The top reported proficiency rate is 19% in English language arts. The lowest is 17% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Wm E Bishop Elementary School
Wm E Bishop Elementary School serves students from kindergarten through sixth grade in Englewood, Colorado, a city that describes itself as having its own foodie, arts, and startup communities centered in a historic downtown. Englewood is a mix of residential neighborhoods, a major hospital district anchored by Swedish Medical Center and Craig Hospital, and light industrial and production areas. The city’s walkable core is CityCenter Englewood, a transit-oriented development built on the former Cinderella City mall site that includes the civic center, public library, and an RTD light rail station, with a free trolley connecting to downtown, the medical district, and the civic center. The city’s housing stock varies by quadrant: older homes dating to the 1910s in the northwest, newer construction in the southwest, and the Hampden Hills neighborhood with large apartment complexes being the newest and wealthiest part of the city. Home values in the area are around the state benchmark, with rents and home prices both having seen a modest decline recently. The school itself is one of four elementary schools in the Englewood School District, spread across the city on separate campuses rather than clustered downtown.
Bishop Elementary is a regular public school, not a charter school. The enrollment is small for its grade band. The student body is majority Hispanic, with White students making up the next largest group, followed by smaller shares of Black, two or more races, American Indian or Alaska Native, and Asian students. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a high rate of economic need. Data on special populations, such as students with disabilities and English learners, was not available for this school.
On the Colorado Measures of Academic Success assessments, proficiency rates in both math and English language arts were below the midpoint among districts in Arapahoe County when the school’s overall proficiency across tested subjects and grades is considered. The math proficiency rate was well below a quarter of students, and the English language arts rate was in a similar range. Science testing data for fifth grade was suppressed, so no proficiency result is reported for that subject, though test participation was high across all subjects. The school serves kindergarten through sixth grade, so there is no graduation rate to report, as it does not serve high school grades. The district transitioned to standards-based grading for middle and high schools beginning in the 2022-2023 school year, moving away from traditional letter grades, but Bishop is an elementary school so this change affects its feeder schools, not its own grading practices. The district also launched limited in-district school choice for the 2022-2023 school year, giving families some flexibility to select schools within Englewood rather than being assigned by geography.
Voters in the district approved a bond measure in November 2021 authorizing funds for school improvements including safety upgrades, roof repairs, and HVAC improvements, with a small mill levy override for operations and maintenance. A subsequent ballot measure for additional mill levy override and bond issue was proposed for 2024. The combination of high economic need, below-average proficiency rates, and a small student body means a parent considering Bishop Elementary should examine how the school supports students who are below grade-level expectations and what academic interventions or enrichment are offered. The school’s location in a city with a defined downtown, transit connections, and varied housing stock may appeal to families who value an urban, walkable setting with access to light rail and civic amenities, but the academic landscape points to a school where many students are still developing foundational skills.
See more original research from School Decision →