The top reported proficiency rate is 14% in English language arts. The lowest is 11% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Desert Sands Academy of Mass Communication & Journalism
Desert Sands Academy of Mass Communication & Journalism is a regular public middle school in Phoenix, serving grades seven and eight within the Cartwright Elementary District. Its name signals a themed focus, but the available data does not describe what that theme looks like in practice—no course listings, program details, or extracurriculars were reported.
The student body is predominantly Hispanic, with smaller shares of Black, White, American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian, and multiracial students. The school enrolls a moderate number of students for a middle school, and grade seven and eight counts are quite close to each other. Data on poverty level, special education, and English learner status were not available, so a parent may want to ask the school directly about the share of students receiving free or reduced-price meals and the support services for students with disabilities or learning English.
On state assessments, results are low across subjects. In English language arts, the proportion of students meeting proficiency in both seventh and eighth grade is modest. In math, eighth-grade proficiency is also low; seventh-grade math results were suppressed by the state, meaning the data did not meet reporting thresholds. In eighth-grade science, performance is similarly low. Compared with other districts in Maricopa County, Desert Sands Academy sits in the bottom quarter for overall proficiency across tested subjects and grades. This is a consistent pattern. A parent considering this school should understand that test scores are well below the county midpoint and look into what academic interventions or supports are in place.
Because Desert Sands serves only through eighth grade, there is no graduation rate to consider. Other measures such as chronic absenteeism also were not reported, which leaves gaps in the picture of daily student engagement.
Phoenix is a large, fast-growing urban center that has shifted from an agricultural past into a hub for technology, manufacturing, tourism, and services. Its car-oriented layout and wide grid streets mean that getting to school typically requires driving or busing rather than walking. The city continues to attract new residents, though the housing market in the school’s immediate area shows a modest recent decline in home values and rents, making it slightly more affordable than the Phoenix metro as a whole. For families renting, the typical rent is below the national price-to-income ratio, which may open options for those looking to move into the area.
The school itself is part of the Cartwright Elementary District, and no recent district-level changes were reported in publicly available sources, so there is little to suggest a recent shift in direction or programming that would alter the current picture.
Desert Sands Academy has a clear identity as a middle school with a communications and journalism theme, but the academic metrics available place it among the lower-performing schools in a large county. A parent interested in this school would be wise to investigate the theme’s implementation—what specific classes or activities that theme produces—and to ask how the school supports students who are not yet meeting grade-level standards. The gaps in civil rights data, discipline, and attendance information are notable; without those, it is hard to fully assess the student experience or school climate.
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