Desert Shadows Elementary School

Summary:

Desert Shadows Elementary School is a public elementary school in Scottsdale, Arizona, serving 464 students in grades PK-6 and part of the Paradise Valley Unified District. The school consistently performs above state and district averages in English Language Arts and Mathematics proficiency, with 75% of 3rd graders and 74% of 6th graders proficient or better in ELA, and 86% of 3rd graders and 49% of 6th graders proficient or better in Math, compared to state averages of 39-46% and 30-43%, respectively.

Desert Shadows Elementary has ranked in the top 15% of Arizona elementary schools for the past 10 years, earning a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger. The school's performance is comparable to North Ranch Elementary, another high-performing school in the Paradise Valley Unified District, but lags behind the exceptional performance of Sonoran Sky Elementary, which ranks in the top 2% of Arizona elementary schools. Additionally, Scottsdale Country Day School, a public charter school, has outperformed Desert Shadows Elementary in Mathematics proficiency.

While Desert Shadows Elementary has a relatively low percentage of free and reduced-price lunch recipients, indicating a higher socioeconomic status, the school's performance for certain student subgroups, such as African American and English Language Learner students, is an area for potential improvement, as these groups rank in the bottom 30% of Arizona elementary schools. The school's consistent student-teacher ratio of around 13.3 to 13.6 may be a contributing factor to its strong academic performance.


Detail:

Public PK, KG-6

 5902 E Sweetwater Ave
       Scottsdale, AZ  85254-4378


(602) 449-6900

District: Paradise Valley Unified District

SchoolDigger Rank:
118th of 904 Arizona Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $9,356 Help


Students who attend Desert Shadows Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:    Desert Shadows Middle School
High:    Horizon High School

Student/teacher ratio:  13.3 Help
Number of students:  464

Racial breakdown:

White:
68.8%
Hispanic:
15.9%
Two or more races:
8.2%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  14.9% Help


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Performance Trends
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Compare Details Desert Shadows Elementary School ranks better than 86.9% of elementary schools in Arizona. It also ranks 11th among 25 ranked elementary schools in the Paradise Valley Unified District. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 84.93. (See more...)
Student Body
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Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (68.8%), Hispanic (15.9%), two or more races (8.2%). (See more...)
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Compare Details 14.9% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Desert Shadows Elementary School is 13.3, which is the 10th best among 25 elementary schools in the Paradise Valley Unified District. (See more...)
Help
Compare Desert Shadows Elementary School employs 34.8 full-time teachers.
Finance
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Compare Details The average total spent per student at Desert Shadows Elementary School is $9,356. 14 elementary schools in the Paradise Valley Unified District spend more per student.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Desert Shadows Elementary School:

SchoolDigger ranks Desert Shadows Elementary School 118th of 904 Arizona public elementary schools. (See Desert Shadows Elementary School in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


Female students:
Male students:
White students:


Paradise Valley Unified District:

SchoolDigger ranks Paradise Valley Unified District 108th of 288 Arizona school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Your rating for Desert Shadows Elementary School?

Rank History for Desert Shadows Elementary School

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Compare

Rank History for all students at Desert Shadows Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2009 82.31 166th 1062 84.4%
2010 82.53 174th 1090 84.0%
2011 85.85 118th 1075 89.0%
2012 83.87 123rd 1141 89.2%
2013 80.42 176th 1158 84.8%
2014 72.62 298th 1079 72.4%
2015 77.69 196th 955 79.5%
2016 80.75 208th 1079 80.7%
2017 88.78 108th 1106 90.2%
2018 87.33 128th 1109 88.5%
2019 80.83 195th 1039 81.2%
2021 88.04 146th 1226 88.1%
2022 83.99 116th 1000 88.4%
2023 90.75 108th 1245 91.3%
2024 84.93 118th 904 86.9%
See the entire list of Arizona Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Desert Shadows Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 81.57 85th 1027 91.7%
2022 46.28 257th 444 42.1%
2023 58.76 194th 617 68.6%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Elementary Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Desert Shadows Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 39.29 545th 975 44.1%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Elementary Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at Desert Shadows Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 83.53 29th 417 93.0%
2021 59.28 293rd 1201 75.6%
2023 48.38 351st 820 57.2%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Elementary Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Desert Shadows Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 64.38 236th 820 71.2%
2022 73.41 148th 618 76.1%
2023 73.01 197th 1116 82.3%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Desert Shadows Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 79.81 197th 1023 80.7%
2019 63.22 293rd 862 66.0%
2021 86.22 152nd 1219 87.5%
2022 83.47 73rd 824 91.1%
2023 87.87 123rd 1219 89.9%
2024 64.01 189th 593 68.1%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Foster Care students at Desert Shadows Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 73.28 13th 306 95.8%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Elementary Schools for Foster Care Students!

Rank History for Male students at Desert Shadows Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 89.58 90th 1032 91.3%
2019 83.48 108th 850 87.3%
2021 85.87 154th 1220 87.4%
2022 72.03 188th 830 77.3%
2023 88.72 118th 1216 90.3%
2024 84.60 63rd 609 89.7%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Asian students at Desert Shadows Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 46.41 391st 620 36.9%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Elementary Schools for Asian Students!

Rank History for African American students at Desert Shadows Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 60.66 191st 895 78.7%
2022 74.37 45th 289 84.4%
2023 45.23 325th 607 46.5%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Elementary Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Desert Shadows Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 67.01 293rd 1198 75.5%
2022 70.56 203rd 716 71.6%
2023 71.84 252nd 1170 78.5%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Elementary Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Desert Shadows Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 73.95 178th 720 75.3%
2019 57.92 241st 595 59.5%
2021 80.69 162nd 1161 86.0%
2022 75.24 120th 800 85.0%
2023 86.17 77th 1024 92.5%
2024 66.34 142nd 477 70.2%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Elementary 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 Shadows Elementary School Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
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Data source: Arizona Department of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 4)
67%

0%

0%

33%

0%

  

Reviews:
by a parent
Monday, May 1, 2023

Open Quote Sadly the school has lost its luster and A+ rating since the Rock star principle & many of the wonderful long terms staff members left . Bullying & safety concerns don’t seem to be a priority here. Disappointed it use to be a great place and community I use to be proud of. That’s no longer the case looking for other options. Close Quote


by a parent
Wednesday, October 9, 2019

Open Quote My kid loves going to DSES. The principal is great and leads the school to excellence whilst he knows every kid by name. Close Quote


by a parent
Wednesday, October 1, 2014

Open Quote This school is wonderful. I came over two years ago from another PVUSD elementary school and have been very impressed the caring staff and principal. At first I was nervous because our third grade teacher seemed very unorganized and not with it but we spoke with principal and he rectified the issue right away. Since, all of our teachers have been phenomenal. I recommend this school highly! Close Quote



Enrollment information for Desert Shadows Elementary School

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Compare
Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1988 745 3 10 8 2 n/a n/a -54 714
1989 709 1 10 11 2 n/a n/a -96 637
1990 630 2 2 7 2 n/a n/a -73 570
1991 587 1 5 14 2 n/a n/a -24 585
1992 526 4 5 17 2 n/a n/a -1 553
1993 537 7 8 24 3 n/a n/a 0 579
1994 568 8 11 23 2 n/a n/a 0 612
1995 566 9 8 26 1 n/a n/a 0 610
1996 566 9 8 26 1 n/a n/a 0 610
1997 559 6 5 20 1 n/a n/a 0 591
1998 567 4 5 18 1 n/a n/a 0 595
1999 528 5 3 19 1 n/a n/a 0 556
2000 482 6 3 24 1 n/a n/a 0 516
2001 522 5 6 27 2 n/a n/a 0 562
2002 527 10 8 28 2 n/a n/a 0 575
2003 527 10 8 28 2 n/a n/a 0 575
2004 546 10 6 27 2 n/a n/a 0 591
2005 539 13 6 28 3 n/a n/a 0 589
2006 506 13 4 30 3 n/a n/a 0 556
2007 463 8 3 35 4 n/a n/a 0 513
2008 453 7 7 36 3 n/a n/a 0 506
2009 447 10 9 39 4 n/a n/a 0 509
2010 421 11 11 39 5 n/a n/a 0 487
2011 400 3 5 47 5 0 14 0 474
2012 392 7 9 51 3 0 20 0 482
2013 403 9 10 53 4 3 21 0 503
2014 403 8 10 67 4 3 26 0 521
2015 374 10 10 78 4 2 23 0 501
2016 361 8 12 69 3 2 19 0 474
2017 355 6 12 81 4 1 19 0 478
2018 343 3 10 71 1 1 19 0 448
2019 352 8 14 75 0 0 21 0 470
2020 373 8 13 74 3 0 29 0 500
2021 336 7 10 77 2 0 22 0 454
2022 335 9 11 83 4 0 26 0 468
2023 319 10 17 74 6 0 38 0 464

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 Shadows Elementary School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 714 37.8 18.8 n/a
1989 637 34.3 18.5 n/a
1990 570 32.5 17.5 n/a
1991 585 35.6 16.4 n/a
1992 553 34.0 16.2 n/a
1993 579 34.7 16.7 n/a
1994 612 34.7 17.6 n/a
1995 610 33.8 18.0 n/a
1996 610 33.8 18.0 n/a
1997 591 32.3 18.3 n/a
1998 595 32.2 18.5 n/a
1999 556 32.2 17.3 n/a
2000 516 33.1 15.6 n/a
2001 562 29.6 19.0 n/a
2002 575 34.6 16.6 8.9
2003 575 34.6 16.6 8.9
2004 591 33.0 17.9 6.8
2005 589 31.4 18.8 9.3
2006 556 33.4 16.6 8.1
2007 513 32.7 15.7 5.8
2008 506 35.2 14.4 7.3
2009 509 35.8 14.2 9.4
2010 487 32.0 15.2 11.3
2011 474 33.0 14.3 14.6
2012 482 32.6 14.7 16.6
2013 503 31.6 15.9 23.1
2014 521 29.6 17.6 5.4
2015 501 33.0 15.1 13.4
2016 474 31.0 15.2 8.9
2017 478 29.5 16.2 13.6
2018 448 28.9 15.5 11.6
2019 470 28.3 16.6 11.7
2020 500 31.1 16.0 14
2021 454 33.3 13.6 n/a
2022 468 34.3 13.6 8.8
2023 464 34.8 13.3 14.9

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 Shadows Elementary School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 714 37.8 18.8 n/a
1989 637 34.3 18.5 n/a
1990 570 32.5 17.5 n/a
1991 585 35.6 16.4 n/a
1992 553 34.0 16.2 n/a
1993 579 34.7 16.7 n/a
1994 612 34.7 17.6 n/a
1995 610 33.8 18.0 n/a
1996 610 33.8 18.0 n/a
1997 591 32.3 18.3 n/a
1998 595 32.2 18.5 n/a
1999 556 32.2 17.3 n/a
2000 516 33.1 15.6 n/a
2001 562 29.6 19.0 n/a
2002 575 34.6 16.6 8.9
2003 575 34.6 16.6 8.9
2004 591 33.0 17.9 6.8
2005 589 31.4 18.8 9.3
2006 556 33.4 16.6 8.1
2007 513 32.7 15.7 5.8
2008 506 35.2 14.4 7.3
2009 509 35.8 14.2 9.4
2010 487 32.0 15.2 11.3
2011 474 33.0 14.3 14.6
2012 482 32.6 14.7 16.6
2013 503 31.6 15.9 23.1
2014 521 29.6 17.6 5.4
2015 501 33.0 15.1 13.4
2016 474 31.0 15.2 8.9
2017 478 29.5 16.2 13.6
2018 448 28.9 15.5 11.6
2019 470 28.3 16.6 11.7
2020 500 31.1 16.0 14
2021 454 33.3 13.6 n/a
2022 468 34.3 13.6 8.8
2023 464 34.8 13.3 14.9

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 Shadows Elementary 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 $148 (1.5%) $51 (0.5%) $347 (3.5%) $7,779 (79.5%) $1,813 (18.5%) $9,591 (98.0%) $9,790
2020 $00 (0.0%) n/a n/a $7,305 (94.9%) $396 (5.1%) $7,701 (100.0%) $7,701
2021 $1,280 (14.6%) $226 (2.6%) $2,785 (31.8%) $6,985 (79.8%) $259 (3.0%) $7,244 (82.8%) $8,750
2022 $609 (6.5%) $144 (1.5%) $1,363 (14.6%) $7,882 (84.2%) $720 (7.7%) $8,602 (91.9%) $9,356

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

Impact of COVID-19 on Desert Shadows Elementary 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 195th of 1039 Elementary schoolsRanks 108th of 1245 Elementary schools
 10.1%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students470464
 1.3%
African American810
 25%
American Indian06
Asian1417
 21.4%
Hispanic7574
 1.3%
Pacific Islander00
White352319
 9.4%
Two or More Races2138
 81%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients11.7%14.9%
 3.2%


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Frequently Asked Questions about Desert Shadows Elementary School

Students at Desert Shadows Elementary School are 69% White, 16% Hispanic, 8% Two or more races, 4% Asian, 2% African American, 1% American Indian.

In the 2022-23 school year, 464 students attended Desert Shadows Elementary School.

Students who attend Desert Shadows Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Desert Shadows Middle School
High : Horizon High School

Desert Shadows Elementary School ranks 118th of 904 Arizona elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.


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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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