DSST Public Schools Wins 2018 Broad Prize for Public Charter Schools

The Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation and the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools recently awarded Denver School of Science and Technology (DSST) Public Schools the 2018 Broad Prize for Public Charter Schools. The recognition comes with $250,000 for DSST Public Schools to spend on college-readiness efforts.

The network boasts four of the top five high schools and five of the top eight middle schools in Denver Public Schools, based on the district’s school performance framework. On state assessments, most DSST schools score well above Colorado’s mean test scores. Impoverished students, who make up 66 percent of DSST’s network-wide student body, posted higher average SAT scores in 2017 than their affluent Colorado peers.

The Broad Prize review panel cited DSST’s integration model, in addition to the school network’s strong academic performance. In its 14-year history, 100 percent of graduates of the network’s 13 diverse-by-design schools have been accepted to four-year colleges and universities. More than half of DSST’s 2016 graduates were the first in their families to attend college.

“Congratulations to DSST Public Schools for this extraordinary recognition,” said Denver Public Schools Superintendent Tom Boasberg. “DSST schools are consistently some of the strongest schools in the state for both academic growth and achievement of students. This honor recognizes that exceptional growth and achievement, especially for their students of color.”

Right now, DSST Public Schools serves 5,300 Denver secondary-school students.