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Bear Valley Middle School

Q: Is Bear Valley Middle School a good school?

Bear Valley Middle School ranks 318 th of 476 Colorado middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 6-8

318^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 476 Colorado Middle Schools

Better than 33% of Colorado middle schools

Summary

Bear Valley International School is a Denver Public Schools middle school in southwest Denver serving 313 students in grades 6–8, with 77.6% of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch. The school has steadily improved its state ranking over the past several years, moving from the 16th percentile in 2021-22 to the 33rd percentile in 2025-26. Notably, Bear Valley is the highest-performing DPS middle school within roughly three miles, outpacing nearby schools like DSST: College View Middle School, Kepner Beacon Middle School, Rocky Mountain Prep Westwood, Rocky Mountain Prep Federal, and Compass Academy in English language arts, math, and science proficiency.

One of the most encouraging findings is how well the school supports students facing economic challenges. In 2025-26, Bear Valley ranked in the 68th percentile statewide for low-income student performance — a dramatic jump from the 31st percentile the year before — and Hispanic students also improved to the 42nd percentile. Math and science scores show real momentum, with math proficiency rising from 17.9% to 22.9% and 8th-grade science climbing from 17.6% to 23.7% in a single year. The school also maintains an exceptionally low dropout rate of 0.9%, far below district and state averages, and benefits from a favorable student-teacher ratio of 10.8 that allows for more individualized attention.

The biggest concern is chronic absenteeism. Nearly half of Bear Valley students (48.1%) were chronically absent in 2024-25, well above the district rate of 38.1% and the state rate of 28.4%. Nearby Goddard Middle School in Littleton School District No. 6 shows what better attendance makes possible, with an 18.5% absenteeism rate and proficiency rates above 50% in ELA and math. There are also areas for targeted improvement: 7th-grade math proficiency (13.9%) lags behind both 6th-grade (23.1%) and 8th-grade (31.2%) levels, and male students perform below their female peers on state assessments. Still, Bear Valley appears to be doing more with its student population than raw scores suggest — it clearly outpaces neighboring DPS schools serving similar demographics, and its recent academic gains point to an upward trajectory, provided attendance improves.

313

Students ?

10.8

Student/teacher ratio ?

$21,897

Per pupil spending ?

77.6%

Free/discounted lunch ?

3005 South Golden Way
Denver, CO 80227-3849

(720) 423-9600

District: School District No. 1

Students who attend Bear Valley Middle School usually attend:

High:

John F Kennedy High School

Feeder schools for Bear Valley Middle School:

Elementary:	Doull Elementary School
	Gust Elementary School
	Kaiser Elementary School
	Sabin World School
	More...
	Traylor Academy

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

73.5%

White:

14.4%

African American:

4.2%

See top rated Colorado middle schools

Compare Bear Valley Middle School to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 37th percentile in 2019 → 33rd in 2026

Strengths

✓Small classes — about 11 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Colorado average (26% vs 41% meeting standards)

!High chronic absenteeism (48% vs 28% Colorado)

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school26%

District avg38%

Colorado avg41%

318^th of 476

Colorado public middle schools ?

Bottom 33%▼ down 4 pts since 2019

From bottom 37% (2019) to bottom 33% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Colorado Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

13^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	27.8	318 of 476	33.2%	★★☆☆☆
2025	22.9	341 of 469	27.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	20.7	365 of 485	24.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	21.2	365 of 480	24.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	16.6	375 of 448	16.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	16.0	329 of 369	10.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	33.5	288 of 458	37.1%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2026	28.7	253 of 368	31.3%	★★☆☆☆
2025	21.8	262 of 347	24.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	19.5	276 of 350	21.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	17.6	292 of 363	19.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	15.2	282 of 326	13.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	39.3	207 of 352	41.2%	★★☆☆☆
2018	28.6	221 of 315	29.8%	★★☆☆☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2019	27.8	118 of 134	11.9%	★☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2026	35.8	122 of 208	41.3%	★★☆☆☆
2025	28.0	164 of 218	24.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	25.3	152 of 199	23.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	22.0	159 of 198	19.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	16.1	151 of 169	10.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	36.8	133 of 220	39.5%	★★☆☆☆
2018	32.9	109 of 165	33.9%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2026	54.4	74 of 231	68.0%	★★★☆☆
2025	32.1	167 of 241	30.7%	★★☆☆☆
2024	39.0	144 of 244	41.0%	★★☆☆☆
2023	28.8	174 of 241	27.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	24.1	162 of 197	17.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	56.0	85 of 240	64.6%	★★★☆☆
2018	38.2	131 of 222	41.0%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2026	19.7	297 of 372	20.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	18.2	286 of 352	18.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	16.3	293 of 357	17.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	19.6	283 of 356	20.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	12.8	295 of 328	10.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	27.2	236 of 343	31.2%	★★☆☆☆
2018	17.9	263 of 317	17.0%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2023	19.8	233 of 286	18.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	48.1	135 of 283	52.3%	★★★☆☆

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)

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)68th percentile+35 vs school

Hispanic (2026)41st percentile+8 vs school

Female (2026)31st percentile~ school

Male (2026)20th percentile-13 vs school

White (2023)19th percentile-5 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2019)12th percentile-25 vs school

By subject vs Colorado (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts31%-14 vs state

Science24%-12 vs state

Math23%-14 vs state

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Schools Near Bear Valley 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/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 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 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
Bear Valley Middle School	Public	6-8	3005 South Golden Way	Denver	80227	Jefferson County	School District No. 1	No	No	No	Yes	(720) 423-9600	313	29	10.8	77.6%	45 (14.4%)	13 (4.2%)	230 (73.5%)	13 (4.2%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (3.2%)	27.8	318^th of 476 public middle schools	33.2%		22.9	341^st of 469 public middle schools	27.3%	23			29.7	27.4	35.1	30.7			23.1	13.9	31.2	22.9		23.7	$21,897
DSST: College View Middle School	Public, Charter	6-8	3111 W Dartmouth Ave	Denver	80236	Denver County	School District No. 1	Yes	No	No	Yes	(303) 524-6320	446	36	12.4	86.3%	29 (6.5%)	15 (3.4%)	379 (85.0%)	14 (3.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (2.0%)	22.1	353^rd of 476 public middle schools	25.8%		20.6	359^th of 469 public middle schools	23.5%	6			21.4	35.3	22.2	26.8			20.0	17.5	23.5	20.2		19.1	$11,894
Fort Logan Northgate	Public	4-8	4000 S. Lowell Blvd.	Denver	80236	Denver County	Sheridan School District No. 2	No	No	No	Yes	(720) 833-6850	338	20	16.9	85.8%	46 (13.6%)	9 (2.7%)	265 (78.4%)	7 (2.1%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (2.7%)								(n/a)	701.0	706.0	708.0	714.0	13.2	706.0	705.0	698.0	699.0	718.0	698.0	702.0	696.0	704.0	$23,053
Compass Academy	Public, Charter	6-8	2285 S Federal Blvd	Denver	80219	Denver County	School District No. 1	Yes	No	No	Yes	(720) 424-0096	200	18	11.0	91.5%	6 (3.0%)	5 (2.5%)	184 (92.0%)	3 (1.5%)	1 (0.5%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	7.5	467^th of 476 public middle schools	1.9%					(n/a)			16.7	11.1	11.3	13.1			708.0	712.0	8.5	6.2		5.6	$19,170
Rocky Mountain Prep Federal	Public, Charter	6-8	2626 W Evans Ave	Denver	80219	Denver County	School District No. 1	Yes	No	No	Yes	(720) 460-2800	376	24	15.4	88.0%	9 (2.4%)	15 (4.0%)	340 (90.4%)	4 (1.1%)	2 (0.5%)	3 (0.8%)	2 (0.5%)	13.2	434^th of 476 public middle schools	8.8%		14.8	410^th of 469 public middle schools	12.6%	24			15.0	24.7	17.5	18.7			22.0	14.6	8.7	15.1		3.9	$16,494
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
Carmody Middle School	Public	6-8	2050 S Kipling Street	Lakewood	80227	Jefferson County	Jefferson County School District No. R-1	No	No	No	No	(303) 982-8930	550	33	16.9	51.8%	274 (49.8%)	16 (2.9%)	222 (40.4%)	15 (2.7%)	3 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (3.6%)	28.7	314^th of 476 public middle schools	34.0%		39.5	246^th of 469 public middle schools	47.5%	68			27.4	37.5	31.0	32.0			23.4	22.5	24.7	23.5		23.0	$16,042
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
Goddard Middle School	Public	6-8	3800 West Berry Avenue	Littleton	80123	Jefferson County	Littleton School District No. 6	No	No	No	No	(303) 347-7850	575	36	16.1	35.1%	363 (63.1%)	7 (1.2%)	145 (25.2%)	18 (3.1%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	40 (7.0%)	72.3	119^th of 476 public middle schools	75.0%		70.1	125^th of 469 public middle schools	73.3%	6			52.2	57.0	43.7	51.2			48.8	51.2	55.3	51.7		45.0	$20,761
Englewood Middle School	Public	6-8	3800 S Logan St	Englewood	80110	Arapahoe County	Englewood School District No. 1	No	No	No	Yes	(303) 781-7817	210	20	10.6	72.9%	83 (39.5%)	12 (5.7%)	99 (47.1%)	3 (1.4%)	3 (1.4%)	1 (0.5%)	9 (4.3%)	21.9	356^th of 476 public middle schools	25.2%		19.9	367^th of 469 public middle schools	21.7%	11			33.3	20.8	22.1	22.9			29.4	13.0	28.7	22.2		21.6	$20,399

Frequently Asked Questions about Bear Valley Middle School

What district is Bear Valley Middle School in?

School District No. 1

How many students attend Bear Valley Middle School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 313 students attended Bear Valley Middle School.

Is Bear Valley Middle School a good school?

Bear Valley Middle School ranks 318^th of 476 Colorado middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What high school do graduates of Bear Valley Middle School attend?

Students who attend Bear Valley Middle School usually go on to attend John F Kennedy High School

What is the racial makeup of Bear Valley Middle School?

Students at Bear Valley Middle School are 73% Hispanic, 14% White, 4% African American, 4% Asian, 3% Two or more races.

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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.