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How has Desert Shadows Middle School changed in the last five years, for better or worse?
Community prompt from u/allk12. Replies below.
Enrollment
791
Middle
DISTRICT 624 · STATE 494
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·PARADISE VALLEY UNIFIED DISTRICT (4241)·NCES 040593000479
Desert Shadows Middle School
5858 E SWEETWATER AVE, SCOTTSDALE, AZ 85254 · (602) 449-6800 · Maricopa County
GRADES 05–08MIDDLE11-CITYREGULAR SCHOOL791 STUDENTS
A
allk12 Grade
Scored higher than 91% of Arizona public middle schools
- ATest scores Share of students meeting the state standard in reading, math, and other tested subjects, 2023-24 and 2024-25.
- ·Beats expectations Not available for this school, so the grade uses the other parts.
- BThree-year trend Change in reading and math proficiency over the last three test years.
Grades compare a school only with schools in the same state, because every state gives its own test. How grades work · Top-graded Arizona public middle schools
Student : Teacher
20.1:1
39 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 18.1:1 · STATE 17.8:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
,
Title I proxy
STATE 95%
Community
6
0 members
Enrollment and student:teacher ratio compared against other middle schools. Free/Reduced Lunch and demographics compared against all schools.
Enrollment by grade, 2024-25
| Grade | Students | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Grade 7 | 417 | 53% |
| Grade 8 | 374 | 47% |
Student demographics
49%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
DISTRICT 62% · STATE 65% · US 70%
Student head counts by race/ethnicity from federal NCES enrollment data. District, state, and US figures are each group's share of all public school students in that area (US excludes territories). Very small groups may be suppressed in the source, so categories do not always sum exactly to total enrollment.
Gender split
Test scores
AASA 2024-25 . % PassingEnglish Language Arts
61.0%
AZ avg 45.4% . -6.0pp since 2017
Math
58.0%
AZ avg 37.8% . -1.0pp since 2017
What this means: On the AASA, Arizona's statewide test, about 61 of every 100 students at this school read and write at grade level and about 58 of 100 do math at grade level. Across all Arizona schools, those numbers are about 45 and 38. Reading and writing scores are down about 6 points since 2017, while math scores are down about 1 points.
AASA results by year
| School year | English Language Arts | Math |
|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 61.0% | 58.0% |
| 2023-24 | 59.0% | 51.0% |
| 2022-23 | 58.0% | 51.0% |
| 2021-22 | 64.0% | 53.0% |
| 2020-21 | 52.0% | 45.0% |
| 2018-19 | 63.0% | 62.0% |
| 2017-18 | 67.0% | 59.0% |
% Passing, all students and all tested grades.
Source: AASA. All students, all grades. See all years and grades →
Where Desert Shadows Middle School ranks
Among middle schools| Measure | This school | In Arizona | In Maricopa County |
|---|---|---|---|
| Math proficiency ranked highest first | 58.0% | #9 of 190 ▲ 9 | #8 of 87 ▲ 5 |
| Reading proficiency ranked highest first | 61.0% | #19 of 190 ▼ 4 | #14 of 87 ▼ 4 |
| 3-year test score change ranked biggest gain first | +1.0pp | #64 of 160 | #33 of 78 |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 791 | #34 of 214 | #26 of 96 |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 20.1:1 | #125 of 179 | #63 of 85 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 48.5% | #111 of 182 | #61 of 86 |
| Enrollment change since 2017-18 ranked steepest decline first | -15.6% | #90 of 139 | #50 of 69 |
Ranked against other public middle schools. Online schools are left out of every list, and test-score lists leave out schools that serve specialized populations. Each rank links to the full list. Arrows under a test-score rank show places moved since the prior test year, among schools tested both years.
4-year change
SY 2020-21 vs SY 2024-25Enrollment
791
-83 (-9%) vs 2020
-16% since 1990-91, when it was 939
Student : Teacher
20.1:1
was 21.9:1
Source: NCES Common Core of Data
Enrollment and staffing by year
| School year | Students | Teachers (FTE) | Students per teacher | Free and reduced lunch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 791 | 39.4 | 20.1:1 | N/A |
| 2023-24 | 734 | 35.9 | 20.5:1 | N/A |
| 2022-23 | 780 | 38.2 | 20.4:1 | 7% (54) |
| 2020-21 | 874 | 40 | 21.9:1 | N/A |
| 2017-18 | 937 | 38 | 24.7:1 | 8% (74) |
| 2015-16 | 927 | 37 | 25.1:1 | 8% (73) |
| 2010-11 | 700 | 29 | 24.1:1 | 12% (86) |
| 2000-01 | 800 | 37 | 21.6:1 | N/A |
| 1990-91 | 939 | 43 | 21.8:1 | N/A |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for Desert Shadows Middle School.
Since 2017-18: students down 16% (937 to 791); teachers up 4% (38 to 39.4).
About Desert Shadows Middle School
Desert Shadows Middle School serves students in SCOTTSDALE, Arizona, as a large middle school. It covers grades 5 through 8, with a total enrollment of 791 students. Statewide, middle schools in Arizona average about 494 students each.
Paradise Valley Unified District (4241) is the local district for Desert Shadows Middle School. It runs 42 schools with 26,183 students.
By race and ethnicity, Desert Shadows Middle School is 69% White. It is also 18% Hispanic, 6% multiracial, and 3% Asian. For comparison, the population of Maricopa County is roughly 59% White. By the diversity index, Desert Shadows Middle School comes in at 49%.
Desert Shadows Middle School operates with 39.4 full-time-equivalent teachers, a ratio of about 20.1:1. That ratio is over the 17.8:1 average for middle schools in Arizona.
Measured against Arizona public middle schools, Desert Shadows Middle School receives an A. The grade weighs proficiency most heavily, then how results compare with what the school's low-income share predicts, then the three-year change.
In the county around the school, Maricopa County, median household income is about $89,300, 37% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and about 8% of residents live below the federal poverty line. Desert Shadows Middle School is among the 1,352 public schools in Maricopa County.
Desert Shadows Elementary School is located less than a tenth of a mile from Desert Shadows Middle School. Within five miles are at least 8 other public schools.
Desert Shadows Middle School falls in the City: Large locale category, used for schools inside a principal city with a population of 250,000 or more.
Desert Shadows Middle School saw enrollment fall 9% between 2020-21 and 2024-25. The number of students per teacher fell from 21.9 to 20.1 over 4 years.
Questions about science fairs, picture day, and bus routes can be posted here. Reviews and ratings from people who know the school are welcome.
Maricopa County at a glance
View full county profilePopulation
4,559,748
Census ACS
Median income
$89,300
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
37%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
8%
Below federal line
Schools in county
1,352
725,139 students
Quick facts
Related schools
Other schools in Paradise Valley Unified District (4241)
- Pinnacle High SchoolHigh · 2,430 students
- Paradise Valley High SchoolHigh · 1,900 students
- Horizon High SchoolHigh · 1,767 students
- North Canyon High SchoolHigh · 1,560 students
- Shadow Mountain High SchoolHigh · 1,080 students
- Mountain Trail Middle SchoolMiddle · 835 students
Other schools in SCOTTSDALE
- Desert Mountain High SchoolHigh · 1,905 students
- Chaparral High SchoolHigh · 1,773 students
- Horizon High SchoolHigh · 1,767 students
- Cactus Shadows High SchoolHigh · 1,362 students
- Saguaro High SchoolHigh · 1,300 students
- Great Hearts Academies - Archway ScottsdaleCombined · 1,079 students
Other Desert Shadows Middle schools
One other US public school is named Desert Shadows Middle. Desert Shadows Middle School is the largest of the 2.
- Desert Shadows Middle SchoolNogales, AZ · 784 students
Nearby schools
- Desert Shadows Elementary School0.1 mi · 554
- Arizona Language Preparatory0.6 mi · 73
- Sequoya Elementary School1.1 mi · 575
- Sandpiper Elementary School1.3 mi · 429
- Horizon High School1.4 mi · 1,767
- Liberty Elementary School1.4 mi · 421
Frequently asked questions
About Desert Shadows Middle SchoolWhat is the total enrollment at Desert Shadows Middle School?
Desert Shadows Middle School enrolls approximately 791 students in grades 05-08.
Is Desert Shadows Middle School an elementary, middle, or high school?
Desert Shadows Middle School is a middle school covering grades 05-08.
How many teachers does Desert Shadows Middle School have?
Desert Shadows Middle School employs 39 FTE teachers, for a student-to-teacher ratio of 20.1:1.
What is the student diversity at Desert Shadows Middle School?
Student demographics at Desert Shadows Middle School are roughly 69% White, 18% Hispanic, 2% Black, 3% Asian, 6% Two or more.
Who oversees Desert Shadows Middle School?
Desert Shadows Middle School is overseen by Paradise Valley Unified District (4241) in Maricopa County.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.