Desert Heights Elementary School is located in a suburb of Reno. The Title 1 school built was built in 1995. Students who receive free or reduced lunch constitute 68.4% of the population. The ethnic make-up of the school is 42.4% Hispanic, 43.5% Caucasian, and 3.3% Native American, 4.5% Asian/Pacific Islander, and 6.3% Black. Students who receive ELL services constitute 37.9% of the overall school population. Special Education services are provided to 26% of the population. The transiency rate is 36.2%.

Desert Heights Elementary School adopted the CELL/ExLL Framework for literacy seven years ago. Most teachers have been trained on and employ the framework. Teachers receive ongoing training to continue the implementation of the framework in conjunction with the district Houghton Mifflin adoption and GLAD strategies. Desert Heights utilizes Step Up to Writing to teach the writing process in a consistent and sequential manner. Teachers have been trained in this program and receive coaching on a continual basis. Teachers who have not received GLAD are going though the two day and five day training. Students are receiving Everyday Math and Math Thematics instruction, which is supplemented with Accelerated Math.

For the 2008-2009 school year, students in the kindergarten, fifth, and sixth grades are being taught in either coed, or single sex classes. A research study with the University of Nevada, Reno is being conducted to determine how teaching to brain based strategies affects student achievement in these grades.

Desert Heights Elementary School has a staff of highly trained and dedicated professionals. The goal of our school is to bring our vision of “Academic Achievement for All” to life and enable our students to become successful and productive citizens.