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Desert Shadows Elementary School

Q: Is Desert Shadows Elementary School a good school?

Desert Shadows Elementary School ranks 128 th of 909 Arizona elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-6

128^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 909 Arizona Elementary Schools

Better than 86% of Arizona elementary schools

Summary

Desert Shadows Elementary School is a high-performing public elementary school serving grades PK-6 in the Paradise Valley Unified District in Scottsdale, Arizona. With 479 students, the school has consistently ranked among the top elementary schools in the state, earning a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger and ranking 128th out of 909 Arizona elementary schools.

One of the key factors that sets Desert Shadows Elementary apart is its strong academic performance. The school consistently outperforms the district and state averages in standardized test scores across all grade levels and subjects. For example, in the 2024-2025 school year, 78% of 3rd graders were proficient or better in English Language Arts, compared to just 51% for the district and 36% for the state. The school also performs well across various student subgroups, ranking highly for Hispanic students (9th out of 496 AZ elementary schools) and Special Education students (29th out of 417 AZ elementary schools in 2017-2018).

In addition to its academic success, Desert Shadows Elementary stands out for its relatively low student-teacher ratio of 13.7 in 2023-2024, which is lower than the nearby schools. This may contribute to the school's ability to provide more individualized attention to its students. When compared to other schools in the Paradise Valley Unified District, Desert Shadows Elementary generally outperforms them in key metrics, suggesting the school has effective teaching practices and resources that contribute to its success.

554

Students ?

15.8

Student/teacher ratio ?

$9,356

Per pupil spending ?

14.9%

Free/discounted lunch ?

5902 E Sweetwater Ave
Scottsdale, AZ 85254-4378

(602) 449-6900

District: Paradise Valley Unified District

Students who attend Desert Shadows Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Desert Shadows Middle School
High:	Horizon High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

67.9%

Hispanic:

19.1%

Two or more races:

7.4%

See top rated Arizona elementary schools

Compare Desert Shadows Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 79th percentile in 2015 → 86th in 2025

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Arizona average (64% vs 38% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 14% of Arizona elementary schools

✓Ranking is trending up — up 7 percentile points since 2015

Worth a look

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school64%

District avg52%

Arizona avg38%

128^th of 909

Arizona public elementary schools ?

Top 14%▲ up 6 pts since 2015

From top 21% (2015) to top 14% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Arizona Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

11^th of 23Elementary Schools in the Paradise Valley Unified District

106^th of 289Paradise Valley Unified District among Arizona districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2025	84.0	128 of 909	85.9%	★★★★☆
2024	84.2	131 of 912	85.6%	★★★★☆
2023	90.7	108 of 1245	91.3%	★★★★★
2022	84.0	116 of 1000	88.4%	★★★★☆
2021	88.0	146 of 1226	88.1%	★★★★☆
2019	80.8	195 of 1039	81.2%	★★★★☆
2018	87.3	128 of 1109	88.5%	★★★★☆
2017	88.8	108 of 1106	90.2%	★★★★★
2016	80.8	208 of 1079	80.7%	★★★★☆
2015	77.7	196 of 955	79.5%	★★★★☆
2014	72.6	298 of 1079	72.4%	★★★★☆
2013	80.4	176 of 1158	84.8%	★★★★☆
2012	83.9	123 of 1141	89.2%	★★★★☆
2011	85.9	118 of 1075	89.0%	★★★★☆
2010	82.5	174 of 1090	84.0%	★★★★☆
2009	82.3	166 of 1062	84.4%	★★★★☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2023	45.2	325 of 607	46.5%	★★☆☆☆
2022	74.4	45 of 289	84.4%	★★★★☆
2021	60.7	191 of 895	78.7%	★★★★☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2021	46.4	391 of 620	36.9%	★★☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2021	39.3	545 of 975	44.1%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2025	66.8	165 of 589	72.0%	★★★★☆
2024	60.4	204 of 602	66.1%	★★★☆☆
2023	87.9	123 of 1219	89.9%	★★★★☆
2022	83.5	73 of 824	91.1%	★★★★★
2021	86.2	152 of 1219	87.5%	★★★★☆
2019	63.2	293 of 862	66.0%	★★★☆☆
2018	79.8	197 of 1023	80.7%	★★★★☆

Foster Care

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2021	73.3	13 of 306	95.8%	★★★★★

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2025	98.0	9 of 496	98.2%	★★★★★
2023	71.8	252 of 1170	78.5%	★★★★☆
2022	70.6	203 of 716	71.6%	★★★★☆
2021	67.0	293 of 1198	75.5%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2023	73.0	197 of 1116	82.3%	★★★★☆
2022	73.4	148 of 618	76.1%	★★★★☆
2018	64.4	236 of 820	71.2%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2025	78.9	93 of 626	85.1%	★★★★☆
2024	84.5	64 of 628	89.8%	★★★★☆
2023	88.7	118 of 1216	90.3%	★★★★★
2022	72.0	188 of 830	77.3%	★★★★☆
2021	85.9	154 of 1220	87.4%	★★★★☆
2019	83.5	108 of 850	87.3%	★★★★☆
2018	89.6	90 of 1032	91.3%	★★★★★

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2023	58.8	194 of 617	68.6%	★★★☆☆
2022	46.3	257 of 444	42.1%	★★☆☆☆
2021	81.6	85 of 1027	91.7%	★★★★★

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2023	48.4	351 of 820	57.2%	★★★☆☆
2021	59.3	293 of 1201	75.6%	★★★★☆
2018	83.5	29 of 417	93.0%	★★★★★

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2025	61.5	161 of 465	65.4%	★★★☆☆
2024	64.2	154 of 486	68.3%	★★★☆☆
2023	86.2	77 of 1024	92.5%	★★★★★
2022	75.2	120 of 800	85.0%	★★★★☆
2021	80.7	162 of 1161	86.0%	★★★★☆
2019	57.9	241 of 595	59.5%	★★★☆☆
2018	73.9	178 of 720	75.3%	★★★★☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

Hispanic (2025)98th percentile+12 vs school

Foster Care (2021)96th percentile+8 vs school

Male (2025)85th percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2023)82nd percentile-9 vs school

Female (2025)72nd percentile-14 vs school

Multi-racial (2023)69th percentile-23 vs school

White (2025)65th percentile-21 vs school

Special Education (2023)57th percentile-34 vs school

African American (2023)46th percentile-45 vs school

English Language Learner (2021)44th percentile-44 vs school

Asian (2021)37th percentile-51 vs school

By subject vs Arizona (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts68%+28 vs state

Mathematics63%+26 vs state

Science52%+18 vs state

4.0

3 ratings · 3 written reviews

5★2

4★0

3★0

2★1

1★0

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What people are saying

by a parent
Monday, May 1, 2023

Sadly the school has lost its luster and A+ rating since the Rock star principle & many of the wonderful long terms staff members left . Bullying & safety concerns don’t seem to be a priority here. Disappointed it use to be a great place and community I use to be proud of. That’s no longer the case looking for other options. Close Quote

by a parent
Wednesday, October 9, 2019

My kid loves going to DSES. The principal is great and leads the school to excellence whilst he knows every kid by name. Close Quote

by a parent
Wednesday, October 1, 2014

This school is wonderful. I came over two years ago from another PVUSD elementary school and have been very impressed the caring staff and principal. At first I was nervous because our third grade teacher seemed very unorganized and not with it but we spoke with principal and he rectified the issue right away. Since, all of our teachers have been phenomenal. I recommend this school highly! Close Quote

Schools Near Desert Shadows Elementary School

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				AASA English Language Arts (2025)				AASA Mathematics (2025)				AzSCI Science (2025)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2022)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	Rank Change from Previous Year	AASA English Language Arts 3rd Grade	AASA English Language Arts 4th Grade	AASA English Language Arts 5th Grade	AASA English Language Arts 6th Grade	AASA Mathematics 3rd Grade	AASA Mathematics 4th Grade	AASA Mathematics 5th Grade	AASA Mathematics 6th Grade	AzSCI Science 5th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures: Total	Personnel Spending from Federal Funds	Non-Personnel Spending from Federal Funds	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Personnel Spending from State and Local Funds	Non-Personnel from State and Local Funds	Sub-total Spending from State and Local Funds
Desert Shadows Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	5902 E Sweetwater Ave	Scottsdale	85254	Maricopa County	Paradise Valley Unified District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(602) 449-6900	554	35	15.8		376 (67.9%)	9 (1.6%)	106 (19.1%)	18 (3.2%)	4 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	41 (7.4%)	84	128^th of 909 public elementary schools	85.9%		84.2	131^st of 912 public elementary schools	85.6%	3	78.0	70.0	57.0	69.0	83.0	68.0	49.0	51.0	52.0	$9,356	$609	$144	$1,363	$7,882	$721	$8,602
Arizona Language Preparatory	Public, Charter	K-6	6140 E. Thunderbird Rd.	Scottsdale	85254	Maricopa County	Arizona Language Preparatory	Yes	(n/a)	No	No	(602) 996-1595	73	9	8.1		26 (35.6%)	6 (8.2%)	31 (42.5%)	5 (6.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (6.8%)								(n/a)											$00			$00
Desert Springs Preparatory Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	6010 E Acoma Dr	Scottsdale	85254	Maricopa County	Paradise Valley Unified District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(602) 449-7100	0	34	10.3		0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)										$11,908	$412	$311	$1,135	$10,710	$474	$11,185
Sequoya Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	11808 N 64th St	Scottsdale	85254	Maricopa County	Scottsdale Unified District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(480) 484-3200	575	35	16.2		412 (71.7%)	12 (2.1%)	78 (13.6%)	24 (4.2%)	4 (0.7%)	2 (0.3%)	43 (7.5%)	97.2	8^th of 909 public elementary schools	99.1%		93.9	46^th of 912 public elementary schools	95.0%	38	70.0	81.0	75.0		83.0	87.0	85.0		76.0	$7,313	$196	$600	$991	$6,341	$176	$6,518
Sandpiper Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	6724 E Hearn Rd	Scottsdale	85254	Maricopa County	Paradise Valley Unified District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(602) 449-6300	429	29	15.0		217 (50.6%)	2 (0.5%)	172 (40.1%)	2 (0.5%)	5 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	31 (7.2%)	74.5	207^th of 909 public elementary schools	77.2%		85.5	122^nd of 912 public elementary schools	86.6%	85	58.0	65.0	49.0	78.0	79.0	50.0	37.0	51.0	51.0	$10,275	$539	$154	$1,231	$9,129	$453	$9,583
Liberty Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	5125 E Marilyn Rd	Scottsdale	85254	Maricopa County	Paradise Valley Unified District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(602) 449-6200	421	34	12.5		260 (61.8%)	8 (1.9%)	96 (22.8%)	21 (5.0%)	5 (1.2%)	1 (0.2%)	30 (7.1%)	71.4	243^rd of 909 public elementary schools	73.3%		62.8	307^th of 912 public elementary schools	66.3%	64	49.0	72.0	50.0	70.0	55.0	47.0	50.0	55.0	43.0	$11,000	$1,016	$243	$2,274	$9,201	$541	$9,742
Scottsdale Country Day School	Public, Charter	K-8	10460 N 56th St	Scottsdale	85253	Maricopa County	Scottsdale Country Day School	Yes	(n/a)	No	No	(480) 452-5777	133	8	16.6		100 (75.2%)	5 (3.8%)	22 (16.5%)	2 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.5%)	2 (1.5%)								(n/a)				92.0							$00			$00
BASIS Scottsdale Primary - East Campus	Public, Charter	K-5	7214 E Jenan Dr	Scottsdale	85260	Maricopa County	BASIS Charter Schools Inc.	Yes	(n/a)	No	No	(480) 391-1099	489	34	14.3		156 (31.9%)	12 (2.5%)	46 (9.4%)	231 (47.2%)	2 (0.4%)	1 (0.2%)	41 (8.4%)	97	11^th of 909 public elementary schools	98.8%		97.6	7^th of 912 public elementary schools	99.2%	4	80.0	87.0			83.0	75.0				$11,713	$383	$90	$855	$6,967	$4,274	$11,241
Sonoran Sky Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	12990 N 75th St	Scottsdale	85260	Maricopa County	Paradise Valley Unified District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(602) 449-6500	567	36	15.5		405 (71.4%)	13 (2.3%)	75 (13.2%)	25 (4.4%)	4 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	45 (7.9%)	95.1	33^rd of 909 public elementary schools	96.4%		96.2	20^th of 912 public elementary schools	97.8%	13	72.0	85.0	70.0	83.0	83.0	75.0	87.0	71.0	56.0	$8,366	$269	$127	$665	$7,557	$413	$7,970
North Ranch Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	16406 N 61st Pl	Scottsdale	85254	Maricopa County	Paradise Valley Unified District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(602) 449-6400	535	35	15.4		325 (60.7%)	15 (2.8%)	106 (19.8%)	56 (10.5%)	3 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	30 (5.6%)	86.9	98^th of 909 public elementary schools	89.2%		88.3	92^nd of 912 public elementary schools	89.9%	6	80.0	77.0	61.0	62.0	84.0	74.0	59.0	52.0	51.0	$9,016	$511	$139	$1,162	$7,937	$429	$8,366

Frequently Asked Questions about Desert Shadows Elementary School

How many students attend Desert Shadows Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 554 students attended Desert Shadows Elementary School.

What is the racial makeup of Desert Shadows Elementary School?

Students at Desert Shadows Elementary School are 68% White, 19% Hispanic, 7% Two or more races, 3% Asian, 2% African American.

What district is Desert Shadows Elementary School in?

Paradise Valley Unified District

What schools do graduates of Desert Shadows Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Desert Shadows Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Desert Shadows Middle School
High : Horizon High School

Is Desert Shadows Elementary School a good school?

Desert Shadows Elementary School ranks 128^th of 909 Arizona elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Rate Desert Shadows Elementary School!

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Arizona Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.