The top reported proficiency rate is 37% in English language arts. The lowest is 30% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Denison Montessori School
Denison Montessori School is a regular public school serving preschool through sixth grade in Denver, Colorado. It operates within School District No. 1 in the county of Denver and State of C, the large urban district commonly known as Denver Public Schools. The school follows the Montessori approach, a student-directed, multi-age pedagogical model that emphasizes hands-on learning and mixed-age classrooms.
On the Colorado Measures of Academic Success assessments for the 2024-25 school year, just under a third of tested students scored at the proficient level or above in math, with a somewhat higher share reaching that bar in English language arts. In science, about three in ten fifth graders met proficiency. These rates place the school’s overall proficiency index above the midpoint among the handful of schools within Denver County for which comparable data was available. Participation rates on the tests were strong, exceeding nine out of ten students in each subject. Because the school ends at sixth grade, it has no graduation rate to report — that metric applies only to high schools.
The school enrolls a diverse student body. More than half of students identify as Hispanic, with a substantial share of white students and a smaller but notable Asian population. Economically, roughly three out of five students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. Complete data on students with disabilities and English learners was not included in the available information, so a parent may wish to ask the school directly about special education and language support services.
Denison Montessori sits in the city of Denver, a major consolidated city-county and state capital that serves as the economic and transportation hub of the Rocky Mountain region. Denver’s economy spans telecommunications, aerospace, software, financial services, health care, and tourism, with several Fortune [a figure] firms headquartered in the city. The downtown core holds cultural institutions such as the Denver Art Museum and the Denver Performing Arts Complex, while a large system of parks and bicycle paths extends throughout the city and into the foothills. The surrounding housing market has seen typical city-level price trends; homes in the school’s ZIP code reflect Denver’s broader market, with rents and home values that have softened modestly in recent months.
Denver Public Schools has undertaken several district-wide changes in recent years that families considering Denison Montessori should be aware of. Voters approved a large bond measure in 2024, the largest in district history, funding facility improvements, safety upgrades, technology, and new school construction. The district also shifted to a unified enrollment system for school choice starting in the 2024-25 school year, which changes how families apply to schools. A district-wide literacy curriculum aligned with the science of reading rolled out in elementary grades beginning in the 2023-24 school year. Additionally, a mill levy override approved in 2022 supports increased teacher pay and mental health services.
Denison Montessori offers a specific instructional model within a large, dynamic city school system. Its test results show room for growth in core academic subjects, and its performance relative to other Denver-area schools that serve similar grade ranges sits above the middle of the group. For a family drawn to Montessori education and comfortable with the density and variety of a major urban district, this school represents a neighborhood option that combines a distinct pedagogy with the resources and ongoing changes of a large public school system. A parent should also evaluate how the school’s special education and English learner offerings match their child’s needs, as those data points were not available in this summary.
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