Cocopah Middle School, Scottsdale AZ

Original Research by School Decision on Cocopah Middle School

Cocopah Middle School, part of the Scottsdale Unified District, is a regular public school serving students in sixth through eighth grade. It is not a charter or magnet school. Its enrollment is substantial for a three-grade middle school, drawing from the surrounding Scottsdale neighborhoods.

Academically, the school performs at a high level. In the most recent state assessments, strong majorities of students met proficiency standards in both mathematics and English language arts across every grade. Science results for eighth graders also showed a majority proficient, though at a more moderate level than the other two subjects. When the school’s overall proficiency across all tested grades and subjects is measured against other districts in Maricopa County, it sits well above the typical performance and among the stronger ones in the county—a clear sign of consistent academic strength. These results come from a single testing year; no multi-year trend data is available to show whether scores are rising or falling.

The student population is predominantly white, with a notable Hispanic share and smaller representations from Asian, Black, multiracial, and Native American backgrounds. Information on the share of students who qualify for free or reduced-price meals, as well as on those receiving special education or English learner services, was not reported in the available data. A parent who wants to understand the full range of support programs may want to ask the school directly.

The school sits within the city of Scottsdale, a large, sprawling metropolis that blends tourism, high-end employment, suburban residential areas, and preserved desert land. Housing in the school’s immediate area is expensive, with home values and rents well above national averages, reflecting Scottsdale’s broader high-cost housing market. The city has grown rapidly over recent decades, and development continues to push northward into desert areas. Walkable street life is concentrated in Old Town, while most neighborhoods, including the area around the school, are car-dependent. Tourism is the city’s primary employer, and the Scottsdale Airpark, the Mayo Clinic campus, and several technology and insurance firms form a large employment base.

No recent district-level changes such as bonds, overrides, or curriculum shifts were confirmed in publicly available records. Families looking at Cocopah Middle School will find a school with strong academic results in a pricey, growing suburban setting. The gaps in reported data on economic disadvantage and special populations mean the full support picture is not visible from these records alone, so a visit or conversation with the school could provide the details that matter most for an individual child.

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Academic performance

How students perform on state tests, by grade, set against the district.

Math

Grade 677%

School 77% · District 51% · ▲ 26 pts above district

▲ 41 pts above state median · ▲ 37 pts above county median

Grade 771%

School 71% · District 50% · ▲ 21 pts above district

▲ 39 pts above state median · ▲ 38 pts above county median

Grade 869%

School 69% · District 49% · ▲ 20 pts above district

▲ 37 pts above state median · ▲ 35 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 673%

School 73% · District 58% · ▲ 15 pts above district

▲ 30 pts above state median · ▲ 28 pts above county median

Grade 770%

School 70% · District 61% · ▲ 9 pts above district

▲ 27 pts above state median · ▲ 25 pts above county median

Grade 868%

School 68% · District 59% · ▲ 9 pts above district

▲ 28 pts above state median · ▲ 26 pts above county median

Science

Grade 854%

School 54% · District 47% · ▲ 7 pts above district

▲ 21 pts above state median · ▲ 19 pts above county median

This schoolScottsdale Unified District (4240), same grade

Graduation rate (ACGR) reflects the federally published Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate for the most recent year available. We refresh this data annually at the close of each academic year in June. The federal source publishes a banded rate (for example, "90-94%") instead of an exact number for cohorts small enough to risk identifying individual students. The state distribution chart, where shown, plots every school in the state with a published rate or band; schools whose rate is federally suppressed are excluded. Where the federal source publishes a band rather than an exact rate, the school is placed within its band using a stable, ID-derived offset, so its position is consistent across visits.