In 4th grade my son was diagnosed w/Asperger's (autism). His parochial school chooses not to accommodate special needs kids. Other charters say they do, but 'your child has to behave appropriately' or say 'your child will become frustrated here' or 'we can only take X# of SN kids. Our quota is full.'
... Read more This is illegal & wrong. DWHI takes all kids, so has high % extremely bright but SN. Because of that, tho, they are the nicest kids & teachers anywhere! No one ever teased mine because he started in the autistic room, screaming under a table, tried out reg 5th grade on Mom's lap (!) & moved in bit by bit. The principal coached him thru homework hurdles. Everyone really cared, IEPs not antagonistic. Down side, so small staff was '1 deep' so tchr absence = movies, turnover not replaced, 'extras' promised bright kids on IEP didn't happen. Read less
Posted by a parent on 07/17/09
this school is really great they teach you want u need to learn. its nice and small so theres not to many kids. my kid went there and had a great time and hes grades improved very well.
... Read moreRead less
Posted by a other on 04/07/09
What I like most about this school is the self-esteem my child has gained from the teacher being able to help my child in his academics because the class sizes are not so big. All the kids get along, the staff make sure the kids treat others right.The staff follows through on any discipline and doesn't
... Read more let that kind of stuff fall through the cracks. The school enourages, or enforces, that the kids read books. Very important to me. The kids have a goal and they are tested on the comprehension of the story and get a passing grade. It's called the accelerated reader program. The school puts a high value on strong reading skills. The school had a few good, seasoned teachers out on illness (long term) that hurt. But have longer and better track record than that. I have heard the school is moving to a school building south Read less
Posted by a parent on 04/02/09
This school has potential, but it seems to be going in the wrong direction for the last two years. On the plus side, the student/teacher ratio is better than most schools, the office staff is friendly and makes an effort to know every student, and there is an overall feeling of community among the students
... Read more and staff. On the negative side, the facility is in a shopping plaza (no playground, no grass), some of the teachers seem pretty inexperienced and lazy (classes watching 2 to 3 Disney movies each week), and the overall program seems pretty disorganized recently (teachers absent frequently, teacher turnover, etc..). If you are looking for a challenging, creative, and 'outside the box' kind of school, I would not recommend DWH. Read less
Posted by a parent on 09/18/08
D.W. Higgins is an excellent school particularly due to the small class size and the philosophy to understand student needs and accomodate accordingly. I finally have found a school where my learning disabled child and my gifted child can both be challenged and happy. This school is a great alternative
... Read more to the large public schools where your child (and you) can feel like a number instead of a unique individual. I am particularly thrilled with the confidence my middle school-aged child has developed due to the small environment where teachers and students really care about one another. Middle school kids also get to play all sports vs. the public school system where only a few elite get to participate. Read less
Posted by a parent on 04/28/07
D. W. Higgins is a great alternative to the large public school system. I highly recommend it, particularly for middle school as there are virtually no cliques or issues due to the class size and respect shown by teachers and students
... Read moreRead less
Posted by a parent on 04/28/07
We love this school! I love the personalized attention that the kids get and extra help when they need it. Public schools have too large of class rooms, so the 18 kids max. per class was important to me. You can't expect kids to get the attention they need when class size is 28-35 kids for 1 teacher.
... Read more They have most programs that a public school has and they get outstanding test scores. Read less
Posted by a parent on 09/20/06
I was impressed with the fact that the school has a ratio of 18 students per teacher. I was also impressed that the 'closed environment' would keep my child safe. What I do not like about the school is that I feel I have to protect my son from his teacher who doesn't control her tone of voice. I also
... Read more don't like that the after school program is controlled by students. Read less
Posted by a parent on 04/19/06
The quality of academic programs is good, better than many schools but probably has been better in the past. Parent involvement is good and encouraged. Extracurricular activitities is a little light in the upper grades due to lower inrolment in those grades.
... Read moreRead less
Posted by a parent on 03/23/06
The small class size and close-knit school community is really an advantage here. Everyone knows your child and they are proactive in identifying any problems or concerns.
... Read moreRead 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.
Tempe schools — D W Higgins Institute is located at 1805 E Elliot Rd Ste 112, Tempe AZ 85284. 1805 E Elliot Rd Ste 112 is in the 85284 ZIP code in Tempe, AZ The school district for D W Higgins Institute is the Arizona State Charter School Board. D W Higgins Institute is a Public school that serves grade levels K - 8.
School information provided by OnBoard Informatics Copyright (c) 2008. Information is deemed reliable but not guaranteed.
We won't spam you. Nor will we give, sell, rent or otherwise make your email address available to third parties.
All our mailings include a link so you can easily unsubscribe. For more details, read our full privacy policy.
Parent Reviews
These reviews include feedback from parents, students, former students, administrators and other staff. This feedback
may help you further evaluate and compare schools, along with other information such as test scores, academic programs,
school resources, classroom and teacher ratios, etc. The reviews are provided by GreatSchools.
Ask a question about this school on Trulia Voices to learn more
about this school or district from residents and other local experts.
Test Score Ratings
Test score ratings are based on the most recent standardized test results reported by this state. These ratings may help
you compare similar schools in this district or area. For example, a rating of 8 indicates that, on average, students in
this school scored better than 70% of the students in the state on the same tests. We have indicated below which tests
were used in calculating these ratings. Other factors should be considered when comparing schools, including teacher
experience, academic programs, extracurricular activities, resources for special needs students, etc. These ratings are
not provided by the state Department of Education, which may have their own rating systems.
Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity
