The top reported proficiency rate is 17% in English language arts. The lowest is 9% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Hallett Academy
Hallett Academy is a regular public elementary school in the Denver Public Schools system, located in the northeast part of the city. The school serves students from pre-kindergarten through fifth grade and is not a charter school. Its enrollment is modest for a school serving those grades. The student body is predominantly Black, with a substantial share of Hispanic students and smaller shares of students who identify as white, two or more races, or other racial backgrounds. A very high proportion of families qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, which signals that this school draws from a community with significant economic need. We looked for data on students with disabilities and English learners, but it was not available in the source material.
State testing results from the Colorado Measures of Academic Success show that proficiency rates in math, English language arts, and science are low. In math, a small share of tested students scored at the proficient or advanced level. In English language arts, a somewhat larger but still modest share of students met that bar. In fifth-grade science, the percentage of students reaching proficiency was also low. Participation rates on the tests were high, so the results reflect the performance of nearly all enrolled students. Compared with other schools in Denver County for which a proficiency index could be calculated, Hallett Academy’s combined performance across tested subjects placed in the bottom quartile. This is a school where the majority of students are not yet meeting state benchmarks.
Because Hallett Academy serves only elementary grades, there is no high school graduation rate to report. Academic trend data across multiple years was also not available, so a parent or resident cannot see from this information whether performance is improving, declining, or holding steady.
The school sits within Denver, a major city that functions as Colorado’s capital and the economic center of the Rocky Mountain region. The local economy is diverse, with major employers in telecommunications, aviation and aerospace, software, financial services, health care, and government. Eight Fortune firms are headquartered in the city. Denver’s housing market reflects the high cost of living common to large Front Range cities. Home values in the school’s ZIP code are modestly above the state benchmark, though they have softened recently. Rents are also on a slight downward trend. For a family considering this area, the financial picture is one of relatively expensive housing combined with a school population that has high poverty rates, a dynamic that matters when evaluating the resources a school can marshal for its students.
A family looking at Hallett Academy will want to look closely at the instructional support available, because the proficiency numbers are a clear signal that many students need additional help. The district has made some large-scale changes that could affect the school. Denver voters approved a substantial bond measure in 2024, the largest in district history, funding facility improvements, safety upgrades, and new construction. A separate mill levy override passed in 2022 to boost teacher pay and expand mental health services. These are district-level investments that may flow into Hallett Academy, but the data available does not specify how they have been applied at this particular school. The district also adopted a new science-of-reading curriculum for elementary grades beginning in the 2023-2024 school year, a change that would directly affect the way literacy is taught at Hallett. And a unified enrollment system introduced in 2024-2025 changed how families apply to schools across the district.
For a parent, Hallett Academy is a neighborhood elementary school in a large urban district, serving a community with high economic need and producing academic results well below state averages. A resident looking at the school’s performance may want to visit the school, talk to current families, and ask the principal specifically about the literacy curriculum shift, the use of the bond and mill levy funds, and what interventions are in place for students who are below grade level.
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