Ascent Classical Academy Douglas County

10004 Park Meadows Drive

School District

Douglas County Re 1
Grade

K-12
Teacher/Student Ratio

1:18
Type

charter

School Map for Douglas County Re 1 School District

GreatSchools Rating

The school rating calculation is based on four ratings: the Student Progress Rating or Academic Progress Rating, College Readiness Rating, Equity Rating, and Test Score Rating each designed to show different facets of school success. Learn more about GreatSchools Ratings

Reviews

Submitted by parent on December 19, 2024

My kids are having having and experiences I never had. They are learning things I only learned in high school or college in elementary school. They love to learn, they love their teachers, they love going to school. We have great discussions with the kids about the economy, history, literature. They have such lots of curiosity and ask lots of great questions. My kids became avid and proficient readers very early in life largely due to the reading curriculum. The teachers are very passionate and great partners in our kids education.
Submitted by parent on December 19, 2024

We have 2 students at Ascent Classical Douglas County and this is our 4th year at the school. The education our children are receiving is far beyond any other school we’ve been part of. My children are happy and enjoy school. The staff and teachers go above and beyond to make school enjoyable while still being structured enough that the kids take it seriously. We are so thankful for the foundation Ascent is giving our kids, we are confident that they will be thriving college students and young adults because of the education they are getting here.
Submitted by parent on October 04, 2024

The quality & academic rigor of a private school without the sticker shock! Knowledgeable & passionate staff teaching students the classics- HOW to think & not what to think. Ascent embodies a love for the good, true, & beautiful from the top down, including the involved families who attend.
Submitted by parent on October 03, 2024

This is our family’s fifth year at Ascent. We have 4 kids. The tides have finally turned in a really nice direction. We loved it at first, then it was really hard to justify keeping our kids there. It became toxic. Now that the old management company has been fired, a new one put in place, and a new head master, we couldn’t be more happy that we stuck it out. Our kids are thriving. Many of the negative reviews are valid. Ascent had its struggles and we experienced them. It was mostly due to the negative environment and overly strict and inconsistent discipline. Their staff is phenomenal. They have sorted out their issues and we are so happy with the direction they are heading.
Submitted by other on October 03, 2024

This is by far the best education your child will get - ANYWHERE! The curriculum is unmatched - and NO technology. I loved that is was K-12 so that all my kiddos went to the same school. Every teacher we had was engaged and smart. Teachers are actually able to teach!!!
Submitted by other on August 07, 2024

This was the worst school of my life, it left me with scars. I was one of the 9th grade girls of 2024. I've been to 6 different schools, ranging from private schools to public schools. None can compare to the terrible experience Ascent gave me. I can still remember the overwhelming feeling of purposelessness... I was concerningly depressed. I felt trapped and developed a loss of motivation and enthusiasm for learning and life in general. This was incredibely unlikely of me, since I have always enjoyed my schools in the past. I truly had hope for Ascent... they seem to promote a good agenda and a safe environment, but it's all propaganda to have the parents believe there's no better school. Ascent dosen't inform parents when something dangerous happens in the building (I felt unsafe at many times). They only care about advertising their image. My mind only got worse throughout the year. I would cry myself to sleep EVERY SINGLE night. I started to hate everything. My old hobbies became dreadful activities that I had no energy for. The simplest tasks like waking up, walking, eating, etc. seemed like a waste of my time. I tried convincing myself that I was the problem, until I asked my peers about their opinion of the school. The majority of high school students absolutely loathe the school... out of the 17 students we had in our class at the start of the year, only 5 are returning next year. The only reason many stay there is because their parents force them to or because it's the only school with certain political beliefs. 100% of my issues with depression and SH healed as soon as I left the toxic environment of this school. I was going to end up on a news headline if I stayed another year.
Submitted by parent on July 30, 2024

Last year was our first year at Ascent; we moved our two kids here from their public elementary school which feeds to Cherry Creek High School. We observed that our public school, despite being in the top district in the state, placed far more emphasis on social emotional learning than on actual academic advancement, and we saw our bright children being placed on computers to learn and regularly complaining of boredom. Ascent has truly exceeded our expectations in every way. The content-rich, rigorous classical curriculum is truly impressive and has pushed our children to achieve their best and become lovers of learning. The teachers and administrators are passionate and dedicated, and we’ve found them to be well-educated and articulate. We like the traditional, teacher-led methods of instruction, compared to the group learning (and computer learning) we saw used in public school. We've seen significant growth in our children’s knowledge and skills since enrolling them here, and their national standardized test scores jumped from the beginning of the year to the end. The emphasis on classical education and critical thinking is evident in the way our kids approach their studies and problem-solving. We also appreciate the emphasis on moral virtues, with a different virtue taught each month, and the well-laid out discipline policy to ensure decorum and respect (something we found lacking in public school). The supportive and challenging environment at Ascent has been a perfect fit for our family. We couldn’t be happier with the progress our children are making and are grateful for the high standards and excellent education provided by this school. Highly recommend for anyone seeking a top-notch academic experience!
Submitted by parent on April 14, 2024

Our boys attended Ascent for a few years and unfortunately we can’t recommend this school. We felt the school was poorly managed, marginally indoctrinating, and a bit odd. Here are some issues to highlight: 1) Facilities aren’t great – they’re in an office building. 2) The school has a persistent problem with teacher and school leadership turnover. 3) They talk a lot about their virtues and how values aren't sufficient to discriminate between good and bad. When we pointed out that virtues derive from values, we got an incoherent emotional response. 4) This is a very conservative school. If you’re not in close ideological alignment with them, it will not be a good fit. We are a conservative family, but apparently not conservative enough. 5) A lot of the parents believe in conspiracy theories and some of them aggressively seek validation. We found ourselves avoiding discussions with many parents, and in a few cases avoiding eye contact. 6) It’s a very strict school, and they strongly emphasize order, discipline, and obedience. In our view, they go too far with this and it goes beyond fostering good behavior. 7) The board does not have a good relationship with the parents and parents don’t have any meaningful input. It’s controlled by a handful of people who are constantly fighting off parents instead of engaging with them. This has led to dysfunction and caustic politics. 8) They use a classical-style curriculum which we liked at first. But we found that while their “rich content” covered topics in greater depth than our previous school, they covered fewer topics – that is, they teach more depth about fewer things. Also, it feels like their curriculum is designed to shield the children from an excessively broad range of topics and ideas that they don't like for ideological reasons – even minor ones. This is not what a classical education should be like. 9) They claim to emphasize critical thinking and problem solving. From our experience, they do this only in limited contexts. e.g.: they want the children to learn to solve math problems but they don’t want them to learn to question things (they emphasize obedience instead). If you're not a hard-core conservative family, if you want your children to be well rounded with strong critical thinking and problem solving skills, if you're looking for a stable well-managed school environment, don’t send your children to this school.
Submitted by parent on March 21, 2024

Our family has been at Ascent Classical Academy of Douglas County since it opened in 2018. While the school had a bumpy start, which included moving buildings, several new headmasters, Covid, and changing from having a CMO to an ESP, we have been happy with the education our children have received. This is probably in large part because of the school's partnership with the Barney Charter School Initiative. The curriculum is solid. I LOVE the classic American values that Ascent teaches rather than the crazy upside down values that are so popular in mainstream education. This seems to attract teachers that are passionate about teaching without all the woke ideologies getting in the way. While many awesome teachers have left because of the administration problems in the beginning, as well as the normal changes in life circumstances such as marriage and starting a family, some of our very favorite teachers have stayed. As our kids get older we continue to discover more great teachers. Currently we are very happy with the administration and it looks like we might have finally found some stability in that area. The facilities might not be as fancy and flashy as other schools, but at the end of the day, that's not what is most important. There are plans for improving the facilities, but they do a good job with what they have now. My husband and I are blown away with how much our children have learned and fully admit they are receiving a better education than we got as kids. It is demanding, but it is requiring our kids to learn time management at an early age. By the time our kids graduate from high school, college or any other form of higher education will be a walk in the park.
Submitted by parent on July 10, 2023

Our kids have been at Ascent for 2 full years. The good: The conservative atmosphere and curriculum (no politics in class, no technology, simply studying classic literature and history w/little to no mention of current social events), a focus on teaching virtues, and competitive academics. Most kids will learn more academically here than public school. The bad: no facilities for sports, pe, recess, etc. The school is in an old office building. There is a small fenced in playground, but too small for the large number of kids they keep adding every year. PE is done on the asphalt playground. When weather is bad, PE must be done inside the lunch room, which is basically a conference room. 2nd-4th grades have 32 kids per class. Too many for any teacher to be able to successfully meet each of their needs. The curriculum is intense, much more intense than the public schools. It has been my personal experience with my child that when they fall behind, there is little to no help offered from teachers, because they are overwhelmed as it is. The administration has been appointed by a management company that is completely removed from the day to day operations of the school. This has created an environment of unacceptably high teacher turnover rate, extremely frustrated parents, and very negative relationships between the parents and school board. The school board meets in Boulder and has refused multiple requests from parents to move their meeting further south so parents can actually attend. The meetings are on zoom, during car line pick up, so there is no face to face communication with the school board at all, and absolutely no accountability to parents. The board is appointed by the management company without input from parents. This year (2023), a new headmaster (the 5th in 5 years) was finally hired, and we parents are hoping that he can help turn things around. But personally, I do not see him being able to do anything about the high student to teacher ratio, or the lack of facilities for the kids. These issues are very unfortunate because as a Hillsdale college member, Ascent's mission is rare and difficult to find in the Denver area. If you like the classical curriculum, no technology in classes, and no politics in class, then you may like Ascent. But go in knowing that there are many issues at this school, with no apparent short term solutions.
Submitted by parent on April 17, 2023

Absolutely love this school our kids were learning nothing at their previous school came here and their education went through the roof. Teachers are great they love to educate and care for all students and try their hardest to make sure everyone succeeds and learns the materials. Technology is not allowed at school which is awesome. The classrooms are very nice and with nothing distracting on the walls. Very safe always several veterans and cops patrolling the school to insure the safety of everyone. The only downside to this school is athletics and outdoor areas.
Submitted by other on March 19, 2023

This school was great a few years ago. They have completely lost sight of their mission. Me and many others have suffered emotionally, and I am still recovering from old habits that I learned to protect myself from such a toxic environment. Every 'opening ceremonies' in the morning (basically a school assembly) we were talked down to, belittled, and shamed for small instances that had happened the previous day or week. We were all shown how we were inadequate, and there was zero support for students from teachers and staff. It is always good to be humbled, but this is a perversion of humility. If we want students to succeed, we lift them up, not destroy their morale in order to gain control of a situation that is spiraling. Students acting out in school is a direct result of their punitive measures. As a former student there I have been intentionally publicly shamed by teachers for actions that I have not done, belittled every single day, and taught that I must be a robot and conform exactly to their standards; anything short will get you humiliated by the staff. Each year there is a complete turnover of new teachers, as the entire high school staff left last year. As someone who left, I am now a much happier person. I go to a school that tells us every day that we are all loved. That lifts us up, and I have not seen any of the disobedience that I have seen at Ascent. As a contrast to Ascent, students here love going to school and do not act out. From me and many other friends that I know who have left, we can say that we are much happier. Do not send your children here, as there is much difficulty from this school knowing how to treat students with respect and kindness.
Submitted by student on March 05, 2023

I would rate this school so low because they continue to make decisions based on personal desires and no on what is best for the school. They also fired the best teacher (thank goodness she is staying through the rest of the year!) I saw a whole cafeteria full of kids moved to tears because of the news. And the Uniform! Am I mistaken, or are the ladies REQUIRED to wear socks under ALL shoes? There are shoes that one doesn’t wear socks under! They do not fit and they DO NOT look professional, if that is what they are going for.
Submitted by other on February 03, 2023

Do not send your children to this school. You walk in and the walls are white and empty, maybe a single bulletin of artwork from the kids in the entire school. The schools curriculum is based on a political agenda and these kids are drowned with power points. There is no social support here, and often bullying and drama in the small upperschool. Not to mention, a majority of those kids in the upper school hate the school and are just forced to go there by their parents. It’s messed up.
Submitted by parent on September 16, 2022

My children are in their 5th year at Ascent. We have loved each year and this year is better than ever.
Submitted by parent on September 15, 2022

The community is so supportive at Ascent. I don’t just mean the parents, but the students and staff. The kids cheer each other on when facing struggles, and the staff are extremely committed to providing not only a physically safe environment, but one in which students are protected intellectually and spiritually. My kids are challenged to better themselves in every way, and enjoy the structure and curriculum of a traditional classroom. We are so grateful to have found Ascent.
Submitted by other on August 29, 2022

School clearly has a political agenda. Teachers are often inexperienced, underpaid, and lack a healthy work/life balance. The school is conducted in an old office campus that doesn't have proper educational facilities (no gym, very few restrooms, lack of specialized classrooms).
Submitted by parent on May 20, 2022

The mission and vision of this school is a breath of fresh air. My students have attended since 2018 and the curriculum is excellent!
Submitted by parent on May 10, 2022

This school partners with parents. The transparency and communication, at this school, is above par. They set standards for the children that encourage character building. I appreciate that the children, and their education, is top priority. The children are taught how to critically think and not accept a personal opinion as fact. They gather together, every morning, for opening ceremonies. I have been involved with public schools my entire life. I will NEVER go back. My child is thriving in this school!
Submitted by parent on December 08, 2021

This school is great!!! We came over from an area public school, and the kids are absolutely thriving! In our family's opinion, public school is broken. Masks, cancelled days of school, CRT - your child deserves better. Take a tour! You are not treated like a customer at a public school. A private or charter school will treat you like a customer (they don't survive if parents aren't satisfied!).The other poster is obviously a disgruntled public school teacher that's seeing all their students disappear for better options!!!