Is DSST: Cedar Middle School a good school?

DSST: Cedar Middle School ranks 83 rd of 485 Colorado middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

How many students attend DSST: Cedar Middle School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 469 students attended DSST: Cedar Middle School.

What is the racial makeup of DSST: Cedar Middle School?

Students at DSST: Cedar Middle School are 39% White, 30% Hispanic, 18% African American, 7% Two or more races, 4% Asian.

DSST: Cedar Middle School

Summary:

DSST: Cedar Middle School is a public charter middle school in Denver, Colorado that serves 469 students in grades 6-8. The school is part of the School District No. 1, which is ranked 78 out of 116 districts in Colorado and has a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger.

DSST: Cedar Middle School consistently ranks among the top middle schools in Colorado, with impressive academic performance that significantly exceeds district and state averages on CMAS tests. In 2023-2024, 60.7% of DSST: Cedar students were proficient or better in English Language Arts, compared to 40.7% for the district and 44.1% for the state. The school's math and science performance is also exceptional, with 49.6% and 45.9% of students, respectively, scoring proficient or better. DSST: Cedar's diverse student population, with 38.59% White, 18.34% African American, 30.49% Hispanic, and 4.48% Asian students, also performs well across racial subgroups, outpacing their peers at the district and state levels.

Compared to nearby schools in the same district, DSST: Cedar Middle School stands out for its consistently high academic performance, low student-teacher ratio of 12.3, and success in supporting low-socioeconomic status students, who make up 50.96% of the school's population. For example, in 2023-2024, DSST: Cedar had 60.7% of students proficient or better in ELA, compared to just 25.4% at Kepner Beacon Middle School and 28.8% at Rocky Mountain Prep Westwood. These factors suggest that DSST: Cedar Middle School is providing a high-quality, equitable education to its diverse student population.

Detail:

Public, Charter 6-8

150 S Pearl Street
Denver, CO 80209-2016

(303) 524-6350

District: School District No. 1

SchoolDigger Rank:
83^rd of 485 Colorado Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $17,590

Student/teacher ratio: 12.3

Number of students: 469

Racial breakdown:

White:

38.6%

Hispanic:

30.5%

African American:

18.3%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 51%

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Compare DSST: Cedar Middle School to nearby middle schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details DSST: Cedar Middle School ranks better than 82.9% of middle schools in Colorado. It also ranks 6^th among 30 ranked middle schools in the School District No. 1. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 78.55. (See more...)

The high school dropout rate measures the percentage of students who do not complete their high school education.

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 DSST: Cedar Middle School has the largest middle school student body size in the School District No. 1. (See more...)

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Teachers

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Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at DSST: Cedar Middle School is $17,590, which is the 14^th highest among 30 middle schools in the School District No. 1.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

DSST: Cedar Middle School:

SchoolDigger ranks DSST: Cedar Middle School 83^rd of 485 Colorado public middle schools. (See DSST: Cedar 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:

School District No. 1:

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

Average Parent Rating:

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Rank History for DSST: Cedar Middle School

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Rank History for all students at DSST: Cedar Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CO State Percentile
2015	98.38	9^th	436	97.9%
2016	96.20	11^th	400	97.3%
2017	95.84	12^th	424	97.2%
2018	95.03	14^th	418	96.7%
2019	94.50	17^th	458	96.3%
2021	82.16	51^st	369	86.2%
2022	77.35	82^nd	448	81.7%
2023	81.28	74^th	480	84.6%
2024	78.55	83^rd	485	82.9%

See the entire list of Colorado Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at DSST: Cedar Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CO State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	81.37	1^st	6	83.3%

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

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at DSST: Cedar Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CO State Percentile
2018	99.14	2^nd	222	99.1%
2019	98.33	4^th	240	98.3%
2021	91.48	3^rd	114	97.4%
2022	82.92	13^th	197	93.4%
2023	76.91	28^th	241	88.4%
2024	77.41	29^th	244	88.1%

See the entire list of Best Colorado Middle Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at DSST: Cedar Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CO State Percentile
2018	92.70	15^th	315	95.2%
2019	90.37	23^rd	352	93.5%
2021	64.49	72^nd	254	71.7%
2022	66.47	94^th	326	71.2%
2023	71.32	85^th	363	76.6%
2024	63.51	112^th	350	68.0%

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

Rank History for Gifted and Talented students at DSST: Cedar Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CO State Percentile
2018	61.67	44^th	121	63.6%
2019	65.89	37^th	134	72.4%
2022	60.08	46^th	93	50.5%
2023	69.49	34^th	125	72.8%
2024	62.06	54^th	126	57.1%

See the entire list of Best Colorado Middle Schools for Gifted and Talented Students!

Rank History for Male students at DSST: Cedar Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CO State Percentile
2018	93.93	13^th	317	95.9%
2019	94.88	15^th	343	95.6%
2021	82.90	32^nd	249	87.1%
2022	76.51	58^th	328	82.3%
2023	80.19	51^st	356	85.7%
2024	80.28	56^th	357	84.3%

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

Rank History for African American students at DSST: Cedar Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CO State Percentile
2019	98.05	1^st	33	97.0%
2022	69.67	3^rd	20	85.0%
2023	66.39	7^th	25	72.0%
2024	64.23	5^th	25	80.0%

See the entire list of Best Colorado Middle Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at DSST: Cedar Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CO State Percentile
2018	88.96	11^th	165	93.3%
2019	93.34	11^th	220	95.0%
2021	58.52	30^th	83	63.9%
2022	80.39	19^th	169	88.8%
2023	79.10	26^th	198	86.9%
2024	77.40	24^th	199	87.9%

See the entire list of Best Colorado Middle Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at DSST: Cedar Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CO State Percentile
2018	96.31	9^th	199	95.5%
2019	96.56	8^th	283	97.2%
2021	89.62	13^th	203	93.6%
2022	87.03	21^st	265	92.1%
2023	88.36	21^st	286	92.7%
2024	82.26	36^th	273	86.8%

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.

Data source: Colorado Department of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 3.7)

67%

33%

Reviews:
No reviews have been submitted!

Enrollment information for DSST: Cedar Middle School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
2014	92	11	7	35	2	0	7	154
2015	170	30	11	73	3	0	14	301
2016	245	43	14	119	4	0	23	448
2017	238	51	13	134	4	0	29	469
2018	228	56	13	144	3	0	30	474
2019	230	76	10	140	4	0	37	497
2020	197	91	16	144	4	0	30	482
2021	181	101	15	159	4	0	26	486
2022	191	94	13	147	1	0	30	476
2023	181	86	21	143	3	1	34	469

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 DSST: Cedar Middle School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2014	154	11.6	13.1	27.3
2015	301	43.0	7.0	34.6
2016	448	32.0	14.0	36.8
2017	469	31.2	15.0	38.8
2018	474	28.8	16.4	44.5
2019	497	32.0	15.5	44.1
2020	482	33.4	14.3	49
2021	486	33.4	14.5	51.2
2022	476	35.5	13.3	48.1
2023	469	38.1	12.3	51

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 DSST: Cedar Middle School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2014	154	11.6	13.1	27.3
2015	301	43.0	7.0	34.6
2016	448	32.0	14.0	36.8
2017	469	31.2	15.0	38.8
2018	474	28.8	16.4	44.5
2019	497	32.0	15.5	44.1
2020	482	33.4	14.3	49
2021	486	33.4	14.5	51.2
2022	476	35.5	13.3	48.1
2023	469	38.1	12.3	51

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 DSST: Cedar Middle School

Year	Total Expenditures Per Pupil
2019	$13,168
2020	$12,911
2021	$9,510
2022	$15,256
2023	$17,590

Data source: Colorado Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on DSST: Cedar 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 17^th of 458 Middle schools	Ranks 74^th of 480 Middle schools	11.7%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
6th Grade English Language Arts (DSST: Cedar Middle School)	70.3	67.1	3.2%
6th Grade English Language Arts (School District No. 1)	40	38.8	1.2%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Colorado)	43.6	43.4	0.2%
6th Grade Math (DSST: Cedar Middle School)	56.1	59.5	3.4%
6th Grade Math (School District No. 1)	27.9	26.9	1%
6th Grade Math (Colorado)	29.5	28.2	1.3%
7th Grade English Language Arts (DSST: Cedar Middle School)	84.7	60.4	24.3%
7th Grade English Language Arts (School District No. 1)	45.1	40.3	4.8%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Colorado)	46.5	45	1.5%
7th Grade Math (DSST: Cedar Middle School)	69.8	41.9	27.9%
7th Grade Math (School District No. 1)	30.2	25.1	5.1%
7th Grade Math (Colorado)	31.6	26.3	5.3%
8th Grade Science (DSST: Cedar Middle School)	62.3	43.1	19.2%
8th Grade Science (School District No. 1)	22.7	26	3.3%
8th Grade Science (Colorado)	31.5	31.3	0.2%
8th Grade English Language Arts (DSST: Cedar Middle School)	77.6	53.7	23.9%
8th Grade English Language Arts (School District No. 1)	46	40.8	5.2%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Colorado)	46.9	42.4	4.5%
8th Grade Math (DSST: Cedar Middle School)	68.5	56.6	11.9%
8th Grade Math (School District No. 1)	34.4	30.9	3.5%
8th Grade Math (Colorado)	36.9	32.7	4.2%
All Grades English Language Arts (DSST: Cedar Middle School)	77.7	60.9	16.8%
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 (DSST: Cedar Middle School)	64.9	52.8	12.1%
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	497	469	5.6%
African American	76	86	13.2%
American Indian	4	3	25%
Asian	10	21	110%
Hispanic	140	143	2.1%
Pacific Islander	0	1
White	230	181	21.3%
Two or More Races	37	34	8.1%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	44.1%	51%	6.9%

Schools Near DSST: Cedar Middle School

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 5th Grade	CMAS English Language Arts 6th Grade	CMAS English Language Arts 7th Grade	CMAS English Language Arts 8th Grade	CMAS English Language Arts All Grades	CMAS Math 5th Grade	CMAS Math 6th Grade	CMAS Math 7th Grade	CMAS Math 8th Grade	CMAS Math All Grades	CMAS Science 5th Grade	CMAS Science 8th Grade	Total
DSST: Cedar Middle School	Public, Charter	6-8	150 S Pearl Street	Denver	80209	Denver County	School District No. 1	Yes	No	No	No	(303) 524-6350	469	38	12.3	51.0%	181 (38.6%)	86 (18.3%)	143 (30.5%)	21 (4.5%)	3 (0.6%)	1 (0.2%)	34 (7.2%)	78.5	83^rd of 485 public middle schools	82.9%		81.3	74^th of 480 public middle schools	84.6%	9		63.7	64.9	53.6	60.7		48.3	53.9	46.4	49.6		45.9	$17,590
Girls Athletic Leadership School Middle School	Public, Charter	6-8	750 Galapago St.	Denver	80204	Denver County	School District No. 1	Yes	No	No	No	(303) 282-6437	187	18	10.5	38.5%	89 (47.6%)	18 (9.6%)	57 (30.5%)	4 (2.1%)	2 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (9.1%)	61.1	150^th of 485 public middle schools	69.1%		55.6	169^th of 480 public middle schools	64.8%	19		57.9	61.2	52.9	57.7		30.3	28.4	38.0	31.6		39.2	$15,688
West Middle School	Public	6-8	951 Elati St	Denver	80204	Denver County	School District No. 1	No	No	No	Yes	(720) 423-5460	255	20	12.8	96.5%	7 (2.7%)	19 (7.5%)	220 (86.3%)	1 (0.4%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (2.7%)	5.4	478^th of 485 public middle schools	1.4%		8.4	468^th of 480 public middle schools	2.5%	10		5.5	16.7	11.3	11.1					2.8			$19,969
Morey Middle School	Public	6-8	840 East 14th Avenue	Denver	80218	Denver County	School District No. 1	No	No	No	No	(720) 424-0700	446	22	20.1	29.4%	257 (57.6%)	40 (9.0%)	118 (26.5%)	5 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	26 (5.8%)	97.1	11^th of 485 public middle schools	97.7%		96.7	7^th of 480 public middle schools	98.5%	4		76.1	87.5	83.7	82.5		65.4	72.2	79.2	72.2		68.5	$15,417
KIPP Sunshine Peak Academy	Public, Charter	5-8	375 S Tejon Street	Denver	80223	Denver County	School District No. 1	Yes	No	No	Yes	(303) 623-5772	387	34	11.5	93.3%	7 (1.8%)	10 (2.6%)	361 (93.3%)	2 (0.5%)	4 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.8%)	10.9	445^th of 485 public middle schools	8.2%		14	413^th of 480 public middle schools	14.0%	32	23.3	12.7	25.9	19.5	20.7	11.9	5.7	9.5	6.6	8.0	20.0	9.7	$15,894
Grant Beacon Middle School	Public	6-8	1751 South Washington Street	Denver	80210	Denver County	School District No. 1	No	No	No	Yes	(720) 423-9360	356	23	15.3	60.1%	123 (34.6%)	28 (7.9%)	173 (48.6%)	10 (2.8%)	5 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (4.8%)	48.7	218^th of 485 public middle schools	55.1%		51.5	206^th of 480 public middle schools	57.1%	12		34.7	55.9	43.6	44.4		23.8	39.4	28.2	30.2		35.8	$19,422
Hill Campus of Arts and Sciences	Public	6-8	451 Clermont Street	Denver	80220	Denver County	School District No. 1	No	No	No	No	(720) 423-9680	624	38	16.6	50.8%	257 (41.2%)	117 (18.8%)	174 (27.9%)	13 (2.1%)	3 (0.5%)	3 (0.5%)	57 (9.1%)	32.8	295^th of 485 public middle schools	39.2%		42.1	248^th of 480 public middle schools	48.3%	47		41.9	34.1	31.1	35.6		25.9	18.8	24.7	23.1		26.9	$15,545
Merrill Middle School	Public	6-8	1551 South Monroe Street	Denver	80210	Denver County	School District No. 1	No	No	No	No	(720) 424-0600	623	31	20.0	37.2%	354 (56.8%)	47 (7.5%)	152 (24.4%)	24 (3.9%)	4 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	42 (6.7%)	87.1	48^th of 485 public middle schools	90.1%		86	53^rd of 480 public middle schools	89.0%	5		67.3	65.0	59.5	63.8		54.7	61.5	64.9	60.6		52.6	$15,866
Kepner Beacon Middle School	Public	6-8	911 South Hazel Court	Denver	80219	Denver County	School District No. 1	No	No	No	Yes	(720) 424-0027	431	28	15.2	88.4%	21 (4.9%)	24 (5.6%)	371 (86.1%)	7 (1.6%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	6 (1.4%)	13.9	417^th of 485 public middle schools	14.0%		13.8	417^th of 480 public middle schools	13.1%			22.1	24.2	29.8	25.4		6.9	6.7	10.2	7.9		14.2	$19,395
Rocky Mountain Prep Westwood	Public, Charter	6-8	3201 W Arizona Ave.	Denver	80219	Denver County	School District No. 1	Yes	No	No	Yes	(303) 962-9880	314	36	8.7	94.3%	1 (0.3%)	7 (2.2%)	295 (93.9%)	7 (2.2%)	3 (1.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	19.5	375^th of 485 public middle schools	22.7%		10.5	450^th of 480 public middle schools	6.3%	75		26.1	32.6	27.3	28.8		10.0	13.0	22.5	15.4		12.6	$16,361

DSST: Cedar Middle School

DSST: Cedar Middle School:

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

School District No. 1:

Average Parent Rating:

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Rank History for DSST: Cedar Middle School

Rank History for all students at DSST: Cedar Middle School

Rank History for English Language Learner students at DSST: Cedar Middle School

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at DSST: Cedar Middle School

Rank History for Female students at DSST: Cedar Middle School

Rank History for Gifted and Talented students at DSST: Cedar Middle School

Rank History for Male students at DSST: Cedar Middle School

Rank History for African American students at DSST: Cedar Middle School

Rank History for Hispanic students at DSST: Cedar Middle School

Rank History for White students at DSST: Cedar Middle School

Review counts

Enrollment information for DSST: Cedar Middle School

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at DSST: Cedar Middle School

Student/Teacher Ratio DSST: Cedar Middle School

Per Pupil Expenditures for DSST: Cedar Middle School

Impact of COVID-19 on DSST: Cedar Middle School

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near DSST: Cedar Middle School

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