16.63.9
 12.7%
   6th Grade Math (Cherry Creek School District No. 5)38.633.7
 4.9%
   6th Grade Math (Colorado)29.528.2
 1.3%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Prairie Middle School)26.118.8
 7.3%
   7th Grade English Language Arts (Cherry Creek School District No. 5)51.751.4
 0.3%
   7th Grade English Language Arts (Colorado)46.545
 1.5%
7th Grade Math (Prairie Middle School)15.39.5
 5.8%
   7th Grade Math (Cherry Creek School District No. 5)42.334.1
 8.2%
   7th Grade Math (Colorado)31.626.3
 5.3%
8th Grade Science (Prairie Middle School)1914.1
 4.9%
   8th Grade Science (Cherry Creek School District No. 5)44.344.7
 0.4%
   8th Grade Science (Colorado)31.531.3
 0.2%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Prairie Middle School)27.817.2
 10.6%
   8th Grade English Language Arts (Cherry Creek School District No. 5)50.450.2
 0.2%
   8th Grade English Language Arts (Colorado)46.942.4
 4.5%
8th Grade Math (Prairie Middle School)21.510.4
 11.1%
   8th Grade Math (Cherry Creek School District No. 5)4744.2
 2.8%
   8th Grade Math (Colorado)36.932.7
 4.2%
All Grades English Language Arts (Prairie Middle School)25.516.5
 9%
   All Grades English Language Arts (Cherry Creek School District No. 5)50.849.7
 1.1%
   All Grades English Language Arts (Colorado)45.843.7
 2.1%
All Grades Math (Prairie Middle School)17.67.5
 10.1%
   All Grades Math (Cherry Creek School District No. 5)43.139.9
 3.2%
   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 Students16461383
 16%
African American427355
 16.9%
American Indian1711
 35.3%
Asian7461
 17.6%
Hispanic657574
 12.6%
Pacific Islander1510
 33.3%
White343256
 25.4%
Two or More Races113116
 2.7%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients74.5%71.1%
 3.4%


Schools Near Prairie Middle School









Frequently Asked Questions about Prairie Middle School

Students at Prairie Middle School are 42% Hispanic, 26% African American, 19% White, 8% Two or more races, 4% Asian.

Prairie Middle School ranks in the bottom 9.5% of Colorado middle schools.

In the 2022-23 school year, 1,383 students attended Prairie Middle School.

Students who attend Prairie Middle School usually go on to attend Overland 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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