Denver School Of Innovation And Sustainable Design in Denver

Category	Rating	Details
College Readiness	7/10	The College Readiness Rating uses this high school's graduation rates, college entrance exam participation and performance, or AP, IB, or Dual Enrollment participation to determine how well schools are preparing students for success in college and beyond. The College Readiness Rating was created using the following data from the 2021 Civil Rights Data Collection: percentage of students enrolled in IB, AP or Dual Enrollment classes in grades 9-12, using 2025 4-year high school graduation rate data from Colorado Department of Education, using 2025 Average SAT score data from Colorado Department of Education, and using 2025 demographic data from the National Center for Education Statistics.

Posted: August 22, 2024

Our son made it four days before we pulled him. The marketing and tour were great but the actual school after joining seems like a dumpster fire. The school is tiny so if your kid isn't part of the one "clique" they are doomed to a year of isolation - no options. They require standardized testing to graduate like all other schools so nothing different despite what they say. Your kid gets stuck in group projects where they are limited by the lowest common denominator. Our son had the worst experience on day 1 being "assigned pronouns" by a teacher which he found pretty offensive. He was put in what he says felt like a DEI inspired class called ethnic studies there is no way out of and seems very subjective and rather controversial. I could see if it was elective but seems not. The principal would have to "phone a friend" to answer basic questions with "my boss said" which should have been a red flag for us and she didnt respond to emails at some point which was another red flag. The Sped person our son had was shockingly disorganized and she seemed to confuse our son with other kids even though the entire school is like 70 kids I heard. Our son loved the tour but it felt like all bait and switch done for getting bodies for funding. We noticed very little family engagement, nonexistent "community" and struggled getting email responses to simple questions from staff. Its a ghost town of engagement in our opinion. Grading seems highly subjective to the point I cant see how it makes sense and its group based. A high performing kid would seem to do very poorly as a result weighed down by others. The prinipal clearly couldnt care less about the student experience in our opinion. I can see why enrollment is so low after so many years - ITS FOR A REASON. Four days!! Our son lasted 4 days before he begged us to go back to a "real" school because he was bored. It so small my kid spent one day almost in the same room with the same 10 kids all day. My son referred to the one crowd as "emos" and there seems to be no other "type" of kid that goes there per my son. But even if the kids arent cool staff doesn't connect to kids either. Our son was just unmotivated and felt like staff was just collecting a paycheck. He couldnt take how depressing the school was in the end and the staff didnt seem to care if he showed up anyway. That was our experience. Our son would tell you that no one wants to go here for a reason - enrollment numbers dont lie

Posted: August 22, 2024

Posted: April 30, 2024

Due to the small class size the school feels like a family. The teachers also foster an environment that allows you to feel accepted no matter what difference you may have.

Posted: April 30, 2024

Posted: October 2, 2023

Choosing DSISD has been a brilliant life-changing choice for our son that we are thankful for every day.

It is a diamond in the rough that seems to be a well-kept secret around town, so if you haven't heard of it you are not alone - but you are in for a happy surprise if you are looking for a small, closely-knit community with lots of individualized attention, project-based learning and student-led learning tracks.

We love the incredible teacher-to-student ratio (honestly, it's the best I've ever even heard of in a public school) which means that no kids fall through the cracks and it is so easy to get one-on-one support if/when you need it. The teaching and administrative team seems to really want student voices in big decisions and culture building. We love the sense of belonging and ownership the students feel here.

DSISD is also incredibly inclusive and affirming, which was an important piece of the high school puzzle for our family as we needed to find a safe and supportive place as a foundation on which to build academic success. We appreciate the time that teachers have taken to really get to know our son and have watched as his friend circle has blossomed with really creative, kind and lovely kids.

I couldn't recommend this school highly enough - everyone should know about it and the doors that it can open for college, apprenticeships and internships. We never imagined a high school experience could be this positive, fun and future-focused.

Posted: October 2, 2023

Posted: September 12, 2023

My child came from an environment where he was bullied for being a little different. He was in need of special help. Since attending DSISD he has completely come out of his shell and his confidence in himself and his abilities have grown tremendously not only at school but at home too. He went on a class trip to Japan this summer which the experience will be with him the remainder of his life.

Posted: September 12, 2023

Posted: September 11, 2023

Both of my children have/are attending DSISD. The staff is incredible and so committed to student wellbeing AND success. They truly want students to learn through doing and theyre not just teaching to a test. One of my kids has special needs and the team was so responsive and caring, making sure to connect with me when needed and to gently help my kid so that they didnt feel overwhelmed or different. I cannot be more grateful for the care each and every person takes to help these student feel seen and respected.
The parent group is also fantastic in trying to make sure these kids and teachers have what they need to feel joyful in their community.
Is it perfect - no school is! Is it worth it? Absolutely! Im so glad we are a DSISD family!

Posted: September 11, 2023

I chose this school for my son because of the small class sizes. With 10-12 students in class, I know he will receive the necessary support he may miss in bigger schools. The school is in the heart of downtown Denver which allows him to eat at different places during his off-campus lunch time. I know that I can reach out to his teachers if I need them. He is doing exceptional work and learning new things that are tailored to his interests. Great school and faculty.

Posted: September 11, 2023

There is a close-knit feeling among the students, which immediately made my son feel welcomed. He had a difficult time in middle school with bullying and this school made him feel welcome. He never asked to go out and meet friends in middle school but he quickly found a group he likes to hang with. We gave him the option of which high school to attend and he chose DSISD.

Posted: September 6, 2023

My son is THRILLED to be at DSISD. The classroom sizes allow for collaboration and the students have a lot of input in the learning process. We have four kids that have gone through DPS, all at different high schools, and I am amazed at how excited he is to go to school every day. The teachers are very involved and accessible, and the spirit of the school is wonderful. I also greatly appreciate the emphasis on figuring out ones path (they have mentors) and trying different things, while also having the opportunity to take college level classes, internships, or apprentice. I highly recommend if your child is looking for a place where they can be themselves and take ownership of their high school experience.

Posted: September 6, 2023

My son trans and DSISD has been exceptionally good at giving him a safe space to thrive. That, plus all the early college classes have really set him ahead. And class sizes are small so everyone gets personalized interactions with teachers.

Posted: September 6, 2023

Posted: September 3, 2023

This is an amazing school. The teachers are extremely supportive and caring.

Posted: September 3, 2023

Posted: September 2, 2023

I am so thankful that my son has the opportunity to attend DSISD. Since my first visit at the school, I have been impressed with the staff, the classes (high school/trade/college) offered by the school, and just the overall accepting & nurturing environment. DSISD is a project-based learning high school which allows students to follow their interests, remain curious, and truly be invested in their education.

Posted: September 2, 2023

Posted: August 31, 2023

This school hits all the checkboxes for a failing school. Poor leadership. Zero accountability. Teacher turnover. It seems like a great concept - small alternative high school right in the middle of Denver. However, it's really small because they have a problem attracting and retaining students. The leadership at the school is non-existent except for the emails and voicemails from the Principal. Any requests from parents to improve things are simply ignored. The teachers who are really good end up leaving. The ones that stay aren't held accountable. The best thing about this school is that my child doesn't go there anymore.

Posted: August 31, 2023

Posted: June 15, 2023

Do not send your student here if they have special needs. The only teacher that doesn't leave is the SPED teacher and that's because she can't work anywhere else. This school is more concerned about your student's sexuality and pronouns then they are about instilling accountability and academics. There is a ton of teacher turnover and students are running from this place. The principal has no idea what is going on in a school of 100 people and someone else said it best, they blame their incompetence on the student.

Posted: June 15, 2023

Posted: June 1, 2023

For a simple example, the admin and teacher Antonoff never explained why 946 points over 1106 points will become from 85.5% to 78.99%. Why 41 points over 48 points will become from 85.41% to 83.21% when the students and the parents have questions about the grades. Instead of telling us why, they blamed that as the student's fault for not working hard. And we felt the principal never cares about our concerns because she never showed up in a meeting. So we all left.

Posted: June 1, 2023

Posted: April 22, 2023

I have a love-hate relationship with DSISD. On one hand, this was the school I've stayed at the longest in my entire school career. I made amazing friends here, had excellent teachers, and was able to go further in my education than a traditional high school would have allowed. On the other hand, the school is plagued by a lack of communication from admin, disinterested students, and a lack of funding. The school doesn't know what it is or what it wants to be, as it's intended purpose clashes with the students who actually attend the school. It also shares a building with Morey Middle School, and the schools do not like each other at all. Morey prevents DSISD from using certain facilities, including the school library. As much as I love DSISD, and love the people I met there, these major issues cause massive problems, and the future of the school looks fairly grim. I cannot, in good faith, recommend DSISD unless you have a back-up plan in case things go south. It's a shame, because more enrollment would lead to better funding which could fix some of these issues, but I'm not optimistic about the school's chances at this point.

(Side note, most of the metrics about the school presented on this site are false/out of date, so take all the information you see with a grain of salt)

Posted: April 22, 2023

Posted: May 12, 2022

I attended DSISD an unspecified amount of time, and left feeling like I was falsely promised. Students leaving DSISD is not uncommon, and the purpose of this review is to explain why. DSISD is a great initial concept for a school, but is executed terribly. In order to have a successful school, you need strong enrollment numbers. Even though DSISD is a small school by design, they have too few students. The current principal has stated that the school is supposed to have 400 students. But in actuality they have around 20-30 per grade barely cracking 100 total students (as of the previous school year.) This is too small for anybody! Because of this, there is no variety at all in the classes you can take. I understand small schools offer less, but as I said DSISD is ridiculously small and if you don't like computer science or engineering, you cannot do anything else! If you don't get along with the very small number of students in your classes, your chances of finding students to be friends with are slim. It is an isolating environment that gets smaller and smaller every year. I have one compliment to DSISD though. Student behavior here is better than most other schools in DPS. I don't know why this is, as every previous DPS school I attended had many out of control students who ruined the learning experience. But I would still not recommend attending DSISD due to the reasons I listed. It's not worth it.

Posted: May 12, 2022

Posted: May 18, 2020

1 star. Their "personalized learning" means absolutely nothing. The teachers care but their efforts are hindered by the way they have to run their classes. It's not an effective model for almost anyone and that's why the school's performance in most metrics is bad. A lot of reviews were made when it was a shiny new school the first two years and people were excited and energized by a novel approach to schooling. As a student I can tell you it was chaotic and eventually settled into a sub-par, ineffective teaching environment. Parents get excited because they're masters of buzzwords "community", "values", "personalized learning". They don't meant anything. They half-heartedly tried to integrate these things into the curriculum but they had no impact and often were so useless as to hinder your ability to gain anything useful from them. It's just a mess.

Posted: May 18, 2020

Posted: April 4, 2019

My kids (2 at the school) don't do busy work, homework is designed to continue on what is done in the classroom, and is often actually able to be completed during school hours. When work is done at home, it is meaningful and useful. Competency-based learning has been great for my kids!

Posted: April 4, 2019

While we have had one or 2 not amazing teachers over 3 years and 2 kids, overall they have been wonderful. My kids have been engaged in subjects that don't interest them, and have made progress in all areas.

Posted: April 4, 2019

The core values of the school include these areas, and I see them as a focus. In a recent parent-teacher (student-led) conference, my student's teacher addressed these areas in a really effective and impactful way.

Posted: April 4, 2019

It's a new school, and there have been some leadership transitions, but I think it's going as smoothly as possible. There is so much passion for the school and the students.

Posted: April 4, 2019

My 2 kids have learning differences that have been accommodated, and both are thriving. The approach at DSISD allows for learning differences without judgement, and the different approaches benefit so many types of learners.

Posted: April 4, 2019

We haven't had much of a problem with this so I can't comment.

Posted: April 4, 2019

Very very good, overall. No learning environment is perfect, but both my (very different) kids have been thriving here.

Posted: December 2, 2018

The school is very diverse with students from very different backgrounds. So, students get exposed to each other and work together on projects....this builds character, respect, and understanding. It is a tight-knit school where bullying is not tolerated.

Posted: December 2, 2018

It's a new school, but the administration is very committed to making this work, and to the overall experiential model stressing internships and work experience.

Posted: December 2, 2018

Absolutely! The school has some VERY HIGH PERFORMING kids, and also some kids with weaker backgrounds. They all know each other and work together. The teachers are very supportive, and do a great job of incorporating all kids into the lessons.

Posted: December 2, 2018

I don't know of any bullying that goes on....it must happen, but it is dealt with quickly and efficiently. The school is small, so everyone knows each other.

Posted: December 2, 2018

Students are challenged, but allowed to go at their own pace. Students who choose more challenging courses (AP) get more homework.

Posted: December 2, 2018

The teachers are very supportive, and truly consider the needs of the individual student. They work with the student to design coursework that is appropriate.

Posted: December 2, 2018

My daughter went to a "top-rated" public high school and hated the mundane, formulaic curriculum. DSISD uses a fundamentally different model in which a program/coursework is designed for each student. The curriculum is designed to let students do an internship (often paid!) in their senior year in order to get work/life experience. This gets them out of the classroom and into the real world. This is the future of education.

Posted: November 15, 2018

A competency based curriculum and a personalized learning platform allow each student to work at their own pace and level.

Posted: November 15, 2018

The school is incredibly diverse and encourages each student to embrace their individuality while understanding their differences.

Posted: November 15, 2018

Homework is always meaningful, never busy work. Students are able to maintain a very strong work/life balance.

Posted: November 15, 2018

Teachers work with students to achieve their very best work, making themselves available for office hours before school almost every day. During regular revision windows that work is elevated to an even higher level.

Posted: November 15, 2018

Students work in heterogeneous groups for project based learning in every class. They have to work together closely to achieve for the entire group.

Posted: November 15, 2018

The opportunities afforded to students at DSISD allowing them to pursue college and career readiness while still in high school are second to none.

Posted: October 18, 2018

DSISD's philosophy means no meaningless homework. Homework is relevant to the project, and minimal. They also don't over-test the students, which is refreshing.

Posted: October 18, 2018

This would be a "strongly agree", except some things promised initially have not come to fruition.

Posted: October 18, 2018

Denver is fortunate to have DSISD, a school that encourages meaningful learning at one's own pace as well as direct connections to companies in the community providing mentorships, internships, and apprenticeships to aid the students in designing their own future. Students can take AP classes starting in 9th grade if they choose. There have been many changes in this school's first years, and the student's get a voice in many of them. Hopefully the vision continues and more higher-level classes are offered.

#	Name	Type	City	State	Distance
1	Cherry Creek	Neighborhood/Subdivision	Denver	CO	1.7 mi
2	Sterling Hills West	Area of Town	Aurora	CO	12.1 mi
3	Forest Lakes	Neighborhood/Subdivision	Monument	CO	46.8 mi

#	Name	City	State	Overall Rating	Distance
1	Loveland	Loveland	CO		45.3 mi
2	North Gate Blvd	Colorado Springs	CO		49.8 mi

Denver School Of Innovation And Sustainable Design

Denver, CO 80218

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Denver School Of Innovation And Sustainable Design

Denver, CO 80218

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