PHOENIX — Letter grades (A-F) for schools in Arizona for the 2022-2023 school year were released Friday. The grades are used to measure school performance.
Parents can see their child's school's grade on the Arizona Department of Education's website.
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In all, 15 Arizona schools got a failing grade. The majority received "B" grades. Schools can appeal their letter grade but must do so by Nov. 15 at 5 p.m. Schools who appeal their grade will be marked as "UR," or "under review," until the State Board of Education takes action.
The system measures student academic growth in English language arts, math and science. It also looks at whether elementary students are ready for success in high school and whether high school students are ready for a career or higher education.
Here is what each letter grade means:
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 bottom 5% of the state.
Up to speed
What is the Valley?
“The Valley” is what locals call the Phoenix Metropolitan Area. It is considered the largest metropolitan area in the Southwest.
The Valley is made up of various major cities other than Phoenix, including:
Mesa
Chandler
Scottsdale
Tempe
Glendale
Surprise
Peoria
Gilbert
El Mirage
Avondale
Litchfield Park
Goodyear
Buckeye
Whether a city is in the “East Valley” or “West Valley” depends on where it is in relation to Phoenix.
The cities of the Valley have a combined population of 4,845,832 people, according to the 2020 United States Census. This makes it the 11th largest metropolitan area in the country right behind the Boston and Atlanta areas.