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Public middle school · Cartwright Elementary District (4282) · Phoenix, Arizona

Desert Sands Academy of Mass Communication & Journalism

Desert Sands Academy of Mass Communication & Journalism rates 5.4, right at the middle of Cartwright Elementary District (4282)'s middle schools, whose rated median is 5.3.

Middle schools, 1 to 10This campus against public middle schools around it that are rated on verified state test data.
5.4this school

5.4 on a one-to-ten scale; the Cartwright Elementary District (4282) median is 5.3.

#1,454 of 2,019 schools in Arizona · Cartwright Elementary District (4282): 4 middle schools rated, median 5.3

The brief

A Cartwright Elementary District (4282) middle school where students score 11 points above what's typical for similar communities.

It ranks 1,454 of 2,019 schools in Arizona and 17 of 22 in Cartwright Elementary District (4282).

Desert Sands Academy of Mass Communication & Journalism is listed in Cartwright Elementary District (4282), and a district label does not verify attendance for an address: confirm the zoned campus with the district before you commit to a street.

Math9%21 points below the Arizona average of 30%2025 AASA
Reading14%27 points below the Arizona average of 41%2025 AASA
Proficiency has held near 11% across the 2-year record (2024–2025).2025 AASA; 39 test records from AZ state assessments and EdFacts (NCES).

What the rating is made of, each out of 10

Student Progress
8.1
40% of the rating
Academics
2.4
35% of the rating
Resources & Environment
5.3
25% of the rating
About this school's data1 correction under review · rating: low confidence · 7 sources, 2019–2025

Every number on this page comes from a published source with a stated period. Where a source is partial, aging, an estimate, or describes a surrounding area rather than the school, that limitation is named here.

Attendance data is under correction. This existing Resources & Environment score and overall rating may still reflect an unverified attendance input.

Full Profile · 3/3 metrics

Multi-year averages used by the rating model: math 23% (multi-year average, 2009-2025) · reading/ELA 30% (multi-year average, 2009-2025).

School directory (enrollment, grades, staff, contact)
NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) · SY 2023–24 · Medium confidence
  • Source period: SY 2023–24. A newer release may be available.
MySchoolScout rating and rank
MySchoolScout ranking model · Low confidence
  • Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
  • Derived as a weighted blend of the component scores shown in Academics from state assessment, EdFacts growth, and NCES resource records.
Math proficiency
State department of education · 2025 AASA · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
Reading/ELA proficiency
State department of education · 2025 AASA · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
Student progress (growth)
State assessments · Mixed source periods · Low confidence
  • Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Derived as the fitted year-over-year slope of proficiency from multi-year assessment records.
Neighborhood (income, housing, education)
U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates · ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates · Low confidence
  • Older source: ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates. Use as historical context.
  • Reported for the ZCTA for ZIP 85033; this does not measure the attendance area.
Programs (AP/IB, athletics, gifted)
CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22 · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Source period: SY 2021–22. A newer release may be available.

Evidence periods: Rating mixed/unknown input periods; assessments multi-year average, 2009-2025; directory SY 2023–24

About our dataHow we calculate scores

The neighborhood

Where it sits, and what the area looks like.
Desert Sands Academy of Mass Communication & Journalism and the 20 nearest middle schools, each pin colored by its score.Pins are locations, not attendance boundaries. Verify the enrollment path with the district.

Open the Phoenix school map to see school quality against home prices across the metro.

The area

Median income
$60,749
Median home value
$245,900
Median rent
$1,338/mo
College educated
7.2%
Homeownership
56.7%
Poverty rate
19.8%

U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates · ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates for the ZCTA associated with school ZIP 85033; this is area context, not an attendance boundary.

Getting around

Walk Score
26
Car-Dependent
Transit Score
40
Some Transit
Bike Score
54
Bikeable
City reported crime
2,733/100K
Reported Part-1 offenses (violent + property + arson) per 100,000 residents, from the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting program for Phoenix. This is a city-level reported-crime measure, not a school safety rating.

Walk, transit and bike scores byWalk Score

FBI Uniform Crime Reporting · 2025 · city context (Phoenix), not school-level safety or attendance eligibility. Source details

Source period: 2025. Freshness not available.

Programs and who goes here

What the campus offers, and who it enrolls.

Programs

Gifted and talented
Available
A program for qualifying students · CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22

Compare nearby

Grade-compatible schools using the same rating model.
Public-school ratings. Grade-compatible schools within 5 miles, best rated first.
  1. Marc T. Atkinson Middle School & Gifted Academy1.3 mi
    8.1Compare →
  2. Great Hearts Academies - Maryvale Prep1.9 mi · charter
    6.9Compare →
  3. Pan-American Charter School3.1 mi · charter
    6.8Compare →
  4. Desert Sands Academy of Mass Communication & Journalismthis school
    5.4
  5. Raul H. Castro Middle School: Academy of Fine Arts2.6 mi
    5.3Compare →
  6. Estrella Middle School1.5 mi
    4.7Compare →
  7. Sevilla Elementary School-West Campus3.1 mi
    4.0Compare →
  8. Westland School0.6 mi · charter
    3.7Compare →
  9. Imagine Desert West Middle2.6 mi · charter
    2.8Compare →
Eight grade-compatible schools using the same rating model sit within 5 miles, and three rate higher than Desert Sands Academy of Mass Communication & Journalism.Public-school ratings. Straight-line distance from this campus. Pins are locations, not attendance boundaries; verify the enrollment path with the district.

Distance is proximity only; it is not attendance eligibility.

Charter · enrollment unverified: Potential charter option; enrollment requirements have not been verified.

Enrollment path unverified: Potential public school; its attendance or application path has not been classified.

The record

What is on file, and where each number came from.

Questions families ask

What grades does Desert Sands Academy of Mass Communication & Journalism serve?

Desert Sands Academy of Mass Communication & Journalism serves students in grades 6th through 8th.

How many students attend Desert Sands Academy of Mass Communication & Journalism?

Desert Sands Academy of Mass Communication & Journalism has an enrollment of approximately 518 students.

What is the student-teacher ratio at Desert Sands Academy of Mass Communication & Journalism?

The student-teacher ratio at Desert Sands Academy of Mass Communication & Journalism is 18.5:1. A lower ratio generally means more individual attention per student. The national average is approximately 16:1 for public schools.

How does Desert Sands Academy of Mass Communication & Journalism rank in AZ?

Desert Sands Academy of Mass Communication & Journalism ranks #1,454 of 2,019 schools in AZ.

What is Desert Sands Academy of Mass Communication & Journalism's MySchoolScout rating?

Desert Sands Academy of Mass Communication & Journalism has a current MySchoolScout rating of 5.4 out of 10. This score combines the level-appropriate components shown in the rating breakdown; equity data is shown separately for context.

What are the test scores at Desert Sands Academy of Mass Communication & Journalism?

Based on loaded state assessment records, Desert Sands Academy of Mass Communication & Journalism has 23% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025) and 30% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025).

Is Desert Sands Academy of Mass Communication & Journalism a charter school?

No, Desert Sands Academy of Mass Communication & Journalism is not a charter school. It is a traditional public school operated by the local school district.

Is Desert Sands Academy of Mass Communication & Journalism a Title I school?

No, Desert Sands Academy of Mass Communication & Journalism is not currently a Title I school.

School facts

Grades
6th – 8th
Enrollment
518
Student-teacher ratio
18.5:1
Teachers (FTE)
28
Type
Regular
Title I
No
Setting
Large City
County
Maricopa County
Phone
(623) 691-4900
Rank in district
#17 of 22
Schools in district
23
District spending per student
$11,949
NCES F-33 · FY 2023 · This annual source is three years behind the current year.
District child poverty rate
23.1%
Census SAIPE · 2024
Area population (ZIP 85033)
58,234
Area average commute
28.7 min
Area median age
28.6

NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) (SY 2023–24).

Sources and official links

Keep exploring

Related reading

Data from NCES Common Core of Data, Arizona Dept. of Education, and U.S. Census ACS for the 2023–24 school year. Rankings computed by MySchoolScout. See all data sources.