Award Year: 2016
DSST Green Valley Ranch High School
4800 Telluride Street
Denver, CO, 80249-6803
Ms. Jenna Kalin, Principal at time of Nomination
Charter School, Title I School
Denver Public Schools
DSST Public Schools transforms urban public education by eliminating education inequity and preparing all students for success in college and the 21st century.
- Black/African American: 21%
- White: 6%
- Hispanic: 58%
- Hawaiian/Pacific Islander: 1%
- Asian: 10%
- Two or more races: 3%
- ELL: 14%
- Economically Disadvantaged: %
We kick off each day of school with a community Morning Meeting!
DSST: Green Valley Ranch High School, a DSST Public Schools charter school, is located in northeast Denver and serves 520 students. We are a deliberately integrated community, serving students from all walks of life. Our mission is to prepare ALL students for success in college and the 21st century. Our six Core Values, Respect, Responsibility, Courage, Curiosity, Integrity, and Doing Your Best, are central to our program and our results. In DSST: GVR's first two classes, 100% of graduates have earned acceptance into 4-year colleges and universities. 72% of last year's graduates will be the first in their family to attend college.
Key features of the DSST program include:
Academic Rigor: Graduation requirements exceed the Pre-Collegiate Curriculum Requirements set by the Colorado Commission on Higher Education. Students have the option to take Honors, Advanced Placement, and Concurrent Enrollment courses. Signature courses include Biochemistry & Biotechnology, Anatomy & Physiology, Advanced Physics & Engineering, and Entrepreneurship.
Community: A commitment to six core values creates a school culture that fosters academic and personal success. Four days a week, all students and staff come together for a Morning Meeting to start the day with a focus on living our core values, celebrating our college-going culture and building community.
Advisory: Each student is known, cared for, and held accountable for community participation and contributions, academic effort, and achievement through the advisory program where a staff member mentors a group of approximately 15 students. The advisor also serves as the primary locus for the parent-school relationship.