My son just started here and I am entirely impressed. For social studies and english they will be doing a Gettysburg reenactment and a White House Dinner. When I went to the parent meeting for volunteers there were over 100 parents willing and able to be there for this event with only about 400 students.
... Read more The teachers work together and seem very enthusiastic about what they teach. I don't think I could be more impressed with a Middle School. My son is very happy here. That in itself sais enough! Read less
Posted by a parent on 09/28/09
I go here and I am in 7th grade and I love it! Our Principle and our Vice Principle are the coolest people ever! Desert Shadows also has awesome, funny teachers! They have regular and honors teachers as well. I love this school, and even though it doesn't show it on the outside, on the inside there is
... Read more great teachers that really love what they do. Read less
Posted by a student on 11/17/08
My son is in his second year at DSMS and is thriving in this warm, friendly, yet academically challenging school. The administration and staff truly care about the well being of every student here. I hope all parents in the area who are approaching the middle school experience with their child will
... Read more consider this 'Excelling' public school. Read less
Posted by a parent on 03/07/06
Academic quality surprisingly & disappointedly low - both my children were much more challenged in K-6. Seventh grade staff sets the basement standard. Greatest weakness overall in the math department. The 'departmental' philosophy of the staff indicates they want to be high school teachers, but can't
... Read more cut it, and have no educational methodology teaching skills that the elementary teachers have. The longevity of teachers statistic at this school may at first sound like a positive attribute, but is actually indicative of a staff mentality of counting days until retirement instead of improving and updating instructional skills with current research on brain function in middle schoolers and teaching to different learning styles. Parents may be involved as long as their expectations do not attempt to raise the bar on what actually happens in the classroom. Adult cheerleaders are showcased. Parents who expect more from a public school system are ignored. Read less
Posted by a parent on 02/21/06
Our family has been extremely happy at DSMS. Dedicated, professional educators with many yrs of experience, yet open to continual revision and application of new goals/teacher strategies to meet all students' goals. Grouping of students into 'teams' has resulted in community building among both staff
... Read more and and students. Focus is on core academics, and yet there is ample opportunity for students to explore diverse interests through foreign languages, technology, and video production. The music teacher is incredible, a variety of sports for boys and girls, several after school clubs and committees- there is something for every kid to get involved with at DSMS. Parent involvement quite active with a PTO, which also interfaces with student council. Site council has both community and parental input. My daughter has been able to mix 'academic rigor' with developing new relationships with friends and teachers. We were worried about middle school, but DSMS has exceeded our expectations! Read less
Posted by a parent on 01/22/06
We Chose DSMS for their high test scores and lower enrollment. We ar in District Transfers and are completely satisfied, overyjoyed with our choice. The teachers care about the student's education and are always willing to help. My daughter loves school and comes home with possitive things to say
... Read more always! Read less
Posted by a parent on 01/13/06
There is alot of parent involvment at DSMS. The current Music teacher, Mr. Brasen, is kind. I hate sports, so I didn't take any this year, but last year P.E. was decent. There are a few clubs, but there are pretty much pointless. Some of the teachers can be a little harsh, but they still teach very
... Read more well. The important thing about DSMS is that if you try, you will do well. The only students that fail at DSMS are the ones that don't turn in their homework. Everyone else, even the students who would normally have trouble understanding certain things, does really well at this school. (Probably because all of are teachers are really good!) Read less
Posted by a student on 12/09/05
My son is in his second year at DSMS and loves it. DSMS promotes and environment that enhances learning, socialization, drug awareness, and parent interaction. For such a short stay (by comparison to elementary and high schools) I feel that I'm familiar with so many of the staff and families from neighboring
... Read more schools. Each year I grow to know more. I feel that my experience at DSMS is just as important as my child's. The #1 asset: strong leadership. The #1 complaint: camp aesthetics (but it improves every year.) Read less
Posted by a parent on 08/24/05
I found the teachers to be very child centered. They truly care about the students. The administration is very open to parent communication.
... Read moreRead less
Posted by a parent on 01/20/05
I am a former student of DSMS, and while most of my teachers were very good, there were a few who didn t really know how to teach us the material and relied on pointless projects and busywork to do their job for them. There was also too much teaching to the test (there was a mandatory class given to
... Read more the honors students designed to raise their test scores), and the principal didn t seem to care about us at all; she seemed very insincere. Despite all of this, I still liked DSMS because I had several exceptional teachers who taught their material well and did their best to make the class interesting and fun. 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.
Scottsdale schools — Desert Shadows Middle School is located at 5858 E Sweetwater Ave, Scottsdale AZ 85254. 5858 E Sweetwater Ave is in the 85254 ZIP code in Scottsdale, AZ The school district for Desert Shadows Middle School is the Paradise Valley Unified Sd 69. Desert Shadows Middle School is a Public school that serves grade levels 7 - 8.
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Test Score Ratings
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