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Denver Language School

Q: Is Denver Language School a good school?

Denver Language School ranks 164 th of 946 Colorado elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public, Charter Grades K-8

164^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 946 Colorado Elementary Schools

Better than 83% of Colorado elementary schools

Summary

Denver Language School is a K-8 public school in Denver's School District No. 1, serving 930 students at 451 Newport Street and making it one of the largest schools in its area, as well as one of only a few K-8 options nearby. The school has been a consistently strong academic performer for the past decade, ranking 164th of 943 Colorado schools for 2025-2026 (83rd percentile, 4 stars), with test scores well above district and state averages in nearly every grade and subject.

ELA proficiency is 64.3% compared to 42.5% for the district and 44.7% statewide, while math proficiency is 65.3% versus 35.0% district and 37.3% state. Middle school performance is especially strong, with 7th grade ELA at 77.3% and 7th grade math at 73.9%. The school also achieves strong results for students who are often underserved elsewhere: low-income students rank in the 90th percentile statewide and Hispanic students in the 94th percentile. Chronic absenteeism is just 12.5%, far below the district's 38.1% and most nearby schools, though the rate has risen from 5.6% the prior year. Nearby high performers like Steck Elementary School (96th percentile) and Carson Elementary School (92nd percentile) are comparable, while Lowry Elementary School (11th percentile) and Ashley Elementary School (1st percentile) struggle within the same neighborhood — a striking gap among schools located less than a mile apart.

A few caveats are worth noting. Third grade ELA proficiency is 40.5%, essentially flat with the state average of 40.8%, which stands out for a school that typically outperforms by 20 to 30 points elsewhere. Gifted and Talented students rank in the 9th–14th percentile statewide, unusually low for such a high-achieving school and possibly pointing to a need for stronger enrichment. Finally, at 930 students, the school is much larger than nearby elementary options like Steck (323) and Ashley (387), which may matter for families seeking a smaller community experience.

930

Students ?

16.1

Student/teacher ratio ?

$13,312

Per pupil spending ?

20.6%

Free/discounted lunch ?

451 Newport Street
Denver, CO 80220-6019

(303) 557-0852

District: School District No. 1

Racial breakdown:

White:

41.0%

Hispanic:

30.8%

Two or more races:

17.0%

See top rated Colorado elementary schools

Compare Denver Language School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 66th percentile in 2016 → 83rd in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Colorado average (64% vs 40% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 17% of Colorado elementary schools

✓Ranking is trending up — up 17 percentile points since 2016

Worth a look

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school64%

District avg38%

Colorado avg40%

Elementary school

164^th of 946

Colorado public elementary schools ?

Top 17%▲ up 17 pts since 2016

From top 34% (2016) to top 17% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Colorado Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

Middle school

29^th of 476

Colorado public middle schools ?

Top 6%▲ up 5 pts since 2016

From top 12% (2016) to top 6% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Colorado Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

21^st of 99Elementary Schools in the School District No. 1

69^th of 114School District No. 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
2026	81.4	164 of 946	82.7%	★★★★☆
2025	82.2	149 of 950	84.3%	★★★★☆
2024	75.5	205 of 943	78.3%	★★★★☆
2023	80.0	166 of 933	82.2%	★★★★☆
2022	83.4	127 of 921	86.2%	★★★★☆
2021	79.7	158 of 710	77.7%	★★★★☆
2019	85.4	114 of 965	88.2%	★★★★☆
2018	80.6	164 of 917	82.1%	★★★★☆
2017	77.1	190 of 929	79.5%	★★★★☆
2016	61.1	313 of 914	65.8%	★★★☆☆
2015	67.7	265 of 938	71.7%	★★★★☆
2014	67.2	306 of 962	68.2%	★★★☆☆
2013	65.7	334 of 954	65.0%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2026	72.8	176 of 695	74.7%	★★★★☆
2025	78.8	115 of 694	83.4%	★★★★☆
2024	67.9	200 of 684	70.8%	★★★★☆
2023	72.9	156 of 642	75.7%	★★★★☆
2022	72.2	144 of 595	75.8%	★★★★☆
2021	68.5	123 of 351	65.0%	★★★☆☆
2019	80.8	112 of 758	85.2%	★★★★☆
2018	72.2	162 of 690	76.5%	★★★★☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2026	28.7	103 of 120	14.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	27.7	108 of 119	9.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	32.1	79 of 91	13.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	73.2	17 of 82	79.3%	★★★★☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2026	86.9	16 of 251	93.6%	★★★★★
2025	83.0	22 of 247	91.1%	★★★★★
2024	71.8	52 of 242	78.5%	★★★★☆
2023	84.3	17 of 197	91.4%	★★★★★
2022	80.5	11 of 153	92.8%	★★★★★
2021	81.5	5 of 30	83.3%	★★★★☆
2019	92.9	4 of 270	98.5%	★★★★★
2018	71.5	32 of 172	81.4%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2026	81.6	33 of 322	89.8%	★★★★★
2024	62.4	114 of 365	68.8%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2026	77.4	136 of 697	80.5%	★★★★☆
2025	74.5	156 of 700	77.7%	★★★★☆
2024	69.6	189 of 683	72.3%	★★★★☆
2023	74.4	144 of 649	77.8%	★★★★☆
2022	82.2	86 of 594	85.5%	★★★★☆
2021	75.1	99 of 352	71.9%	★★★★☆
2019	82.4	103 of 764	86.5%	★★★★☆
2018	77.5	132 of 693	81.0%	★★★★☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2025	83.7	1 of 8	87.5%	★★★★★
2024	71.2	4 of 6	33.3%	★★★☆☆
2023	81.1	1 of 7	85.7%	★★★★★
2022	87.2	1 of 2	50.0%	★★★★★

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2026	73.2	125 of 547	77.1%	★★★★☆
2025	70.3	139 of 551	74.8%	★★★★☆
2024	69.4	139 of 539	74.2%	★★★★☆
2023	72.2	123 of 525	76.6%	★★★★☆
2022	75.8	94 of 454	79.3%	★★★★☆
2021	62.8	117 of 288	59.4%	★★★☆☆
2019	76.2	106 of 596	82.2%	★★★★☆
2018	72.8	79 of 337	76.6%	★★★★☆

Middle school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2026	93.0	29 of 476	93.9%	★★★★★
2025	94.9	20 of 469	95.7%	★★★★★
2024	82.2	68 of 485	86.0%	★★★★☆
2023	92.4	29 of 480	94.0%	★★★★★
2022	92.5	25 of 448	94.4%	★★★★★
2021	84.2	43 of 369	88.3%	★★★★☆
2019	86.5	47 of 458	89.7%	★★★★☆
2017	88.0	40 of 424	90.6%	★★★★★
2016	83.2	46 of 400	88.5%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2026	90.4	23 of 368	93.8%	★★★★★
2025	89.3	28 of 347	91.9%	★★★★★
2024	70.9	88 of 350	74.9%	★★★★☆
2023	87.4	36 of 363	90.1%	★★★★★
2022	88.1	29 of 326	91.1%	★★★★★
2021	84.5	25 of 254	90.2%	★★★★★
2019	80.4	54 of 352	84.7%	★★★★☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2026	62.5	67 of 154	56.5%	★★★☆☆
2025	70.4	29 of 132	78.0%	★★★★☆
2024	59.0	63 of 126	50.0%	★★★☆☆
2023	75.3	20 of 125	84.0%	★★★★☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2026	94.2	12 of 208	94.2%	★★★★★
2025	96.1	7 of 218	96.8%	★★★★★
2024	78.9	23 of 199	88.4%	★★★★☆
2023	94.8	8 of 198	96.0%	★★★★★
2019	82.4	24 of 220	89.1%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2026	78.9	32 of 231	86.1%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2026	90.3	28 of 372	92.5%	★★★★★
2025	94.9	16 of 352	95.5%	★★★★★
2024	86.1	38 of 357	89.4%	★★★★☆
2023	90.8	27 of 356	92.4%	★★★★★
2022	91.0	20 of 328	93.9%	★★★★★
2021	71.9	54 of 249	78.3%	★★★★☆
2019	83.9	44 of 343	87.2%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2026	90.0	17 of 278	93.9%	★★★★★
2025	92.8	12 of 275	95.6%	★★★★★
2024	78.5	45 of 273	83.5%	★★★★☆
2023	84.9	29 of 286	89.9%	★★★★★
2022	84.1	32 of 265	87.9%	★★★★☆
2021	77.1	33 of 203	83.7%	★★★★☆
2019	81.6	34 of 283	88.0%	★★★★☆

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)

Elementary school

Hispanic (2026)94th percentile+11 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)90th percentile+7 vs school

Multi-racial (2025)88th percentile+3 vs school

Male (2026)80th percentile~ school

White (2026)77th percentile-6 vs school

Female (2026)75th percentile-8 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2026)14th percentile-68 vs school

Middle school

Hispanic (2026)94th percentile~ school

White (2026)94th percentile~ school

Female (2026)94th percentile~ school

Male (2026)92nd percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)86th percentile-8 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2026)56th percentile-37 vs school

By subject vs Colorado (2025-2026) ?

Math65%+28 vs state

English Language Arts64%+20 vs state

Science57%+22 vs state

1.0

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What people are saying

by a parent
Thursday, September 24, 2020

Please take a look at this charter schools waiver on file with DPS. The Denver Language School has very little accountability to their promise of language immersion. They have waived their responsibility to hire teachers and administrators that are qualified to Colorado public school standards. They have no obligation to support SPED or GT students in the immersion program. DLS’s charter allows them to operate without transparency or accountability to students, teachers, parents, and DPS. Review the board documents on the DLS website and you will begin to see that this school has broad and deep institutional disfunction. There is a huge problem with student attrition and staff turnover that is beyond the norm for an immersion program. The teachers are not appropriately qualified or supported and basic classroom management is not attainable. The pedagogical strategy and curriculum at DLS is overly reliant on worksheets and devices. The police and ambulances have come to this school because of teachers hitting children. Ask questions, ask follow up questions, and verify the information given to you from this school. It will become clear that DLS has been and continues to fail at delivering on its promises. Above all, if your child is struggling or telling you concerning things BELIEVE THEM!! Close Quote

Schools Near Denver Language School

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Ranking:

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				CMAS English Language Arts (2026)							CMAS Math (2026)							CMAS Science (2026)		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 (2025)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	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	Total
Denver Language School	Public, Charter	K-8	451 Newport Street	Denver	80220	Denver County	School District No. 1	Yes	No	No	No	(303) 557-0852	930	58	16.1	20.6%	381 (41.0%)	41 (4.4%)	286 (30.8%)	61 (6.6%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	158 (17.0%)	81.4	164^th of 946 public elementary schools	82.7%		82.2	149^th of 950 public elementary schools	84.3%	15	40.5	57.0	67.9	69.8	77.3	73.0	64.3	50.0	65.8	63.3	68.5	73.9	72.0	65.3	61.5	51.4	$13,312
Montclair School of Academics and Enrichment	Public	PK, KG-5	1151 Newport Street	Denver	80220	Denver County	School District No. 1	No	No	No	Yes	(720) 424-5380	353	25	14.1	79.9%	58 (16.4%)	123 (34.8%)	126 (35.7%)	13 (3.7%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	31 (8.8%)	17.2	788^th of 946 public elementary schools	16.7%		16.5	787^th of 950 public elementary schools	17.2%	1	14.3	22.2	34.1				23.5	17.0	14.9	30.4				20.5	22.2		$21,252
Carson Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	5420 East 1st Avenue	Denver	80220	Denver County	School District No. 1	No	No	No	No	(720) 424-9090	412	25	16.8	17.7%	303 (73.5%)	22 (5.3%)	51 (12.4%)	5 (1.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (7.0%)	89.9	72^nd of 946 public elementary schools	92.4%		88.7	85^th of 950 public elementary schools	91.1%	13	86.7	67.6	78.8				78.0	84.0	54.9	60.6				67.0	62.1		$16,850
Lowry Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	8001 East Cedar Avenue	Denver	80230	Denver County	School District No. 1	No	No	No	Yes	(720) 424-5910	400	29	13.9	74.8%	81 (20.3%)	153 (38.3%)	125 (31.3%)	6 (1.5%)	4 (1.0%)	2 (0.5%)	29 (7.3%)	13	843^rd of 946 public elementary schools	10.9%		24.2	675^th of 950 public elementary schools	28.9%	168	8.6	29.8	23.5				20.0	13.2	25.4	17.4				18.4	14.5		$19,261
Denver Green School Southeast	Public	K-8	6700 East Virginia Avenue	Denver	80224	Denver County	School District No. 1	No	No	No	Yes	(720) 424-7480	586	36	16.0	64.8%	125 (21.3%)	99 (16.9%)	289 (49.3%)	17 (2.9%)	6 (1.0%)	2 (0.3%)	48 (8.2%)	17.4	785^th of 946 public elementary schools	17.0%		12.1	856^th of 950 public elementary schools	9.9%	71	40.5	30.8	30.8	11.7	28.6	13.6	25.3	22.6	23.6	13.0	6.7	24.6	11.4	17.0	15.4	7.0	$19,510
Vanguard Classical School - West	Public, Charter	K-8	801 Yosemite Street	Denver	80230	Denver County	Aurora Joint District No. 28	Yes	No	No	No	(303) 691-2384	380	29	13.1	83.4%	19 (5.0%)	85 (22.4%)	246 (64.7%)	2 (0.5%)	4 (1.1%)	1 (0.3%)	23 (6.1%)	7.1	922^nd of 946 public elementary schools	2.5%		13.5	828^th of 950 public elementary schools	12.8%	94	11.1	8.5	18.2	10.5	23.1	22.0	15.5	19.4	8.3	706.0	703.0	17.9	14.6	11.4	11.4	12.2	$22,744
Steck Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	450 Albion Street	Denver	80220	Denver County	School District No. 1	No	No	No	No	(720) 424-3870	323	18	18.3	20.1%	201 (62.2%)	17 (5.3%)	54 (16.7%)	13 (4.0%)	5 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	33 (10.2%)	94	35^th of 946 public elementary schools	96.3%		95	31^st of 950 public elementary schools	96.7%	4	61.1	82.8	86.0				76.9	74.1	69.0	80.7				74.6	66.7		$16,328
Ashley Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1914 Syracuse Street	Denver	80220	Denver County	School District No. 1	No	No	No	Yes	(720) 424-9748	387	23	16.4	86.0%	14 (3.6%)	49 (12.7%)	306 (79.1%)	7 (1.8%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (2.6%)								(n/a)		20.0	707.0				10.0	709.0	9.3	708.0				6.5	692.0		$18,836
Odyssey School of Denver	Public, Charter	K-8	6550 East 21st Avenue	Denver	80207	Denver County	School District No. 1	Yes	No	No	No	(303) 316-3944	318	24	13.0	23.3%	187 (58.8%)	28 (8.8%)	64 (20.1%)	3 (0.9%)	3 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	33 (10.4%)	86.5	112^th of 946 public elementary schools	88.2%		78.7	195^th of 950 public elementary schools	79.5%	83	54.5	84.2	71.4	61.9	38.9	57.9	64.6	74.3	68.4	63.6	50.0	27.8	60.0	61.0	48.5	50.0	$14,112
McMeen Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1000 South Holly Street	Denver	80246	Denver County	School District No. 1	No	No	No	Yes	(720) 424-5520	706	38	18.3	63.3%	150 (21.2%)	108 (15.3%)	393 (55.7%)	22 (3.1%)	4 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (4.1%)	23	696^th of 946 public elementary schools	26.4%		20.8	730^th of 950 public elementary schools	23.2%	34	27.4	39.7	36.0				34.1	24.6	22.7	20.7				22.9	23.0		$16,986

Frequently Asked Questions about Denver Language School

How many students attend Denver Language School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 930 students attended Denver Language School.

Is Denver Language School a good school?

Denver Language School ranks 164^th of 946 Colorado elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What district is Denver Language School in?

School District No. 1

What is the racial makeup of Denver Language School?

Students at Denver Language School are 41% White, 31% Hispanic, 17% Two or more races, 7% Asian, 4% African American.

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Latest Colorado data All new data »

2025–26 CMAS, PSAT10, PSAT9 & SAT test scoresAug 19, 2026

2024–25 school spending dataJun 13, 2026

2024–25 dropout rates & graduation ratesJan 13, 2026

2024–25 attendance dataAug 27, 2025

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.