DSST: Cedar Middle School in Denver | Military Town Advisor

Category	Rating	Details
Test Scores	9/10	The Test Score Rating examines how students at this school performed on standardized tests compared with other schools in the state. The Test Rating was created using 2025 Colorado Measures of Academic Success (CMAS) data from Colorado Department of Education.

Posted: June 8, 2026

In my experience, the staff and faculty at DSST Cedar Middle School put in a lot of effort to deliver the education they promise. Middle schoolers are notoriously difficult and their needs vary widely, so there is no one disciplinary model, teaching pedagogy, or support scaffolding that will address every situation equally. But, my experience is that the administrators try very hard to anticipate, receive feedback, and adapt. The teachers work hard every day to impart substantive knowledge to a diverse group of kids with a diverse set of issues. And when they don't get it right, I have found them very open to discussion, seeking parent feedback, and thoughtful in their responses. You get out of a school what you put into it, and that is as true at Cedar as anywhere else. An engaged parent, teaching their kids to communicate clearly and to diligently pursue their own education, will find a receptive team that works in partnership to see their student succeed just as much as they do.

Posted: June 8, 2026

Posted: April 17, 2026

The hispanic students at this school think it's ok to use racial slurs like the n word, and none of the teachers or faculty care. There is no enforcement of rules or standards, and the school lets former students who graduated/dropped out hang around the school during school hours unsupervised. Sorry but why are heavily tattooed former students allowed to hang around middle schoolers?

Posted: September 22, 2024

The social workers here are anti-family and influenced by Marxist-inspired critical theories. Do not trust the adults with your children.

Posted: August 4, 2024

One of the worst schools in Denver. Dysfunctional, disorganized, and not focused on education.

Posted: August 4, 2024

Posted: June 29, 2024

This was not my daughters first choice for 6th grade, but she had a great year. The teachers are very attentive and they make sure the kids stay on track. If a teacher thinks a student is falling behind, they will put them on mandatory tutoring, which I appreciate. It is more strict than most middle schools, but not anything crazy. They believe that from bell to bell, kids are there to learn. They are setting kids up for success by holding them accountable. This school isnt for everyone but it was an awesome fit for my kid. She excelled and was actually excited to make good grades. If your kid does well with structure, then it will be a great fit. I love the diversity, acceptance and inclusion at this school. My child learned so much and she left 6th grade being a better human being. We had a great experience and looking forward to another year at Cedar in 7th grade! The teachers actually care. I felt like my child got a private school experience at a public school cost. Proud to have a child at Cedar!

Posted: June 29, 2024

Posted: September 4, 2023

My child is in 6th grade. She came home one day upset because one of the teachers wouldnt let her go to the bathroom even though it was the end of the day. Apparently she was walking to the 6th grade while students were leaving. And the teacher yelled and wouldnt let her go? This upset my child and now she is afraid to ask if she can go to the bathroom. They also put a lot of pressure on the kids.

Posted: September 4, 2023

Posted: June 19, 2023

This past year at DSST Byers was beyond disappointing. It was an absolute waste of a year. I wish I could rewind time to choose another middle school for my son. The first day my son told the teacher he needed to use the bathroom and he was told he couldnt go! I emailed the teacher to ask why and never received a response. It only got worse. My son has an IEP which was not reviewed at all by his teachers or support team. I only found out after the IEP was violated many times. If you are the type of parent who believes recess should be used as a punishment then this is definitely the school for you! I strongly DO NOT recommend this school for students with special needs or ADHD. In addition to these situations, I had multiple instances where I received texts indicating my child was not at school and was unable to get a hold of anyone at the school to confirm. These texts tuned out to be false alarms, however, not one person answered the phone! Talk about scary and potentially dangerous. DSST Byers needs a huge wake up call and a revamp of many of their existing policies.

Posted: June 19, 2023

Posted: January 17, 2023

At this school there is no safety at all and they try to cover every one of there flaws to outsiders and teachers that would make sure that the kids who go here cannot express there opinion on the school. In my experience of learning in this school they do not care about your education and more to what the teacher wants to do as they never accounted for kids that may need more time and no not make the students feel like they belong in this school making kids feel depressed and overwhelmed. They also pile a lot of homework on kids that almost always take 2+ hours or more and they do not leave good as they say "we make Kids ready for collage"

Posted: January 17, 2023

Posted: October 4, 2022

It sucks. The school does a great job making it look great to parents and outsiders but as a student that graduated I know how it is. The teachers are just outright mean to students. Especially failing students. They make no real attempt to help them and they get yelled at all day long. The whole vibe of the school is depressing. They claim that being a "different" middle school is better for the students. But I would beg to differ because the entire school is just sad. The only thing that helped was being in a higher math class to help me get ahead in high school. If you really want to you can grind out academics for high school but at the price of your mental health. I didn't stay at dsst for high school either.

Posted: October 4, 2022

Posted: August 18, 2022

I believe that GreatSchools ratings have not caught up with the drastic changes at DSST: Byers MS in 2021-2022, which probably affected student achievement: uniforms dropped to t-shirts/athletic wear & didn't arrive until the 2nd month of school for most students - half the kids who'd been there the year before saw it as an opportunity to not mind the dress code that had previously served to discipline and equalize. Several new teachers joined in, and only 3 of 6 core classes were well managed fall 2021 7th grade. Former Byers middle school students who were now Byers High School students remarked how different the middle school was with behavioral issues, fights, rowdiness, etc. Although the first full year back from covid closures was tough nationwide, the kids raised by youtube seemed to be more pronounced here. Our student got beat up, twice, and we didn't even have our 1st IEP meeting until mid-October, when it should have been the first week of school - none of the teachers had a copy either. We transferred out at Thanksgiving break to a private school.

Posted: August 18, 2022

Posted: December 14, 2019

Feel so lucky to be there. It is a diverse school where our child has made terrific friends and grown both academically and emotionally. The high expectations have caused him to have higher expectations in himself. He will be completely prepared for high school. He was going to go to South but wants to stay at Byers, because HE feels he will get a great education there that will prepare him for college. Decision was up to him.

Posted: December 14, 2019

Theyve changed their homework policy and they have about 30 min - our kiddo is able to get all of it done during the school day.

Posted: December 14, 2019

They know who my child is and communicate both positive and negative.

Posted: December 14, 2019

100% on this. They call out kids that are disrespectful and teach them why it is important, not just discipline them.

Posted: December 14, 2019

They listened when we were having issues at one point.

Posted: December 14, 2019

Our child is on an IEP and gets the help he needs.

Posted: December 14, 2019

We have had issues twice and they were dealt with within 24 hours.

Posted: July 10, 2019

The school focuses on character building with all the kids. Unfortunately some kids are there via parents who work there and their kids should be removed! Rules seem not to apply?

Posted: July 10, 2019

Unfortunately we are losing the Principal. Our hope is that he has laid a great foundation that will lead to a smooth transition

Posted: July 10, 2019

Ive heard second hand some disturbing things, but cant verift to be honest

Posted: July 10, 2019

My son complains, but he knocks it out in about 1 hour

Posted: July 10, 2019

Very engaged! Great feedback from the teachers. They seem to really care.

Posted: July 10, 2019

For our son, its been great. He likes structure and rules. He is thriving.
Its tough for 6th graders not to talk in and between classes. Developing social skills may be hard? This relaxes as they get closer to high school. My main pet peeve is reverse discrimination! The lottery system should be equal to all. If youre white- 1 ticket vs 3 to all other races . If this school had the same policy but in reverse, do you think there would be screaming and law suits?? Make it fair to all races!

Posted: May 14, 2019

Teachers are overloaded and no one can get a hold of teachers

Posted: May 14, 2019

Hahahaha... completely laughable. I guess better than some bigger schools, but if they had a great support program they might attract kids who could benefit from a program like that and then they might risk their average test scores.

Posted: May 14, 2019

Well, if they could get the teachers to stop bullying and learn how to manage their classrooms rather than the prison prep program they are running, they might get further.

Posted: May 14, 2019

After 3 years, I would not do it again if i had it to do over. All this school has done is make my child not care about being in trouble because everything gets you in trouble. That kind of discipline structure just allows teachers to lean on punishment rather than figuring out other methods. If you want to prepare your kid for prison, send them here. Their discipline style creates angry, rebellious, and apathetic students if they are the type with opinions, and just shuttles the quiet ones through with good grades and does nothing to develop character or curiosity.
It is a real shame, because they have some good teachers and good values with honoring diversity-- but anyone who is not status quo is turned into a bad kid or demoralized or both. They get gym once a week, and then sit through more paperwork and tests. They are not allowed to learn any normal socialization. This school ruined my kid's attitude towards school and education because it is all just lip service. Their test scores are high because they draw on an very affluent neighborhood. Check the test scores and discipline records of underprivileged kids and you will see some benefit sure from the resources they get, but overall they are not helping anyone succeed except the kids who would have already. You can't get any insight on how your kid is doing bc the teachers have no idea, the kids aren't allowed to speak -- they can snap to show approval but no talking or discussion because that would disrupt the rapid fire flow they run. I would be completely disgusted except the teachers are not doing a bad job as far as course content and effort, they are just overwhelmed. They need to keep most of the teachers and restructure their classroom management, it is a sick culture they are creating.

Posted: May 14, 2019

The volume of homework equates to 2+ hours per night. On occasion, the homework has been ambiguous bordering on nonsensical. My son has spent many evenings overwhelmed and had a full-blown panic attack last month.

Posted: May 14, 2019

The expectation of integrity, compassion, and respect is limited to the student body.

Posted: May 14, 2019

I've sent multiple emails to leadership and staff. Rarely is there a response from them.

Posted: May 14, 2019

Student: "I have a 504 plan that allows me to chew gum in class."
Teacher: "I don't care what your 504 plan says. I don't want to scrape gum off the bottom of desks."
Had a meeting with the SPED teacher to discuss a 504 plan at the beginning of the year (my child's advisor didn't show up). No response.

Posted: May 14, 2019

Terrible. Since the start of the school year, I have made multiple attempts to contact my child's homeroom advisor, social studies teacher, after-school club coordinator, DEAN OF STUDENTS, and others. The responses are few, if at all. My child has felt isolated this entire year. He has NEVER been in trouble at school; DSST: Byers has altered that trend. Discipline is dolled out for the most laughable infractions. Instances he has been disciplined for include: telling another student to stop talking, turning around in his seat, asking a question out of turn, taking a pencil someone placed in the hood of his jacket and dropping it on the floor, laughing in class, etc. Not one teacher has reached out to discuss his performance or behavior (based on the amount of discipline, I would be lead to think it is concerning)........apparently not.

Posted: April 11, 2019

Our son has dyslexia and an IEP. He has in room support and is pulled for extra help when needed. They also focus on his strengths which has helped his self esteem.

Posted: April 11, 2019

We had one small issue and within 24 hrs it was dealt with. Hasnt been a problem since.

Posted: April 11, 2019

Excellent! It is a hard and strict school. The first few months are an adjustment. Our son , though, has made tremendous growth compared to 5th grade. He has developed skills that will make high school so much easier. It is also diverse and exposed him to different cultures. Truly impressed and feel lucky to be there.

Posted: April 11, 2019

We were very worried about homework going in to Byers. It actually has not been that bad at all. Our son has learned how to manage his time and gets it done in half the time compared to the first few months. Learning to do this now will make high school so much easier.

Posted: April 11, 2019

They know our son and care about his progress. They have high expectations of him, which has caused him to have high expectations of himself. We dont have to push him or be involved with his homework. If I contact his advisor or teacher they call or email the same day.

Posted: April 11, 2019

This is a huge focus and taken seriously. Their 6 core principles arent just something written on the wall. The kids are graded on them. If they dont honor the principles then they have to stay after school - not a detention, but a refocus where they have to think and write about how they could do better. It definitely helps keep the kids stay in line.

Posted: March 4, 2019

My son learns while he is doing him homework so it's not just recap.

Posted: March 4, 2019

They allow teachers to engage 1 on 1 with students and reach out to parents when needed.

Posted: March 4, 2019

Even when kids are kids they always come back to integrity.

Posted: March 4, 2019

When issues do come up they are delt with and not swept under the rug.

Posted: March 4, 2019

They are limited by the Federal rules and budgets. They do better than most.

Posted: March 4, 2019

It's hard to enforce what they do not see.

Posted: March 4, 2019

8.5 out of 10. Wish summer school was available for more students who need it.

Posted: August 6, 2018

All 3 years of middle school were problematic in this area and allthough there were small attempts to stop it..real mediation and accomplishment from the school's end did not happen.until the final year. Including an incident of a "fake gun" (paintball) that was brought to intimidate my daughter and the school never informed me of until my daughter told me and I asked about it.

Posted: August 6, 2018

Horrible experience in the middle school. Was hoping the high school would be better but we pulled her out after they wouldn't let her walk in continuation because she wore jeans instead of dress clothes which she didn't have at the time.

Posted: August 6, 2018

Homework is a minimum of 1-2 hours and tutoring is given as a punishment not an aide.

Posted: August 6, 2018

Teaching staff is excellent..however most admin and support staff were not effective at all.

Posted: August 6, 2018

Agree that they do attempt this..However, when the character is built because of fear of getting reprimanded ..the good values that should be developed are then turned into fuel for rebellion.

Posted: August 6, 2018

Sent emails and phone calls about various issues and nothing. Posted on Facebook and immediately recieved a response.

Posted: August 6, 2018

Not sure as my child does not have any learning disabilities.

Posted: October 13, 2017

The vision at DSST to create equity in education is awesome. Annually, there goals adapt and there is real awareness regarding areas they need to grow. We have gone there three years and have been impressed with leadership learning, adapting and growing. They hold a high bar for themselves as well.

Posted: October 13, 2017

Because answering this would be assuming I know how other kids do or don't learn I can't honestly reply. Our experience has been they have the tools to finish their work.

Posted: October 13, 2017

In one small instance our child was being teased. We mentioned it in an email to coach and it was responded to within the hour and problem went away. There is no tolerance for bullying/teasing.

Posted: October 13, 2017

There is homework. Once kids find their rhythm with it, it is not burdensome. A noticeable difference is that my kids seem to have notes and tools to complete their tasks.

Posted: October 13, 2017

Teachers hold kids to a high expectation but support. They do t let kids fall behind, so that might mean after school help, which is offered.

Posted: October 13, 2017

The core values at DSST are evident. Again, they expect students to understand and embrace doing your best, respect, responsibility, integrity etc.

Posted: October 13, 2017

DSST is a school that has expectations for their students. We have seen tremendous growth not just academically but in whole character. Overall this school has an amazing program. Our kids have been challenged and had fun. It does have expectations such as homework and being engaged in the classroom. This is highly advertised in who they are. Watching my kids adapt to homework I have noticed adjustments in organizational behaviors (they support a highly organized self).

Posted: April 17, 2017

This school was a nightmare for my child and we left after a year. Even after the "honors" recognition and leadership council, my child felt like a failure. There is a lack of fun and zero social interaction. Homework is overbearing with over two hours per night. Teachers can't keep up with the load and want to help but don't. It's a horrible model for a school, sad that a lot of DPS funding is going to an organization that has only graduated 1,000 students to date due to their high rate of student attrition. Do not choice Byers or your student will be miserable.

Posted: April 11, 2017

This school is geared for two types of kid. The straight A student and the student from, perhaps, a troubled home. Both of these types of students will do fine in the strict environment, where there are dozens of small rules for seemingly everything. For the normal child, YOUR child, this place will be a nightmare. This is BY FAR the strictest school of all of the DSSTs and the least enjoyable. We have done one year of high school and are leaving. If you have a creative kid, a kid who wants to problem solve 'outside the box', who wants to express his/her personality, this is NOT the place for you. There is only one way to do things at this school, and that is the Byers' way.

Please, for the happiness of your kid, please stay away.

Posted: April 11, 2017

No original thoughts or ideas are allowed except those permitted by the school.

Posted: April 11, 2017

At least one teacher cries in front of kids regularly.

Others seem OK, but are under the control of a very, very strict environment (which, of course, the kids rebel against).

Posted: April 11, 2017

They hold the kids to extremely high standards, but they do not expect the same standards from teachers, who may or not mark the homework

Posted: March 14, 2017

My children are thriving in this school. So many call it "strict" and "rigorous". I think it is better described as "structured" and "stimulating". The structure in place at DSST:Byers creates consistent expectations and boundaries early on in middle school. For my kids, this created comfort and success. The stimulation provided engages students as active learners allowing them to achieve their full potential. I am 100% satisfied with DSST:Byers Middle School.

Posted: March 14, 2017

The core values are REAL at DSST:Byers

Posted: March 14, 2017

Passionate, dedicated, amazing, energetic teachers and staff

Posted: March 14, 2017

Posted: March 1, 2017

Byers has wonderful teachers. You couldn't asked for a harder working, more engaged group of professionals. They always take time to answer questions and go out of their way to help the students.

Posted: March 1, 2017

The teachers at this school are amazing. This is a fantastic school with great sports, top-notch education and a great community.

Posted: February 17, 2017

Teachers are teaching a lot, and the assignments are interesting. The problem is with the style of teaching they are forced to do more than anything, and the pace. I wanted a good school with a good program, but they need to ratchet it down just a little bit.

Posted: February 17, 2017

If you have a kiddo who excels in school, they may do OK. My child is very unhappy there, and has some trouble/mild learning disabilities which have NOT been helped or supported. Teachers will not respond directly, everything goes through an advisor, makes it very difficult to tell what is going on. I think the teachers and principal are very committed and talented, I just disagree with the style of teaching. The Finns have the best educational system in the world and basically do everything the exact opposite of what the DSST schools do, so what does that tell you? There is no balance in the electives either, no second languages, not even Spanish which should be required in Colorado. Brad White, the principal, appears to be a very compassionate and reasonable man, but it surprises me he heads this type of school. Hoping next year is better and there was just a tough learning curve, but socially and emotionally am not happy. The style of teaching is a bit much, lots of promises but your kid sure pays for it. They really need to put some fun into the day with some arts and some way for the kids to have a little down time to socialize.

Posted: February 17, 2017

The school is the bully, the system. My student hasn't reported any issues though.

Posted: February 17, 2017

Not even remotely. Have been trying for months to get some support or alternatives for my student and have not gotten any response from teachers.

Posted: February 17, 2017

Brad White, the principal seems great, I think it is the company model that is awful.

Posted: February 17, 2017

They think they are building character, but I think they are just teaching kids how to suffer more than anything.

Posted: February 17, 2017

They work them all day, and then homework on top of it. Oh, and NO books! Good luck helping if you can't remember off the top of your head some math problem you haven't done for 30 years. Good luck getting in touch with the teachers also, not going to happen. They say if your kid is struggling, they will be assigned to tutoring. Nope, my son has struggled in math and social studies all year and been assigned to tutoring once for each, and it is now February. No time for tutoring but they will make sure they stay from 4-5pm for a punishment.

Posted: January 21, 2017

DSST: Byers is a top notch school. Expectations are high for everyone, which can be daunting. However, the result is a highly rigorous middle and high school education that will lead to success in college and beyond.
I am thankful to be a teacher at a school that holds administration, teachers, parents, and students accountable at a high level - all for the benefit of the student. I have never taught in an environment where both students and teachers are highly supported as they are at Byers.
Also, awesome electives like fencing, computer programming, and engineering are offered each trimester. I am glad there is a school like Byers that is transforming education positively in our community.

Posted: January 21, 2017

Posted: January 6, 2017

DSST is a school only focused on the grade they receive as a school. There is no consideration for students and every kid is overly worked. The high school is no better. Teachers are extremely hard to get ahold of, and grades are hard to raise after previous teacher biases. I cannot stress enough how awful of a school this is, not only for students, but teachers and parents as well.

Posted: January 6, 2017

Posted: November 14, 2016

Overbearing rules make this place difficult for any natural character traits except those the school imposes.

Posted: November 14, 2016

Homework seems age appropriate - about 30 minutes to an hour each night (eighth grade)

Posted: November 14, 2016

This school is now at 150 South Pearl Street Denver.

An extremely strict school that saps any joy out of learning your child may have. Teachers are for the most part pretty good, but the hundreds of small rules they have (brightness of laptop must be set at a specific setting, no talking in corridors, no looking out of window, absolutely NO APPLAUSE for anything - just a two finger click etc etc etc etc etc etc etc x 100) makes this place pretty unbearable for most kids, and we left in 2015 to avoid the new high school, which we also hear is pretty draconian. They tout their great academic achievement, but the price can be a miserable kid.

Posted: October 16, 2015

this school isn't for everyone the teacher are do young they don't have lefe experience when facing different behavior in kids long time ago the school teacher with 30 plus students was more capable to deal daily with many things teen,pre-teens etc whatever they promise about college preparation isn't true I think all the staff need lot work on communication,rather of focus in how much they can make( $) and don't care the environment of each student there isn't organization,poor customer services an more

Posted: February 17, 2014

SST: Byers Middle School s program has a college preparatory focus, with an emphasis on developing core liberal arts skills in reading, writing, mathematics and science. Following the DSST Public Schools model, students succeed through a highly structured classroom environment with clear academic and behavioral expectations. This program and environment prepares students for the rigorous high school program at DSST: Byers (to be opened in a few years) and ultimately for the challenges of college. Along with rigorous academics, DSST: Byers also offers a variety of after school clubs and athletics, that will continue to grow as it builds out to a full middle school. Please check out our after school programs to see what our students are diving into! Loving it!

#	Name	Type	City	State	Distance
1	Cherry Creek	Neighborhood/Subdivision	Denver	CO	1.5 mi
2	Sterling Hills West	Area of Town	Aurora	CO	11.7 mi
3	Forest Lakes	Neighborhood/Subdivision	Monument	CO	45.2 mi
4	Flying Horse	Neighborhood/Subdivision	Colorado Springs	CO	49.1 mi

#	Name	City	State	Overall Rating	Distance
1	Loveland	Loveland	CO		46.8 mi
2	North Gate Blvd	Colorado Springs	CO		48.2 mi

Base	Distance
Buckley AFB	11.5 mi.
US Air Force Academy	49.4 mi.

DSST: Cedar Middle School

Denver, CO 80209

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DSST: Cedar Middle School

Denver, CO 80209

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