Helix Feed

DSST senior turns classroom opportunities into real-world impact

Most high school seniors spend their summers working part-time jobs or catching up on sleep. Angel Cavazos, 17, spent his summer designing a tool to help people with quadriplegia eat on their own.

Topics: Student Stories

DSST seniors shine during Colorado Free Application Days 2026

Colorado Free Application Days are one of the most exciting weeks of senior year. For three days, Colorado students can apply to colleges and universities across the state without paying application fees. This year, the DSST Class of 2027 made the most of it, and our community made sure students across Colorado heard about the opportunity too.

Topics: College Success

A teacher, an idea and a new way to inspire reading

Jermaine Robinson kept coming back to one question during his first year at DSST Conservatory Green Middle School: "What would actually make students want to read?"

Topics: Staff Features

'Your predicament is my fault. But it's your problem': Mark Heffron on expectations, accountability & student opportunity

On the morning of Sept. 25, more than 100 experienced teachers from across the DSST network came to the Tivoli Student Union at Auraria Campus for Accomplished Career Teacher (ACT) Day. They came from different schools, different content areas and different chapters of their careers, but they shared something essential: at least five years in the classroom. Research consistently shows that effective teachers are the single most powerful in-school factor in student achievement, capable of generating 1.5 to 3 years of academic growth in a single year.

Topics: Staff Features

Feature Friday: Inside Gina Schmid's student-centered approach to leadership

In her second year at Aurora Science & Tech High School, Associate School Director Gina Schmid has made it unmistakably clear that she's not the kind of leader who leads from a distance. Instead, you'll find her in classrooms, in the hallways, at games, or wherever her students and staff are.

Topics: Staff Features

FAN v. Family Groups: What to know about how to be involved at DSST

At DSST Public Schools, families play a vital role in helping students thrive and strengthening school communities. To support meaningful family engagement, DSST offers multiple opportunities for families to get involved, connect with one another, and contribute to student success.

Topics: Family & Community Resources

Excellence in Middle School ELA: Achieving outstanding results on CMAS Reading & Writing

In 2025-2026 middle school students across our network made exciting gains in ELA - and at AST and Cedar Middle Schools, the results were more than exciting, they were extraordinary. As we unpacked the data we spent time with a few members of both school teams, with the goal of answering the question: "What are teachers & leaders at these schools doing, and how do we replicate it?"

Topics: Staff Features

DSST freshmen spend a day exploring identity, purpose and postsecondary possibilities

Written by Melissa Mayes, DSST: College View Campus Director of College Success

Topics: College Success, Staff Features