Our family has been attending PCDS since Pre-K. We are now 11th year and can honestly say we've seen the school at its best and its worst. Every school, public or private, has chinks in the armour, and if you choose to focus on such things in a dis-proportionate manner, you reap a false conclusion.
... Read more This school is simply far and away the best college prepatory school in Arizona. It is comparable to East Coast private schools academically and in the arts. Many, many conversations with parents from back East have convinced me this is true. Even more telling is when you have a conversation with an Upper School student and witness for yourself the poise, confidence, humility and ease with which this young person communicates with an adult. They possess the ability to communicate a well-thought-out opinion that allows for constructive discourse. This is the rule, not the exception! Read less
Posted by a parent on 06/25/09
I'm an alumnus and I feel very lucky to have gone to PCDS for high school. With the small class sizes, the excellent teachers, and the chance to be among my intellectual equals as a student, PCDS prepared me ridiculously well for college and also made me into a smarter person in addition to just teaching
... Read more me new things. For a school with only 250 students in the Upper School (grades 9-12) it offers a very diverse curriculum, including a plethora of Advanced Placement courses in a variety of fields. If you are lucky enough to have the money to send your children to PCDS, then it's definitely worth the tuition. Even if you can't afford it, PCDS offers fairly generous financial aid, as well as the Project Excellence program. Read less
Posted by a student on 10/23/08
My son graduated in '07 and proved to be well prepared for college, both academically and emotionally. No student falls through the cracks in such a small school. Regarding the environment, cultural diversity has improved greatly in the last few years, both with students and faculty/staff. Yes, tuition
... Read more is high, but there seem to be increasingly more students on financial aid, so the socio-economic picture is also changing. My Middle Schooler has many friends, plays sports, and finds the schoolwork challenging. It's a well-rounded picture. Read less
Posted by a parent on 08/16/08
I am a former student of PCDS. It is by far the best school in the state and provides great preparation for college. No other school in the state has 100% of its students go to 4-year colleges, of which a very large percentage go to IVY league schools, and very few stay in-state. Many people on the
... Read more reviews complain about the social situation of the school. Yes it is true that because most students come from wealthy families (since I think tuition is now somewhere near $20,000 a year) the school does not represent 'the real world.' I think however to deny a child a world class education for that reason is ridiculous. You as parents, can always teach your children about the real world so they do not become jaded by money. Read less
Posted by a student on 05/22/08
I do believe that for the most part, the academics are very strong. I do not believe that the school gives the students an edge in getting into a good college. There is a great deal of truth to the commentary I have seen on this site regarding the odd social social climate at the school. The parents
... Read more are very high maintenance and spend a great deal of time hovering over their children and attempting to tell the teachers how to teach. There are parents who seem to derive some odd cachet depending on their involvement in the school parent's association. If you are in this income bracket and want to spend this amount of money providing your child with a world class education, I think you would better served by choosing Andover, Exeter, Choate or some other similarly situated school. Read less
Posted by a parent on 05/08/08
PCDS is a wonderful school. Its small classes and exciting curriculum have completely engaged my son. He also plays chess and baseball, swims, volunteers, and was in a play last year. The school has been making good progress diversifying the student body and seems to give financial aid to as many
... Read more families as it can. As a middle class family with little expendable income, PCDS has been helping us afford the tuition and we have never felt that we did not fit in with some of the wealthier parents. This is the best thing we ever did for our son and is worth every dollar you pay and hour you volunteer! Read less
Posted by a parent on 04/11/08
An extreme mix of outstanding academic opportunities and limited/skewed social experiences. It's absolutely true that children are academically and intellectually challenged here; the teachers are almost guaranteed to be excellent, since they usually accept less money and must pass the bar for teaching
... Read more at the school. The programs offered (not just academic, but also music and art) are also impressive for the school's size. However - partially due to the tuition (and resulting student body mix) and partially due to the school's encouraged culture - the social world at PCDS is anything but a slice of the 'normal world'. A sense of entitlement permeates the student body and there is no conscious effort on the school's behalf to address that (not that it would make any difference). Obviously, all parents want the best for their child; just make sure that you are comfortable with this culture for him or her. Read less
Posted by a parent on 03/14/08
The quality of the education is great; however I would expect nothing less for the price we pay.
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Posted by a parent on 02/05/08
By far the toughest curriculum around. Kids are chosen to go here by test scores, etc. You do not 'pick' to go here. Very expensive, bar is set very high and parents are equally high maintenance. Not for every kid or family.
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Posted by a teacher on 10/22/07
I am a former school teacher with a Masters in Curriculum and Instruction and have ten years of elementary teaching experience. I couldn't be happier with Phoenix Country Day! My children have attended PK-2nd and have absolutely thrived academically, socially, and emotionally. The teachers, staff and
... Read more facilities are amazing. My children love it so much that they have asked to go to school on Saturdays. That says a lot for how happy they are! Take it from an educator, if you are considering schools, please take the time to visit the campus. Read less
*The resources listed are programs that the institution is staffed to support. Staffing for a program does not guarantee that it will be offered. This content is provided by the institution and may be incomplete. The institution may offer programs not listed here. Please contact the school directly for additional details.
Advanced Placement
AP classes are college-level classes offered at the high school level. Once a student completes an AP class and passes a final comprehensive examination conducted by the College Board, the student earns college credit for the course. AP classes are specific and not to be confused with other higher-level classes such as honors classes.
Before/After School
"Extended day" programs where the school day is extended before and after school to accommodate working parents. These programs should not be confused with common after school clubs or athletic activities.
Gifted and Talented
A school system may identify 10% to 15% or more of its student population as gifted and talented. A brief description of each area of giftedness or talent as defined by the Office of Gifted and Talented:
general intellectual ability or talent - high intelligence test score (usually two standard deviations above the mean), and high levels of vocabulary, memory, abstract work knowledge and abstract reasoning;
specific academic aptitude or talent in one area such as mathematics or language arts;
creative and productive thinking, the ability to produce new ideas;
leadership ability, the ability to direct individuals or groups to a common decision or action;
visual and performing arts, special talents in visual art, music, dance, drama, or other related studies;
psychomotor ability, such as practical, spatial, mechanical, and physical skills.
Vocation/Technical Curriculum
Vocational and/or technical courses offered within a comprehensive school, usually a senior high school.
Special Education Classes
A school or program within a school that provides services and training to students with moderate to severe mental and/or physical disabilities.
Adult Education Classes
Programs offering GED or equivalent courses for adults within regular schools, whether classes are held during evening or daytime schedules.
English as Second Language
English language classes for students whose first language is not English.
Paradise Valley schools — Phoenix Country Day School is located at 3901 E Stanford Dr, Paradise Valley AZ 85253. 3901 E Stanford Dr is in the Paradise Valley neighborhood and 85253 ZIP code in Paradise Valley, AZ Phoenix Country Day School is a Private school that serves grade levels PK - 12.
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Test Score Ratings
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