The top reported proficiency rate is 32% in English language arts. The lowest is 18% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Bear Valley International School
Bear Valley International School is a regular public middle school in Denver, Colorado, serving grades six through eight. It sits within the Denver Public Schools system, a large urban district that has seen several notable changes in recent years. The school is not a charter or magnet, and its name suggests an international focus, but program details were not available in the data to confirm what that means in practice.
Academically, Bear Valley’s state testing results place it in a challenging spot. On the Colorado Measures of Academic Success, the share of students scoring proficient or above was low across all three tested subjects. Compared to other schools within Denver County, Bear Valley’s overall proficiency sits in the bottom quarter. Reading and writing results were higher than math and science, but all three fell well below the county median. The school’s participation rate on the tests was high enough to be reliable, so these results reflect the actual performance of the student body. For a family considering this school, the academic attainment numbers are a clear soft spot that warrants a conversation with the school about what support and interventions are in place.
The student population is predominantly Hispanic, with a smaller share of White students and modest numbers of Asian, Black, and multiracial students. A substantial majority of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a high level of economic need. English learner and special education counts were not provided, so it is unclear what proportion of students receive those services. The school is midsized for a middle school, with a reasonably balanced distribution across sixth, seventh, and eighth grades.
Bear Valley is located in the southwest part of Denver, in a section of the city that combines residential neighborhoods with access to the broader Denver economy. The city itself is a major employment and cultural hub, with a diverse economy spanning telecommunications, aerospace, health care, and government. Housing values in the school’s zip code are roughly in line with the state average, and rents are typical for a metro area, making this part of Denver relatively attainable compared to pricier Front Range communities. The neighborhood is part of the continuous urban fabric of Denver, with nearby parks and shopping corridors.
At the district level, Denver Public Schools has implemented several changes that affect Bear Valley. Voters approved a substantial bond measure for facility improvements and new construction, and a separate mill levy override boosted teacher pay and mental health services. The district also adopted a new literacy curriculum aligned with the science of reading and launched a unified enrollment system that consolidates school choice procedures. These district-wide moves may influence the experience at Bear Valley, though the data did not specify how the school itself has responded to them.
Several pieces of information that some families might want are missing from the available data. There is no record of course offerings, extracurriculars, or any special academic pathways such as Advanced Learning or International Baccalaureate, despite the school’s name. Discipline rates, chronic absenteeism, and staffing ratios are also absent, so it is not possible to speak to the school climate or support structures from the evidence at hand. Given that Bear Valley is a middle school, it does not produce a graduation rate, and that gap is expected.
For a parent considering Bear Valley International School, the central facts are a diverse, economically mixed student body, a large urban setting, and academic results that are well below the county average. The strength of the school likely lies in whatever supports and programs it offers, but the data did not detail those. A family would want to visit, talk to staff about academic interventions and enrichment, and understand how the school’s name relates to its actual curriculum before making a decision.
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