<p>The Denver School of Science and Technology tracks its graduates and so far they are doing well in college (I believe the first graduating class is due to graduate next year.)</p>
<p>The difference may be that at DSST you CANNOT have a GPA below 2.0. Anything less than a C and you fail - and have to repeat the class. The exams are rigorous - the junior chemistry final was something like 13 pages of problems. The literature exam was also over 10 pages of questions and essay prompts. Finals last 2 hours, like in college. </p>
<p>The school offers tutoring, mandatory Saturday school and mandatory summer classes for those who are failing. And since there are no more than 100 kids per grade, they can – and do – keep each student on track. They do lose some kids along the way; it’s inevitable. But the degree to which the school meets the needs of this population is quite remarkable.</p>
<p>DSST now has middle schools, so the entering 9th graders are ready for the rigor. Curriculum is being adjusted to these already high-achieving students, and some speculate that the degree of tutoring in place may not be necessary for many students down the road, since they are already surpassing public schools benchmarks when they enter high school.</p>
<p>I agree with BidAppleDaddy that DSST is not a magic bullet. It’s not for everyone. But it’s ONE answer out of, hopefully many, offered by public schools.</p>