Middle School

At middle school, Advanced courses are designed to provide a more rigorous curriculum and higher expectations for student performance. These courses provide enriching, rigorous curriculum that engages high ability and high achieving students. Students must have the potential to accelerate through content standards and commit to more in-depth study.

Curriculum in an Advanced course is more sophisticated and complex. Instruction incorporates creative and productive thinking, problem solving, critical thinking, research, personal development and communication. Some schools offer advanced courses as stand-alone classes and others “cluster” advanced and gifted students in general education classes with a differentiated curriculum. Both configurations offer enriching extensions and higher academic expectations for our advanced and gifted learners.

Advanced courses prepare students for high-school level honors, advanced placement, and International Baccalaureate (IB) courses. Students qualify for placement in an advanced level course by meeting the district requirements for placement in the gifted program or meeting school standards for advanced placement.

English Language Arts: All middle schools offer Advanced English Language Arts for 7th and 8th grades.

Science and Social Studies: Advanced Science and Advanced Social Studies are available at select middle and K-8 schools. 

Math: All middle schools offer Advanced Math.  Students previously enrolled in a Walk-Up to Math class naturally progress to Advanced Math.  (*Students who are new to Deer Valley or new to the program are required to earn a passing score on the Middle School Math Placement Test.)  

Depending on the school, the class could be taught on site, through our DVUSD Online Learning Program, or at the local high school (transportation provided by the district). Math placement options include: 7th Grade Math / 8th Grade Math / Algebra 1-2* / Algebra 3-4* / Geometry* (*high school credit).