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ADE Letter Grades

Why do Schools Get Letter Grades?

 

The A-F Letter Grade system is a requirement per Arizona Revised Statute (ARS 15-241) that requires the Arizona Department of Education, subject to final adoption by the Arizona State Board of Education, to develop an annual achievement profile for every public school in the state based on an A-F scale.

It is intended to be used by districts and schools to improve student outcomes, provide families with information on how their school is performing, and to help identify schools that may be in need of support.

The system measures student achievement, annual growth, and student readiness for whatever is next in their education or career.

What does a Letter Grade Mean?

A
Excellent
Distinguished performance on the statewide assessment, significant student growth, high four-year graduation rates, students on track to proficiency; overall performance is significantly higher than state average.
B
Highly Performing
High performance on statewide assessment and/or significant student growth and/or higher four-year graduation rates and/or moving students to proficiency at a higher rate than the state average.
C
Performing
Adequate performance but needs improvement on some indicators, such as proficiency, growth, or graduation rate.
D
Minimally Performing
Inadequate performance in proficiency, growth and/or four-year graduation rate relative to the state average.
F
Failing
Systematic failures in proficiency, growth, and graduation rates (below 67%); performance is in the bottom 5% of the state.

What are District Letter Grades?

Starting with the 2022-2023 school year, districts will receive an overall letter grade. This letter grade is calculated by taking the average of all school letter grades in the district.

Arizona Accountability Models

K-8 Model

Pts Category
10 Acceleration / Readiness
10 English Learners
30 Proficiency
50 Growth
  Bonus Points
+3 Science
+2 Special Education Enrollment
Schools must meet the required n-count of 10 students to be eligible for these points

9-12 Model

Pts Category
20 Graduation Rate
20 College and Career Readiness Index
10 English Learners
30 Proficiency
20 Growth
  Bonus Points
+3 Science
+2 Special Education Enrollment
+3 ACT Aspire

 

Components of a School Letter Grade

Additional Resources