Beta You're viewing our redesigned school page. Prefer the classic layout?

John Wesley Powell Middle School

Q: Is John Wesley Powell Middle School a good school?

John Wesley Powell Middle School ranks 61 st of 476 Colorado middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 6-8

61^st

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 476 Colorado Middle Schools

Better than 87% of Colorado middle schools

Summary

John Wesley Powell Middle School serves 509 students in grades 6–8 in Littleton, Colorado, as part of the Littleton School District No. 6, which ranks among the top districts statewide in the competitive south-metro Denver corridor. The school has a strong track record, earning 5-star ratings from 2015–16 through 2020–21 and currently holding a high 4-star rating in the 87th percentile of Colorado middle schools.

Powell's standout strengths are English language arts, science, and attendance. In 2025–26, 64.3% of students met state standards in ELA — well above the state's 44.7% — and 61.9% hit the mark in 8th-grade science, far exceeding the state rate of 35.4%. Science scores in 2024–25 were even stronger at 72.3%, ahead of several higher-ranked nearby schools. Chronic absenteeism sits at just 14.3%, about half the state average of 28.4%, and the student-teacher ratio of 15.0 is more favorable than at Newton Middle School (19.5) or Rocky Heights Middle School (18.8). Powell also posts exceptional results for Hispanic and low-income students, ranking in the 92nd–96th percentile statewide for these groups in recent years.

Math is the primary area where Powell trails its peers. The school's 52.9% math proficiency is below the district's 58.4%, while nearby Newton Middle School, Rocky Heights Middle School, West Middle School, Mountain Ridge Middle School, and Ranch View Middle School all post math scores in the 60s. Seventh grade is the soft spot, with 46.2% proficiency versus the district's 55.9%. Still, Powell beats same-district rivals Goddard Middle School and Euclid Middle School by wide margins across subjects, and math improved to 52.9% from 45.9% in a single year. With strong attendance and stable performance despite rising economic need, Powell has a realistic path back to 5-star status.

509

Students ?

15.0

Student/teacher ratio ?

$19,406

Per pupil spending ?

25.5%

Free/reduced lunch eligible (2024-25) ?

All students in Colorado receive free school meals.

8000 South Corona Way
Littleton, CO 80122-2926

(303) 347-7850

District: Littleton School District No. 6

Students who attend John Wesley Powell Middle School usually attend:

High:

Arapahoe High School

Feeder schools for John Wesley Powell Middle School:

Elementary:

Hopkins Elementary School

Racial breakdown:

White:

76.2%

Hispanic:

14.7%

Two or more races:

4.3%

See top rated Colorado middle schools

Compare John Wesley Powell Middle School to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 95th percentile in 2016 → 87th in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Colorado average (59% vs 41% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 13% of Colorado middle schools

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 8 percentile points since 2016

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school59%

District avg60%

Colorado avg41%

61^st of 476

Colorado public middle schools ?

Top 13%▼ down 8 pts since 2016

From top 5% (2016) to top 13% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Colorado Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

2^nd of 4Middle Schools in the Littleton School District No. 6

8^th of 114Littleton School District No. 6 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	84.3	61 of 476	87.2%	★★★★☆
2025	80.2	75 of 469	84.0%	★★★★☆
2024	80.4	75 of 485	84.5%	★★★★☆
2023	84.3	59 of 480	87.7%	★★★★☆
2022	86.2	46 of 448	89.7%	★★★★☆
2021	89.3	30 of 369	91.9%	★★★★★
2019	93.1	22 of 458	95.2%	★★★★★
2018	91.0	24 of 418	94.3%	★★★★★
2017	90.1	31 of 424	92.7%	★★★★★
2016	92.0	20 of 400	95.0%	★★★★★
2015	87.9	37 of 436	91.5%	★★★★★
2014	90.0	32 of 461	93.1%	★★★★★
2013	88.6	41 of 454	91.0%	★★★★★
2012	83.6	56 of 425	86.8%	★★★★☆
2011	83.4	53 of 422	87.4%	★★★★☆
2010	84.8	45 of 409	89.0%	★★★★☆
2009	83.7	48 of 377	87.3%	★★★★☆
2008	83.0	50 of 362	86.2%	★★★★☆
2007	82.9	51 of 360	85.8%	★★★★☆
2006	85.8	38 of 346	89.0%	★★★★☆
2005	82.4	53 of 340	84.4%	★★★★☆
2004	83.4	47 of 336	86.0%	★★★★☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2026	43.9	10 of 22	54.5%	★★★☆☆
2025	82.2	4 of 18	77.8%	★★★★☆
2024	56.0	4 of 12	66.7%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2026	81.8	54 of 368	85.3%	★★★★☆
2025	77.1	68 of 347	80.4%	★★★★☆
2024	76.5	69 of 350	80.3%	★★★★☆
2023	84.3	47 of 363	87.1%	★★★★☆
2022	83.0	44 of 326	86.5%	★★★★☆
2021	77.5	41 of 254	83.9%	★★★★☆
2019	89.5	26 of 352	92.6%	★★★★★
2018	88.1	22 of 315	93.0%	★★★★★

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2026	64.7	55 of 154	64.3%	★★★☆☆
2025	63.1	48 of 132	63.6%	★★★☆☆
2024	79.0	8 of 126	93.7%	★★★★★
2023	80.9	5 of 125	96.0%	★★★★★
2022	75.7	18 of 93	80.6%	★★★★☆
2019	84.2	3 of 134	97.8%	★★★★★
2018	83.7	5 of 121	95.9%	★★★★★

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2026	91.6	16 of 208	92.3%	★★★★★
2025	95.0	9 of 218	95.9%	★★★★★
2024	92.7	12 of 199	94.0%	★★★★★
2022	87.5	11 of 169	93.5%	★★★★★
2019	89.1	13 of 220	94.1%	★★★★★
2018	90.2	10 of 165	93.9%	★★★★★

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2026	77.3	33 of 231	85.7%	★★★★☆
2024	67.4	46 of 244	81.1%	★★★★☆
2018	53.9	78 of 222	64.9%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2026	78.9	63 of 372	83.1%	★★★★☆
2025	74.9	67 of 352	81.0%	★★★★☆
2024	74.8	68 of 357	81.0%	★★★★☆
2023	75.5	63 of 356	82.3%	★★★★☆
2022	79.9	48 of 328	85.4%	★★★★☆
2021	89.4	22 of 249	91.2%	★★★★★
2019	92.9	20 of 343	94.2%	★★★★★
2018	88.6	23 of 317	92.7%	★★★★★

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2019	81.4	5 of 31	83.9%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Colorado percentile	Rating
2026	66.8	75 of 278	73.0%	★★★★☆
2025	63.5	85 of 275	69.1%	★★★☆☆
2024	62.7	87 of 273	68.1%	★★★☆☆
2023	72.1	63 of 286	78.0%	★★★★☆
2022	75.2	51 of 265	80.8%	★★★★☆
2021	77.3	32 of 203	84.2%	★★★★☆
2019	85.2	27 of 283	90.5%	★★★★★
2018	80.3	27 of 199	86.4%	★★★★☆

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)

Hispanic (2026)92nd percentile+5 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)86th percentile~ school

Female (2026)85th percentile~ school

Multi-racial (2019)84th percentile-11 vs school

Male (2026)83rd percentile-4 vs school

White (2026)73rd percentile-14 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2026)64th percentile-23 vs school

Disabled (2026)55th percentile-33 vs school

By subject vs Colorado (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts64%+20 vs state

Science62%+27 vs state

Math53%+16 vs state

2.0

1 rating · 1 written review

5★0

4★0

3★0

2★1

1★0

Rate John Wesley Powell Middle School

Have first-hand experience? A quick rating - and a sentence or two about what stands out (teachers, academics, safety, communication) - helps other families know what to expect.

Takes about a minute. We email you a link to verify your review - your address is never shown publicly.

Tap a star to rate

What people are saying

by a parent
Monday, December 8, 2014

If your child is gifted and talented and has no struggles-academically, then most likely your child will do fine. It is when your child struggles-academically, will there be issues. Your child may feel a bit neglected and on their own in this situation. The bullying can be a bit, and the administration staff is not good with dealing. If your child attends this school, be cautious and on top of staff. You must advocate for your child closely. Close Quote

Schools Near John Wesley Powell Middle School

Load more schools when map is moved

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 6th Grade	CMAS English Language Arts 7th Grade	CMAS English Language Arts 8th Grade	CMAS English Language Arts All Grades	CMAS Math 6th Grade	CMAS Math 7th Grade	CMAS Math 8th Grade	CMAS Math All Grades	CMAS Science 8th Grade	Total
John Wesley Powell Middle School	Public	6-8	8000 South Corona Way	Littleton	80122	Arapahoe County	Littleton School District No. 6	No	No	No	No	(303) 347-7850	509	34	15.0	25.5%	388 (76.2%)	9 (1.8%)	75 (14.7%)	13 (2.6%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.4%)	22 (4.3%)	84.3	61^st of 476 public middle schools	87.2%		80.2	75^th of 469 public middle schools	84.0%	14	63.4	64.3	65.2	64.3	57.6	46.2	53.0	52.9	61.9	$19,406
Euclid Middle School	Public	6-8	777 West Euclid Avenue	Littleton	80120	Arapahoe County	Littleton School District No. 6	No	No	No	No	(303) 347-7800	631	39	16.1	31.1%	446 (70.7%)	5 (0.8%)	130 (20.6%)	14 (2.2%)	3 (0.5%)	1 (0.2%)	32 (5.1%)	73.6	114^th of 476 public middle schools	76.1%		76.4	92^nd of 469 public middle schools	80.4%	22	46.4	66.5	52.9	54.9	40.4	50.9	56.4	48.8	50.0	$17,647
Newton Middle School	Public	6-8	4001 East Arapahoe Road	Centennial	80122	Arapahoe County	Littleton School District No. 6	No	No	No	No	(303) 347-7900	781	40	19.5	12.5%	642 (82.2%)	7 (0.9%)	66 (8.5%)	11 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	54 (6.9%)	93.2	26^th of 476 public middle schools	94.5%		90.7	34^th of 469 public middle schools	92.8%	8	65.6	75.1	74.3	71.3	61.0	70.6	81.6	70.2	60.7	$16,012
Cresthill Middle School	Public	7-8	9195 Cresthill Lane	Highlands Ranch	80130	Douglas County	Douglas County School District No. Re 1	No	No	No	No	(303) 387-2800	558	35	15.9	26.0%	356 (63.8%)	13 (2.3%)	117 (21.0%)	34 (6.1%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	36 (6.5%)	79.7	86^th of 476 public middle schools	81.9%		82.3	63^rd of 469 public middle schools	86.6%	23		60.8	56.7	58.9		47.5	57.3	52.1	55.8	$19,240
Ranch View Middle School	Public	7-8	1731 Wildcat Reserve Parkway	Highlands Ranch	80129	Douglas County	Douglas County School District No. Re 1	No	No	No	No	(303) 387-2300	829	47	17.6	15.8%	628 (75.8%)	5 (0.6%)	103 (12.4%)	21 (2.5%)	2 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	70 (8.4%)	88.1	45^th of 476 public middle schools	90.5%		85.7	54^th of 469 public middle schools	88.5%	9		68.2	64.5	66.3		57.9	62.5	60.2	59.2	$16,010
Mountain Ridge Middle School	Public	7-8	10590 Mountain Vista Ridge	Highlands Ranch	80126	Douglas County	Douglas County School District No. Re 1	No	No	No	No	(303) 387-1800	752	46	16.3	14.6%	571 (75.9%)	8 (1.1%)	91 (12.1%)	30 (4.0%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	51 (6.8%)	89.7	38^th of 476 public middle schools	92.0%		90.2	37^th of 469 public middle schools	92.1%	1		70.4	75.0	72.7		57.8	66.8	62.3	53.8	$17,586
Goddard Middle School	Public	6-8	3800 West Berry Avenue	Littleton	80123	Arapahoe 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
West Middle School	Public	6-8	5151 South Holly	Greenwood Village	80121	Arapahoe County	Cherry Creek School District No. 5	No	No	No	No	(720) 554-5100	1,019	58	17.6	18.1%	701 (68.8%)	19 (1.9%)	156 (15.3%)	51 (5.0%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	89 (8.7%)	93.2	27^th of 476 public middle schools	94.3%		91.7	30^th of 469 public middle schools	93.6%	3	67.4	73.0	70.7	70.5	67.9	66.8	71.1	68.3	62.8	$17,528
Ken Caryl Middle School	Public	6-8	6509 West Ken Caryl Avenue	Littleton	80128	Jefferson County	Jefferson County School District No. R-1	No	No	No	No	(303) 982-4710	725	39	18.5	27.0%	509 (70.2%)	8 (1.1%)	143 (19.7%)	27 (3.7%)	4 (0.6%)	1 (0.1%)	33 (4.6%)	64.9	144^th of 476 public middle schools	69.7%		56	175^th of 469 public middle schools	62.7%	31	51.0	51.6	49.5	50.7	41.5	40.0	45.8	42.4	43.7	$16,162
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 John Wesley Powell Middle School

What district is John Wesley Powell Middle School in?

Littleton School District No. 6

Is John Wesley Powell Middle School a good school?

John Wesley Powell Middle School ranks 61^st of 476 Colorado middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

How many students attend John Wesley Powell Middle School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 509 students attended John Wesley Powell Middle School.

What is the racial makeup of John Wesley Powell Middle School?

Students at John Wesley Powell Middle School are 76% White, 15% Hispanic, 4% Two or more races, 3% Asian, 2% African American.

What high school do graduates of John Wesley Powell Middle School attend?

Students who attend John Wesley Powell Middle School usually go on to attend Arapahoe High School

Rate John Wesley Powell Middle School!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

COColorado Middle School Rankings

COColorado District Rankings

Schools in Littleton, CO

Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for John Wesley Powell Middle School!

Latest Colorado data All new data »

2017–18 through 2025–26 immunization rates (updated)Oct 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.