Desert Foothills Middle School

Summary:

Desert Foothills Middle School is a public middle school serving grades 7-8 in the Washington Elementary School District in Phoenix, Arizona, with an enrollment of 632 students. The school has a diverse student population, with a racial makeup that is predominantly White (37.66%) and Hispanic (45.41%), along with smaller percentages of African American, Asian, Native American, Pacific Islander, and multi-racial students.

Desert Foothills Middle School consistently outperforms the district and state averages on standardized tests, particularly in English Language Arts, with 37% of 7th graders and 34% of 8th graders proficient or better, compared to 31% and 29% for the district, and 41% and 35% for the state, respectively. The school also has strong performance among certain student subgroups, such as Asian and Native American students, who rank in the top quartile and top 30% of Arizona middle schools, respectively. Additionally, the school has relatively low dropout rates, ranging from 0.2% to 3.1% over the past several years, which is lower than the district and state averages.

While Desert Foothills Middle School is a strong-performing school within its district, it faces some challenges. The school has seen a decline in enrollment over the past few years, and its School Digger rating has fluctuated between 2 and 3 stars out of 5, indicating inconsistent performance compared to other Arizona middle schools. Additionally, there are significant disparities in the performance of certain student subgroups, with White and multi-racial students consistently ranking in the bottom quartile of Arizona middle schools, and African American and special education students also struggling. When compared to nearby middle schools, Desert Foothills Middle School generally outperforms its peers in the Washington Elementary School District, but lags behind some middle schools in the neighboring Paradise Valley Unified District, such as Deer Valley Middle School and Desert Sky Middle School.


Detail:

Public 7-8

 3333 W Banff Ln
       Phoenix, AZ  85053-4723


(602) 896-5500

District: Washington Elementary School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
336th of 550 Arizona Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $7,585 Help


Students who attend Desert Foothills Middle School usually attend:

High:    Greenway High School

Feeder schools for Desert Foothills Middle School:

Elementary:    Acacia Elementary School
    Chaparral Elementary School
    Ironwood Elementary School
    Sunburst School

Student/teacher ratio:  13.4 Help
Number of students:  614

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:
48.2%
White:
34.2%
African American:
9.1%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  57.8% Help


 See top rated Arizona middle schools

 Compare Desert Foothills Middle School to nearby middle schools!

Performance Trends
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Compare Details Desert Foothills Middle School ranks worse than 61.1% of middle schools in Arizona. It also ranks first among 5 ranked middle schools in the Washington Elementary School District! (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 30.55. (See more...)
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The high school dropout rate measures the percentage of students who do not complete their high school education.
Student Body
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Compare Details Racial makeup is: Hispanic (48.2%), White (34.2%), African American (9.1%). (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Desert Foothills Middle School is 13.4, which is the lowest among 5 middle schools in the Washington Elementary School District! (See more...)
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Compare Desert Foothills Middle School employs 45.5 full-time teachers.
Finance
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Compare Details The average total spent per student at Desert Foothills Middle School is $7,585, which is the highest among 5 middle schools in the Washington Elementary School District!
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Desert Foothills Middle School:

SchoolDigger ranks Desert Foothills Middle School 336th of 550 Arizona public middle schools. (See Desert Foothills Middle School in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


Low Socio Economic Status students:
Female students:
Male students:
Hispanic students:
White students:


Washington Elementary School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Washington Elementary School District 232nd of 297 Arizona school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Rank History for Desert Foothills Middle School

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Rank History for all students at Desert Foothills Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2009 49.29 329th 663 50.4%
2010 59.17 255th 692 63.2%
2011 47.89 354th 685 48.3%
2012 49.24 388th 772 49.7%
2013 47.54 418th 787 46.9%
2014 49.69 334th 690 51.6%
2015 43.44 258th 521 50.5%
2016 47.38 301st 677 55.5%
2017 48.57 293rd 695 57.8%
2018 44.23 354th 711 50.2%
2019 35.32 350th 605 42.1%
2021 39.07 433rd 832 48.0%
2022 33.37 352nd 605 41.8%
2023 40.51 427th 854 50.0%
2024 30.55 336th 550 38.9%
See the entire list of Arizona Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Desert Foothills Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 40.09 373rd 650 42.6%
2023 17.15 351st 384 8.6%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Middle Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Desert Foothills Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 85.40 1st 606 99.8%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Middle Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at Desert Foothills Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 23.40 153rd 178 14.0%
2021 70.52 66th 789 91.6%
2023 15.67 349th 363 3.9%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Middle Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Desert Foothills Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 57.90 155th 503 69.2%
2022 36.23 221st 369 40.1%
2023 38.31 405th 717 43.5%
2024 31.51 201st 320 37.2%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Middle Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Homeless students at Desert Foothills Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 32.57 172nd 257 33.1%
2023 52.74 21st 64 67.2%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Middle Schools for Homeless Students!

Rank History for Female students at Desert Foothills Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 41.54 319th 624 48.9%
2019 31.85 298th 466 36.1%
2021 36.17 461st 820 43.8%
2022 28.11 344th 494 30.4%
2023 43.35 383rd 806 52.5%
2024 22.22 281st 386 27.2%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Middle Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at Desert Foothills Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 41.12 308th 617 50.1%
2019 27.41 296th 435 32.0%
2021 42.76 384th 818 53.1%
2022 28.53 328th 476 31.1%
2023 34.39 484th 810 40.2%
2024 23.95 267th 370 27.8%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Middle Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Asian students at Desert Foothills Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 46.04 241st 404 40.3%
2022 78.48 27th 192 85.9%
2023 52.23 103rd 247 58.3%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Middle Schools for Asian Students!

Rank History for African American students at Desert Foothills Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 42.40 55th 125 56.0%
2021 37.43 324th 573 43.5%
2023 18.93 341st 400 14.8%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Middle Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Desert Foothills Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 44.59 256th 543 52.9%
2019 37.31 224th 387 42.1%
2021 42.94 380th 802 52.6%
2022 28.51 267th 392 31.9%
2023 37.16 435th 760 42.8%
2024 29.09 209th 329 36.5%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Middle Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for Native American students at Desert Foothills Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 91.76 3rd 62 95.2%
2021 49.12 115th 390 70.5%
2022 30.28 34th 49 30.6%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Middle Schools for Native American Students!

Rank History for Pacific Islander students at Desert Foothills Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 34.07 70th 108 35.2%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Middle Schools for Pacific Islander Students!

Rank History for White students at Desert Foothills Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 27.04 331st 436 24.1%
2019 18.55 283rd 337 16.0%
2021 37.71 502nd 780 35.6%
2022 17.33 389th 446 12.8%
2023 35.58 425th 675 37.0%
2024 17.19 244th 288 15.3%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Middle 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 Foothills Middle School Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 




Data source: Arizona Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Desert Foothills Middle School

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Compare
Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1988 1045 7 27 46 2 n/a n/a -50 1077
1989 1021 11 24 56 5 n/a n/a -77 1040
1990 965 21 23 58 8 n/a n/a -100 975
1991 941 20 24 61 5 n/a n/a -55 996
1992 933 18 20 65 8 n/a n/a -1 1043
1993 948 25 19 62 1 n/a n/a 0 1055
1994 959 28 24 63 3 n/a n/a 0 1077
1995 882 22 22 84 4 n/a n/a 0 1014
1996 882 22 22 84 4 n/a n/a 0 1014
1997 810 30 24 81 4 n/a n/a 0 949
1998 765 25 23 72 7 n/a n/a 0 892
1999 885 27 21 101 9 n/a n/a 0 1043
2000 709 23 17 108 11 n/a n/a 0 868
2001 680 30 19 112 14 n/a n/a 0 855
2002 680 34 29 150 16 n/a n/a 0 909
2003 680 34 29 150 16 n/a n/a 0 909
2004 653 39 22 170 17 n/a n/a 0 901
2005 593 38 16 182 12 n/a n/a 0 841
2006 556 48 21 164 16 n/a n/a 0 805
2007 481 54 18 189 13 n/a n/a 0 755
2008 450 44 19 249 15 n/a n/a 0 777
2009 443 43 22 216 20 n/a n/a 0 744
2010 415 44 26 191 16 n/a n/a 0 692
2011 364 40 23 225 15 1 3 0 671
2012 375 35 21 225 16 2 11 0 685
2013 355 35 29 218 20 2 19 0 678
2014 342 35 25 210 22 2 15 0 651
2015 349 42 23 208 23 2 13 0 660
2016 337 35 22 254 20 3 22 0 693
2017 312 42 14 289 20 2 20 0 699
2018 281 44 14 287 25 1 20 0 672
2019 298 53 14 290 21 5 22 0 703
2020 295 51 16 315 14 4 26 0 721
2021 291 61 18 305 13 4 25 0 717
2022 268 50 16 280 13 2 28 0 657
2023 238 56 14 287 15 1 21 0 632
2024 210 56 11 296 15 2 24 0 614

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 Foothills Middle School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 1077 61.0 17.6 n/a
1989 1040 57.5 18.0 n/a
1990 975 54.0 18.0 n/a
1991 996 49.0 20.3 n/a
1992 1043 51.5 20.2 n/a
1993 1055 52.3 20.2 n/a
1994 1077 57.5 18.7 n/a
1995 1014 56.0 18.1 n/a
1996 1014 56.0 18.1 n/a
1997 949 54.9 17.3 n/a
1998 892 52.8 16.9 n/a
1999 1043 54.4 19.2 n/a
2000 868 51.8 16.8 n/a
2001 855 48.1 17.8 n/a
2002 909 45.4 20.0 33.6
2003 909 45.4 20.0 33.6
2004 901 39.5 22.8 46.5
2005 841 35.2 23.9 49
2006 805 41.8 19.3 48.6
2007 755 40.2 18.8 42.4
2008 777 35.3 22.0 45.3
2009 744 40.8 18.2 50.9
2010 692 38.4 18.0 39
2011 671 36.5 18.3 55
2012 685 34.3 19.9 60.6
2013 678 34.0 19.9 65.3
2014 651 35.0 18.6 61.6
2015 660 32.0 20.6 55.9
2016 693 29.0 23.8 100
2017 699 35.5 19.6 100
2018 672 40.7 16.5 56.8
2019 703 38.7 18.1 56.9
2020 721 42.0 17.1 57.8
2021 717 44.4 16.1 n/a
2022 657 42.2 15.5 57.8
2023 632 37.5 16.8 57.8
2024 614 45.5 13.4 n/a

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 Foothills Middle School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 1077 61.0 17.6 n/a
1989 1040 57.5 18.0 n/a
1990 975 54.0 18.0 n/a
1991 996 49.0 20.3 n/a
1992 1043 51.5 20.2 n/a
1993 1055 52.3 20.2 n/a
1994 1077 57.5 18.7 n/a
1995 1014 56.0 18.1 n/a
1996 1014 56.0 18.1 n/a
1997 949 54.9 17.3 n/a
1998 892 52.8 16.9 n/a
1999 1043 54.4 19.2 n/a
2000 868 51.8 16.8 n/a
2001 855 48.1 17.8 n/a
2002 909 45.4 20.0 33.6
2003 909 45.4 20.0 33.6
2004 901 39.5 22.8 46.5
2005 841 35.2 23.9 49
2006 805 41.8 19.3 48.6
2007 755 40.2 18.8 42.4
2008 777 35.3 22.0 45.3
2009 744 40.8 18.2 50.9
2010 692 38.4 18.0 39
2011 671 36.5 18.3 55
2012 685 34.3 19.9 60.6
2013 678 34.0 19.9 65.3
2014 651 35.0 18.6 61.6
2015 660 32.0 20.6 55.9
2016 693 29.0 23.8 100
2017 699 35.5 19.6 100
2018 672 40.7 16.5 56.8
2019 703 38.7 18.1 56.9
2020 721 42.0 17.1 57.8
2021 717 44.4 16.1 n/a
2022 657 42.2 15.5 57.8
2023 632 37.5 16.8 57.8
2024 614 45.5 13.4 n/a

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 Foothills Middle 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 $1,126 (13.0%) $162 (1.9%) $2,413 (27.8%) $5,609 (64.6%) $1,787 (20.6%) $7,396 (85.2%) $8,684
2020 $1,013 (15.0%) $640 (9.5%) $2,666 (39.5%) $4,791 (71.1%) $299 (4.4%) $5,090 (75.5%) $6,743
2022 $582 (7.7%) $242 (3.2%) $1,406 (18.5%) $5,460 (72.0%) $1,302 (17.2%) $6,761 (89.1%) $7,585

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

Impact of COVID-19 on Desert Foothills Middle 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 350th of 605 Middle schoolsRanks 427th of 854 Middle schools
 7.9%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students703632
 10.1%
African American5356
 5.7%
American Indian2115
 28.6%
Asian1414
Hispanic290287
 1%
Pacific Islander51
 80%
White298238
 20.1%
Two or More Races2221
 4.5%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients56.9%57.8%
 0.9%


Schools Near Desert Foothills Middle School









Frequently Asked Questions about Desert Foothills Middle School

Students who attend Desert Foothills Middle School usually go on to attend Greenway High School

Students at Desert Foothills Middle School are 48% Hispanic, 34% White, 9% African American, 4% Two or more races, 2% American Indian, 2% Asian.

In the 2023-24 school year, 614 students attended Desert Foothills Middle School.

Desert Foothills Middle School ranks 336th of 550 Arizona middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 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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