Four years ago, Anasazi Elementary School undertook the process of transforming itself into an International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme school. That journey is now complete and Anasazi is officially an IB World School, certified by the globally respected academic organization.

With Anasazi’s certification, Scottsdale Unified School District now offers a complete IB curriculum from kindergarten through high school.

“The progression of our school along the IB path has been challenging, yet so rewarding,” Principal Jennifer Waldron said in a press release. “As educators, we have improved the way we teach and as a result, our students have become agents and partners with us in their learning.

"The PYP’s inquiry-based curriculum framework creates a community of future-focused learners that is able to engage critically and meaningfully across subject matters. Being able to offer this kind of learning from the very outset of our students’ formal education will be a game-changer for them as they progress to middle school and high school.”

Anasazi is one of only eight IB PYP elementary schools in Arizona.

Nearby Mountainside Middle School and Desert Mountain High School have offered IB’s Middle Years Programme to 6th–10th grade students since late 2020, and Desert Mountain has provided IB’s Diploma Programme to 11th and 12th grade students since 1999.

“Principal Waldron and her team at Anasazi have been nothing short of amazing in their resolute determination to achieve this goal for their students and the Desert Mountain Learning Community,” SUSD Superintendent Scott Menzel said in the release. “IB takes our district’s vision of providing ‘world-class, future-focused learning’ to that next level. We couldn’t be more proud.”