Hillcrest Middle School

Hillcrest Middle School is a public middle school located in Glendale, Arizona, serving grades 7-8 with a total enrollment of 853 students. It is part of the Deer Valley Unified District, which is ranked 84 out of 289 districts in Arizona and has a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger. Hillcrest Middle School has consistently performed well, ranking in the top 20% of Arizona middle schools for the past several years and maintaining a 4- or 5-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Hillcrest Middle School consistently outperforms the state and district averages in standardized test scores across all subject areas and grade levels. For example, in the 2024-2025 school year, 59% of 8th-grade students were proficient or better in English Language Arts, compared to 40% statewide. In mathematics, 52% of 8th-grade students were proficient or better, compared to 27% statewide. The school also has strong performance across various student subgroups, ranking in the top 20% of Arizona middle schools for female, male, African American, Hispanic, and low socioeconomic status students. Additionally, Hillcrest Middle School has relatively low dropout rates, ranging from 3.3% to 6.1% over the past five years, which is lower than the state average for middle schools.

When compared to other middle schools in the Deer Valley Unified District and nearby districts, Hillcrest Middle School consistently outperforms its peers in academic achievement, student group performance, and other key metrics. For example, Deer Valley Middle School and Desert Sky Middle School, which are also in the Deer Valley Unified District, have lower test scores and rankings compared to Hillcrest. While Hillcrest Middle School is a high-performing school, there may be opportunities to further improve in certain areas, such as reducing dropout rates and maintaining consistent spending per student.