Desert Sky Middle School

Summary:

Desert Sky Middle School is a public middle school located in Glendale, Arizona, serving 648 students in grades 7-8. The school is part of the Deer Valley Unified District, which is ranked 91 out of 288 districts in the state and has a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Desert Sky Middle School has a diverse student population, with 49.85% White, 35.49% Hispanic, 4.48% African American, and smaller percentages of other racial groups. The school has consistently ranked in the middle range of Arizona middle schools, maintaining a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger over the past 10 years. While the school has performed well for Native American and African American students, it has struggled with the performance of White and multi-racial students, ranking in the bottom 50% of schools for these groups. The school's high percentage of students from low-socioeconomic backgrounds, at 46.76%, may contribute to its academic performance.

When compared to other middle schools in the Deer Valley Unified District, Desert Sky Middle School performs similarly or slightly better, but lags behind the high-performing Hillcrest Middle School, which consistently ranks in the top 10% of Arizona middle schools. However, the school has shown strong performance for its homeless and foster care student populations, ranking in the top 25% of Arizona middle schools for these subgroups, indicating effective practices in supporting its most vulnerable students.


Detail:

Public 7-8

 5130 W Grovers Ave
       Glendale, AZ  85308-1300


(602) 467-6500

District: Deer Valley Unified District

SchoolDigger Rank:
272nd of 533 Arizona Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $6,113 Help


Students who attend Desert Sky Middle School usually attend:

High:    Deer Valley High School

Feeder schools for Desert Sky Middle School:

Elementary:    Mirage Elementary School
    Mountain Shadows Elementary School
    Sunrise Elementary School

Student/teacher ratio:  21.3 Help
Number of students:  648

Racial breakdown:

White:
49.8%
Hispanic:
35.5%
Two or more races:
5.4%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  46.8% Help


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 Compare Desert Sky Middle School to nearby middle schools!

Performance Trends
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Compare Details Desert Sky Middle School ranks worse than 51% of middle schools in Arizona. It also ranks 2nd among 3 ranked middle schools in the Deer Valley Unified District. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 39.2. (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 (49.8%), Hispanic (35.5%), two or more races (5.4%). (See more...)
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Compare Details 46.8% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Desert Sky Middle School is 21.3. 1 middle schools in the Deer Valley Unified District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)
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Compare Desert Sky Middle School employs 30.4 full-time teachers.
Finance
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Compare Details The average total spent per student at Desert Sky Middle School is $6,113, which is the highest among 3 middle schools in the Deer Valley Unified District!
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Desert Sky Middle School:

SchoolDigger ranks Desert Sky Middle School 272nd of 533 Arizona public middle schools. (See Desert Sky Middle School in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


Low Socio Economic Status students:
Female students:
Male students:
Hispanic students:
White students:


Deer Valley Unified District:

SchoolDigger ranks Deer Valley Unified District 91st of 288 Arizona school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Rank History for Desert Sky Middle School

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Rank History for all students at Desert Sky Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2009 67.28 202nd 663 69.5%
2010 61.32 240th 692 65.3%
2011 61.35 247th 685 63.9%
2012 67.69 231st 772 70.1%
2013 61.78 284th 787 63.9%
2014 66.94 213th 690 69.1%
2015 48.57 230th 521 55.9%
2016 60.41 222nd 677 67.2%
2017 55.34 250th 695 64.0%
2018 60.32 238th 711 66.5%
2019 55.83 236th 605 61.0%
2021 59.38 263rd 832 68.4%
2022 43.78 299th 605 50.6%
2023 59.59 270th 854 68.4%
2024 39.20 272nd 533 49.0%
See the entire list of Arizona Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Desert Sky Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 59.35 193rd 650 70.3%
2023 26.97 311th 384 19.0%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Middle Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Desert Sky Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 42.31 196th 606 67.7%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Middle Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at Desert Sky Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 41.10 88th 178 50.6%
2021 48.81 277th 789 64.9%
2023 23.55 289th 363 20.4%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Middle Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Desert Sky Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 64.11 125th 503 75.1%
2022 41.14 199th 369 46.1%
2023 61.58 191st 717 73.4%
2024 41.10 148th 314 52.9%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Middle Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Homeless students at Desert Sky Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 53.30 56th 257 78.2%
2022 12.95 11th 12 8.3%
2023 52.04 23rd 64 64.1%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Middle Schools for Homeless Students!

Rank History for Female students at Desert Sky Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 55.50 231st 624 63.0%
2019 51.21 206th 466 55.8%
2021 54.65 299th 820 63.5%
2022 36.83 302nd 494 38.9%
2023 55.46 276th 806 65.8%
2024 30.93 239th 379 36.9%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Middle Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Foster Care students at Desert Sky Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 65.52 14th 166 91.6%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Middle Schools for Foster Care Students!

Rank History for Military Connected students at Desert Sky Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 33.67 116th 143 18.9%
2022 66.42 20th 68 70.6%
2023 75.08 10th 110 90.9%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Middle Schools for Military Connected Students!

Rank History for Male students at Desert Sky Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 57.17 211th 617 65.8%
2019 48.85 199th 435 54.3%
2021 62.90 232nd 818 71.6%
2022 37.64 281st 476 41.0%
2023 58.79 264th 810 67.4%
2024 29.50 236th 356 33.7%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Middle Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Asian students at Desert Sky Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 43.34 253rd 404 37.4%
2023 58.15 88th 247 64.4%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Middle Schools for Asian Students!

Rank History for African American students at Desert Sky Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 38.58 311th 573 45.7%
2023 65.30 97th 400 75.8%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Middle Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Desert Sky Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 58.50 169th 543 68.9%
2019 57.70 124th 387 68.0%
2021 64.52 185th 802 76.9%
2022 50.14 174th 392 55.6%
2023 59.90 226th 760 70.3%
2024 36.27 170th 322 47.2%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Middle Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for Native American students at Desert Sky Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 78.82 19th 390 95.1%
2023 74.40 31st 159 80.5%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Middle Schools for Native American Students!

Rank History for White students at Desert Sky Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 40.56 258th 436 40.8%
2019 32.73 233rd 337 30.9%
2021 48.53 369th 780 52.7%
2022 25.38 355th 446 20.4%
2023 42.48 367th 675 45.6%
2024 18.76 227th 273 16.8%
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 Sky Middle School Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 




Data source: Arizona Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Desert Sky Middle School

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Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1988 1087 24 10 55 2 n/a n/a 14 1192
1989 1078 28 15 56 4 n/a n/a -63 1118
1990 1063 21 18 67 2 n/a n/a -31 1140
1991 1087 28 29 89 2 n/a n/a -445 790
1992 658 27 17 69 2 n/a n/a 1 774
1993 653 24 19 54 3 n/a n/a 0 753
1994 715 20 21 78 3 n/a n/a 0 837
1995 950 29 15 83 3 n/a n/a 0 1080
1996 950 29 15 83 3 n/a n/a 0 1080
1997 954 31 27 106 1 n/a n/a 0 1119
1998 931 31 30 104 10 n/a n/a 0 1106
1999 912 28 24 81 12 n/a n/a 0 1057
2000 898 30 26 76 12 n/a n/a 0 1042
2001 924 32 28 114 8 n/a n/a 0 1106
2002 799 33 36 146 9 n/a n/a 0 1023
2003 799 33 36 146 9 n/a n/a 0 1023
2004 806 55 38 137 9 n/a n/a 0 1045
2005 736 40 32 147 10 n/a n/a 0 965
2006 710 39 27 153 17 n/a n/a 0 946
2007 683 45 28 133 21 n/a n/a 0 910
2008 622 34 23 183 14 n/a n/a 0 876
2009 595 36 27 177 14 n/a n/a 0 849
2010 595 47 22 160 16 n/a n/a 0 840
2011 519 31 23 166 9 1 18 0 767
2012 487 31 22 170 7 2 21 0 740
2013 445 28 10 168 8 5 26 0 690
2014 400 29 10 156 13 4 17 0 629
2015 401 23 10 183 11 0 14 0 642
2016 420 36 15 192 11 1 19 0 694
2017 390 28 15 213 11 2 20 0 679
2018 352 36 16 184 9 1 20 0 618
2019 349 49 12 167 7 2 20 0 606
2020 346 40 10 191 7 0 38 0 632
2021 253 20 9 156 3 1 24 0 466
2022 324 21 11 228 9 1 38 0 632
2023 323 29 17 230 13 1 35 0 648

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 Sky Middle School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 1192 48.5 24.5 n/a
1989 1118 47.5 23.5 n/a
1990 1140 51.5 22.1 n/a
1991 790 32.8 24.0 n/a
1992 774 38.6 20.0 n/a
1993 753 44.0 17.1 n/a
1994 837 44.2 18.9 n/a
1995 1080 59.2 18.2 n/a
1996 1080 59.2 18.2 n/a
1997 1119 58.0 19.3 n/a
1998 1106 57.7 19.2 n/a
1999 1057 53.5 19.8 n/a
2000 1042 52.7 19.8 n/a
2001 1106 54.0 20.5 n/a
2002 1023 52.5 19.5 31
2003 1023 52.5 19.5 31
2004 1045 50.4 20.7 28.8
2005 965 44.6 21.6 14.2
2006 946 41.8 22.6 14
2007 910 41.6 21.9 14.3
2008 876 39.4 22.2 n/a
2009 849 38.5 22.1 27.3
2010 840 38.4 21.8 28.6
2011 767 36.4 21.0 28.8
2012 740 33.2 22.2 33.9
2013 690 31.0 22.2 n/a
2014 629 29.0 21.6 51
2015 642 28.0 22.9 50
2016 694 31.0 22.3 51.9
2017 679 31.6 21.4 52.6
2018 618 29.9 20.6 53.9
2019 606 28.5 21.2 51.8
2020 632 30.5 20.7 52.8
2021 466 29.9 15.5 n/a
2022 632 28.6 22.0 24.2
2023 648 30.4 21.3 46.8

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 Sky Middle School

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Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 1192 48.5 24.5 n/a
1989 1118 47.5 23.5 n/a
1990 1140 51.5 22.1 n/a
1991 790 32.8 24.0 n/a
1992 774 38.6 20.0 n/a
1993 753 44.0 17.1 n/a
1994 837 44.2 18.9 n/a
1995 1080 59.2 18.2 n/a
1996 1080 59.2 18.2 n/a
1997 1119 58.0 19.3 n/a
1998 1106 57.7 19.2 n/a
1999 1057 53.5 19.8 n/a
2000 1042 52.7 19.8 n/a
2001 1106 54.0 20.5 n/a
2002 1023 52.5 19.5 31
2003 1023 52.5 19.5 31
2004 1045 50.4 20.7 28.8
2005 965 44.6 21.6 14.2
2006 946 41.8 22.6 14
2007 910 41.6 21.9 14.3
2008 876 39.4 22.2 n/a
2009 849 38.5 22.1 27.3
2010 840 38.4 21.8 28.6
2011 767 36.4 21.0 28.8
2012 740 33.2 22.2 33.9
2013 690 31.0 22.2 n/a
2014 629 29.0 21.6 51
2015 642 28.0 22.9 50
2016 694 31.0 22.3 51.9
2017 679 31.6 21.4 52.6
2018 618 29.9 20.6 53.9
2019 606 28.5 21.2 51.8
2020 632 30.5 20.7 52.8
2021 466 29.9 15.5 n/a
2022 632 28.6 22.0 24.2
2023 648 30.4 21.3 46.8

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 Sky Middle School

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YearPersonnel Expenditures from Federal FundsNon-Personnel Expenditures from Federal FundsTotal Expenditures from Federal FundsPersonnel Expenditures from State and Local FundsNon-Personnel Expenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $530 (6.5%) $148 (1.8%) $1,208 (14.8%) $6,296 (77.3%) $1,170 (14.4%) $7,466 (91.7%) $8,144
2020 $454 (7.6%) $184 (3.1%) $1,093 (18.4%) $5,054 (84.9%) $259 (4.4%) $5,313 (89.3%) $5,952
2021 $588 (8.3%) $475 (6.7%) $1,651 (23.4%) $6,208 (88.1%) n/a $5,980 (84.9%) $7,043
2022 $515 (8.4%) $127 (2.1%) $1,157 (18.9%) $5,264 (86.1%) $206 (3.4%) $5,471 (89.5%) $6,113

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

Impact of COVID-19 on Desert Sky Middle School

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 236th of 605 Middle schoolsRanks 270th of 854 Middle schools
 7.4%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students606648
 6.9%
African American4929
 40.8%
American Indian713
 85.7%
Asian1217
 41.7%
Hispanic167230
 37.7%
Pacific Islander21
 50%
White349323
 7.4%
Two or More Races2035
 75%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients51.8%46.8%
 5.1%


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Frequently Asked Questions about Desert Sky Middle School

Students at Desert Sky Middle School are 50% White, 35% Hispanic, 5% Two or more races, 4% African American, 3% Asian, 2% American Indian.

Students who attend Desert Sky Middle School usually go on to attend Deer Valley High School

Desert Sky Middle School ranks 272nd of 533 Arizona middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

In the 2022-23 school year, 648 students attended Desert Sky Middle 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.





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