PDF OF FULL REPORT | ONE PAGER
Author: Jason Gaulden, Chris Brown, Cole Anderson, Van Schoales
Introduction and DSST School Background
Founded in 2004 as a high school in Denver’s Central Park neighborhood, Denver School of Science & Technology (DSST) is now nationally renowned for its unique design, diversity, and consistent high achievement—considered one of the leading open enrollment STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) schools in the United States.
DSST’s mission is to transform urban public education by eliminating educational inequity and preparing all students for success in college and the 21st century. With a focus on character development and rigorous academics in equal measure, which are represented by DSST’s six core values: Respect, Responsibility, Integrity, Courage, Curiosity, and Doing Your Best.[i]
Having grown to a multi-school network, the single school has evolved into DSST Public Schools—a charter management organization that operates STEM schools—an interdisciplinary approach that helps students succeed in college and their future careers, with a focus on hands-on, problem-based learning.
DSST serves nearly 7,400 students across eight middle schools and eight high schools. The seven middle schools within the Denver school district accounted for 13% of all Denver middle school students. The seven Denver high schools accounted for 12% of all high school students. DSST launched Aurora Science and Tech Middle School and High School within the last five years to serve students in Aurora. DSST schools deliver a 100% rate of admittance into college or postsecondary programs.
The network is highly diverse and intentional about maintaining that asset. Today, the student population is comprised of:
Figure 1
| DSST Student Population Breakdown | |||
| Student Group by Race/Gender | Share | Student Group by Category | Share |
| Hispanic/Latino | 61% | Non-Special Needs Students | 78% |
| Black/African American | 20% | Free and Reduced Lunch (FRL) Qualifying | 77% |
| White | 11% | Multiple Language Learners | 35% |
| Asian | 4% | Non-Free and Reduced Lunch (FRL) Qualifying | 23% |
| Two or more races | 4% | Special Needs Students | 13% |
| Other | 1% | Gifted and Talented Students | 9% |
| Male | 53% | ||
| Female | 47% | ||
DSST serves a higher share of lower income students and students of color than Denver Public Schools (DPS). 77% of students receive free or reduced lunch across all DSST schools, compared to 64% across DPS, on average. Three DSST middle schools and two DSST high schools have FRL shares higher than 80%.
61% of DSST students are Hispanic and 20% are Black. This compares to 50% of DPS middle school students and 56% of DPS high school students who are Hispanic. 14% of DPS middle school students and 13% of DPS high school students are Black.
Figure 2
Figure 3
Under Colorado law, public charter schools have no ability to exercise unfair selectivity in student admissions. While there are some allowable accommodations to help siblings attend school together, there is no mechanism for filtering students by academic performance, race, or income.
However, DSST is deliberate in its outreach and recruitment efforts to ensure broad diversity in the families that know about DSST as an option and, consequently, the students who proactively enroll.
School leaders and staff help shape the students’ experience through rigorous and specialized courses—STEM and otherwise—to create the conditions for students to develop critical thinking and inquiry skills necessary for life after high school. DSST schools prepare students with college and career-ready skills to ensure they are successful in those settings.
Connected middle and high schools allows DSST to work with students early in their schooling. Beginning as early as freshman year, DSST works closely with students and their families to provide individualized support to navigate the college-application and selection process. Even beyond DSST, the staff remain connected with the graduates throughout their college years.
Students are exposed to various Advanced Placement (AP) courses with passing rates among the highest in Colorado. Aside from the regular English language arts, social studies, arts and electives, natural science, and secondary math courses, DSST requires students to complete three years of Spanish, and an internship. These requirements are not typically included in other school districts.
With the same accountability standards as all other public schools in Colorado, DSST must meet state requirements regarding accreditation, adhere to content standards and graduation requirements, and participate in annual state testing for which results are made public.
Naturally, this raises several questions. How has DSST been able to produce such impressive student outcomes so consistently over time? How does DSST student performance—both secondary and postsecondary—compare with other public-school students? Why are other schools serving similarly diverse populations not achieving similar results?
This analysis provides insights into the data that makes DSST so unique in its success and service to students. It reveals a high correlation between attending a DSST high school and having high college matriculation, attainment, and completion rates.
Key Findings:
- DSST Montview High School’s postsecondary credential attainment was three times the district average. At 51%, DSST Montview High School had the highest rate of students earning a postsecondary credential within six years of graduating among all 45 Denver Public Schools. DSST Green Valley High School had the eighth-highest rate among all district high schools at 29%. The overall DPS average rate, inclusive of DSST schools, was 17%. Given DSST outperformed the district average, if their results were excluded, the difference between DSST schools and non-schools would be even greater.
- 21% of DSST Montview High School and 19% of DSST Green Valley Ranch High School lower income students from the 2016 graduating class earned some form of postsecondary education by 2022, more than doubling the DPS average of 8% for all lower income students.
- 1 in 10 credential attainers from Denver public high school’s 2016 class graduated from a DSST school, while DSST accounted for just 1 of every 25 high school seniors. Given the school’s higher-than-average graduation rates and postsecondary credential attainment rates, they accounted for 9.6% of all postsecondary credentials by 2022. DSST Montview and DSST Green Valley High Schools’ lower income student population accounted for 3.6% of the district population yet were 11% of postsecondary credential attainers.
- 133% increase in the number of students who earned some form of post-secondary credential, if DPS achieved DSST rates.
- The net increase in annual earnings of the 2016 DPS graduating class reaching DSST achievement rates, including 1,109 new postsecondary attainers, would be $38,000,000, or $1.5 billion in net lifetime earnings. The average difference in lifetime earnings for a student who does not graduate high school, compared to a student that receives a 4-year degree is $1.34 million.
- DSST schools serve a diverse student body. Nearly all of DSST’s Denver schools have higher rates of students receiving free and reduced lunch than the district average. Most of their schools also educate higher rates of minority students, specifically Black or African American and Hispanic or Latino students, than the district average.
- Graduation rates across DSST high schools show similar outperformance when compared to the district average. All six DSST high schools with a graduating class outperformed the district average 2023 graduation rate of all students. Groups with large enough sample sizes also outperformed the district average including lower income students, Black or African American students, and Hispanic or Latino students.
DSST Postsecondary Attainment Performance and What That Means for Student Lifetime Outcomes
Credential attainment is increasingly important for success in today’s labor market. Those postsecondary credentials can include 2-year degrees, 4-year degrees, and advanced degrees, along with certificates from institutions of higher education. The Colorado Department of Higher Education reports postsecondary credential attainment through their website, Pathways to Prosperity: Postsecondary Access and Success for Colorado’s High School Graduates.[ii]
The data reported through the Pathways to Prosperity website comes from multiple sources, including the Colorado Department of Education, Student Unit Record Data System (SURDS), and the National Student Clearinghouse (NSC).
The CDHE Pathways to Prosperity website reports credential attainment rates for Colorado high school graduating classes back to 2010. The credential attainment as reported by CDHE is defined as the percentage of students from a high school that enroll in a postsecondary institution and complete a credential within the specified time frame. High school classes prior to 2016 include postsecondary graduates through the spring term of the defined time frame. The 2016 and later high school graduating classes include graduating students through the summer term of the defined time frame. The 6-year credential attainment rate for the 2016 high school graduating class through the summer of 2022 is the latest data available. At that time, DSST had just two high schools open with a 12th grade graduating class. In 2023, four of the top five high schools in the Denver public school system with the highest college enrollment rates were part of the DSST network as reported by DPS compiling National Student Clearinghouse data.
To measure and compare the success of each DPS school’s 12th grade class in the latest available data, CSI developed a postsecondary credential attainment rate for each school reported in the data. This rate is derived by multiplying the school’s graduation rates, by its postsecondary enrollment rates, and then by its credential attainment rates. This formula allows for the share of each 12th grade class that earns a postsecondary credential to be compared, rather than just the share of those that graduate and then enroll in a postsecondary institution.
Given this measurement, DSST Montview High School, called DSST Stapleton at the time, had the highest rate of postsecondary credential attainment within six years as a share of its 2016 final grad base of all 45 DPS high schools reported. DSST Green Valley Ranch High School had the eighth-highest attainment rate as a share of its 2016 final grad base.
If all Denver high schools achieved the postsecondary credential attainment rate as a share of their 2016 graduating class, as the average of DSST Montview and DSST Green Valley Ranch High Schools, there would be an additional 1,109 credential attainers from just that single class (Figure 4). That is an increase of 133% from the current estimate of 836 students.
Figure 4
The blue portion of each bar in Figure 4 shows the reported and estimated outcomes for all DPS high schools. Of the 4,955 students in the 2016 12th-grade DPS class, 3,330 graduated, 1,672 enrolled in a postsecondary education institution the following fall semester, and 836 obtained a postsecondary credential within 6 years, or through summer 2022.
The red portion shows the additional DPS students achieving each outcome if the entire district were to achieve the 2016 DSST average rates. Ultimately, this would mean that 39% of the 2016 final grad base of DPS 12th grade students would obtain some form of postsecondary credential. This is shown in Figure 4 as an increase of 1,109 students, in addition to the 836 estimated to have actually earned a credential, for a total of 1,945 students of the entire 4,955 final grad base.
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) data indicates that average annual earnings consistently increase at higher levels of educational attainment.[iii] Using the latest available NCES estimates adjusted for inflation, if DPS students obtained postsecondary credentials at the average rate of DSST schools in 2016, there would be an increase in total average annual earnings of $37,932,928. The total increase in lifetime earnings, equal to 40 years, would be $1.517 billion net. Each additional credential attainer would earn an average of $2.9 million over their lifetime.
Figure 5
| Outcomes for 2016 Final Grad Base Cohort of ALL Students | ||||
| School | Graduation Rate | Postsecondary Enrollment Rate | 6-Year Credential Attainment Rate of those that Enroll | 6-Year Credential Attainment Rate of 2016 Final Grad Base of Students |
| DSST: Montview | 86.1% | 87.0% | 68.1% | 51% |
| DSST: Green Valley | 81.2% | 81.8% | 43.1% | 29% |
| DSST Average | 83.7% | 84.4% | 55.6% | 39% |
| DPS Actual | 67.2% | 50.2% | 50.0% | 17% |
| Outcomes for 2016 Final Grad Base Cohort of FRL ONLY Students | ||||
| School | Graduation Rate | Postsecondary Enrollment Rate | 6-Year Credential Attainment Rate of those that Enroll | 6-Year Credential Attainment Rate of 2016 Final Grad Base of FRL Students |
| DSST: Montview | 80.3% | 84.8% | 59% | 21% |
| DSST: Green Valley | 78.3% | 78.9% | 44.4% | 19% |
| DSST Average | 79.3% | 81.9% | 51.7% | 20% |
| DPS Actual | 62.1% | 44.5% | 40.6% | 8% |
Of note, students enroll in 4-year institutions at a much higher rate coming from DSST high schools compared to the district average.
Figure 6
| Postsecondary Enrollment by Institution Type | ||
| School | Enrolled at 2-Year Institution | Enrolled at 4-Year Institution |
| DSST: Montview | 4.30% | 95.70% |
| DSST: Green Valley | 11.10% | 88.90% |
| DSST Average | 7.70% | 92.30% |
| DPS Actual | 31% | 69% |
A worker’s educational attainment is a key indicator of their potential earnings. Thus, increasing postsecondary attainment is a top priority for Colorado’s educational system.
Figure 7
The first two columns show earnings at DSST rates below earnings at current DPS rates, given there are more students achieving higher educational attainment levels under DSST outcomes. The analysis assumes each student earns a fixed amount at each educational level, thus values are higher for DSST at higher education levels and lower at the first two levels.
Figure 8
DSST continues to outperform DPS averages when comparing FRL students. Despite a traditionally lower credential attainment rate, FRL students attending Green Valley and Montview saw 19% and 21%, respectively, of their 2016 graduating cohort attain a postsecondary credential within six years of their graduation. DPS saw only 8% of its graduating cohort attain the same. While FRL students attending these two schools accounted for only 3.6% of the total FRL population in the cumulative DPS graduating cohort in 2016, their FRL students accounted for 11% of the total credential attainers. Such a dramatic overperformance indicates that the educational model instilled in DSST shows a far greater return than traditional DPS schooling.
Figure 9
While the six-year credential attainment rate gives the most complete look at the postsecondary outcomes of students, examining the four-year credential rate can provide some useful insights as an early indicator. Three DSST schools rank in the top 10 across all DPS high schools for their share of students receiving a postsecondary credential within four years of graduating in 2018. This includes DSST Montview ranking second, with a 26.1% credential attainment rate, DSST Cole ranking fourth, with a 23.8% credential attainment rate, and DSST Green Valley ranking seventh, with a 20.4% credential attainment rate. These compared to a DPS district-wide average four-year credential attainment rate as a share of the final grad base of 11%.
Figure 10
DSST School Data Performance
DSST institutions have been recognized many times for their students’ academic success. While test scores have changed across institutions since 2020, the 2023 test scores still provide some helpful insights into relative performance.
Ranked against the district average, test scores of 11th graders were generally better than the middle school scores in 2023. Five of the six Denver DSST high schools with an 11th grade class performed better overall than the district average for both evidence-based reading and writing (EBRW) and math. 11th grade test scores for students receiving free or reduced lunch, along with Black and Hispanic students, outperformed the district average at all schools for all test categories (Figure 10).
Figure 11
Graduation rates across DSST high schools show similar outperformance when compared to the district average. Six DSST high schools outperformed the district average 2023 graduation rates of all students, along with those receiving free and reduced lunch, Black or African American, and Hispanic or Latino students (Figure 12).
Figure 12
Proficiency levels of students exiting middle school show that while the test scores of all students across DSST schools fall both below and above the district average, the scores for higher at-risk subpopulations often outperform. Just two of seven DSST middle schools in Denver have ELA proficiency levels above the district average. Three of the seven have math proficiency levels above the district average.
However, students receiving free or reduced lunch, along with Black and Hispanic students, generally outperform the district average as seen in Figure 12.
Figure 13
Bottom Line
Colorado’s K-12 institutions serve as the launch pad for students into their postsecondary education and careers. With more than 70% of jobs demanding postsecondary credential attainment, students increasingly need to pursue further education after graduating high school.
The latest available data on postsecondary outcomes from Denver public high schools shows that DSST schools stand out. While serving a higher share of both lower income students and students of color, DSST consisted of just 4% of students in 2016 but had its graduates make up over 10% of all DPS postsecondary credential attainers by summer 2022. DSST schools accounted for 10.6% of all lower income students who earned a postsecondary credential.
Since 2016, DSST’s share of DPS high school students has grown to 12%, expanding from two schools with a graduating class in 2016, to seven by 2023. And with 4 of DSST’s high schools appearing in the top 5 for postsecondary enrollment rates in 2023, it is likely that the investment by local communities to expand the DSST model will pay off for students in the long run.
Appendix
| 2024 Denver County School District Class Demographic Comparison | |||||||||
| School/District | Total Students | Percent Free and Reduced | Percent American Indian | Percent Asian | Percent Black | Percent Hispanic | Percent White | Percent Hawaiian/Pacific Islander | Percent 2 or More Races |
| High Schools | |||||||||
| DSST: Elevate Northeast High School | 447 | 79% | 0% | 1% | 21% | 65% | 6% | 0% | 6% |
| DSST: Conservatory Green High School | 562 | 70% | 0% | 3% | 21% | 62% | 9% | 0% | 5% |
| DSST: Green Valley Ranch High School | 565 | 76% | 0% | 9% | 27% | 57% | 2% | 1% | 3% |
| DSST: Cole High School | 308 | 88% | 1% | 1% | 14% | 81% | 3% | 0% | 0% |
| DSST: Montview High School | 566 | 71% | 1% | 2% | 37% | 40% | 14% | 0% | 5% |
| DSST: Cedar High School | 548 | 55% | 0% | 3% | 24% | 34% | 34% | 0% | 5% |
| DSST: College View High School | 543 | 88% | 1% | 7% | 3% | 86% | 3% | 0% | 0% |
| ALL Denver County 1 High School Students | 27,002 | 63% | 1% | 3% | 13% | 56% | 22% | 1% | 4% |
| Middle Schools | |||||||||
| DSST: Montview Middle School | 459 | 77% | 0% | 3% | 38% | 39% | 12% | 0% | 7% |
| DSST: Green Valley Ranch Middle School | 480 | 79% | 0% | 10% | 25% | 54% | 5% | 2% | 4% |
| DSST: Cedar Middle School | 479 | 53% | 0% | 4% | 18% | 29% | 41% | 0% | 8% |
| DSST: Elevate Northeast Middle School | 452 | 85% | 1% | 1% | 19% | 70% | 4% | 0% | 4% |
| DSST: Conservatory Green Middle School | 463 | 71% | 0% | 4% | 19% | 63% | 8% | 0% | 5% |
| DSST: Cole Middle School | 268 | 91% | 1% | 1% | 17% | 74% | 4% | 2% | 2% |
| DSST: College View Middle School | 460 | 89% | 0% | 3% | 3% | 88% | 4% | 0% | 2% |
| ALL Denver County 1 Middle School Students | 18,155 | 64% | 0% | 4% | 14% | 50% | 25% | 1% | 6% |
| Graduation Rates by Race | |||||||||
| School Name | Anticipated Year of Graduation Cohort | Cohort Size (All Students) | All Students Graduation Rate | Black or African American Cohort | Black or African American Graduation Rate | Hispanic or Latino Cohort | Hispanic or Latino Graduation Rate | White Cohort | White Graduation Rate |
| DSST: Green Valley Ranch High School | 2023 | 143 | 90.20% | 50 or less | 81.50% | 85 | 92.90% | 50 or less | 77.80% |
| DSST: Green Valley Ranch High School | 2022 | 127 | 97.60% | 50 or less | >= 98% | 75 | 96.00% | 50 or less | >= 98% |
| DSST: Green Valley Ranch High School | 2021 | 124 | 97.60% | 50 or less | >= 98% | 70 | 95.70% | 50 or less | >= 98% |
| DSST: Green Valley Ranch High School | 2020 | 128 | 91.40% | 50 or less | 89.70% | 68 | 91.20% | 50 or less | >= 98% |
| School Name | Anticipated Year of Graduation Cohort | Cohort Size (All Students) | All Students Graduation Rate | Black or African American Cohort | Black or African American Graduation Rate | Hispanic or Latino Cohort | Hispanic or Latino Graduation Rate | White Cohort | White Graduation Rate |
| DSST: Montview High School | 2023 | 126 | 92.10% | 50 or less | 93.90% | 53 | 92.50% | 50 or less | 77.80% |
| DSST: Montview High School | 2022 | 135 | 94.80% | 50 or less | 94.60% | 50 or less | 91.30% | 50 or less | 96.60% |
| DSST: Montview High School | 2021 | 116 | 96.60% | 50 or less | 96.90% | 50 or less | 95.50% | 50 or less | 96.30% |
| DSST: Montview High School | 2020 | 139 | 97.10% | 50 or less | >= 98% | 50 or less | 94.00% | 50 or less | >= 98% |
| Denver County 1 | 2023 | 6,624 | 79.00% | 895 | 76.20% | 3,730 | 75.50% | 1,439 | 89.20% |
| School Name | Anticipated Year of Graduation Cohort | Cohort Size (All Students) | All Students Graduation Rate | Black or African American Cohort | Black or African American Graduation Rate | Hispanic or Latino Cohort | Hispanic or Latino Graduation Rate | White Cohort | White Graduation Rate |
| Denver County 1 | 2022 | 6,577 | 80.80% | 837 | 77.80% | 3,772 | 78.80% | 1,444 | 87.50% |
| Denver County 1 | 2021 | 6,500 | 80.70% | 866 | 78.80% | 3,665 | 78.20% | 1,414 | 87.80% |
| Denver County 1 | 2020 | 6,207 | 82.00% | 846 | 79.20% | 3,517 | 80.60% | 1,328 | 86.90% |
Source:CDE
| Share of 11th Grade Free and Reduced Lunch Students Who Met or Exceeded Proficiency Expectations | |||
| School/District | Year | Evidence Based Reading & Writing (EBRW) | Math |
| DSST: Montview | 2023 | 49.5% | 33.7% |
| DSST: Green Valley | 2023 | 66.3% | 45.7% |
| Denver Public Schools | 2023 | 30.6% | 13.8% |
Source: CDE
| Share of 11th Grade Students Who Met or Exceeded Proficiency Expectations Among Racial Groups | ||||
| School/District | Year | Race | Evidence Based Reading & Writing (EBRW) | Math |
| DSST: Montview | 2023 | Black or African American | 56% | 40% |
| DSST: Green Valley | 2023 | Black or African American | 64.7% | 50% |
| Denver Public Schools | 2023 | Black or African American | 35.2% | 16.2% |
| DSST: Montview
|
2023 | Hispanic
|
45.9%
|
31.1% |
| DSST: Green Valley
|
2023 | Hispanic
|
63.3%
|
36.7% |
| Denver Public Schools
|
2023 | Hispanic
|
32.4%
|
14.2% |
Source: CDE
| All Students Credential Attainment Rates | ||||||||
| School/District | Year | # in Graduating Class | Postsecondary enrollment rate | # of students enrolled in postsecondary in each cohort | 4-year credential attainment rate | 4-year credential attainment # | 6-year credential attainment rate | 6-year credential attainment # |
| DSST: Montview | 2013 | 93 | 84.20% | 78 | 31.3% | 24 | 63.8% | 50 |
| DSST: Montview | 2014 | 89 | 86.80% | 77 | 25.3% | 19 | 57.0% | 44 |
| DSST: Montview | 2015 | 91 | 83.90% | 76 | 23.1% | 18 | 59.0% | 45 |
| DSST: Montview | 2016 | 112 | 87.00% | 97 | 38.3% | 37 | 68.1% | 66 |
| DSST: Montview | 2017 | 102 | 82.40% | 84 | 39.3% | 33 | ||
| DSST: Montview | 2018 | 133 | 83.80% | 111 | 33.9% | 38 | ||
| DSST: Montview | 2019 | 120 | 79.70% | 96 | ||||
| DSST: Montview | 2020 | 138 | 71.30% | 98 | ||||
| DSST: Montview | 2021 | 121 | 67.20% | 81 | ||||
| DSST: Green Valley | 2015 | 89 | 84.10% | 75 | 20.3% | 15 | 60.9% | 46 |
| DSST: Green Valley | 2016 | 91 | 81.80% | 74 | 22.2% | 16 | 43.1% | 32 |
| DSST: Green Valley | 2017 | 108 | 76.50% | 83 | 32.1% | 27 | ||
| DSST: Green Valley | 2018 | 113 | 74.80% | 85 | 29.1% | 25 | ||
| DSST: Green Valley | 2019 | 115 | 72.20% | 83 | ||||
| DSST: Green Valley | 2020 | 124 | 59.30% | 74 | ||||
| DSST: Green Valley | 2021 | 127 | 44% | 56 | ||||
| Denver Public Schools | 2013 | 4,490 | 45.00% | 2,021 | 22.1% | 447 | 42.5% | 859 |
| Denver Public Schools | 2014 | 4,376 | 46.80% | 2,048 | 27.9% | 571 | 48.9% | 1001 |
| Denver Public Schools | 2015 | 4,514 | 48.10% | 2,171 | 27.8% | 604 | 50.8% | 1103 |
| Denver Public Schools | 2016 | 4,955 | 50.20% | 2,487 | 30.4% | 756 | 50.0% | 1244 |
| Denver Public Schools | 2017 | 5,124 | 53.30% | 2,731 | 28.8% | 787 | ||
| Denver Public Schools | 2018 | 5,265 | 52.40% | 2,759 | 29.6% | 817 | ||
| Denver Public Schools | 2019 | 5,654 | 52.20% | 2,951 | ||||
| Denver Public Schools | 2020 | 5,732 | 45.40% | 2,602 | ||||
| Denver Public Schools | 2021 | 5,880 | 43.70% | 2,570 | ||||
Source: CDHE Pathways to Prosperity Dashboard – All credential attainment rates prior to 2016 include postsecondary graduates through the spring term. Credential attainment rates for the 2016 class and later, include postsecondary graduates through the summer term.
| FRL Only Students Credential Attainment Rates | ||||||||
| # of FRL Students in Graduating Class
|
Postsecondary enrollment rate | # of students enrolled in postsecondary in each cohort | 4-year credential attainment rate | 4-year credential attainment # | 6-year credential attainment rate | 6-year credential attainment # | ||
| School/District | Year | |||||||
| DSST: Montview | 2013 | 42 | 87.8% | 37.0 | 33.3% | 12 | 66.7% | 25 |
| DSST: Montview | 2014 | 43 | 85.7% | 36.7 | 16.7% | 6 | 56.7% | 21 |
| DSST: Montview | 2015 | 48 | 83.7% | 40.0 | 22.0% | 9 | 58.5% | 23 |
| DSST: Montview | 2016 | 59 | 84.8% | 50.3 | 25.6% | 13 | 59.0% | 30 |
| DSST: Montview | 2017 | 53 | 82.4% | 43.5 | 31.0% | 13 | ||
| DSST: Montview | 2018 | 70 | 73.4% | 51.7 | 19.1% | 10 | ||
| DSST: Montview | 2019 | 66 | 76.4% | 50.4 | ||||
| DSST: Montview | 2020 | 84 | 75.4% | 63.5 | ||||
| DSST: Montview | 2021 | 81 | 71.0% | 57.4 | ||||
| DSST: Green Valley | 2015 | 62 | 84.7% | 52 | 18.0% | 9 | 56.0% | 29 |
| DSST: Green Valley | 2016 | 64 | 78.9% | 50 | 24.4% | 12 | 44.4% | 22 |
| DSST: Green Valley | 2017 | 77 | 72.9% | 56 | 22.9% | 13 | ||
| DSST: Green Valley | 2018 | 82 | 71.6% | 59 | 32.1% | 19 | ||
| DSST: Green Valley | 2019 | 86 | 70.6% | 61 | ||||
| DSST: Green Valley | 2020 | 91 | 55.0% | 50 | ||||
| DSST: Green Valley | 2021 | 89 | 56.9% | 51 | ||||
| Denver Public Schools | 2013 | 3,258 | 38.6% | 1,258 | 17.3% | 218 | 35.9% | 451 |
| Denver Public Schools | 2014 | 3,173 | 40.0% | 1,269 | 20.5% | 260 | 39.5% | 501 |
| Denver Public Schools | 2015 | 3,175 | 41.3% | 1,311 | 21.6% | 283 | 43.4% | 569 |
| Denver Public Schools | 2016 | 3,424 | 44.5% | 1,524 | 23.0% | 350 | 40.6% | 619 |
| Denver Public Schools | 2017 | 3,474 | 49.7% | 1,727 | 22.3% | 385 | ||
| Denver Public Schools | 2018 | 3,528 | 47.1% | 1,661 | 22.5% | 374 | ||
| Denver Public Schools | 2019 | 3,675 | 47.3% | 1,738 | ||||
| Denver Public Schools | 2020 | 3,680 | 39.4% | 1,450 | ||||
| Denver Public Schools | 2021 | 3,663 | 38.1% | 1,396 | ||||
Source: CDHE Pathways to Prosperity Dashboard – All credential attainment rates prior to 2016 include postsecondary graduates through the spring term. Credential attainment rates for the 2016 class and later, include postsecondary graduates through the summer term.
| Denver Public Schools 2016 Cohort Actual | ||||
| DPS Actual | # of Students | Education Level | Annual Median Wage | 1-Year Earnings |
| Did Not Graduate High School | 1,625 | No High School Diploma | $37,460 | $60,881,490 |
| Graduated High School but did not Enroll in College | 1,658 | High School Diploma Only | $45,760 | $75,880,169 |
| College Enrollees who did not Receive a Credential | 259 | Some College but no Degree | $47,258 | $13,438,668 |
| Received a Credential Within 6-Years from 2-Year Institution | 577 | 2-Year Degree | $51,869 | $40,946,091 |
| Received a Credential Within 6-Years from 4-Year Institution | 836 | 4-Year Degree | $71,003 | $39,496,807 |
| Total Class | 4,955 | $230,643,225 | ||
| Denver Public Schools 2016 Cohort if They Performed at DSST Average Rates | ||||
| DPS Actual | # of Students | Education Level | Annual Median Wage | 1-Year Earnings |
| Did Not Graduate High School | 810 | No High School Diploma | $37,460 | $30,347,938 |
| Graduated High School but did not Enroll in College | 647 | High School Diploma Only | $45,760 | $29,588,314 |
| College Enrollees who did not Receive a Credential | 150 | Some College but no Degree | $47,258 | $7,768,290 |
| Received a Credential Within 6-Years from 2-Year Institution | 1,795 | 2-Year Degree | $51,869 | $127,469,195 |
| Received a Credential Within 6-Years from 4-Year Institution | 1,553 | 4-Year Degree | $71,003 | $73,402,417 |
| Total Class | 4,955 | $268,576,154 | ||
[i] https://www.dsstpublicschools.org/about-us”About Us (dsstpublicschools.org)
[ii] https://cdhe.colorado.gov/data-and-research/tools/data-tools/pathways-to-prosperity-postsecondary-access-and-success-for