In the Cherry Creek School District, “Dedicated to Excellence” is more than a motto or a catch phrase. It’s a way of life. We want our students to encounter excellence everywhere: in academics, in the arts, on the athletic fields, during participation in activities, and from support programs such as security, food services and transportation.
The Cherry Creek culture of excellence is all-encompassing. It envelops us, motivates and challenges us and guides our thoughts, words, and actions. It is both tangible – in terms of the exceptional people, facilities and programs that make up this district – and intangible, in terms of the attitudes and passion that exist here.

Our community expects its schools to provide outstanding educational opportunities for students. The Cherry Creek School District has enjoyed strong, steadfast support from its constituents for 56 years. Community members have been a critical component of our excellence equation.
The Cherry Creek School District is one of the most successful districts in the state. Two-thirds of our schools are rated high or excellent, and no schools are rated low or unsatisfactory. Cherry Creek students continue to score well above the state average on CSAP tests and above both the state and national averages on the ACT and SAT tests. The 2005 graduation rate was 92 percent, and more than 85 percent of our graduates pursue post -secondary education.
Your ongoing support of the Cherry Creek Schools helps maintain and increase the level of educational excellence, especially as we manage growth and increasing diversity in our student population. During the past decade, enrollment has increased by 40 percent – an average of 1,100 new students per year – and enrollment will top 50,000 students in 2007. Today, 20 percent of the district’s students qualify for free or reduced cost lunch, compared with 9.5 percent in 1995. Nearly 33 percent of students are children of color, up from 17 percent a decade ago. More than 9,000 Cherry Creek students speak a language other than English at home, and more than 3,000 students are served or monitored by the district’s English language acquisition program.
All students need extensive knowledge and skills in the core areas of language arts, mathematics, science, social studies and foreign language, as well as information literacy and technology. They also need opportunities to explore the arts, participate in athletics and other extracurricular activities, engage in community service projects and develop citizenship. These are all components of an excellent education.

In addition, students must develop “Habits of Mind” in order to compete in the global economy for jobs with career advancement opportunities and compensation that can support a family. “Habits of Mind,” as defined by David Conley in the book College Knowledge, include:
The ability to think critically and analytically to solve problems
An inquisitive nature, an interest in taking advantage of rigorous course work and a life-long love for learning
The ability to manage time and set goals
 A willingness to accept critical feedback and to adjust based on such feedback
The ability to cope with frustrating and ambiguous learning tasks and to persist with patience
 The ability to express oneself in writing and orally in a clear and convincing fashion
The ability to discern the relative importance and credibility of various sources of information
The ability to draw inferences and reach conclusions