Cherry Creek/Arapahoe High alternatives?

[Katarina Witt]

Originally Posted by TCHP

I'll preface this with my experience is in the Colo Spgs area, but I would imagine the application to Denver is somewhat similar.

We have a range of districts and within them a range of schools. Obviously, online rating systems show these systems all over the map in opinions and perceived and actual achievements. We live in and attend a district that is not particularly noteworthy for its reviews and is one that actually appears lackluster compared to some neighboring districts.

With that said, my kids are very high academic performers. Within our district their academic career has included G&T, Honors, and AP classes and advanced curriculum.

They also are highly engaged with sports and we have participated not only in school athletics but numerous club teams. These club teams tend to engage students from all over the region and not just a few schools. It is in these club environments where we have been able to compare and contrast some of the grade level work from some of these higher rated districts as well as engage with good parental discussions about those schools.

Our discovery through this is that despite many ranges in ratings, academics do not radically diverge from district to district and school to school. My kids are doing the same level of work that some of the areas higher rated districts herald as their hallmark. IMO, the biggest differences will tend to be broader district demographics that your kids may or may not encounter along the way and how the teachers and administration deal with these challenges.

That is within public school ranks and even the charter schools, which are still public but with a more direct focus. Once you get into private schools, then it is an entirely different animal.

My kids did high school gymnastics, which, while a CHSAA sport, is only offered in Boulder Valley SD at Broomfield High. Kids from all the schools in the district, plus some who go to private schools in the district are on the team. We found the same as you.

[abbottkd71]

Originally Posted by weemaple

I've read a number of posts all touting Cherry Creek High and Arapahoe as being generally the best-run high schools, with great teachers and lots of clubs to choose from. I've also seen the comments pointing out that there are also some concerns that can come with attending a huge school.


I was just wondering if anyone had kids in other high schools that seem to have good ratings on greatschools.org, that have a somewhat equivalent commute to downtown. Are there any smaller schools as well-run, with a majority of passionate teachers that really engage with the kids, a decent variety of extracurricular clubs/activities, and possibly smaller class sizes? Is anyone able to compare through direct experience of more than one school? Any particular strengths for any of these alternatives - AP, IB programs, science, math, the arts . . . without sacrificing the other side of things? We're not as concerned about super-competitive sports as much as our kids could join something and get good, fun exercise if they wanted to, without necessarily signing up (any paying extra) for a league sport.



We're looking at public and charter schools. Going solely on location and greatschools.org, I'm curious if anyone has direct experience with:


-Highlands Ranch High


-Thunderridge



-Columbine

-Heritage

-Littleton Academy (plus advice about which high school kids would go to after this one, since it's K-8)


-D'Evelyn (comments online sound like this one is about hitting the books hard for college-prep, at the loss of quality extracurriculars . . . any thoughts on this? How about IB?)





If someone were to say Cherry Creek and Arapahoe are just better high schools all around, I would love to know in specific detail why . . . minus the factor of highly competitive sports!


Thanks!!

My experience with two kids who graduated from Creek in recent years is that its graduates are well-prepared for college because they have developed the skills to navigate the demands of higher education. It's not just about academics. CCSD middle and high schools foster independence, responsibility, and self-advocacy. Creek isn't for every kid, but I am very satisfied with the education my children received at CCHS. Keep in mind that Colorado has open enrollment, too, so if your local school is not a good fit, you have options. The elementary school in CCSD that my children attended pulled about a third of its students from outside the neighborhood. (Note: this is possible for most of the elementary and middle schools that feed to Cherry Creek High School, but as far as I know, CCHS does not take open enrollment students. You must live in its feeder area if you want your children to attend Cherry Creek High School.)

[weemaple]

Ok, thanks for the response. It's good to know about Cherry Creek allowing open enrollment, at least for elementary - although I'm not sure it would be a good idea to depend on that, because there's still a chance of not getting a seat at the theoretically-desired school. Unfortunately we are coping with that where we live right now.

[MsBall]

Originally Posted by weemaple

I've read a number of posts all touting Cherry Creek High and Arapahoe as being generally the best-run high schools, with great teachers and lots of clubs to choose from. I've also seen the comments pointing out that there are also some concerns that can come with attending a huge school.


I was just wondering if anyone had kids in other high schools that seem to have good ratings on greatschools.org, that have a somewhat equivalent commute to downtown. Are there any smaller schools as well-run, with a majority of passionate teachers that really engage with the kids, a decent variety of extracurricular clubs/activities, and possibly smaller class sizes? Is anyone able to compare through direct experience of more than one school? Any particular strengths for any of these alternatives - AP, IB programs, science, math, the arts . . . without sacrificing the other side of things? We're not as concerned about super-competitive sports as much as our kids could join something and get good, fun exercise if they wanted to, without necessarily signing up (any paying extra) for a league sport.



We're looking at public and charter schools. Going solely on location and greatschools.org, I'm curious if anyone has direct experience with:


-Highlands Ranch High


-Thunderridge



-Columbine

-Heritage

-Littleton Academy (plus advice about which high school kids would go to after this one, since it's K-8)


-D'Evelyn (comments online sound like this one is about hitting the books hard for college-prep, at the loss of quality extracurriculars . . . any thoughts on this? How about IB?)





If someone were to say Cherry Creek and Arapahoe are just better high schools all around, I would love to know in specific detail why . . . minus the factor of highly competitive sports!


Thanks!!

You should look at Dakota Ridge. My oldest went to Columbine his freshman year, absolutely hated it. Got him in to Dakota Ridge and had a must better HS experience. They emphasized honors /AP classes for him, prepped him for college in a way I didn’t see at Columbine. Also, MrBall worked downtown, the commute is doable. Of course, this is my personal experience, YMMV.

[weemaple]

Thanks - I'm glad to get your specific, personal account. I'll look at Dakota Ridge, too.

[vunderbar]

Originally Posted by weemaple

Vunderbar, may I ask which school your kids went to?

Sorry I only now saw your question. My kids went to schools in/near central Denver: East High School, George Washington High School (IB program) and Denver School of Technology (DSST) in Stapleton.

We wanted an economically and racially diverse atmosphere and excellent academics that would offer a lot of AP or AP-equivalent classes. Obviously if you live way south these will not work for you. Kids got excellent educations in these schools and went on to highly selective universities. One is now in a PhD program. Their high school friends are now on their way to becoming doctors, attorneys, business executives, scientists, professors, artists.

[weemaple]

Ok, thanks - I looked up those schools and real estate in their boundary maps . . . looks like housing *is* a tad beyond our reach in those areas. I guess it another validation, though, that people can have a much more positive experience with a school than what test scores might generally reflect.

[vunderbar]

Originally Posted by weemaple

I guess it another validation, though, that people can have a much more positive experience with a school than what test scores might generally reflect.

Agreed! Personally, I judge high schools by how many Advanced Placement classes are available, by how many kids take the AP exams, and the average score on the AP exams. To me, that is the true gauge of academics in a school. Not the average ACT or SAT score, nor Great Schools rankings, etc. How good is the curriculum for the best students? What kind of opportunities do they have? How well do they preform? East High School, as an example, is an inner city school, yet one which offers the full range of AP classes, and with a large percentage of AP students taking the AP exams. There are many schools whose overall scores posted on school websites don't reflect the true academic strengths - or weaknesses! - of said school. This is an anecdote, but a telling one. A friend was touring elite East Coast colleges with her son, a senior at East. They were either at Williams or Amherst - I forget which - but in any case, highly selective, prestigious liberal arts colleges. The admissions person my friend and her son met with asked which school in Denver the boy attended. "East High," he sad, and the admissions person said, "East High? We LOVE kids from East!" The year my daughter graduated from East, grads had gotten into Stanford, Vassar, Duke, Emory, UCLA, there was one or two Ivy admits as well. And yet there are Coloradans in the suburbs who turn their nose down at East because "it's got gangs." Which is, as we all know, code for kids of color.

[weemaple]

@vunderbar - comments I read sound pretty darn good about East High.


I'd just have to find housing around there that we can afford and still have comfortable space for the next decade or so! I guess it's like other cities, where living closer to downtown means higher-priced housing, unless you're willing to squish into a pretty small condo or townhouse. We used to marvel at the couple who rented next to us in Los Angeles once upon a time, who had 4 kids in a 2 bedroom apartment, and raised their kids to be music prodigies. We are not that family. =(


Anyway, I like your idea about gauging quality by the scope of AP classes and the other factors associated with AP. The question is how to get that kind of information before moving, beyond this forum and all the comment threads from the above-mentioned websites! I guess cold-calling the schools about their AP programs . . .