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Compass Montessori - Golden Charter School

Q: Is Compass Montessori - Golden Charter School a good school?

Compass Montessori - Golden Charter School ranks 112 th of 328 Colorado alternative schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public, Charter, Alternative Grades PK, KG-12

112^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 328 Colorado Alternative Schools

Better than 66% of Colorado alternative schools

Summary

Compass Montessori - Golden Charter School is a public charter school located in Golden, Colorado, serving grades PK-12 with a total enrollment of 422 students. It is part of the Jefferson County School District No. R-1, which is ranked 29th out of 115 districts in Colorado and has a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Compass Montessori has consistently high four-year graduation rates, ranging from 83.1% to 90.6% over the past few years, which are generally higher than the district and state averages. The school's dropout rates are also relatively low, ranging from 1.5% to 2.2% over the past few years, which is lower than the district and state averages. However, Compass Montessori has seen a significant increase in chronic absenteeism, from 15.3% in 2023-2024 to 27.7% in 2023-2024, which is higher than the district and state averages.

In terms of academic performance, Compass Montessori outperforms the district and state in 5th grade CMAS/Science, but its performance is mixed in CMAS/English Language Arts, and it consistently underperforms the district and state in CMAS/Math, with only 24.2% of students proficient or better across all grades, compared to 42.8% for the district and 35.9% for the state. Comparisons to nearby schools, such as Jefferson Academy and Golden View Classical Academy, suggest that Compass Montessori could benefit from further analysis and potential improvements in its educational practices and support systems to better serve its students.

425

Students ?

15.0

Student/teacher ratio ?

$13,226

Per pupil spending ?

9.5%

Free/discounted lunch ?

4441 Salvia Street
Golden, CO 80403-1698

(303) 271-1977

District: Jefferson County School District No. R-1

Racial breakdown:

White:

81.2%

Hispanic:

9.4%

Two or more races:

7.3%

See top rated Colorado elementary schools

Compare Compass Montessori - Golden Charter School to nearby alternative schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 55th percentile in 2021 → 66th in 2025

Strengths

✓94% graduate in 4 years — above the Colorado average (86%)

✓Ranking is trending up — up 11 percentile points since 2021

✓Among the top-ranked schools in Jefferson County School District No. R-1

Worth a look

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

!Math scores 12 pts below the Colorado average

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school47%

District avg51%

Colorado avg43%

112^th of 328

Colorado public high schools ?

Top 34%▲ up 10 pts since 2016

From top 44% (2016) to top 34% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Colorado High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

1^st of 4Alternative Schools in the Jefferson County School District No. R-1

29^th of 115Jefferson County School District No. R-1 among Colorado districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Elementary school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2024	29.3	620 of 943	34.3%	★★☆☆☆
2022	33.4	585 of 921	36.5%	★★☆☆☆
2014	28.0	715 of 962	25.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	51.1	502 of 954	47.4%	★★☆☆☆
2012	45.3	560 of 935	40.1%	★★☆☆☆
2011	41.8	589 of 935	37.0%	★★☆☆☆
2010	34.5	652 of 925	29.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	41.0	575 of 872	34.1%	★★☆☆☆
2008	25.6	667 of 849	21.4%	★☆☆☆☆

Middle school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2024	34.3	284 of 485	41.4%	★★☆☆☆
2023	42.2	247 of 480	48.5%	★★☆☆☆
2022	32.9	279 of 448	37.7%	★★☆☆☆
2019	30.4	300 of 458	34.5%	★★☆☆☆
2018	25.0	302 of 418	27.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	44.5	204 of 424	51.9%	★★★☆☆
2016	39.7	228 of 400	43.0%	★★☆☆☆
2014	33.6	316 of 461	31.5%	★★☆☆☆
2013	38.1	302 of 454	33.5%	★★☆☆☆
2012	35.6	292 of 425	31.3%	★★☆☆☆
2011	28.6	322 of 422	23.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	32.3	296 of 409	27.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	43.1	236 of 377	37.4%	★★☆☆☆
2008	28.9	278 of 362	23.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2007	25.0	290 of 360	19.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2006	39.9	228 of 346	34.1%	★★☆☆☆
2005	32.7	248 of 340	27.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2004	22.3	274 of 336	18.5%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2019	22.5	272 of 352	22.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	20.1	255 of 315	19.0%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2019	36.9	205 of 343	40.2%	★★☆☆☆
2018	30.3	211 of 317	33.4%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2019	9.3	267 of 283	5.7%	☆☆☆☆☆

High school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2025	66.5	112 of 328	65.9%	★★★☆☆
2024	59.2	124 of 349	64.5%	★★★☆☆
2023	63.9	117 of 349	66.5%	★★★☆☆
2022	74.3	51 of 221	76.9%	★★★★☆
2021	53.7	94 of 210	55.2%	★★★☆☆
2019	71.3	94 of 411	77.1%	★★★★☆
2018	71.3	91 of 388	76.5%	★★★★☆
2017	85.7	9 of 256	96.5%	★★★★★
2016	42.5	113 of 255	55.7%	★★★☆☆
2014	46.7	207 of 369	43.9%	★★☆☆☆
2013	55.2	167 of 349	52.1%	★★★☆☆
2012	60.4	139 of 334	58.4%	★★★☆☆
2011	50.7	184 of 337	45.4%	★★☆☆☆
2010	67.7	112 of 327	65.7%	★★★☆☆
2009	57.6	135 of 310	56.5%	★★★☆☆
2008	72.8	84 of 301	72.1%	★★★★☆
2007	66.8	102 of 298	65.8%	★★★☆☆
2006	43.1	175 of 286	38.8%	★★☆☆☆
2005	15.7	244 of 280	12.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2004	34.7	197 of 279	29.4%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2025	70.3	74 of 247	70.0%	★★★★☆
2024	52.3	117 of 257	54.5%	★★★☆☆
2023	67.8	78 of 254	69.3%	★★★★☆
2021	35.0	154 of 239	35.6%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2025	76.2	64 of 246	74.0%	★★★★☆
2024	62.7	94 of 256	63.3%	★★★☆☆
2023	62.3	93 of 252	63.1%	★★★☆☆
2021	47.5	122 of 240	49.2%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2025	51.9	100 of 209	52.2%	★★★☆☆
2024	50.3	108 of 229	52.8%	★★★☆☆
2023	51.1	112 of 234	52.1%	★★★☆☆
2022	59.1	93 of 228	59.2%	★★★☆☆
2021	63.8	80 of 225	64.4%	★★★☆☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

Middle school

Male (2019)40th percentile+6 vs school

Female (2019)23rd percentile-12 vs school

White (2019)6th percentile-29 vs school

High school

Male (2025)74th percentile+8 vs school

Female (2025)70th percentile+4 vs school

White (2025)52nd percentile-14 vs school

By subject vs Colorado (2024-2025) ?

Reading and Writing86%+21 vs state

Science56%+17 vs state

English Language Arts45%~ state avg

Mathematics45%+7 vs state

Math24%-12 vs state

3.0

2 ratings · 2 written reviews

5★1

4★0

3★0

2★0

1★1

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What people are saying

by a parent
Wednesday, December 11, 2013

Too much play time. Going on hikes and then having recesses. Not enough time on instruction of core curriculum. Seems like whatever the teacher dreams up and labels as Montessori goes. Noticed teachers and school advisors scoffing at required tests from outside sources. Very concerned child will not perform well on high school tests that influence college admissions.
Principle seems more concerned about keeping teachers from complaining instead of educational leadership preparing students for admission into good colleges and perform well while there.

As far as treating the parents as partners, their idea of parental involvement seems to be leave the teaching to me and you do my grunt work and bring in snacks. Parents volunteer for bingo because we are tracking your volunteer hours.

Made requests concerning my child. My requests were denied for what appeared to be imperial reasons.

This school is basically just average concerning core competencies. I think there should be less hype and more real action toward education in this school. If you want your child to get good test scores for college entrance purposes, this school may not be the one to get the job done. Close Quote

by a citizen
Wednesday, September 28, 2011

They have a beautiful environment (inside and out). The kids were very engrossed in their studies or chores and were respectful of all. I would highly recommend this program to anyone seeking a true Montessori education. Close Quote

Schools Near Compass Montessori - Golden Charter School

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking ()				Ranking ()				PSAT10 Reading and Writing (2025)	PSAT10 Mathematics (2025)	PSAT9 Reading and Writing (2025)	PSAT9 Mathematics (2025)	SAT Reading and Writing (2025)	SAT Mathematics (2025)	CMAS English Language Arts (2025)							CMAS Math (2025)							CMAS Science (2025)			Per Pupil Expenditures (2025)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score ()	Statewide Rank ()	State Percentile ()	SchoolDigger Rating ()	Average Standard Score ()	Statewide Rank ()	State Percentile ()	Rank Change from Previous Year	PSAT10 Reading and Writing 10th Grade	PSAT10 Mathematics 10th Grade	PSAT9 Reading and Writing 9th Grade	PSAT9 Mathematics 9th Grade	SAT Reading and Writing 11th Grade	SAT Mathematics 11th Grade	CMAS English Language Arts 3rd Grade	CMAS English Language Arts 4th Grade	CMAS English Language Arts 5th Grade	CMAS English Language Arts 6th Grade	CMAS English Language Arts 7th Grade	CMAS English Language Arts 8th Grade	CMAS English Language Arts All Grades	CMAS Math 3rd Grade	CMAS Math 4th Grade	CMAS Math 5th Grade	CMAS Math 6th Grade	CMAS Math 7th Grade	CMAS Math 8th Grade	CMAS Math All Grades	CMAS Science 5th Grade	CMAS Science 8th Grade	CMAS Science 11th Grade	Total
Compass Montessori - Golden Charter School	Public, Charter, Alternative	PK, KG-12	4441 Salvia Street	Golden	80403	Jefferson County	Jefferson County School District No. R-1	Yes	No	No	No	(303) 271-1977	425	28	15.0		345 (81.2%)	0 (0.0%)	40 (9.4%)	7 (1.6%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	31 (7.3%)								(n/a)	79.0	41.0	86.0	45.0	73.0	21.0					46.4		45.4					17.9		24.2	56.3			$13,226
Golden View Classical Academy	Public, Charter, Alternative	K-12	601 Corporate Circle	Golden	80401	Jefferson County	State Charter School Institute	Yes	No	No	No	(720) 598-6700	737	42	17.3		627 (85.1%)	5 (0.7%)	54 (7.3%)	20 (2.7%)	2 (0.3%)	2 (0.3%)	27 (3.7%)								(n/a)	95.0	78.0	94.0	74.0	91.0	81.0	69.4	51.6	65.5	69.0	55.1	54.9	61.2	72.6	55.0	43.1	61.0	49.0	51.0	55.8	47.4	51.9	73.0	$12,506
Sobesky Academy	Public, Alternative	K-12	2001 Hoyt Street	Lakewood	80215	Jefferson County	Jefferson County School District No. R-1	No	No	No	Yes	(303) 982-5995	101	15	6.6	78.2%	48 (47.5%)	4 (4.0%)	41 (40.6%)	2 (2.0%)	2 (2.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (4.0%)								(n/a)																								$52,523
Miller Special Education	Public, Alternative	PK, KG-12	200 Kipling Street	Lakewood	80226	Jefferson County	Jefferson County School District No. R-1	No	No	No	No	(303) 982-7200	97	19	5.1	38.1%	64 (66.0%)	1 (1.0%)	24 (24.7%)	1 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (7.2%)								(n/a)																								$73,738
JeffCo Remote Learning Program	Public, Virtual, Alternative	K-12	1505 South Pierson St	Lakewood	80232	Jefferson County	Jefferson County School District No. R-1	No	(n/a)	Yes	(n/a)	(303) 910-2671	399	33	12.1		180 (45.1%)	10 (2.5%)	181 (45.4%)	7 (1.8%)	4 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (4.3%)								(n/a)	58.0										26.3		20.7							7.3				$18,350
Two Roads Charter School	Public, Charter, Alternative	PK, KG-12	6980 Pierce Street	Arvada	80003	Jefferson County	Jefferson County School District No. R-1	Yes	No	No	No	(303) 423-3377	345	38	9.1		212 (61.4%)	4 (1.2%)	107 (31.0%)	5 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (4.9%)								(n/a)	73.0	42.0	48.0	15.0	75.0	32.0	39.1			46.4	50.0	22.2	33.6	34.8		36.8	14.3	25.0		20.7	31.6	14.3	30.4	$9,949
Destinations Career Academy of Colorado	Public, Virtual, Alternative	4-12	8601 Turnpike Dr. Suite 100	Westminster	80031	Adams County	Julesburg School District No. Re1	No	No	Yes	No	(303) 128-6266	453	13	34.2		230 (50.8%)	22 (4.9%)	171 (37.7%)	7 (1.5%)	3 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (4.4%)								(n/a)											18.8													$10,675
Doral Academy of Colorado	Public, Charter, Alternative	K-12	10110 Church Ranch Way	Westminster	80021	Jefferson County	Jefferson County School District No. R-1	Yes	No	No	No	(303) 250-3627	168	11	15.1	52.4%	85 (50.6%)	6 (3.6%)	60 (35.7%)	1 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (9.5%)								(n/a)										28.6	30.0	44.4	24.1							6.5		38.9		$13,171
Rocky Mountain Deaf School	Public, Charter, Alternative	PK, KG-12	10300 W. Nassau Ave	Denver	80235	Jefferson County	Jefferson County School District No. R-1	Yes	No	No	No	(303) 984-5749	82	18	4.4	42.7%	43 (52.4%)	5 (6.1%)	28 (34.1%)	4 (4.9%)	1 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (1.2%)								(n/a)																								$55,062
Kunsmiller Creative Arts Academy	Public, Alternative	1-12	2250 South Quitman Way	Denver	80219	Denver County	School District No. 1	No	No	No	Yes	(720) 424-0200	670	44	15.4	82.1%	63 (9.4%)	24 (3.6%)	539 (80.4%)	19 (2.8%)	3 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (2.4%)								(n/a)	38.0	22.0	52.0	25.0	33.0	7.0	13.0	10.0	18.5	18.1	18.6	18.6	17.4		10.0		7.2	6.0	15.8	9.8	11.5	12.0	14.3	$18,521

Frequently Asked Questions about Compass Montessori - Golden Charter School

What district is Compass Montessori - Golden Charter School in?

Jefferson County School District No. R-1

What is the racial makeup of Compass Montessori - Golden Charter School?

Students at Compass Montessori - Golden Charter School are 81% White, 9% Hispanic, 7% Two or more races, 2% Asian.

Is Compass Montessori - Golden Charter School a good school?

Compass Montessori - Golden Charter School ranks 112^th of 328 Colorado alternative schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Compass Montessori - Golden Charter School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 425 students attended Compass Montessori - Golden Charter School.

Rate Compass Montessori - Golden Charter School!

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Colorado Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.