The top reported proficiency rate is 20% in English language arts. The lowest is 8% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Shaw Heights Middle School
Shaw Heights Middle School serves sixth through eighth graders in Westminster, a large suburban city spanning Adams and Jefferson counties north of Denver. The school is part of Westminster Public Schools. Westminster is a mix of residential neighborhoods, commercial retail, and employment centers in high-tech, medical, and energy sectors, and is known for its car-dependent layout though a major new Downtown Westminster development is introducing a more walkable core. The city has an extensive trail network and commuter rail service to downtown Denver.
The student body is predominantly Hispanic, with White students as the next largest group, followed by smaller shares of Asian, Black, multiracial, Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, and American Indian or Alaska Native students. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch.
On Colorado's state assessments, proficiency rates at Shaw Heights Middle School are low in all three tested subjects. In math, a modest share of students scored proficient or above. In English language arts, the share was higher but still limited. In science, the share was similarly low. Compared to other schools in Adams County, the school's overall proficiency across tested subjects and grades lands in the bottom quartile. A parent may want to look into this further with the school to understand what academic supports are in place.
The school does not report separate data for students with disabilities or English learners, so it is not possible to assess how those groups are performing relative to peers. Chronic absenteeism and graduation rate data are not applicable for a middle school, so those indicators cannot be considered here.
Westminster Public Schools has undergone recent changes that may affect Shaw Heights. Publicly reported, the district has pursued curriculum and instructional model shifts in recent years, and a bond and mill levy measure was proposed to voters. The exact timeline and current status of those efforts are not fully clear from the available data, so a parent may want to ask directly about any recent programmatic or funding changes at the school level.
Housing in the area around the school reflects a metro-area market with home values slightly below the state benchmark and rents that have been rising. The broader economic context shows a stable but not booming national job market, with mortgage rates that have fluctuated recently.
Shaw Heights is a regular public school, not a charter or magnet. It operates on a typical middle school model, offering no specialized theme or admission criteria beyond residency. The school's size is moderate for a middle school. The setting is a separate school campus, consistent with the suburban pattern of the city.
For a family considering this school, the main picture is a diverse, high-poverty middle school in a growing suburban city, where academic proficiency on state tests is low relative to other schools in the county. The district has been in a period of change, and the city around it is investing in new development and transit connections. The school's academic support systems and recent district initiatives would be important topics for a prospective family to explore with the school directly, as the available data leaves those details unclear.
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