Sandra Day O'Connor High School (Arizona)

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. SDOHS was first awarded the A+ School of Excellence distinction in 2018 and it was renewed in 2023.

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.

Activities and Academics
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

 * AP Biology
 * AP Calculus AB
 * AP Calculus BC
 * AP Chemistry
 * AP Computer Science A
 * AP Computer Science Principles
 * AP English Language and Composition
 * AP English Language and Literature
 * AP Environmental Science
 * AP French Language and Culture
 * AP Human Geography
 * AP Macroeconomics
 * AP Precalculus
 * AP Physics I
 * AP Physics II
 * AP Psychology
 * AP United States Government and Politics
 * AP United States History
 * AP Research
 * AP Seminar
 * AP Spanish Language and Culture
 * AP Spanish Language and Literature
 * AP Statistics
 * AP World History
 * AP 2-D Art and Design

Dual Enrollment Courses Offered:

 * ENG101/102 (English Composition I & II)
 * ENH110 (English Literature)
 * COM100 (Communications)
 * MAT152 (College Algebra)
 * MAT187 (Pre-Calculus)
 * MAT 206 (Elements of Statistics)
 * MAT221 (Calculus w/Analytic Geometry I)
 * MAT231 (Calculus w/Analytic Geometry II)
 * HIS110/111 (World History)
 * HIS103/104 (U.S. History)
 * POS110 (U.S. Government)
 * BIO100 (General Biology)
 * BIO160 (Anatomy and Physiology)
 * CHM151/152 (General Chemistry and Lab I & II)
 * CHM130 (General Chemistry)
 * SPA101/102 (Elementary Spanish I & II)
 * SPA201/202 (Intermediate Spanish I & II)
 * HES154 (First Aid: CPR)
 * HES271 (Prevention and Treatment of Athletic Injuries)
 * HES275 (Rehabilitation and Therapy Intervention)
 * ECH176 (Early Childhood Development)

Clubs and Organizations

 * Academic Decathlon
 * American Sign Language
 * Art Club
 * Color Guard
 * Brain Bee
 * Chess Club
 * Choir
 * Culture Connect
 * Dance
 * Design Lab
 * Drama Club
 * Eagle Crew
 * eSports
 * FBLA - Future Business Leaders of America
 * FCCLA
 * Fellowship of Christian Athletes
 * French Club
 * Future Medical Professionals of America
 * Go Green Club
 * HOSA - Health Occupations Students of America
 * Interact Club
 * J-Walkers Club
 * Library Advisory Council
 * Literature Club
 * Mock Trial
 * Model United Nations
 * Music, Pop, Culture & Fashion Club
 * National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM)
 * National Honor Society
 * Journalism
 * Psychology Club
 * Red Cross Club
 * Sociedad Honoraria Hispanica
 * Society of Female Scholars
 * Spanish Club
 * Speech and Debate
 * Sports Medicine Assistants Club (SMAC)
 * STEM Innovators
 * Student Government
 * Tennis Club
 * The Crochet Club
 * Key Club
 * World Travelers Club
 * Younglife
 * Youth for Acceptance

Athletics

 * Badminton
 * Beach Volleyball
 * Baseball
 * Basketball
 * Cross Country Running
 * Football
 * Flag Football
 * Golf
 * Hockey
 * Marching Band
 * Soccer
 * Softball
 * Swimming
 * Tennis
 * Track and Field
 * Volleyball
 * Wrestling

The Academy of Advanced Studies and Civic Engagement
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
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
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
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.

Feeder Schools

 * 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

 * Amy Bockerstette – Golfer and disabilities advocate.
 * Jocelyn Erickson - College softball player for Florida
 * Nolan Gorman – Third baseman drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals.
 * Matthew Knies - Professional hockey player for the Toronto Maple Leafs.
 * Jordin Sparks – Winner of American Idol season 6.
 * Bralen Trice - American football Defensive end for the Washington Huskies.
 * Grace Turk - Former professional softball player.