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  • 21 Aug, 2019

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DSST Public Schools
DSST Public Schools (DSST), formerly known as the Denver School of Science and Technology, is a public charter STEM network comprising 16 schools on eight campuses in Denver and Aurora, Colorado, United States, in partnership with Denver Public Schools. DSST is ranked among the top 200 public high schools in the US.

Overview

Metropolitan area students are selected for admission entirely by a lottery. As students follow a science, mathematics, and technology focused liberal arts education, more than half of the graduates declare a STEM major in college. Students of color comprise 80 percent of the student body and 68 percent qualify for free or reduced lunch. All DSST students follow a prospectus that includes seven years of natural sciences, seven years of mathematics, three years of Spanish, a trimester internship, and a two-trimester senior project.

History

DSST was founded in 2004 at Park Hill in northeast Denver by David Ethan Greenberg, who also served as the first board chair of its successor organization, DSST Public Schools. Bill Kurtz, a former investment banker at JP Morgan, is founding principal.

Leadership

In 2024, it was announced that Nella García Urban would replace Bill Kurtz as CEO. García Urban worked in Texas's YES Charter Network prior to her appointment as CEO of DSST.

Network Growth

As its original campus, DSST: Montview (previously Stapleton, after KKK member and Denver Mayor Benjamin Stapleton) opened as a single high school in 2004, and graduated its first class in 2008. A sister middle school was also opened in 2008, expanding the campus to 6-12.

The Green Valley Ranch (GVR) middle school campus opened in 2010 along with the DSST Home Office, followed by the GVR high school and Cole middle school in 2011. The following year, the College View middle school opened.

In 2013, the Cedar (previously Byers) middle school campus opened. It was slated to occupy the building previously used by the Denver School of the Arts (DSA). The Cedar building was still undergoing $19 million in renovation, and its inaugural year was at the Calvary Temple Pearl Church in the Cherry Creek neighborhood.

In 2014, the Cole high school and Conservatory Green middle school opened. The following year, the College View high school opened. In 2016, both the Cedar high school and Henry middle school opened. By 2017, Conservatory Green opened its high school and in 2018 DSST opened a middle school at the Noel campus.

The first campus in Aurora opened in 2019 as Aurora Science and Tech (AST).

In October 2020, the DPS school board denied a request to open a corresponding high school for the DSST Noel campus. The following day, DSST appealed the decision and in November 2020, the State Board of Education granted the appeal to open a high school instead at the Elevate campus, opening the door for Noel middle school students to continue locally at a DSST campus.

Following the appeal win, DSST opened the Elevate Northeast campus in 2021. In the same year, the Henry campus closed and consolidated with the College View campus. In 2022, the AST high school opened. The Noel middle school also moved to the Elevate campus and took on the Elevate Middle School name.

Recognition

According to the 2015 U.S. News & World Report ranking of American public high schools, the Stapleton campus was nationally ranked 192nd, 158th in STEM education, 55th among charter schools, and 5th in Colorado. In the same year, the school was ranked 5th in mathematics proficiency, tied for 15th in reading proficiency, and was ranked 5th in college readiness, in the state. In a 2014 Denver School Performance report, five of the top six schools in Denver were part of DSST.

Since graduating its first class in 2008, 100 percent of DSST: Montview and DSST: Green Valley Ranch seniors have been accepted to a four-year university.

DSST is recognized for its values-centered culture, daily emphasizing respect and responsibility, and has been regarded as one of the top mid-size workplaces in Colorado.

Demographics

Statistics, 2017 school year (all in %)
Male Female Free/reduced
lunch 2015-16		 Black/African
American		 Asian Hispanic/
Latino		 White
DSST: Cedar (middle) 53 47 45 12 5 30 48
DSST: Cedar (high) 61 39 45 11 4 30 47
DSST: Cole (middle) 54 46 91 16 1 78 4
DSST: Cole (high) 53 47 79 18 3 69 9
DSST: College View (middle) 52 48 93 1 5 91 5
DSST: College View (high) 53 47 89 1 5 87 4
DSST: Conservatory Green (middle) 55 45 64 27 5 46 17
DSST: Conservatory Green (high) 55 45 59 25 3 48 15
DSST: Green Valley Ranch (middle) 50 50 79 23 8 60 5
DSST: Green Valley Ranch (high) 52 48 73 21 11 56 8
DSST: Montview (middle) 51 49 69 31 3 41 16
DSST: Montview (high) 54 46 52 25 5 35 28
DSST: Henry (middle) 57 43 86 3 6 74 13
Notes

No available data for DSST Elevate @ Noel Campus (opened 2018-2019)

No available data for DSST: Elevate (Opened 2021-22)

Support

Donors have played a significant role in the establishment and expansion of DSST. Notable contributions include a $7 million gift by Liberty Media chairman John C. Malone, a $3 million grant by the Daniels Fund, $1 million gift by media mogul Oprah Winfrey, a $1 million donation by the Anna and John Sie Foundation, a $500,000 grant by the Thiry-O'Leary Foundation, and a $50,000 grant by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

References

  1. ^ "DSST Campuses". DSSTPublicSchools.org. Denver School for Science and Technology Public Schools. Retrieved September 25, 2023.
  2. ^ "Dsst: Stapleton Overview". usnews.com. U.S. News & World Report. Retrieved September 19, 2015.
  3. ^ Gonchar, Joann. "A Learning Community: Dynamic and adaptable spaces serve hands-on education at a charter school with a science, math, and technology focus". archrecord.construction.com. Architecture Record. Retrieved November 28, 2014.
  4. ^ "DSST Public Schools: Course Overview". DSSTpublicschools.org. Denver School of Science and Technology. Retrieved November 13, 2015.
  5. ^ Zubrzycki, Jaclyn; Gonzalez, Susan (June 18, 2015). "Denver board approves dramatic expansion for charter network DSST: DPS board approves new school plans, 2015-16 budget at June meeting". co.chalkbeat.org. Chalkbeat Colorado. Retrieved June 19, 2015.
  6. ^ "29th Annual Bonfils-Stanton Awards Honors Three Renowned Leaders for Significant Contributions to Colorado". businesswire.com. Business Wire. May 8, 2014. Retrieved November 28, 2014.
  7. ^ Haanen, Jeff (August 2, 2013). "A Growing Charter School Planted in Rocky Soil". christianitytoday.com. Christianity Today. Retrieved November 28, 2014.
  8. ^ Gottlieb, Allen (2024-08-12). "Meet Nella García Urban, DSST's new CEO". boardhawk. Retrieved 2024-12-11. Nella García Urban became the CEO of DSST Public Schools in March 2024.
  9. ^ Oravetz, Janet (2019-05-16). "DSST removes 'Stapleton' from its name". 9news. KUSA-TV. Retrieved 2024-12-11. Denver School of Science and Technology (DSST): Stapleton middle and high schools have changed their name and will now be called, DSST: Montview, according to a release Thursday from DSST Public Schools
  10. ^ "DSST: Stapleton is now DSST: Montview". DSST Public Schools. Retrieved 2024-12-11.
  11. ^ "Our Impact". DSST Public Schools. Retrieved 2024-12-11.
  12. ^ Vaccarelli, Joe (2016-04-26). "Byers School reopens in Speer area in Denver after $19 million rehab". The Denver Post. Retrieved 2024-12-11.
  13. ^ Boardhawk (2020-11-19). "State Board of Education slams, overrules DPS on DSST Noel high school". boardhawk. Retrieved 2024-12-11.
  14. ^ Eric V. Hall (2020-10-23). Notice of Appeal (PDF) (Report). Retrieved 2024-12-11.
  15. ^ "U.S. News & World Report Education: Colorado High Schools". usnews.com. U.S. News & World Report. 2015. Retrieved September 21, 2015.
  16. ^ Garcia, Nelson (October 4, 2014). "The Denver School of Science and Technology is spreading its success to multiple campuses around the city". 9news.com. 9 News. Archived from the original on November 30, 2014. Retrieved November 27, 2014.
  17. ^ Outcalt, Chris; Larusso, Jessica (September 2013). "The Dean's List". 5280.com. 5280 Magazine. Archived from the original on 2014-12-02.
  18. ^ Brooks, David (November 27, 2015). "Communities of Character". The New York Times. Retrieved January 14, 2016. The Denver School of Science and Technology has an intense values-centered culture, emphasizing values like respect and responsibility. Four days a week everybody gathers for a morning meeting. Those who contribute to the community are affirmed. When students have strained the community, by being rude to cafeteria workers, for example, the rift is recognized, discussed and healed.
  19. ^ "TOP WORKPLACES 2014". denverpost.com. The Denver Post. Retrieved November 27, 2014.
  20. ^ "DSST By The Numbers". dsstpublicschools.org. Denver Public Schools. Retrieved November 27, 2014.
  21. ^ "School Data - K-12 Free and Reduced". Pupil Membership - School Data. Colorado Department of Education. Retrieved April 19, 2016.
  22. ^ Robles, Yesenia (July 13, 2011). "Mogul John Malone to donate $7 million to Denver School of Science and Technology". denverpost.com. The Denver Post. Retrieved November 27, 2014.
  23. ^ "Daniels Fund grants $3M to Denver School of Science and Technology". bizjournals.com. Denver Business Journal. November 15, 2010. Retrieved November 28, 2014.
  24. ^ Meyer, Jeremy P. (September 20, 2010). "Oprah gives $1 million to Denver School of Science & Technology". denverpost.com. The Denver Post. Retrieved November 27, 2014.
  25. ^ "Groundbreaking Charter Schools: Denver School of Science and Technology". oprah.com. Retrieved November 27, 2014.
  26. ^ Nelson, Christine; Call, Anna (June 5, 2012). "ANNA AND JOHN J. SIE FOUNDATION DONATES $1 MILLION TO DSST PUBLIC SCHOOLS: Gift Supports Groundbreaking Teacher Effectiveness Model Helps to Close Challenge Grant from John C. Malone, PhD" (PDF). dsstpublicschools.org. DSST Public Schools. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 9, 2014. Retrieved November 28, 2014.
  27. ^ Davidson, Joanne (June 7, 2012). "Sie Foundation's $1 million gift completes $7 million pledge to Denver School of Science and Technology". blog.denverpost.com. The Denver Post. Retrieved November 28, 2014.
  28. ^ "DSST Public Schools Receives $500,000 Grant from Thiry-O'Leary Foundation to Expand Opportunities for Denver Students and Bolster Leadership Development". dsstpublicschools.org. DSST. April 27, 2015. Retrieved June 11, 2015.
  29. ^ "How We Work: Denver School of Science and Technology Inc". gatesfoundation.org. Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. November 2011. Retrieved November 27, 2014.
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