All 9 Summit County Schools Hit Top State Rating

Every single school in Summit County, Colorado just proved that struggling districts can turn things around.

All nine schools in the mountain district have earned Colorado's highest performance rating for the first time in recent years. The district's overall score climbed from 58.1% last year to 62.5% this year, a remarkable recovery after falling below full accreditation in 2023.

The wins came from schools that needed them most. Silverthorne Elementary, which landed on a "priority improvement plan" in 2022 with just a 40% score, has now maintained top status for two consecutive years. Its academic achievement rating has nearly doubled from 25% to 42.1%.

"Silverthorne turning around within two years is a huge achievement," said Laura Cotsapas, the district's chief transformation officer. The school has met growth expectations for three straight years.

Summit High School posted its strongest growth in five years, jumping from 51.1% to 61.2% overall. The high school's academic growth score surged from 48.2% to 64.3%, finally meeting state expectations. Math scores on the PSAT improved for the first time since 2022.

The district's success comes from focusing on student growth rather than just achievement scores. A student moving from "not meeting" standards to "approaching" them shows real progress, even if they haven't reached proficiency yet.

The Ripple Effect

The framework emphasizes growth over static achievement, giving districts credit for helping students catch up. Summit County's overall growth score hit 65.8%, moving from "approaching" to "meeting" state standards.

The improvements reach beyond test scores. The district now has a 95.8% graduation rate and a 68.5% matriculation rate, meaning more than two-thirds of graduates pursue college, career training, or military service.

Only four schools met top performance standards in 2022. Now all nine have reached that milestone, with scores climbing steadily each year. The district went from barely missing full accreditation to exceeding it in just three years.

District leaders say the growth scores point to where achievement will go next, as students who are catching up now will reach proficiency in coming years.

Summit County proves that no school has to stay stuck.