Denver's Best Public Elementary Schools

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Finding the perfect school for a child is about more than just test scores. Everything from educational method to class size to levels of expected parental involvement must be taken into account and weighed against the child's individual needs. Is he a strongly independent learner? Does she love making art and music? Is a multicultural environment important? Are there special programs for children facing educational obstacles? There are so many questions to ask, and so many possibilities to explore. For a beginning look into some of the best Denver has to offer its children, here are some of the area's best public elementary schools.

1. Challenge School

A magnet school in the Cherry Creek School District, Challenge School focuses on students with high levels of academic achievement across the board. Admission to the school is by application only, and families of accepted students are expected to devote a portion of their time to benefiting the school through service events. Challenge School's rigorous academic standards also tie into the real world, with "Connection Classes"_ bringing together small multi-year groups for projects and a mandatory community service requirement which sends students out to do good in the neighborhood. Specialized in-school courses and events taking place outside of the school give students at Challenge the ability to apply what they have learned and build upon that base in a fun, dynamic environment.

2. Steck Elementary School

Part of the Denver Public School system, Steck Elementary School offers a learning environment in which differences are accepted and celebrated. The student body represents children from all walks of life, with programs ranging from gifted child classes to specialized art and music programs that encourage both academic and creative growth. Parents and teachers are highly involved at Steck, both in special events that take place throughout the year and in committees that help determine the school's future course.

3. Rocky Mountain School of Expeditionary Learning

Drawing its population out of a set of applicants from five Denver-area school districts, Rocky Mountain School of Expeditionary Learning takes an approach towards education that is unique in the Denver metro area. Instead of subject-focused classes, students undertake intensive forays into various topics which cover a broad range of experiences. Ideally suited for children with a strong independent streak, the school utilizes Outward Bound principles in its educational theory, replacing the traditional educational experience with this effective alternative method.

4. Polaris at Ebert

Serving highly gifted students from within the Denver Public School system, Polaris at Ebert offers a challenging curriculum across all subject areas. A small school environment allows and encourages individualized learning as well as intensive exploration of a vast range of topics. Polaris at Ebert often takes its students out to various cultural institutions in the area, encouraging both an understanding of different cultures and an interest in a range of arts and sciences. Students are accepted to Polaris by nomination and subsequent application, with the prerequisite of high scores on the standardized gifted test given in schools across the district.

5. Dennison Elementary School

Offering a generally traditional educational program, Dennison Elementary School is one of the top-performing elementary schools in the Jeffco Public Schools district. The option school draws students from throughout the district's boundaries who are motivated high achievers. One of the facets of Dennison that sets it apart from other area schools is its use of the Open Court Reading Program, an innovative language arts method that emphasizes phonetics and reading comprehension in its pupils.