The top reported proficiency rate is 16% in English language arts. The lowest is 7% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Northglenn Middle School
Northglenn Middle School serves roughly the full span of grades six through eight and is part of the Adams 12 Five Star Schools district. It sits in the planned suburban city of Northglenn, a master-planned community that was built in several phases beginning decades ago and now has moderate population growth. The city is connected by a substantial trail system for walking and biking, a commuter rail link to downtown Denver, and several major highways, though many residents commute by car to jobs in the broader metro area. The school itself is zoned for the neighborhoods around it in this suburban fabric; families moving here will find a well-established community with accessible shopping and parks.
This is a school with a very high share of students from households that qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a widely used indicator of economic need. Slightly more than seven out of every ten students identify as Hispanic, and about one in five identify as white. The remaining students are spread across Asian, two or more races, Black, American Indian or Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander backgrounds. Data on the share of students in special education and those who are English learners was not available, which is a gap a parent may want to ask the school about directly.
The academic picture on state assessments is one of the soft spots. On the Colorado Measures of Academic Success, which is the state’s regular assessment, the overall proficiency rate across tested subjects was markedly low compared to other middle schools in the district and far below what most families would hope for. In math, the share of students scoring at the proficient level or above was quite low, and the same pattern held in English language arts and in eighth-grade science. Across all tested subjects and grades, the school’s overall proficiency index ranked in the bottom quarter of districts in Adams County. The participation rates in testing were high, so the results reflect the performance of nearly all enrolled students. This is a school where a family will want to have a direct conversation about academic support, intervention programs, and what the school is doing to move these numbers.
Because the school serves only middle grades, there are no high-school-level metrics such as a graduation rate, and no data on advanced coursework or career pathways was reported. The data also did not include information on the district’s recent strategic initiatives or changes, so we cannot describe what the district has been working on. The absence of that context is itself something a parent can investigate further.
For a family considering this school, the surrounding housing market is worth noting. Home values in the Northglenn area experienced a modest decline recently, and rents followed a similar pattern, which may matter for families weighing the affordability of moving into the attendance zone. The typical monthly mortgage payment in the area is high relative to the national median household income, and rent is considerably more affordable than a mortgage, a dynamic that reflects the general Denver metro housing pressures.
Northglenn Middle School’s strength is its role as a neighborhood school in a stable, planned suburban community with good trail and transit connectivity. Its challenge is the academic proficiency picture, which is the main thing a parent would want to explore further by visiting, talking to teachers and administrators, and learning about specific academic interventions and supports available for students.
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