Desert Ridge Junior High

Public 7-8

 10211 E Madero Ave
       Mesa, AZ  85209-1493


(480) 635-2025

District: Gilbert Unified District

SchoolDigger Rank:
193rd of 854 Arizona Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $6,110 Help


Students who attend Desert Ridge Junior High usually attend:

High:    Desert Ridge High

Feeder schools for Desert Ridge Junior High:

Elementary:    Augusta Ranch Elementary
    Boulder Creek Elementary
    Canyon Rim Elementary
    Meridian

Student/teacher ratio:  20.3 Help
Number of students:  973

Racial breakdown:

White:
59.8%
Hispanic:
26.8%
Two or more races:
6.8%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  25.9% Help


 See top rated Arizona middle schools

 Compare Desert Ridge Junior High to nearby middle schools!

Performance Trends
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Compare Details Desert Ridge Junior High ranks better than 77.4% of middle schools in Arizona. It also ranks 4th among 5 ranked middle schools in the Gilbert Unified District. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2023 the calculated Average Standard Score was 71.18. (See more...)
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The high school dropout rate measures the percentage of students who do not complete their high school education.
Student Body
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Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (59.8%), Hispanic (26.8%), two or more races (6.8%). (See more...)
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Compare Details 25.9% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Desert Ridge Junior High is 20.3. 2 middle schools in the Gilbert Unified District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)
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Compare Desert Ridge Junior High employs 47.8 full-time teachers.
Finance
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Compare Details The average total spent per student at Desert Ridge Junior High is $6,110. 2 middle schools in the Gilbert Unified District spend more per student.
Schooldigger 2023 Rankings:

Desert Ridge Junior High:

SchoolDigger ranks Desert Ridge Junior High 193rd of 854 Arizona public middle schools. (See Desert Ridge Junior High in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


Multi-racial students:
Special Education students:
Low Socio Economic Status students:
Female students:
Foster Care students:
Military Connected students:
Male students:
Asian students:
African American students:
Hispanic students:
Pacific Islander students:
White students:


Gilbert Unified District:

SchoolDigger ranks Gilbert Unified District 104th of 540 Arizona school districts. (See district ranking list.)


What do you think?

Your rating for Desert Ridge Junior High?

Rank History for Desert Ridge Junior High

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Compare

Rank History for all students at Desert Ridge Junior High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2009 84.35 84th 663 87.3%
2010 79.73 124th 692 82.1%
2011 77.10 139th 685 79.7%
2012 79.73 112th 772 85.5%
2013 77.61 145th 787 81.6%
2014 79.43 135th 690 80.4%
2015 72.62 126th 521 75.8%
2016 70.04 169th 677 75.0%
2017 64.72 198th 695 71.5%
2018 71.49 174th 711 75.5%
2019 59.62 218th 605 64.0%
2021 60.26 257th 832 69.1%
2022 50.21 258th 605 57.4%
2023 71.18 193rd 854 77.4%
See the entire list of Arizona Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Desert Ridge Junior High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 49.46 28th 43 34.9%
2021 50.08 282nd 650 56.6%
2022 45.96 133rd 211 37.0%
2023 52.50 177th 384 53.9%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Middle Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Desert Ridge Junior High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 50.50 118th 606 80.5%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Middle Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at Desert Ridge Junior High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 43.13 83rd 178 53.4%
2021 47.55 299th 789 62.1%
2023 24.49 284th 363 21.8%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Middle Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Desert Ridge Junior High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 72.04 92nd 503 81.7%
2022 47.73 169th 369 54.2%
2023 64.13 173rd 717 75.9%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Middle Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Homeless students at Desert Ridge Junior High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 44.82 95th 257 63.0%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Middle Schools for Homeless Students!

Rank History for Female students at Desert Ridge Junior High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 67.33 179th 624 71.3%
2019 53.94 193rd 466 58.6%
2021 60.63 254th 820 69.0%
2022 46.65 248th 494 49.8%
2023 73.73 162nd 806 79.9%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Middle Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Foster Care students at Desert Ridge Junior High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 39.93 25th 37 32.4%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Middle Schools for Foster Care Students!

Rank History for Military Connected students at Desert Ridge Junior High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 51.59 64th 143 55.2%
2022 63.41 23rd 68 66.2%
2023 47.99 67th 110 39.1%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Middle Schools for Military Connected Students!

Rank History for Male students at Desert Ridge Junior High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 67.67 164th 617 73.4%
2019 52.78 182nd 435 58.2%
2021 59.10 262nd 818 68.0%
2022 41.68 262nd 476 45.0%
2023 64.87 224th 810 72.3%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Middle Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Asian students at Desert Ridge Junior High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 51.10 203rd 404 49.8%
2023 51.10 107th 247 56.7%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Middle Schools for Asian Students!

Rank History for African American students at Desert Ridge Junior High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 50.11 45th 125 64.0%
2021 46.80 227th 573 60.4%
2023 32.03 276th 400 31.0%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Middle Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Desert Ridge Junior High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 62.50 142nd 543 73.8%
2019 46.29 177th 387 54.3%
2021 47.07 329th 802 59.0%
2022 34.33 237th 392 39.5%
2023 66.25 180th 760 76.3%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Middle Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for Native American students at Desert Ridge Junior High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 46.02 150th 390 61.5%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Middle Schools for Native American Students!

Rank History for Pacific Islander students at Desert Ridge Junior High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2022 64.52 4th 16 75.0%
2023 62.51 7th 19 63.2%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Middle Schools for Pacific Islander Students!

Rank History for White students at Desert Ridge Junior High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 55.76 187th 436 57.1%
2019 41.50 205th 337 39.2%
2021 56.56 292nd 780 62.6%
2022 36.09 318th 446 28.7%
2023 59.10 234th 675 65.3%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Middle Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Arizona Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Desert Ridge Junior High Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 




Data source: Arizona Department of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 2)
0%

0%

50%

0%

50%

  

Reviews:
by a student
Monday, May 15, 2017

Open Quote I like the school it's just they are really strict on everything. They have a iboss web filter that blocks EDU.COM websites and is very strict and blocks everything on the chromebooks they issue to us. They have a thing called Hapara Highlights that can show the teachers what tabs you are on and live video of what you are doing. They can OPEN and CLOSE tabs for you and make you stuck on a tab. This is kinda creepy to me. They can also send "on screen" messages so they can type a message and the message will pop up on the kids chromebook. This is creepy. I am not saying that there is creepy teachers there but a teacher could use it for inappropriate use. PLEASE here me, there is no creepy teachers lol :) . But anyway, yeah so I like the courses there and I love most of the teacher there. Close Quote


by a parent on FaceBook
Monday, May 9, 2011

Open Quote As a parent of a student who has always maintained A's and B's and never once been in trouble throughout her entire school career, I am very shocked and saddened by how my 8th grader has been treated by this school. She has never received detention at this school or been disciplined at any time, but gets talked down to badly by teachers that are much older and well past their teaching prime despite her best efforts. The kids are treated like criminals at this school regardless of what kind of kid they are, there are no opportunities for parent involvement except in the sports department and one day a year, and there is a HUGE DRUG PROBLEM at this school. The overall environment of this school is very negative and the administration cares much more about dress codes than they do about the drug problem that runs rampant on their campus. With all of the budget cuts in this district and state, the staff has been left very bitter and unwilling to treat the students like human beings. I would not recommend this school to anyone hoping to keep their child safe or happy. Close Quote



Enrollment information for Desert Ridge Junior High

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Compare
Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
2002 552 44 17 113 5 n/a n/a 0 731
2003 552 44 17 113 5 n/a n/a 0 731
2004 621 47 22 153 5 n/a n/a 0 848
2005 711 58 27 189 8 n/a n/a 0 993
2006 801 76 41 200 10 n/a n/a 0 1128
2007 829 65 36 204 12 n/a n/a 0 1146
2008 848 79 41 220 4 n/a n/a 0 1192
2009 852 86 58 229 13 n/a n/a 0 1238
2010 886 70 57 252 15 n/a n/a 0 1280
2011 882 65 50 283 12 3 12 0 1307
2012 917 52 50 253 8 1 20 0 1301
2013 975 59 52 242 6 1 18 0 1353
2014 956 56 47 263 13 1 21 0 1357
2015 967 64 39 268 11 1 27 0 1377
2016 890 54 37 283 9 1 31 0 1305
2017 863 48 46 284 8 8 31 0 1288
2018 800 34 33 319 5 6 37 0 1234
2019 729 34 20 324 10 5 51 0 1173
2020 678 26 18 290 8 7 70 0 1097
2021 506 25 11 239 6 8 40 0 835
2022 595 39 21 315 6 8 51 0 1035
2023 582 36 17 261 6 5 66 0 973

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Desert Ridge Junior High

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
2002 731 36.7 19.9 14.5
2003 731 36.7 19.9 14.5
2004 848 41.1 20.6 13.8
2005 993 50.1 19.8 10.9
2006 1128 58.1 19.4 24.8
2007 1146 60.5 18.9 21.3
2008 1192 60.0 19.9 25
2009 1238 63.0 19.7 28.9
2010 1280 60.1 21.2 29.5
2011 1307 59.7 21.8 33.3
2012 1301 57.0 22.8 18.3
2013 1353 59.7 22.6 0.9
2014 1357 65.4 20.7 0.3
2015 1377 60.0 22.9 0.2
2016 1305 58.0 22.5 0.6
2017 1288 55.0 23.3 27.5
2018 1234 55.0 22.3 27.9
2019 1173 56.2 20.8 26.9
2020 1097 55.8 19.6 26.9
2021 835 51.4 16.2 n/a
2022 1035 47.0 22.0 11
2023 973 47.8 20.3 25.9

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Desert Ridge Junior High

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
2002 731 36.7 19.9 14.5
2003 731 36.7 19.9 14.5
2004 848 41.1 20.6 13.8
2005 993 50.1 19.8 10.9
2006 1128 58.1 19.4 24.8
2007 1146 60.5 18.9 21.3
2008 1192 60.0 19.9 25
2009 1238 63.0 19.7 28.9
2010 1280 60.1 21.2 29.5
2011 1307 59.7 21.8 33.3
2012 1301 57.0 22.8 18.3
2013 1353 59.7 22.6 0.9
2014 1357 65.4 20.7 0.3
2015 1377 60.0 22.9 0.2
2016 1305 58.0 22.5 0.6
2017 1288 55.0 23.3 27.5
2018 1234 55.0 22.3 27.9
2019 1173 56.2 20.8 26.9
2020 1097 55.8 19.6 26.9
2021 835 51.4 16.2 n/a
2022 1035 47.0 22.0 11
2023 973 47.8 20.3 25.9

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.
Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Desert Ridge Junior High

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YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $266 (3.7%) $7,058 (97.3%) $7,253
2020 $179 (3.2%) $5,498 (96.9%) $5,674
2021 $343 (4.9%) $6,717 (95.2%) $7,058
2022 $533 (8.7%) $5,578 (91.3%) $6,110

Data source: Arizona Department of Education
Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Desert Ridge Junior High

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Rank
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Ranks 218th of 605 Middle schoolsRanks 193rd of 854 Middle schools
 13.4%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students1173973
 17.1%
African American3436
 5.9%
American Indian106
 40%
Asian2017
 15%
Hispanic324261
 19.4%
Pacific Islander55
White729582
 20.2%
Two or More Races5166
 29.4%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients26.9%25.9%
 1%


Schools Near Desert Ridge Junior High









Frequently Asked Questions about Desert Ridge Junior High

Students who attend Desert Ridge Junior High usually go on to attend Desert Ridge High

Students at Desert Ridge Junior High are 60% White, 27% Hispanic, 7% Two or more races, 4% African American, 2% Asian.

Desert Ridge Junior High ranks 193rd of 854 Arizona middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

In the 2022-23 school year, 973 students attended Desert Ridge Junior High.


Rate Desert Ridge Junior High!



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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. Attendance Areas provided by ATTOM.

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.





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