• Arizona is required by federal law to measure school performance and is required by state law to do so through an A-F letter grade system. 

    The system measures student proficiency and annual growth in key areas as well as readiness to take the next step in their education or career. Specifically, schools annually earn a letter grade based on a range of comprehensive measures including:

    • Proficiency in English Language Arts, Math and Science (Federal law requires proficiency on English Language Arts and Math)
    • Growth in English Language Arts and Math (Required by federal law) and in high school, subgroup growth in English Language Arts and Math, Graduation Rate and Dropout Rate
    • Proficiency and Growth of English Language Learners (Required by federal law)
    • Graduation Rate (Required by federal law)
    • Acceleration and Readiness Measures, which consists of several measures including chronic absenteeism and the improved growth of subgroups (economically disadvantaged, special education, etc.).
    • College and Career Readiness Indicators, which includes passing the ACT or SAT or earning an industry credential, certificate or licenses

    How much each factor weighs into the final score varies:

    A-F Letter Grade Components - K-8 Schools

    Pie chart providing multiple high school indicators, showing their weight of the whole model

    Source: Arizona State Board of Education informational presentation, available here.