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DSST: Cedar Middle School

Q: Is DSST: Cedar Middle School a good school?

DSST: Cedar Middle School ranks 49 th of 476 Colorado middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public, Charter Grades 6-8

49^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 476 Colorado Middle Schools

Better than 90% of Colorado middle schools

Summary

DSST: Cedar Middle School serves 485 students in grades 6–8 at 150 S Pearl Street in Denver's School District No. 1. The school is a standout academic performer: in 2025–2026, it ranked 49th out of 469 Colorado middle schools (90th percentile, 4 stars), with proficiency rates in English Language Arts (65%), math (57.6%), and 8th-grade science (61%) that run roughly 20–30 percentage points above district and state averages. Around half of its students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, making these results especially notable.

Where DSST: Cedar really differentiates itself is with students who are often underserved elsewhere. Low-income students at the school rank 11th out of 230 Colorado middle schools (95th percentile), and Hispanic students rank 18th out of 207 (91st percentile). The school also posts a dropout rate of just 0.3%–0.8%, far below the district's 2.6%–3.8%, and chronic absenteeism of 22.2%—still high in real terms, but well under the district's 38.1%. A favorable 13.5-to-1 student-teacher ratio supports the school's ability to give students individual attention.

Compared with nearby schools, DSST: Cedar stands out as a high-poverty, high-performance school. Morey Middle School posts slightly higher test scores, but serves far fewer low-income students (29% vs. 50.5%). Merrill Middle School and Girls Athletic Leadership School Middle School achieve similar results with wealthier student bodies. Meanwhile, schools serving similar or higher poverty levels—like Kepner Beacon Middle School, West Middle School, or KIPP Sunshine Peak Academy—post proficiency rates 40–50 points lower. One caveat: DSST: Cedar was a top-20, 5-star school in the mid-2010s; it has since settled into a strong-but-not-elite top-50 slot with 4 stars, and rising chronic absenteeism is worth watching. Still, for families seeking a rigorous, supportive middle school in Denver, it remains one of the best options.

485

Students ?

13.5

Student/teacher ratio ?

$9,604

Per pupil spending ?

50.5%

Free/reduced lunch eligible (2024-25) ?

All students in Colorado receive free school meals.

150 S Pearl Street
Denver, CO 80209-2016

(303) 524-6350

District: School District No. 1

Racial breakdown:

White:

38.6%

Hispanic:

30.5%

African American:

18.6%

See top rated Colorado middle schools

Compare DSST: Cedar Middle School to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Rebounding — 82nd percentile in 2022 → 90th in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Colorado average (61% vs 41% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 10% of Colorado middle schools

✓Ranking is rebounding — up to 90th (2026) from a 82nd-percentile low (2022)

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school61%

District avg38%

Colorado avg41%

49^th of 476

Colorado public middle schools ?

Top 10%▼ down 8 pts since 2016

From top 3% (2016) to top 10% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Colorado Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

5^th of 30Middle 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)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2026	86.7	49 of 476	89.7%	★★★★☆
2025	86.7	48 of 469	89.8%	★★★★☆
2024	78.5	83 of 485	82.9%	★★★★☆
2023	81.3	74 of 480	84.6%	★★★★☆
2022	77.3	82 of 448	81.7%	★★★★☆
2021	82.2	51 of 369	86.2%	★★★★☆
2019	94.5	17 of 458	96.3%	★★★★★
2018	95.0	14 of 418	96.7%	★★★★★
2017	95.8	12 of 424	97.2%	★★★★★
2016	96.2	11 of 400	97.3%	★★★★★
2015	98.4	9 of 436	97.9%	★★★★★

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2026	82.2	5 of 35	85.7%	★★★★☆
2025	85.0	3 of 29	89.7%	★★★★★
2024	64.2	5 of 25	80.0%	★★★★☆
2023	66.4	7 of 25	72.0%	★★★★☆
2022	69.7	3 of 20	85.0%	★★★★☆
2019	98.1	1 of 33	97.0%	★★★★★

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2026	67.1	4 of 22	81.8%	★★★★☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2023	81.4	1 of 6	83.3%	★★★★★

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2026	81.0	58 of 368	84.2%	★★★★☆
2025	79.7	58 of 347	83.3%	★★★★☆
2024	63.5	112 of 350	68.0%	★★★☆☆
2023	71.3	85 of 363	76.6%	★★★★☆
2022	66.5	94 of 326	71.2%	★★★★☆
2021	64.5	72 of 254	71.7%	★★★★☆
2019	90.4	23 of 352	93.5%	★★★★★
2018	92.7	15 of 315	95.2%	★★★★★

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2026	70.1	37 of 154	76.0%	★★★★☆
2025	72.8	23 of 132	82.6%	★★★★☆
2024	62.1	54 of 126	57.1%	★★★☆☆
2023	69.5	34 of 125	72.8%	★★★★☆
2022	60.1	46 of 93	50.5%	★★★☆☆
2019	65.9	37 of 134	72.4%	★★★★☆
2018	61.7	44 of 121	63.6%	★★★☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2026	89.1	18 of 208	91.3%	★★★★★
2025	81.8	26 of 218	88.1%	★★★★☆
2024	77.4	24 of 199	87.9%	★★★★☆
2023	79.1	26 of 198	86.9%	★★★★☆
2022	80.4	19 of 169	88.8%	★★★★☆
2021	58.5	30 of 83	63.9%	★★★☆☆
2019	93.3	11 of 220	95.0%	★★★★★
2018	89.0	11 of 165	93.3%	★★★★★

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2026	92.6	11 of 231	95.2%	★★★★★
2025	87.7	11 of 241	95.4%	★★★★★
2024	77.4	29 of 244	88.1%	★★★★☆
2023	76.9	28 of 241	88.4%	★★★★☆
2022	82.9	13 of 197	93.4%	★★★★★
2021	91.5	3 of 114	97.4%	★★★★★
2019	98.3	4 of 240	98.3%	★★★★★
2018	99.1	2 of 222	99.1%	★★★★★

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2026	83.6	47 of 372	87.4%	★★★★☆
2025	84.6	44 of 352	87.5%	★★★★☆
2024	80.3	56 of 357	84.3%	★★★★☆
2023	80.2	51 of 356	85.7%	★★★★☆
2022	76.5	58 of 328	82.3%	★★★★☆
2021	82.9	32 of 249	87.1%	★★★★☆
2019	94.9	15 of 343	95.6%	★★★★★
2018	93.9	13 of 317	95.9%	★★★★★

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2026	91.6	13 of 278	95.3%	★★★★★
2025	90.9	14 of 275	94.9%	★★★★★
2024	82.3	36 of 273	86.8%	★★★★☆
2023	88.4	21 of 286	92.7%	★★★★★
2022	87.0	21 of 265	92.1%	★★★★★
2021	89.6	13 of 203	93.6%	★★★★★
2019	96.6	8 of 283	97.2%	★★★★★
2018	96.3	9 of 199	95.5%	★★★★★

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)

White (2026)95th percentile+6 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)95th percentile+6 vs school

Hispanic (2026)91st percentile~ school

Male (2026)87th percentile~ school

African American (2026)86th percentile-4 vs school

Female (2026)84th percentile-5 vs school

English Language Learner (2023)83rd percentile~ school

Disabled (2026)82nd percentile-8 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2026)76th percentile-14 vs school

By subject vs Colorado (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts65%+20 vs state

Science61%+26 vs state

Math58%+20 vs state

3.7

3 ratings

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3★0

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1★1

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Schools Near DSST: Cedar Middle 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 (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/reduced lunch (2024-25)	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 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 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
DSST: Cedar Middle School	Public, Charter	6-8	150 S Pearl Street	Denver	80209	Denver County	School District No. 1	Yes	No	No	No	(303) 524-6350	485	36	13.5	50.5%	187 (38.6%)	90 (18.6%)	148 (30.5%)	21 (4.3%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	36 (7.4%)	86.7	49^th of 476 public middle schools	89.7%		86.7	48^th of 469 public middle schools	89.8%	1		57.1	73.1	64.4	65.0		52.0	54.1	67.1	57.6		61.0	$9,604
Denver Center for International Studies	Public, Magnet	6-8	574 West 6th Ave	Denver	80204	Denver County	School District No. 1	No	Yes	No	Yes	(720) 423-9000	354	26	13.5	71.5%	41 (11.6%)	13 (3.7%)	255 (72.0%)	8 (2.3%)	14 (4.0%)	1 (0.3%)	20 (5.6%)	13.4	432^nd of 476 public middle schools	9.2%		32.8	294^th of 469 public middle schools	37.3%	138		13.9	15.4	28.6	21.0		698.0	717.0	11.3	8.8		11.3	$21,920
Girls Athletic Leadership School Middle School	Public, Charter	6-8	750 Galapago St.	Denver	80204	Denver County	School District No. 1	Yes	No	No	No	(303) 282-6437	223	16	14.1	30.9%	124 (55.6%)	16 (7.2%)	58 (26.0%)	3 (1.3%)	2 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (8.1%)	80.3	78^th of 476 public middle schools	83.6%		76.3	94^th of 469 public middle schools	80.0%	16		57.1	81.2	72.5	69.8		31.2	47.8	67.6	48.1		55.9	$13,673
Morey Middle School	Public	6-8	840 East 14th Avenue	Denver	80218	Denver County	School District No. 1	No	No	No	No	(720) 424-0700	479	25	19.1	29.0%	284 (59.3%)	30 (6.3%)	96 (20.0%)	11 (2.3%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	50 (10.4%)	97.1	11^th of 476 public middle schools	97.7%		97.8	9^th of 469 public middle schools	98.1%	2		76.8	87.2	81.9	81.6		77.8	75.6	73.9	76.0		66.4	$16,610
KIPP Sunshine Peak Academy	Public, Charter	5-8	375 S Tejon Street	Denver	80223	Denver County	School District No. 1	Yes	No	No	Yes	(303) 623-5772	301	29	10.5	93.7%	5 (1.7%)	7 (2.3%)	279 (92.7%)	4 (1.3%)	3 (1.0%)	2 (0.7%)	1 (0.3%)	9.2	456^th of 476 public middle schools	4.2%		11.9	432^nd of 469 public middle schools	7.9%	24	20.0	11.2	15.6	12.9	13.9	13.3	9.0	14.3	11.4	11.7	24.1	4.3	$18,412
Grant Beacon Middle School	Public	6-8	1751 South Washington Street	Denver	80210	Denver County	School District No. 1	No	No	No	Yes	(720) 423-9360	339	21	16.2	65.5%	92 (27.1%)	30 (8.8%)	184 (54.3%)	10 (2.9%)	2 (0.6%)	1 (0.3%)	20 (5.9%)	51.8	189^th of 476 public middle schools	60.3%		41.3	234^th of 469 public middle schools	50.1%	45		53.8	44.7	40.6	46.6		40.6	27.7	36.5	35.1		30.5	$19,744
Hill Campus of Arts and Sciences	Public	6-8	451 Clermont Street	Denver	80220	Denver County	School District No. 1	No	No	No	No	(720) 423-9680	651	35	18.8	51.9%	227 (34.9%)	106 (16.3%)	235 (36.1%)	16 (2.5%)	3 (0.5%)	6 (0.9%)	56 (8.6%)	40.1	245^th of 476 public middle schools	48.5%		29.1	321^st of 469 public middle schools	31.6%	76		34.9	51.2	38.8	41.6		28.0	19.0	26.7	24.6		34.0	$16,842
Merrill Middle School	Public	6-8	1551 South Monroe Street	Denver	80210	Denver County	School District No. 1	No	No	No	No	(720) 424-0600	611	36	17.1	39.1%	333 (54.5%)	25 (4.1%)	196 (32.1%)	25 (4.1%)	4 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	27 (4.4%)	83.6	65^th of 476 public middle schools	86.3%		84.1	58^th of 469 public middle schools	87.6%	7		60.6	61.7	63.7	62.0		53.3	52.1	65.6	56.9		51.1	$18,046
Kepner Beacon Middle School	Public	6-8	911 South Hazel Court	Denver	80219	Denver County	School District No. 1	No	No	No	Yes	(720) 424-0027	467	33	14.1	89.9%	16 (3.4%)	26 (5.6%)	409 (87.6%)	9 (1.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (1.5%)	16	411^th of 476 public middle schools	13.7%		11	435^th of 469 public middle schools	7.2%	24		15.4	18.2	17.4	17.1		15.7	14.0	31.1	21.0		8.3	$22,149
Rocky Mountain Prep Westwood	Public, Charter	6-8	3201 W Arizona Ave.	Denver	80219	Denver County	School District No. 1	Yes	No	No	Yes	(303) 962-9880	411	27	15.2	91.7%	2 (0.5%)	8 (1.9%)	390 (94.9%)	6 (1.5%)	1 (0.2%)	3 (0.7%)	1 (0.2%)	14.1	426^th of 476 public middle schools	10.5%		15.5	405^th of 469 public middle schools	13.6%	21		19.7	30.8	13.9	21.8		19.0	11.5	10.4	13.7		5.0	$14,004

Frequently Asked Questions about DSST: Cedar Middle School

What is the racial makeup of DSST: Cedar Middle School?

Students at DSST: Cedar Middle School are 39% White, 31% Hispanic, 19% African American, 7% Two or more races, 4% Asian.

How many students attend DSST: Cedar Middle School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 485 students attended DSST: Cedar Middle School.

What district is DSST: Cedar Middle School in?

School District No. 1

Is DSST: Cedar Middle School a good school?

DSST: Cedar Middle School ranks 49^th of 476 Colorado middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Rate DSST: Cedar Middle School!

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Latest Colorado data All new data »

2017–18 through 2025–26 immunization rates (updated)NewOct 19, 2026

2025–26 attendance dataOct 6, 2026

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

2024–25 school spending dataJun 13, 2026

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.