Desert Ridge Academy

Public 6-8

79-767 Ave. 39
Indio, CA 92203-9647

(760) 393-5500

District: Desert Sands Unified

SchoolDigger Rank:
2122^nd of 2,798 California Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $7,283

Students who attend Desert Ridge Academy usually attend:

High:

Shadow Hills High

Feeder schools for Desert Ridge Academy:

Elementary:	Andrew Jackson Elementary
	Richard R. Oliphant Elementary
	Ronald Reagan Elementary

Student/teacher ratio: 25.5

Number of students: 1,030

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

86.6%

White:

7.2%

Two or more races:

3.3%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 81%

See top rated California middle schools

Compare Desert Ridge Academy to nearby middle schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Desert Ridge Academy ranks worse than 75.8% of middle schools in California. It also ranks 5^th among 7 ranked middle schools in the Desert Sands Unified School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2023 the calculated Average Standard Score was 23.49. (See more...)

Chronic absenteeism in a high school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: Hispanic (86.6%), White (7.2%), two or more races (3.3%). (See more...)

Compare Details 81% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Desert Ridge Academy is 25.5. 5 middle schools in the Desert Sands Unified School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare Desert Ridge Academy employs 40.3 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Desert Ridge Academy is $7,283, which is the lowest among 7 middle schools in the Desert Sands Unified School District!

Schooldigger 2023 Rankings:

Desert Ridge Academy:

SchoolDigger ranks Desert Ridge Academy 2122^nd of 2798 California public middle schools. (See Desert Ridge Academy in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Multi-racial students:

English Language Learner students:

Special Education students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

Hispanic students:

White students:

Desert Sands Unified:

SchoolDigger ranks Desert Sands Unified 972^nd of 1560 California school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

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Rank History for Desert Ridge Academy

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Rank History for all students at Desert Ridge Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile
2010	34.94	1444^th	2179	33.7%
2011	51.53	1055^th	2236	52.8%
2012	66.64	658^th	2259	70.9%
2013	59.20	916^th	2379	61.5%
2015	46.66	1179^th	2477	52.4%
2016	49.42	1124^th	2497	55.0%
2017	43.46	1295^th	2508	48.4%
2018	32.26	1600^th	2480	35.5%
2019	31.76	1723^rd	2715	36.5%
2022	20.25	2211^th	2740	19.3%
2023	23.49	2116^th	2788	24.1%

See the entire list of California Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Desert Ridge Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	9.09	614^th	678	9.4%

See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Desert Ridge Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	40.46	604^th	1364	55.7%
2019	43.27	579^th	1442	59.8%
2022	32.22	1133^rd	1540	26.4%
2023	39.22	804^th	1523	47.2%

See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at Desert Ridge Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	21.27	1412^th	1532	7.8%

See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Desert Ridge Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	28.79	1630^th	2230	26.9%
2019	31.84	1608^th	2369	32.1%
2022	21.46	2046^th	2458	16.8%
2023	24.19	1994^th	2535	21.3%

See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Desert Ridge Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	31.16	1531^st	2262	32.3%
2019	29.99	1625^th	2380	31.7%
2022	20.23	2063^rd	2509	17.8%
2023	23.10	1959^th	2535	22.7%

See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Disabled students at Desert Ridge Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	37.47	750^th	1369	45.2%
2019	32.07	968^th	1491	35.1%
2022	23.19	1329^th	1531	13.2%

See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for Male students at Desert Ridge Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	32.40	1455^th	2273	36.0%
2019	32.18	1543^rd	2407	35.9%
2022	20.85	2012^th	2527	20.4%
2023	23.73	1924^th	2546	24.4%

See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Desert Ridge Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	38.12	1232^nd	2072	40.5%
2019	37.99	1312^th	2213	40.7%
2022	22.06	1936^th	2359	17.9%
2023	28.20	1707^th	2379	28.2%

See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Desert Ridge Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	49.49	754^th	1496	49.6%
2019	47.17	837^th	1602	47.8%
2022	44.30	840^th	1555	46.0%
2023	28.58	1103^rd	1549	28.8%

See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: California 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.

Data source: California Department of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 1)

100%

Reviews:
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Enrollment information for Desert Ridge Academy

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
2010	82	20	12	618	4	0	5	0	741
2011	97	17	11	794	2	0	5	0	926
2012	114	16	13	919	1	0	5	0	1068
2013	118	10	12	932	1	0	6	0	1079
2014	129	13	12	966	2	0	5	0	1127
2015	156	13	14	1050	0	0	16	0	1249
2016	161	16	14	1101	4	1	21	0	1318
2017	167	14	12	1145	3	0	35	0	1376
2018	154	16	9	1159	5	0	64	0	1407
2019	132	14	8	1146	5	1	71	0	1377
2020	110	10	7	1016	1	0	56	0	1200
2021	80	8	9	926	2	0	34	0	1059
2022	69	8	13	879	1	0	28	0	998
2023	74	12	13	892	3	1	34	1	1030

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 Academy

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2010	741	35.0	21.1	66.4
2011	926	n/a	n/a	75.8
2012	1068	38.0	28.1	n/a
2013	1079	37.6	28.6	80.2
2014	1127	37.7	29.8	74
2015	1249	44.0	28.3	78.8
2016	1318	47.0	28.0	73.9
2017	1376	50.0	27.5	73
2018	1407	49.1	28.6	71.1
2019	1377	50.9	27.0	71
2020	1200	n/a	n/a	74.3
2021	1059	38.0	27.8	75.4
2022	998	39.0	25.5	81.1
2023	1030	40.3	25.5	81

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 Academy

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2010	741	35.0	21.1	66.4
2011	926	n/a	n/a	75.8
2012	1068	38.0	28.1	n/a
2013	1079	37.6	28.6	80.2
2014	1127	37.7	29.8	74
2015	1249	44.0	28.3	78.8
2016	1318	47.0	28.0	73.9
2017	1376	50.0	27.5	73
2018	1407	49.1	28.6	71.1
2019	1377	50.9	27.0	71
2020	1200	n/a	n/a	74.3
2021	1059	38.0	27.8	75.4
2022	998	39.0	25.5	81.1
2023	1030	40.3	25.5	81

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 Academy

Year	Total Expenditures Per Pupil
2018	$7,283

Data source: California Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Desert Ridge Academy

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 1723^rd of 2715 Middle schools	Ranks 2116^th of 2788 Middle schools	12.4%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
6th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Desert Ridge Academy)	36.5	28.4	8.1%
6th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Desert Sands Unified)	42.6	32.6	9.9%
6th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (California)	48.5	44.2	4.3%
6th Grade Mathematics (Desert Ridge Academy)	28.7	17.2	11.6%
6th Grade Mathematics (Desert Sands Unified)	32.5	23.5	9%
6th Grade Mathematics (California)	38.5	33.2	5.3%
7th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Desert Ridge Academy)	39.8	27	12.8%
7th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Desert Sands Unified)	46.2	41.4	4.8%
7th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (California)	51.4	47.4	3.9%
7th Grade Mathematics (Desert Ridge Academy)	23.4	11.2	12.2%
7th Grade Mathematics (Desert Sands Unified)	29.4	24	5.4%
7th Grade Mathematics (California)	37.9	33.2	4.7%
8th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Desert Ridge Academy)	42.2	30.6	11.6%
8th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Desert Sands Unified)	46.2	35.7	10.5%
8th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (California)	49.4	45.7	3.8%
8th Grade Mathematics (Desert Ridge Academy)	24.4	13.2	11.2%
8th Grade Mathematics (Desert Sands Unified)	28.2	21.4	6.8%
8th Grade Mathematics (California)	36.6	29.9	6.7%
8th Grade Science (Desert Ridge Academy)	17.2	18.6	1.4%
8th Grade Science (Desert Sands Unified)	22.8	22.7	0.1%
8th Grade Science (California)	30.8	28.8	2.1%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	1377	1030	25.2%
African American	14	12	14.3%
American Indian	5	3	40%
Asian	8	13	62.5%
Hispanic	1146	892	22.2%
Pacific Islander	1	1
White	132	74	43.9%
Two or More Races	71	34	52.1%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	71%	81%	9.9%

Schools Near Desert Ridge Academy

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2023)				Ranking (2022)				CAST Science (2023)		Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy (2023)				Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics (2023)				Per Pupil Expenditures (2018)
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 (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	SchoolDigger Rating (2023)	Average Standard Score (2022)	Statewide Rank (2022)	State Percentile (2022)	Rank Change from Previous Year	CAST Science 8th Grade	CAST Science End of Course	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 6th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 7th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 8th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy End of Course	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 6th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 7th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 8th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics End of Course	Total
Desert Ridge Academy	Public	6-8	79-767 Ave. 39	Indio	92203	Riverside County	Desert Sands Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(760) 393-5500	1,030	40	25.5	81.0%	74 (7.2%)	12 (1.2%)	892 (86.6%)	13 (1.3%)	3 (0.3%)	1 (0.1%)	34 (3.3%)	23.5	2122^nd of 2798 public middle schools	24.2%		20.3	2211^th of 2740 public middle schools	19.3%	89	18.6	18.6	28.4	27.0	30.6	28.7	17.2	11.2	13.2	13.8	$7,283
Colonel Mitchell Paige Middle	Public	6-8	43-495 Palm Royale Dr.	La Quinta	92253	Riverside County	Desert Sands Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(760) 238-9710	436	19	23.1	74.3%	63 (14.4%)	7 (1.6%)	329 (75.5%)	19 (4.4%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (3.9%)	27.2	1944^th of 2798 public middle schools	30.5%		32.1	1704^th of 2740 public middle schools	37.8%	240	16.7	16.7	20.4	38.0	33.3	30.5	9.4	24.2	18.2	17.2	$9,771
John Glenn Middle School of International Studies	Public	6-8	79-655 Miles Ave.	Indio	92201	Riverside County	Desert Sands Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(760) 200-3700	1,045	44	23.7	64.2%	191 (18.3%)	8 (0.8%)	774 (74.1%)	36 (3.4%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	33 (3.2%)	51.2	1130^th of 2798 public middle schools	59.6%		52.2	1108^th of 2740 public middle schools	59.6%	22	24.6	24.6	37.5	49.5	39.7	42.1	35.3	38.7	28.3	33.9	$7,798
Indio Middle	Public	6-8	81-195 Miles Ave.	Indio	92201	Riverside County	Desert Sands Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(760) 775-3800	784	35	22.1	89.0%	23 (2.9%)	9 (1.1%)	723 (92.2%)	7 (0.9%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (2.7%)	17	2426^th of 2798 public middle schools	13.3%		13	2534^th of 2740 public middle schools	7.5%	108	14.3	14.3	16.7	27.3	28.7	24.2	7.0	7.4	11.6	8.6	$7,611
Thomas Jefferson Middle	Public	6-8	83-089 Highway 111	Indio	92201	Riverside County	Desert Sands Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(760) 863-3660	538	22	24.6	92.6%	16 (3.0%)	4 (0.7%)	497 (92.4%)	7 (1.3%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (2.4%)	11.8	2630^th of 2798 public middle schools	6.0%		11.5	2587^th of 2740 public middle schools	5.6%	43	6.5	6.5	21.6	23.2	13.1	19.4	6.1	8.6	3.0	5.8	$8,030
La Quinta Middle	Public	6-8	78-900 Ave. 50	La Quinta	92253	Riverside County	Desert Sands Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(760) 777-4220	754	32	23.5	82.8%	112 (14.9%)	13 (1.7%)	584 (77.5%)	11 (1.5%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	33 (4.4%)	32.7	1709^th of 2798 public middle schools	38.9%		37.7	1537^th of 2740 public middle schools	43.9%	172	16.5	16.5	32.9	40.4	24.3	32.4	29.2	26.2	14.9	23.5	$8,035
Palm Desert Charter Middle	Public, Charter	6-8	74-200 Rutledge Way	Palm Desert	92260	Riverside County	Desert Sands Unified	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(760) 862-4320	1,347	50	26.9	60.3%	482 (35.8%)	26 (1.9%)	670 (49.7%)	94 (7.0%)	4 (0.3%)	2 (0.1%)	69 (5.1%)	70.3	676^th of 2798 public middle schools	75.8%		70.8	670^th of 2740 public middle schools	75.5%	6	40.9	40.9	49.1	62.4	55.5	55.5	37.7	38.6	39.2	38.4	$9,712
Cahuilla Desert Academy Junior High	Public	7-8	82-489 Ave. 52	Coachella	92236	Riverside County	Coachella Valley Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(760) 398-0097	669	33	20.0	79.4%	2 (0.3%)	1 (0.1%)	660 (98.7%)	3 (0.4%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	25.5	2020^th of 2798 public middle schools	27.8%		24.8	2006^th of 2740 public middle schools	26.8%	14	16.5	16.5		32.1	25.2	28.8		17.9	17.2	17.6	$12,664
Bobby Duke Middle	Public	7-8	85-358 Bagdad Ave.	Coachella	92236	Riverside County	Coachella Valley Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(760) 398-0139	706	34	20.5	93.3%	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	703 (99.6%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	18.9	2332^nd of 2798 public middle schools	16.7%		15.5	2420^th of 2740 public middle schools	11.7%	88	13.2	13.2		32.1	23.7	28.3		9.9	7.6	8.9	$13,369
Nellie N. Coffman Middle	Public	6-8	34-603 Plumley Rd.	Cathedral City	92234	Riverside County	Palm Springs Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(760) 770-8617	953	44	21.6	98.4%	37 (3.9%)	13 (1.4%)	879 (92.2%)	9 (0.9%)	2 (0.2%)	2 (0.2%)	11 (1.2%)	25.3	2033^rd of 2798 public middle schools	27.3%		23.8	2041^st of 2740 public middle schools	25.5%	8	13.2	13.2	30.0	25.9	35.5	30.4	19.0	16.5	15.1	16.9	$12,996

Frequently Asked Questions about Desert Ridge Academy

What district is Desert Ridge Academy in?

Desert Sands Unified

Is Desert Ridge Academy a good school?

Desert Ridge Academy ranks in the bottom 24.2% of California middle schools.

What high school do graduates of Desert Ridge Academy attend?

Students who attend Desert Ridge Academy usually go on to attend Shadow Hills High

What is the racial makeup of Desert Ridge Academy?

Students at Desert Ridge Academy are 87% Hispanic, 7% White, 3% Two or more races, 1% Asian, 1% African American.

How many students attend Desert Ridge Academy?

In the 2022-23 school year, 1,030 students attended Desert Ridge Academy.

Rate Desert Ridge 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 California 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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