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Marc T. Atkinson Middle School & Gifted Academy

Q: Is Marc T. Atkinson Middle School & Gifted Academy a good school?

Marc T. Atkinson Middle School & Gifted Academy ranks 124 th of 552 Arizona middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 6-8

124^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 552 Arizona Middle Schools

Better than 78% of Arizona middle schools

Summary

Marc T. Atkinson Middle School & Gifted Academy is a public middle school in Phoenix, Arizona, serving 197 students in grades 6-8 and part of the Cartwright Elementary District. Despite the district's low ranking, this school has demonstrated strong academic performance, particularly for certain student subgroups.

Over the past 10 years, the school's statewide ranking has fluctuated significantly, from 62nd out of 854 Arizona middle schools in 2022-2023 to 590th out of 832 in 2020-2021. Its SchoolDigger rating has also varied, from a high of 5 stars in 2022-2023 to a low of 0 stars in 2018-2019 and 2020-2021. The school has performed especially well for male students, Hispanic students, and students with special education needs, ranking among the top schools in the state for these subgroups. Academically, the school's proficiency rates on state assessments are generally higher than the district and state averages, particularly in English Language Arts.

Compared to nearby schools within the Cartwright Elementary District, such as Raul H. Castro Middle School, Estrella Middle School, and Desert Sands Academy, Marc T. Atkinson Middle School & Gifted Academy stands out with its stronger academic performance. The school's "Gifted Academy" designation suggests a focus on meeting the needs of advanced learners, which may contribute to its success.

205

Students ?

16.0

Student/teacher ratio ?

$14,152

Per pupil spending ?

76.1%

Free/discounted lunch ?

4315 N Maryvale Pkwy
Phoenix, AZ 85031-1942

(623) 691-1700

District: Cartwright Elementary District

Feeder schools for Marc T. Atkinson Middle School & Gifted Academy:

Elementary:	Bret R. Tarver Leadership Academy
	John F. Long
	Justine Spitalny STE3AM School

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

88.3%

White:

4.9%

African American:

3.9%

See top rated Arizona middle schools

Compare Marc T. Atkinson Middle School & Gifted Academy to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 17th percentile in 2015 → 78th in 2025

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Arizona average (52% vs 33% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 22% of Arizona middle schools

✓Ranking is trending up — up 61 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 school52%

District avg16%

Arizona avg33%

124^th of 552

Arizona public middle schools ?

Top 22%▲ up 60 pts since 2015

From bottom 17% (2015) to top 22% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Arizona Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

1^st of 4Middle Schools in the Cartwright Elementary District

262^nd of 289Cartwright Elementary 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	71.5	124 of 552	77.5%	★★★★☆
2024	76.6	108 of 550	80.4%	★★★★☆
2023	89.3	62 of 854	92.7%	★★★★★
2022	18.9	486 of 605	19.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	26.5	590 of 832	29.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	12.0	556 of 605	8.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	15.3	624 of 711	12.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	17.9	595 of 695	14.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	20.3	551 of 677	18.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	20.1	432 of 521	17.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	32.8	473 of 690	31.4%	★★☆☆☆
2013	40.1	495 of 787	37.1%	★★☆☆☆
2012	34.4	551 of 772	28.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	30.9	495 of 685	27.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	33.0	487 of 692	29.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	21.1	563 of 663	15.1%	★☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2023	90.5	15 of 400	96.3%	★★★★★
2021	34.7	370 of 573	35.4%	★★☆☆☆
2018	23.8	100 of 125	20.0%	★☆☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2021	43.7	189 of 606	68.8%	★★★☆☆
2018	25.2	24 of 31	22.6%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2025	65.6	108 of 395	72.7%	★★★★☆
2024	65.2	101 of 386	73.8%	★★★★☆
2023	81.4	111 of 806	86.2%	★★★★☆
2022	15.8	433 of 494	12.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	25.2	620 of 820	24.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	6.6	453 of 466	2.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	13.1	572 of 624	8.3%	☆☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2025	81.0	41 of 345	88.1%	★★★★☆
2024	87.4	29 of 329	91.2%	★★★★★
2023	94.9	22 of 760	97.1%	★★★★★
2022	25.9	283 of 392	27.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	35.2	488 of 802	39.2%	★★☆☆☆
2019	16.8	339 of 387	12.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	20.7	456 of 543	16.0%	★☆☆☆☆

Homeless

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2021	32.9	169 of 257	34.2%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2025	79.3	45 of 344	86.9%	★★★★☆
2024	91.3	17 of 320	94.7%	★★★★★
2023	97.3	13 of 717	98.2%	★★★★★
2022	26.0	267 of 369	27.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	21.6	422 of 503	16.1%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2025	68.8	93 of 379	75.5%	★★★★☆
2024	75.8	62 of 370	83.2%	★★★★☆
2023	92.1	42 of 810	94.8%	★★★★★
2022	16.9	403 of 476	15.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	31.2	529 of 818	35.3%	★★☆☆☆
2019	10.7	401 of 435	7.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	19.2	504 of 617	18.3%	★☆☆☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2021	16.5	570 of 650	12.3%	★☆☆☆☆

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
2023	98.9	3 of 363	99.2%	★★★★★
2021	50.0	262 of 789	66.8%	★★★☆☆
2018	17.3	174 of 178	2.2%	☆☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2023	62.7	204 of 675	69.8%	★★★★☆
2021	23.0	651 of 780	16.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	8.2	422 of 436	3.2%	☆☆☆☆☆

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)

Special Education (2023)99th percentile+6 vs school

African American (2023)96th percentile+4 vs school

Hispanic (2025)88th percentile+11 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)87th percentile+9 vs school

Male (2025)75th percentile~ school

Female (2025)73rd percentile-5 vs school

White (2023)70th percentile-23 vs school

English Language Learner (2021)69th percentile+40 vs school

Homeless (2021)34th percentile+5 vs school

Multi-racial (2021)12th percentile-17 vs school

Native American (2021)7th percentile-22 vs school

By subject vs Arizona (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts68%+27 vs state

Mathematics42%+14 vs state

Science39%+9 vs state

1.0

1 rating · 1 written review

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What people are saying

by a parent
Thursday, March 2, 2017

The lack of involvement in the school staff is lower then poor. kids bullying and being bullied are a common trend in this school. and nothing being done. or even taken into consideration. Close Quote

Schools Near Marc T. Atkinson Middle School & Gifted Academy

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 5th Grade	AASA English Language Arts 6th Grade	AASA English Language Arts 7th Grade	AASA English Language Arts 8th Grade	AASA Mathematics 5th Grade	AASA Mathematics 6th Grade	AASA Mathematics 7th Grade	AASA Mathematics 8th Grade	AzSCI Science 5th Grade	AzSCI Science 8th 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
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		10 (4.9%)	8 (3.9%)	181 (88.3%)	1 (0.5%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (2.0%)	71.5	124^th of 552 public middle schools	77.5%		76.6	108^th of 550 public middle schools	80.4%	16			76.0	60.0			38.0	45.0		39.0	$14,152	$3,715	$436	$7,865	$8,443	$1,559	$10,002
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		14 (2.7%)	43 (8.4%)	437 (85.7%)	3 (0.6%)	10 (2.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.6%)	8.1	545^th of 552 public middle schools	1.3%		7	548^th of 550 public middle schools	0.4%	3			12.0	16.0				10.0		11.0	$14,529	$2,484	$477	$5,445	$9,954	$1,614	$11,568
Sevilla Elementary School-West Campus	Public	4-8	3851 W Missouri Ave	Phoenix	85019	Maricopa County	Alhambra Elementary District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(602) 347-0232	666	34	19.5		18 (2.7%)	58 (8.7%)	532 (79.9%)	35 (5.3%)	10 (1.5%)	3 (0.5%)	10 (1.5%)	20.6	411^th of 552 public middle schools	25.5%		28.5	346^th of 550 public middle schools	37.1%	65	17.0	20.0	26.0	26.0	19.0	22.0	10.0	26.0	14.0	29.0	$7,894	$1,382	$45	$2,808	$5,717	$750	$6,467
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		3 (0.6%)	61 (11.3%)	467 (86.8%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (0.7%)	31.5	322^nd of 552 public middle schools	41.7%		19.7	427^th of 550 public middle schools	22.4%	105	13.0	25.0	44.0	41.0	15.0	34.0	27.0	20.0		13.0	$8,083	$463	$1,412	$2,337	$4,809	$1,399	$6,208
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		11 (1.7%)	22 (3.4%)	608 (93.5%)	2 (0.3%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (0.8%)	10.7	528^th of 552 public middle schools	4.3%		10.9	518^th of 550 public middle schools	5.8%	10			18.0	21.0				6.0		16.0	$11,768	$3,000	$403	$6,404	$6,958	$1,407	$8,365
Granada Elementary School-East Campus	Public	4-8	3022 W Campbell Ave	Phoenix	85017	Maricopa County	Alhambra Elementary District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(602) 589-0110	683	35	19.5		11 (1.6%)	62 (9.1%)	566 (82.9%)	23 (3.4%)	11 (1.6%)	2 (0.3%)	8 (1.2%)	15.1	480^th of 552 public middle schools	13.0%		11.9	508^th of 550 public middle schools	7.6%	28	13.0	15.0	19.0	29.0	13.0	8.0	16.0	18.0	14.0	23.0	$7,878	$1,347	$229	$2,923	$5,624	$678	$6,302
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		7 (1.6%)	32 (7.3%)	380 (87.0%)	3 (0.7%)	2 (0.5%)	3 (0.7%)	10 (2.3%)	7.4	548^th of 552 public middle schools	0.7%		9.9	526^th of 550 public middle schools	4.4%	22		10.0	13.0	19.0						12.0		$00			$00
Isaac Middle School	Public	6-8	3402 W McDowell Rd	Phoenix	85009	Maricopa County	Isaac Elementary District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(602) 455-6800	474	23	20.6		4 (0.8%)	15 (3.2%)	451 (95.1%)	2 (0.4%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	9.3	536^th of 552 public middle schools	2.9%		9.1	534^th of 550 public middle schools	2.9%	2		17.0	13.0	22.0		10.0		14.0		9.0		$00			$00
Morris K. Udall Escuela de Bellas Artes	Public	6-8	3348 W McDowell Rd	Phoenix	85009	Maricopa County	Isaac Elementary District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(602) 442-2700	553	27	20.4		7 (1.3%)	16 (2.9%)	526 (95.1%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.5%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	14.1	490^th of 552 public middle schools	11.2%		8.3	540^th of 550 public middle schools	1.8%	50		19.0	23.0	31.0		13.0	11.0	13.0		17.0		$00			$00
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		14 (2.6%)	56 (10.3%)	463 (85.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (1.3%)	10.6	529^th of 552 public middle schools	4.2%		9.6	530^th of 550 public middle schools	3.6%	1			25.0	20.0			7.0	4.0		14.0	$12,164	$1,785	$486	$4,055	$8,362	$1,532	$9,894

Frequently Asked Questions about Marc T. Atkinson Middle School & Gifted Academy

What district is Marc T. Atkinson Middle School & Gifted Academy in?

Cartwright Elementary District

What is the racial makeup of Marc T. Atkinson Middle School & Gifted Academy?

Students at Marc T. Atkinson Middle School & Gifted Academy are 88% Hispanic, 5% White, 4% African American, 2% Two or more races.

How many students attend Marc T. Atkinson Middle School & Gifted Academy?

In the 2024-25 school year, 205 students attended Marc T. Atkinson Middle School & Gifted Academy.

Is Marc T. Atkinson Middle School & Gifted Academy a good school?

Marc T. Atkinson Middle School & Gifted Academy ranks 124^th of 552 Arizona middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Rate Marc T. Atkinson Middle School & Gifted Academy!

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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.