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Public middle school · Adams 12 Five Star Schools · Thornton, Colorado

Shadow Ridge Middle School

Shadow Ridge Middle School rates 4.2, right at the middle of Adams 12 Five Star Schools's middle schools, whose rated median is 4.6.

Middle schools, 1 to 10This campus against public middle schools around it that are rated on verified state test data.
4.2this school

4.2 on a one-to-ten scale; the Adams 12 Five Star Schools median is 4.6.

#1,696 of 1,829 schools in Colorado · Adams 12 Five Star Schools: 7 middle schools rated, median 4.6

The brief

An Adams 12 Five Star Schools middle school where students score 18 points below what's typical for similar communities.

It ranks 1,696 of 1,829 schools in Colorado and 50 of 54 in Adams 12 Five Star Schools.

Shadow Ridge Middle School is listed in Adams 12 Five Star Schools, and a district label does not verify attendance for an address: confirm the zoned campus with the district before you commit to a street.

Math11%26 points below the Colorado average of 37%2026 CMAS
Reading17%28 points below the Colorado average of 45%2026 CMAS
Proficiency has fallen 6 points since 2021, to 14% in 2026, across a 18-year record (2009–2026).2026 CMAS; 43 test records from CO state assessments and EdFacts (NCES).

What the rating is made of, each out of 10

Student Progress
6.1
40% of the rating
Academics
2.4
35% of the rating
Resources & Environment
3.6
25% of the rating
About this school's data1 correction under review · rating: low confidence · 7 sources, 2019–2026

Every number on this page comes from a published source with a stated period. Where a source is partial, aging, an estimate, or describes a surrounding area rather than the school, that limitation is named here.

Attendance data is under correction. This existing Resources & Environment score and overall rating may still reflect an unverified attendance input.

Full Profile · 3/3 metrics

Multi-year averages used by the rating model: math 26% (multi-year average, 2009-2026) · reading/ELA 37% (multi-year average, 2009-2026).

School directory (enrollment, grades, staff, contact)
NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) · SY 2023–24 · Medium confidence
  • Source period: SY 2023–24. A newer release may be available.
MySchoolScout rating and rank
MySchoolScout ranking model · Low confidence
  • Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
  • Derived as a weighted blend of the component scores shown in Academics from state assessment, EdFacts growth, and NCES resource records.
Math proficiency
State department of education · 2026 CMAS · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Source period: 2026 CMAS. A newer release may be available.
  • Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
Reading/ELA proficiency
State department of education · 2026 CMAS · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Source period: 2026 CMAS. A newer release may be available.
  • Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
Student progress (growth)
State assessments · Mixed source periods · Low confidence
  • Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Derived as the fitted year-over-year slope of proficiency from multi-year assessment records.
Neighborhood (income, housing, education)
U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates · ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates · Low confidence
  • Older source: ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates. Use as historical context.
  • Reported for the ZCTA for ZIP 80602; this does not measure the attendance area.
Programs (AP/IB, athletics, gifted)
CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22 · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Source period: SY 2021–22. A newer release may be available.

Evidence periods: Rating mixed/unknown input periods; assessments multi-year average, 2009-2026; directory SY 2023–24

The neighborhood

Where it sits, and what the area looks like.
Shadow Ridge Middle School and the 20 nearest middle schools, each pin colored by its score.Pins are locations, not attendance boundaries. Verify the enrollment path with the district.

The area

Median income
$146,679
Median home value
$639,300
Median rent
$2,574/mo
College educated
43.9%
Homeownership
92.2%
Poverty rate
3.7%

U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates · ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates for the ZCTA associated with school ZIP 80602; this is area context, not an attendance boundary.

Getting around

Walk Score
30
Car-Dependent
Transit Score
24
Minimal Transit
Bike Score
40
Somewhat Bikeable
City reported crime
2,510/100K
Reported Part-1 offenses (violent + property + arson) per 100,000 residents, from the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting program for Thornton. This is a city-level reported-crime measure, not a school safety rating.

Walk, transit and bike scores byWalk Score

FBI Uniform Crime Reporting · 2025 · city context (Thornton), not school-level safety or attendance eligibility. Source details

Source period: 2025. Freshness not available.

Programs and who goes here

What the campus offers, and who it enrolls.

Programs

Gifted and talented
Available
A program for qualifying students · CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22

Who goes here

Free or reduced lunch
61.3%
Students qualifying for federal meal assistance. Shown separately, never in the score.

NCES Common Core of Data (CCD).

Compare nearby

Grade-compatible schools using the same rating model.
Public-school ratings. Grade-compatible schools within 5 miles, best rated first.
  1. Stargate Charter School3.9 mi · charter
    7.5Compare →
  2. 6.8Compare →
  3. 6.5Compare →
  4. 5.5Compare →
  5. 5.3Compare →
  6. 4.6Compare →
  7. Westgate Community School2.8 mi · charter
    4.6Compare →
  8. 4.4Compare →
  9. Shadow Ridge Middle Schoolthis school
    4.2
Eight grade-compatible schools using the same rating model sit within 5 miles, and eight rate higher than Shadow Ridge Middle School.Public-school ratings. Straight-line distance from this campus. Pins are locations, not attendance boundaries; verify the enrollment path with the district.

Distance is proximity only; it is not attendance eligibility.

Enrollment path unverified: Potential public school; its attendance or application path has not been classified.

Charter · enrollment unverified: Potential charter option; enrollment requirements have not been verified.

The record

What is on file, and where each number came from.

Questions families ask

What grades does Shadow Ridge Middle School serve?

Shadow Ridge Middle School serves students in grades 6th through 8th.

How many students attend Shadow Ridge Middle School?

Shadow Ridge Middle School has an enrollment of approximately 641 students.

What is the student-teacher ratio at Shadow Ridge Middle School?

The student-teacher ratio at Shadow Ridge Middle School is 17.3:1. A lower ratio generally means more individual attention per student. The national average is approximately 16:1 for public schools.

How does Shadow Ridge Middle School rank in CO?

Shadow Ridge Middle School ranks #1,696 of 1,829 schools in CO.

What is Shadow Ridge Middle School's MySchoolScout rating?

Shadow Ridge Middle School has a current MySchoolScout rating of 4.2 out of 10. This score combines the level-appropriate components shown in the rating breakdown; equity data is shown separately for context.

What are the test scores at Shadow Ridge Middle School?

Based on loaded state assessment records, Shadow Ridge Middle School has 26% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2026) and 37% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2026).

Is Shadow Ridge Middle School a charter school?

No, Shadow Ridge Middle School is not a charter school. It is a traditional public school operated by the local school district.

Is Shadow Ridge Middle School a Title I school?

No, Shadow Ridge Middle School is not currently a Title I school.

What does the Free & Reduced Lunch percentage mean for Shadow Ridge Middle School?

61.3% of students at Shadow Ridge Middle School qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. This is a commonly used indicator of economic need and provides important context when interpreting test scores.

School facts

Grades
6th – 8th
Enrollment
641
Student-teacher ratio
17.3:1
Teachers (FTE)
37
Type
Regular
Title I
No
Setting
Large Suburb
County
Adams County
Rank in district
#50 of 54
Schools in district
54
District spending per student
$14,748
NCES F-33 · FY 2023 · This annual source is three years behind the current year.
District child poverty rate
8.8%
Census SAIPE · 2024
Area population (ZIP 80602)
42,237
Area average commute
32 min
Area median age
38.4

NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) (SY 2023–24).

Related reading

Data from NCES Common Core of Data, Colorado Dept. of Education, and U.S. Census ACS for the 2023–24 school year. Rankings computed by MySchoolScout. See all data sources.