Littleton Public Schools is a suburban school district located in Littleton, Colorado. The district has a rich tradition that began over one hundred years ago. Since that time, LPS has experienced significant growth and is now the second largest employer in Littleton, serving over 15,000 students in twenty-two different school buildings. The LPS District enjoys strong community support with volunteers who give 17,000 hours a month to our schools and business partners who donate hundreds of hours of time and thousands of dollars in resources to LPS schools. Academically, LPS students rank higher than the rest of the state and the nation on standardized tests. SAT scores, for example, rose last year in LPS despite a drop in state and national scores. Over 85% of LPS students go on to higher education, while the dropout rate was .0 in 2003 (the district drop-out rate was .2). LPS educators reflect their commitment to education since over 63% hold post-graduate degrees. Littleton High School is one of three comprehensive high schools in the district, with a full complement of academic, general and vocational courses, and extracurricular activities that serves a diverse population of approximately 1,600 students.

Littleton High School has received the Governor’s Educational Creativity Schools Initiative Award from Governor Roy Romer and an “A+ Breaking the Mold” award from the U.S. Department of Education Secretary Lamar Alexander for “teaching to high standards, cutting through bureaucratic red tape and providing greater choices.” It has been the subject of two video presentations made by the prestigious, national education organization, the Association of Supervision and Curriculum Development, and has been featured in such educational publications as Education Week and Educational Leadership. The National Association of Secondary School Principals identified Littleton High School in 1994 as one of the eight “world class schools.”

In May 2003, 5280 magazine listed Littleton High School as one of Denver’s top high schools. That same month in 2003, Newsweek magazine listed Littleton High School as one of America’s best high schools. The business and philanthropic communities have also been generous in their support of Littleton High School’s commitment to improved education by contributing over $500,000 to various programs in the last several years. Littleton High School is committed to a strong academic program. Students are offered a range of courses from over 200 course selections. Recent surveys of Littleton High School parents and students identified the quality of education provided by Littleton High School as what they liked best about the school. Parents and students have indicated that, given a tax-supported choice, they would continue to pick Littleton High School over the other high schools in our school district, the public high schools in other districts, and over area private schools.

In the last five years Littleton High School has had 38 National Merit semi-finalists and 21 National Merit Finalists, placing us among the top schools in the state. In any given year about 90 percent of our graduates go on to some type of post-secondary education, with the largest percentages going to four-year colleges and universities. In 2003, scholarships totaling approximately $5,661,163.00 were offered to Littleton High School students. Out of our 357 graduates in 2003, ninety-two students graduated with high honors (3.8 GPA) and forty-five students graduated with honors (3.5 GPA). Littleton High School also had a Boettcher Scholarship recipient nominee in each of the last two years, 2002 and 2003. Littleton High School was accepted as an IB affiliate in July 1996 and became a full participating member in August 1997. The IB program is a comprehensive two-year curriculum designed for students seeking a challenging and rigorous educational experience with a unique international cross-curricular focus and exceptionally high standards for achievement. Over the past 5 years, 98% of all Littleton High School International Baccalaureate candidates received their IB diplomas. The national average for International Baccalaureate candidates who receive their IB diploma is 80%.

Littleton High School offers seventeen competitive sports with various opportunities for participation at the freshman, sophomore, junior varsity, and varsity levels. Opportunities are also available in the summer for students to participate in athletic camps, clinics, open gyms, and weight lifting programs. Our athletic programs have earned three national titles in girls’ swimming and eighteen state championship titles in boys’ basketball, football, boys’ swimming, girls’ tennis, skiing, and cheerleading. Over one-third of our student body participates in Littleton High School’s extracurricular program consisting of 26 clubs and activities such as DECA, student council, FBLA, and National Honor Society. Littleton High School and Littleton Public Schools are committed to a strong education for our students.