Is University Prep - Steele St. a good school?

University Prep - Steele St. ranks 696 th of 943 Colorado elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

How many students attend University Prep - Steele St.?

In the 2023-24 school year, 333 students attended University Prep - Steele St..

What is the racial makeup of University Prep - Steele St.?

Students at University Prep - Steele St. are 56% Hispanic, 32% African American, 4% Two or more races, 4% White, 2% American Indian, 2% Pacific Islander.

University Prep - Steele St.

Summary:

University Prep - Steele St. is a public charter elementary school serving grades PK-5 in Denver, Colorado, with a student population of 287 that is predominantly Hispanic and African American. Despite its small class sizes, the school has consistently underperformed compared to district and state averages, ranking among the lowest-performing elementary schools in Colorado.

University Prep - Steele St. has struggled academically, with only 20.4% of students proficient or better in English Language Arts, 26.9% in Math, and 26% in 5th grade Science on the latest CMAS assessments. However, the school's Hispanic students have performed relatively better, ranking 63rd out of 242 Colorado elementary schools in ELA proficiency. This suggests the school may be more effective in supporting its Hispanic student population. Nonetheless, the school's 1-star rating from School District No. 1 and consistent placement in the bottom quarter of Colorado elementary schools indicate significant challenges in providing a high-quality education to its students, the majority of whom come from economically disadvantaged backgrounds.

When compared to nearby schools, such as Stedman Elementary School, which is located just 1.1 miles away, University Prep - Steele St. is clearly underperforming. Stedman Elementary has significantly higher proficiency rates in ELA and Math, as well as a higher overall school ranking. This suggests that factors such as resource availability, teacher quality, and student support services may be contributing to University Prep - Steele St.'s struggles, and interventions or changes may be necessary to reverse the school's declining performance over the past decade.

Detail:

Public, Charter PK, KG-5

3230 East 38th Avenue
Denver, CO 80205-3726

(303) 329-8412

District: School District No. 1

SchoolDigger Rank:
696^th of 943 Colorado Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $17,524

Student/teacher ratio: 12.3

Number of students: 333

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

55.6%

African American:

32.4%

Two or more races:

4.2%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 91%

See top rated Colorado elementary schools

Compare University Prep - Steele St. to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details University Prep - Steele St. ranks worse than 73.8% of elementary schools in Colorado. It also ranks 50^th among 94 ranked elementary schools in the School District No. 1. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 23.36. (See more...)

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

Compare Details Racial makeup is: Hispanic (55.6%), African American (32.4%), two or more races (4.2%). (See more...)

Compare Details 91% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at University Prep - Steele St. is 12.3, which is the 16^th best among 94 elementary schools in the School District No. 1. (See more...)

Compare University Prep - Steele St. employs 26.9 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at University Prep - Steele St. is $17,524. 66 elementary schools in the School District No. 1 spend more per student.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

University Prep - Steele St.:

SchoolDigger ranks University Prep - Steele St. 696^th of 943 Colorado public elementary schools. (See University Prep - Steele St. in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Female students:

Male students:

Hispanic students:

School District No. 1:

SchoolDigger ranks School District No. 1 78^th of 116 Colorado school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for University Prep - Steele St.

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Rank History for all students at University Prep - Steele St.

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CO State Percentile
2004	7.77	751^st	808	7.1%
2005	15.21	714^th	823	13.2%
2006	6.22	785^th	829	5.3%
2007	5.75	809^th	852	5.0%
2008	8.54	787^th	849	7.3%
2009	9.84	800^th	872	8.3%
2010	19.06	769^th	925	16.9%
2011	4.56	911^th	935	2.6%
2012	6.06	904^th	935	3.3%
2013	7.69	895^th	954	6.2%
2014	7.36	927^th	962	3.6%
2015	9.63	908^th	938	3.2%
2017	50.34	417^th	929	55.1%
2018	40.14	520^th	917	43.3%
2019	29.82	656^th	965	32.0%
2022	19.89	724^th	921	21.4%
2023	17.19	771^st	933	17.4%
2024	23.36	696^th	943	26.2%

See the entire list of Colorado Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at University Prep - Steele St.

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CO State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2019	66.59	12^th	43	72.1%

See the entire list of Best Colorado Elementary Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Female students at University Prep - Steele St.

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CO State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2019	25.77	551^st	758	27.3%
2024	46.62	343^rd	684	49.9%

See the entire list of Best Colorado Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at University Prep - Steele St.

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CO State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2019	24.17	575^th	764	24.7%
2024	20.83	524^th	683	23.3%

See the entire list of Best Colorado Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at University Prep - Steele St.

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CO State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	66.37	63^rd	242	74.0%

See the entire list of Best Colorado Elementary Schools for Hispanic 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.

Data source: Colorado Department of Education

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Enrollment information for University Prep - Steele St.

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
1998	13	185	2	124	1	n/a	n/a	325
1999	8	161	2	137	3	n/a	n/a	311
2000	8	142	1	158	0	n/a	n/a	309
2001	12	120	0	167	2	n/a	n/a	301
2002	4	53	0	208	2	n/a	n/a	267
2003	4	53	0	208	2	n/a	n/a	267
2004	1	44	0	209	0	n/a	n/a	254
2005	0	21	2	230	1	n/a	n/a	254
2006	1	16	1	274	0	n/a	n/a	292
2007	2	11	0	281	0	n/a	n/a	294
2008	5	6	0	274	0	n/a	n/a	285
2009	3	13	0	290	0	n/a	n/a	306
2010	3	8	0	290	0	n/a	n/a	301
2011	7	20	1	327	0	0	6	361
2012	7	24	1	359	0	1	1	393
2013	0	27	0	446	0	1	2	476
2014	2	27	0	469	2	0	1	501
2015	7	13	3	443	0	0	3	469
2016	4	6	3	303	0	0	4	320
2017	7	22	3	190	0	0	4	226
2018	5	23	0	205	1	0	4	238
2019	14	53	1	228	3	1	10	310
2020	15	75	4	217	3	0	15	329
2021	22	93	3	224	4	0	17	363
2022	18	75	3	198	4	1	16	315
2023	16	79	1	173	5	2	11	287
2024	13	108	1	185	7	5	14	333

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 University Prep - Steele St.

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1998	325	10.6	30.7	78.2
1999	311	23.3	13.3	68.8
2000	309	12.9	24.0	85.1
2001	301	18.2	16.5	80.1
2002	267	18.5	14.4	85.8
2003	267	18.5	14.4	85.8
2004	254	20.4	12.5	82.7
2005	254	19.8	12.8	87.8
2006	292	17.0	17.2	90.8
2007	294	16.0	18.4	92.5
2008	285	20.8	13.7	96.8
2009	306	19.8	15.5	95.1
2010	301	20.7	14.5	90
2011	361	26.0	13.8	94.5
2012	393	26.1	15.0	89.8
2013	476	29.3	16.2	97.9
2014	501	35.3	14.1	95
2015	469	40.0	11.7	95.1
2016	320	27.0	11.8	89.7
2017	226	28.2	7.9	89.4
2018	238	26.8	8.8	88.7
2019	310	31.2	9.9	90.6
2020	329	23.9	13.7	89.4
2021	363	28.0	12.9	87.1
2022	315	29.2	10.7	90.2
2023	287	29.2	9.8	90.9
2024	333	26.9	12.3	91

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 University Prep - Steele St.

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1998	325	10.6	30.7	78.2
1999	311	23.3	13.3	68.8
2000	309	12.9	24.0	85.1
2001	301	18.2	16.5	80.1
2002	267	18.5	14.4	85.8
2003	267	18.5	14.4	85.8
2004	254	20.4	12.5	82.7
2005	254	19.8	12.8	87.8
2006	292	17.0	17.2	90.8
2007	294	16.0	18.4	92.5
2008	285	20.8	13.7	96.8
2009	306	19.8	15.5	95.1
2010	301	20.7	14.5	90
2011	361	26.0	13.8	94.5
2012	393	26.1	15.0	89.8
2013	476	29.3	16.2	97.9
2014	501	35.3	14.1	95
2015	469	40.0	11.7	95.1
2016	320	27.0	11.8	89.7
2017	226	28.2	7.9	89.4
2018	238	26.8	8.8	88.7
2019	310	31.2	9.9	90.6
2020	329	23.9	13.7	89.4
2021	363	28.0	12.9	87.1
2022	315	29.2	10.7	90.2
2023	287	29.2	9.8	90.9
2024	333	26.9	12.3	91

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 University Prep - Steele St.

Year	Total Expenditures Per Pupil
2019	$10,575
2020	$12,199
2021	$12,713
2022	$16,582
2023	$17,524

Data source: Colorado Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on University Prep - Steele St.

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 656^th of 965 Elementary schools	Ranks 771^st of 933 Elementary schools	14.7%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (University Prep - Steele St.)	17.3	9.8	7.5%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (School District No. 1)	39.4	40.1	0.7%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Colorado)	41.3	39.9	1.4%
3rd Grade Math (University Prep - Steele St.)	34.6	19.5	15.1%
3rd Grade Math (School District No. 1)	37.5	36.4	1.1%
3rd Grade Math (Colorado)	41	40.4	0.6%
4th Grade English Language Arts (University Prep - Steele St.)	46.5	20.4	26.1%
4th Grade English Language Arts (School District No. 1)	43.6	40.6	3%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Colorado)	48	43.8	4.2%
4th Grade Math (University Prep - Steele St.)	29.5	38.9	9.4%
4th Grade Math (School District No. 1)	31.2	29	2.2%
4th Grade Math (Colorado)	33.6	32.7	0.9%
5th Grade Science (University Prep - Steele St.)	17.8	7.1	10.7%
5th Grade Science (School District No. 1)	25.9	26.2	0.3%
5th Grade Science (Colorado)	35.9	33.9	2%
5th Grade English Language Arts (University Prep - Steele St.)	42.2	9.5	32.7%
5th Grade English Language Arts (School District No. 1)	42.3	41.2	1.1%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Colorado)	48.4	47.8	0.6%
5th Grade Math (University Prep - Steele St.)	22.2	11.9	10.3%
5th Grade Math (School District No. 1)	34.9	33.2	1.7%
5th Grade Math (Colorado)	35.7	36.5	0.8%
All Grades English Language Arts (University Prep - Steele St.)	34.3	13.9	20.4%
All Grades English Language Arts (School District No. 1)	42.8	40.3	2.5%
All Grades English Language Arts (Colorado)	45.8	43.7	2.1%
All Grades Math (University Prep - Steele St.)	29.1	24.8	4.3%
All Grades Math (School District No. 1)	32.7	30.3	2.4%
All Grades Math (Colorado)	34.7	32.9	1.8%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	310	287	7.4%
African American	53	79	49.1%
American Indian	3	5	66.7%
Asian	1	1
Hispanic	228	173	24.1%
Pacific Islander	1	2	100%
White	14	16	14.3%
Two or More Races	10	11	10%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	90.6%	90.9%	0.3%

Schools Near University Prep - Steele St.

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				CMAS English Language Arts (2024)						CMAS Math (2024)				CMAS Science (2024)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2023)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	CMAS English Language Arts 3rd Grade	CMAS English Language Arts 4th Grade	CMAS English Language Arts 5th Grade	CMAS English Language Arts 6th Grade	CMAS English Language Arts 7th Grade	CMAS English Language Arts All Grades	CMAS Math 3rd Grade	CMAS Math 4th Grade	CMAS Math 5th Grade	CMAS Math All Grades	CMAS Science 5th Grade	Total
University Prep - Steele St.	Public, Charter	PK, KG-5	3230 East 38th Avenue	Denver	80205	Denver County	School District No. 1	Yes	No	No	Yes	(303) 329-8412	333	27	12.3	91.0%	13 (3.9%)	108 (32.4%)	185 (55.6%)	1 (0.3%)	7 (2.1%)	5 (1.5%)	14 (4.2%)	23.4	696^th of 943 public elementary schools	26.2%		17.2	771^st of 933 public elementary schools	17.4%	75	14.0	7.1	38.0			20.4	25.0	11.6	42.0	26.9	26.0	$17,524
International Academy of Denver at Harrington	Public	PK, KG-5	2401 East 37th Avenue	Denver	80205	Denver County	School District No. 1	No	No	No	Yes	(720) 424-6420	161	16	10.0	95.0%	3 (1.9%)	25 (15.5%)	113 (70.2%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.6%)	16 (9.9%)	3 (1.9%)								(n/a)						11.3			13.0	8.7		$23,858
Columbine Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	2540 East 29th Ave	Denver	80205	Denver County	School District No. 1	No	No	No	Yes	(720) 424-8510	321	19	16.5	42.4%	136 (42.4%)	68 (21.2%)	87 (27.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.6%)	28 (8.7%)	19.2	750^th of 943 public elementary schools	20.5%		32.2	590^th of 933 public elementary schools	36.8%	160	23.1	31.6	20.8			26.1	28.0	18.4	12.5	19.5		$18,972
Swansea Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	4650 Columbine Street	Denver	80216	Denver County	School District No. 1	No	No	No	Yes	(720) 424-3630	384	26	14.7	86.2%	16 (4.2%)	34 (8.9%)	320 (83.3%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.5%)	1 (0.3%)	11 (2.9%)	9.2	898^th of 943 public elementary schools	4.8%		11.2	871^st of 933 public elementary schools	6.6%	27			15.6			10.7	16.0	7.9	16.3	13.0		$20,392
Wyatt Academy	Public, Charter	K-5	3620 Franklin Street	Denver	80205	Denver County	School District No. 1	Yes	No	No	Yes	(303) 292-5515	208	16	13.0	89.9%	22 (10.6%)	48 (23.1%)	128 (61.5%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.5%)	1 (0.5%)	8 (3.8%)								(n/a)	34.2					21.2				12.9		$14,223
Stedman Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	2940 Dexter Street	Denver	80207	Denver County	School District No. 1	No	No	No	No	(720) 424-3800	432	24	17.8	43.8%	163 (37.7%)	124 (28.7%)	114 (26.4%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (6.7%)	57.9	382^nd of 943 public elementary schools	59.5%		47.7	456^th of 933 public elementary schools	51.1%	74	36.4	56.0	58.0			48.8	43.7	42.3	44.9	43.6	38.3	$17,996
Cole Arts and Science Academy	Public	PK, KG-5	1350 E 33rd Ave	Denver	80205	Denver County	School District No. 1	No	No	No	Yes	(720) 423-9120	268	21	12.5	87.3%	29 (10.8%)	47 (17.5%)	177 (66.0%)	2 (0.7%)	2 (0.7%)	1 (0.4%)	10 (3.7%)	6.9	922^nd of 943 public elementary schools	2.2%		13.7	833^rd of 933 public elementary schools	10.7%	89	13.6	16.7	9.4			13.1				10.0		$20,786
French American School of Denver	Public, Charter	K-5	2350 N. Gaylord Street	Denver	80205	Denver County	School District No. 1	Yes	No	No	No	(720) 506-4589	189	13	14.1	14.8%	140 (74.1%)	15 (7.9%)	13 (6.9%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (10.6%)	82.2	149^th of 943 public elementary schools	84.2%		44.8	478^th of 933 public elementary schools	48.8%	329	58.3	58.8	84.0			68.2	58.3	44.4	60.0	55.2	56.0	$13,930
Smith Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	3590 Jasmine Street	Denver	80207	Denver County	School District No. 1	No	No	No	Yes	(720) 424-4000	466	30	15.4	84.5%	41 (8.8%)	109 (23.4%)	275 (59.0%)	4 (0.9%)	14 (3.0%)	4 (0.9%)	19 (4.1%)	22.2	708^th of 943 public elementary schools	24.9%		8.1	909^th of 933 public elementary schools	2.6%	201			41.7			22.3	21.4	8.9	23.1	18.3	25.0	$19,944
Whittier Ece-8 School	Public	PK, KG-8	2480 Downing Street	Denver	80205	Denver County	School District No. 1	No	No	No	Yes	(720) 424-3040	214	16	13.4	90.7%	12 (5.6%)	113 (52.8%)	61 (28.5%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.5%)	3 (1.4%)	24 (11.2%)								(n/a)			22.2	28.0	19.0	16.3				4.1		$19,385

University Prep - Steele St.

University Prep - Steele St.:

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

School District No. 1:

What do you think?

Rank History for University Prep - Steele St.

Rank History for all students at University Prep - Steele St.

Rank History for English Language Learner students at University Prep - Steele St.

Rank History for Female students at University Prep - Steele St.

Rank History for Male students at University Prep - Steele St.

Rank History for Hispanic students at University Prep - Steele St.

Enrollment information for University Prep - Steele St.

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at University Prep - Steele St.

Student/Teacher Ratio University Prep - Steele St.

Per Pupil Expenditures for University Prep - Steele St.

Impact of COVID-19 on University Prep - Steele St.

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near University Prep - Steele St.