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Test scores delayed: 2026 rankings for Arizona do not yet include the AzSCI Science tests, which have not yet been released by the Arizona Department of Education

Imagine Desert West Middle

Public, Charter Grades 6-8

511^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 536 Arizona Middle Schools

Better than 5% of Arizona middle schools

Summary

Imagine Desert West Middle is a public school serving grades 6–8, with 437 students at its location on West McDowell Road in Phoenix. Its 2025–26 proficiency results show that students are performing well below Arizona averages in both English Language Arts (ELA) and math. The most important finding for parents is that the school’s results are low in both core subjects, especially compared with the state: ELA proficiency is 18% versus 41% statewide, and math is 11% versus 33%.

ELA is the school’s clearest weakness compared with nearby schools, while math is closer to the local middle. Imagine’s 18% ELA result ties Desert Sands Academy of Mass Communication & Journalism and is higher only than Western Valley Middle School among nearby schools; nearby scores range from 17% to 79%. The school’s ELA result matches its district’s 18%. In math, Imagine’s 11% matches its district and ties Santa Maria Middle School; nearby results range from 4% to 54%, with a median of 13%. Seventh-grade ELA is the most pronounced grade-level concern: 17% proficiency versus 43% statewide, and all 10 nearby schools with reported results scored higher.

Science results have improved, but remain below the state: eighth-grade proficiency rose from 4% in 2022–23 to 12% in 2024–25, while the state reached 30%. SchoolDigger ranks Imagine 511th of 536 Arizona schools, in the 5th percentile with 0 stars; its percentile rose from 1 to 5 in the latest year but is down 48 points from 2015–16. Its student–teacher ratio is 20.8, compared with a nearby-school median of 20.0, and seven nearby schools have lower ratios. The 93% free/reduced-lunch rate is context, not a local comparison. SchoolDigger’s subgroup rankings also show notable movement: the White Students ranking rose from the 13th to the 52nd percentile between 2020–21 and 2022–23, while the African American Students ranking fell from the 36th to the 5th percentile. These subgroup rankings are available only for selected years, so they are snapshots rather than continuous trends.

437

Students ?

20.8

Student/teacher ratio ?

63.2%

Directly certified for free meals (2024-25) ?

6738 W McDowell Rd
Phoenix, AZ 85035-4642

(623) 469-2024

District: Imagine Desert West Middle Inc.

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

87.0%

African American:

7.3%

Two or more races:

2.3%

See top rated Arizona middle schools

Compare Imagine Desert West Middle to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 53rd percentile in 2016 → 5th in 2026

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Arizona average (14% vs 37% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (5th percentile)

!Ranking has slipped — down 48 percentile points since 2016

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school14%

District avg14%

Arizona avg37%

511^th of 536

Arizona public middle schools ?

Bottom 5%▼ down 48 pts since 2016

From top 47% (2016) to bottom 5% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Arizona Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

266^th of 267Imagine Desert West Middle Inc. 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
2026	9.8	511 of 536	4.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	7.4	548 of 552	0.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	9.9	526 of 550	4.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	17.9	725 of 854	15.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	8.8	585 of 605	3.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	20.5	689 of 832	17.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	18.8	501 of 605	17.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	35.4	427 of 711	39.9%	★★☆☆☆
2017	46.0	309 of 695	55.5%	★★★☆☆
2016	44.6	321 of 677	52.6%	★★★☆☆
2015	25.7	381 of 521	26.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	44.6	361 of 690	47.7%	★★☆☆☆
2013	47.6	416 of 787	47.1%	★★☆☆☆
2012	38.8	505 of 772	34.6%	★★☆☆☆
2011	52.1	326 of 685	52.4%	★★★☆☆
2010	43.9	394 of 692	43.1%	★★☆☆☆
2009	40.0	404 of 663	39.1%	★★☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2023	12.4	381 of 400	4.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	34.9	367 of 573	36.0%	★★☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2021	41.7	298 of 606	50.8%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2026	4.9	365 of 370	1.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	13.1	757 of 806	6.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	23.9	641 of 820	21.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	13.1	414 of 466	11.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	40.6	327 of 624	47.6%	★★☆☆☆

Foster Care

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2021	30.5	155 of 166	6.6%	☆☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2026	11.2	324 of 338	4.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	10.8	333 of 345	3.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	12.3	307 of 329	6.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	21.2	627 of 760	17.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	12.3	376 of 392	4.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	27.0	618 of 802	22.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	24.1	301 of 387	22.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	41.2	283 of 543	47.9%	★★☆☆☆

Homeless

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2021	32.6	172 of 257	33.1%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2026	11.6	313 of 328	4.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	10.4	335 of 344	2.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	13.1	305 of 320	4.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	23.7	567 of 717	20.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	11.9	352 of 369	4.6%	☆☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2026	6.1	366 of 370	1.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	19.9	666 of 810	17.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	20.3	692 of 818	15.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	12.2	396 of 435	9.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	24.1	456 of 617	26.1%	★☆☆☆☆

Military Connected

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2021	25.7	130 of 143	9.1%	☆☆☆☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2021	47.8	304 of 650	53.2%	★★★☆☆

Native American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2021	27.9	361 of 390	7.4%	☆☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2021	30.4	607 of 789	23.1%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2023	48.3	323 of 675	52.1%	★★★☆☆
2021	20.3	679 of 780	12.9%	★☆☆☆☆

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)

Multi-racial (2021)53rd percentile+36 vs school

White (2023)52nd percentile+37 vs school

English Language Learner (2021)51st percentile+34 vs school

Homeless (2021)33rd percentile+16 vs school

Special Education (2021)23rd percentile+6 vs school

Military Connected (2021)9th percentile-8 vs school

Native American (2021)7th percentile-10 vs school

Foster Care (2021)7th percentile-11 vs school

African American (2023)5th percentile-10 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)5th percentile~ school

Hispanic (2026)4th percentile~ school

Female (2026)1st percentile-3 vs school

Male (2026)1st percentile-4 vs school

By subject vs Arizona (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts18%-23 vs state

Mathematics11%-22 vs state

★

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Schools Near Imagine Desert West Middle

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				AASA English Language Arts (2026)					AASA Mathematics (2026)					Per Pupil Expenditures (2025)
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	Directly certified (2024-25)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	AASA English Language Arts 5th Grade	AASA English Language Arts 6th Grade	AASA English Language Arts 7th Grade	AASA English Language Arts 8th Grade	AASA English Language Arts All Grades	AASA Mathematics 5th Grade	AASA Mathematics 6th Grade	AASA Mathematics 7th Grade	AASA Mathematics 8th Grade	AASA Mathematics All Grades	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
Imagine Desert West Middle	Public, Charter	6-8	6738 W McDowell Rd	Phoenix	85035	Maricopa County	Imagine Desert West Middle Inc.	Yes	(n/a)	No	Yes	(623) 469-2024	437	21	20.8	63.2%	7 (1.6%)	32 (7.3%)	380 (87.0%)	3 (0.7%)	2 (0.5%)	3 (0.7%)	10 (2.3%)	9.8	511^th of 536 public middle schools	4.7%		7.4	548^th of 552 public middle schools	0.7%	37		20.0	17.0	16.0	18.0		17.0		12.0	11.0
Raul H. Castro Middle School: Academy of Fine Arts	Public	6-8	2730 N 79th Ave	Phoenix	85035	Maricopa County	Cartwright Elementary District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(623) 691-5300	545	24	22.4	60.7%	14 (2.6%)	56 (10.3%)	463 (85.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (1.3%)	12.6	493^rd of 536 public middle schools	8.0%		10.6	529^th of 552 public middle schools	4.2%	36			24.0	24.0	24.0				8.0	6.0	$6,928	$292	$968	$1,259	$5,814		$5,668
Estrella Middle School College and Career Prep	Public	6-8	3733 N 75th Ave	Phoenix	85033	Maricopa County	Cartwright Elementary District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(623) 691-5400	650	32	20.3	61.8%	11 (1.7%)	22 (3.4%)	608 (93.5%)	2 (0.3%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (0.8%)	9.9	509^th of 536 public middle schools	5.0%		10.7	528^th of 552 public middle schools	4.3%	19			23.0	16.0	20.0			10.0	9.0	10.0	$7,508	$702	$1,171	$1,873	$6,197		$5,636
Desert Sands Academy of Mass Communication & Journalism	Public	6-8	6308 W Campbell Ave	Phoenix	85033	Maricopa County	Cartwright Elementary District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(623) 691-4900	510	28	18.5	60.6%	14 (2.7%)	43 (8.4%)	437 (85.7%)	3 (0.6%)	10 (2.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.6%)	8.8	519^th of 536 public middle schools	3.2%		8.1	545^th of 552 public middle schools	1.3%	26			20.0	17.0	18.0			9.0	7.0	8.0	$8,891	$319	$1,087	$1,406	$7,672		$7,485
Western Valley Middle School	Public	6-8	6250 W Durango St	Phoenix	85043	Maricopa County	Fowler Elementary District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(623) 707-2200	553	28	19.7	55.9%	19 (3.4%)	60 (10.8%)	440 (79.6%)	6 (1.1%)	10 (1.8%)	2 (0.4%)	16 (2.9%)	8.6	523^rd of 536 public middle schools	2.4%		4.8	552^nd of 552 public middle schools	0.0%	29		14.0	24.0	16.0	17.0					4.0	$6,614	$407	$1,117	$1,524	$5,404		$5,090
Vista College Prep Sueno Park	Public, Charter	5-8	1720 N 45th Ave.	Phoenix	85035	Maricopa County	Vista College Preparatory Inc.	Yes	(n/a)	No	Yes	(602) 237-6273	538	28	19.2	64.3%	3 (0.6%)	61 (11.3%)	467 (86.8%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (0.7%)	36.3	287^th of 536 public middle schools	46.5%		31.5	322^nd of 552 public middle schools	41.7%	35	17.0	24.0	38.0	34.0	29.0	29.0	40.0	22.0	40.0	33.0
Marc T. Atkinson Middle School & Gifted Academy	Public	6-8	4315 N Maryvale Pkwy	Phoenix	85031	Maricopa County	Cartwright Elementary District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(623) 691-1700	205	13	16.0	59.0%	10 (4.9%)	8 (3.9%)	181 (88.3%)	1 (0.5%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (2.0%)	80.5	82^nd of 536 public middle schools	84.7%		71.5	124^th of 552 public middle schools	77.5%	42			70.0	68.0	69.0			34.0	69.0	49.0	$8,488	$74	$1,255	$1,329	$7,268		$7,159
Santa Maria Middle School	Public	6-8	7250 W Lower Buckeye Rd	Phoenix	85043	Maricopa County	Fowler Elementary District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(623) 707-1100	591	26	22.7	43.1%	25 (4.2%)	87 (14.7%)	449 (76.0%)	8 (1.4%)	9 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (2.2%)	12.4	495^th of 536 public middle schools	7.6%		9.1	537^th of 552 public middle schools	2.7%	42		28.0	24.0	13.0	21.0		17.0	10.0		11.0	$7,030	$334	$1,073	$1,407	$5,853		$5,623
Kings Ridge School	Public	2-8	3650 S 64th Ln	Phoenix	85043	Maricopa County	Riverside Elementary District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(602) 477-8960	371	20	18.5	58.2%	13 (3.5%)	68 (18.3%)	270 (72.8%)	5 (1.3%)	11 (3.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.1%)	28.8	340^th of 536 public middle schools	36.6%		12.7	503^rd of 552 public middle schools	8.9%	163	16.0	47.0	24.0	25.0	28.0	25.0	28.0			18.0	$14,124	$648	$171	$820	$9,528	$3,776	$13,304
Morris K. Udall Escuela de Bellas Artes	Public	5-8	3348 W McDowell Rd	Phoenix	85009	Maricopa County	Isaac Elementary District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(602) 442-2700	553	27	20.4	61.1%	7 (1.3%)	16 (2.9%)	526 (95.1%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.5%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	12.9	491^st of 536 public middle schools	8.4%		14.1	490^th of 552 public middle schools	11.2%	1	19.0	15.0	27.0	19.0	20.0	26.0		15.0	14.0	14.0	$8,765	$1,334	$19	$1,353	$6,306	$1,106	$7,412

Frequently Asked Questions about Imagine Desert West Middle

What is the racial makeup of Imagine Desert West Middle?

Students at Imagine Desert West Middle are 87% Hispanic, 7% African American, 2% Two or more races, 2% White.

Is Imagine Desert West Middle a good school?

Imagine Desert West Middle ranks in the bottom 4.7% of Arizona middle schools.

What district is Imagine Desert West Middle in?

Imagine Desert West Middle Inc.

How many students attend Imagine Desert West Middle?

In the 2024-25 school year, 437 students attended Imagine Desert West Middle.

Rate Imagine Desert West Middle!

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Latest Arizona data All new data »

2022–23 through 2024–25 school spending dataNewNov 2, 2026

2018–19 through 2021–22 school spending data (updated)NewNov 2, 2026

2015–16 through 2025–26 immunization rates (updated)Oct 19, 2026

2025–26 AASA test scoresOct 13, 2026

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.