Sandra Day O'Connor High School (Arizona)

Sandra Day O'Connor High School
Location
25250 N. 35th Ave Phoenix, Arizona 85083
Coordinates	33°43′03″N 112°08′18″W / 33.717391°N 112.138358°W / 33.717391; -112.138358
Information
Type	Public
Motto	Expect the best. Get the best. Be the best.[3]
Established	2002
Principal	Lynn Miller
Staff	115.20 (FTE)[1]
Enrollment	2,604 (2023-24)[2]
Student to teacher ratio	21.56[1]
Color(s)	Royal Blue and Metallic Gold
Mascot	Eagle
Rival	Mountain Ridge High School
Newspaper	The Talon
Website	sdohs.dvusd.org

Sandra Day O’Connor High School (SDOHS), part of the Deer Valley Unified School District, is a public high school located just west of I-17 and north of Happy Valley Road in Phoenix, Arizona. The school had a 97.1% graduation rate in 2018.^[4] SDOHS was first awarded the A+ School of Excellence distinction in 2018 and it was renewed in 2023.^[5]

The campus, which first opened in fall 2002, is named after former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, who grew up in Arizona, served as an assistant attorney general, was member of the state senate, and eventually became the first woman appointed as a Supreme Court Justice.^[6]

Activities and Academics[edit]

SDOHS offers a full complement of academics, AP/honors level courses, special education inclusion, fine arts, career and technical education, and technology courses to students in grades nine through twelve. A wide range of student activities and clubs are available to all students. The school offers music and theater programs that include as extracurricular activities the Eagle Pride marching band, a competition jazz band, and an orchestra. Competitive athletics for both young men and women are offered at the freshman, junior varsity and varsity levels.

The school also offers an array of CTE elective courses, including Accounting, Aerospace Science, Computer Science, Digital Communication, Early Childhood Development, Graphic Design, Interior Design & Architecture, Media Productions, Stage Productions, and Sports Medicine.

Additionally, SDOHS offers symphonic band, concert band, wind ensemble, orchestra, choir, piano, theater, art, ceramics, and dance elective classes.

AP Courses Offered^[7][edit]

Dual Enrollment Courses Offered:^[9][edit]

Clubs and Organizations^[10][edit]

Athletics[edit]

Special Programs[edit]

The Academy of Advanced Studies and Civic Engagement^[11][edit]

Formerly known as the Academy of American Studies, students can apply to be a part of this 4-year program that both focuses on civic engagement and college preparation. Academy students are grouped together into a cohort of students in their grade. Academy Students take AP Human Geography, AP World History, AP United States History, and AP United States Government and Politics. In addition to Advanced Placement courses, Academy students take an online/hybrid U.S. history course as well as participate in an internship in their senior year.

The program is tied together by several trips throughout a student's 4 years in the Academy. Underclassmen have previously had the opportunity to go to the Renaissance festival, the Titan Missile Museum, and the Phoenix Crime Lab & Phoenix Police Museum. Summer Institute trips are offered to all Academy students and have previously included destinations such as Philadelphia, New York, Boston, Washington D.C., and Crow Canyon.

Gifted Academy ^[12][edit]

SDOHS's Gifted Academy affords the most motivated students the chance at an academically rigorous education. Using a gifted cluster model, the Gifted Academy keeps gifted students together and assigns them to teachers with highly gifted endorsements and qualifications. Gifted courses are enhanced with problem-based, project-based, and cross curricular learning opportunities focusing on the gifted learner and allowing for a more enriching experience.

SDOHS's long list of Advanced Placement and Dual Enrollment courses gives Gifted Academy students the opportunity to explore different fields and disciplines of study while also gaining college credit. Additionally, AP Seminar and AP Research are two courses students can take to earn a Capstone Diploma.

Although open to all students, most Gifted Academy students graduate with SDOHS's Certificate of Advanced Academics, which supplements their diploma and serves as an indication of their rigorous course work above and beyond the requirements.

Air Force Junior ROTC^[13][edit]

Starting in 2006, SDOHS began offering an Air Force Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (AFJROTC) program. This program has won back-to-back unit awards from 2009 up to the 2014 school year. The program allows students to learn about the military while also developing life skills and enhancing their leadership abilities.

Statistics[edit]

As of the 2023-2024 school year, 2,604 students attend SDOHS. Caucasian students make up the majority at 72.0% of the student body. Students identified as of Hispanic or Latino origins make up 13.4% of students and Asians are at 7.5%. According to the Arizona Department of Education, in 2023, 52% of juniors at SDOHS passed the ELA section of the ACT, and 46% passed the mathematics section. Additionally, 47% of juniors passed the state science assessment. SDOHS was rated an "A" school in 2023 by the Arizona Department of Education. ^[14]

Feeder Schools^[16][edit]

• Stetson Hills School (K-8)
• Inspiration Mountain School (K-8)
• Desert Sage Elementary School (K-6)
• Las Brisas Elementary School (K-6)
• Hillcrest Middle School (7-8)

Notable alumni[edit]

• Jordin Sparks – Winner of American Idol season 6.^[18]
• Nolan Gorman – Third baseman drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals.^[19]
• Amy Bockerstette – Golfer and disabilities advocate.^[20]
• Grace Turk - Former professional softball player.^[21]
• Bralen Trice - American football Defensive end for the Washington Huskies. ^[22]
• Matthew Knies - Professional Hockey Player for the Toronto Maple Leafs. ^[23]

See also[edit]

• List of school districts in Arizona
• List of high schools in Arizona

References[edit]

External links[edit]

• Sandra Day O'Connor High School
• Deer Valley Unified School District
• The Talon
• Eagle Pride Band