CRMS Students Report Strong Engagement, Connection, and Support in National Survey

Students at Colorado Rocky Mountain School continue to report exceptionally strong levels of engagement with their learning, their teachers, and the broader school community, according to the results of the 2026 High School Survey of Student Engagement (HSSSE).

CRMS students reported higher overall engagement than students at the other participating independent schools across all three dimensions measured by HSSSE: Cognitive Engagement, Social and Participatory Engagement, and Emotional Engagement.

This spring, 73 CRMS 9th- and 11th-grade students participated in the survey. Their responses were compared with those of 1,008 students from National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) member schools.

The results were especially strong when looking more closely at students’ attitudes toward learning and their academic aspirations. All four areas of cognitive engagement measured by HSSSE were above the comparison group: personal skill development, effort in academic pursuits, attitude toward learning, and engagement with academic aspirations.

Among the findings:

• 95% of CRMS students reported regularly asking or answering questions in class. (Compared to 91% nationally)
• 82% reported working harder than they expected in school. (Compared to 74% nationally)
• 86% said they connect concepts from one class to another. (Compared to 79% nationally)
• 85% said their schoolwork makes them curious to learn other things. (Compared to 78% nationally)

CRMS students were also considerably more likely than their peers elsewhere to report talking with adults at school about career goals and how to apply to college.

Those results align closely with an educational model at CRMS that asks students not simply to complete academic requirements, but to participate actively in their education, make connections, and take intellectual risks.

Relationships Remain a Defining Strength

The strongest results in this year’s survey may be those connected to Emotional Engagement—what HSSSE describes as students’ feelings of connection to their school and the people within it.

Within that category, the school’s highest score was Positive Relationships with Adults. HSSSE specifically identified relationships with adults as one of CRMS’s greatest strengths.

The individual responses reinforce that conclusion:
• 93% of CRMS students said there is at least one adult at school who knows them well. (Compared to 89% nationally)
• 96% feel supported by their teachers. (Compared to 95% nationally)
• 92% feel supported by counselors. (Compared to 88% nationally)
• 95% feel supported by other adults at school, including coaches and other staff members. (Compared to 91% nationally)

These results are especially meaningful at CRMS, where close student-adult relationships have long been central to the school’s educational philosophy. Students interact with adults not only as classroom teachers, but also as advisors, coaches, trip leaders, dorm parents, and service crew leaders.

Students also reported a strong sense of security and belonging among their peers:
• 96% said they feel safe at school (Compared to 95% nationally)
• 93% feel supported by other students (Compared to 89% nationally)
• 90% said they are comfortable being themselves at CRMS (Compared to 87% nationally)

Connected to the Life of the School

CRMS students also reported particularly high levels of Social and Participatory Engagement. One of the clearest distinctions was the extent to which students participate in the life of the school. 73% of CRMS students reported spending four or more hours each week in school-sponsored activities, compared with 53% at the other participating schools.

Perhaps even more telling, 82% of CRMS students agreed that they go to school because of their teachers, compared with 58% in the comparison group. HSSSE identified these findings as evidence of a particularly strong connection between CRMS students and their larger school community.

At CRMS, participation outside the classroom is not separate from the educational experience. Athletics, outdoor programming, arts, service crews, trips, and other community responsibilities are designed to complement classroom learning and build meaningful relationships among students and adults.