The Arizona State Board of Education recently released the A-F letter grades for districts around the state. The formula, that determines school labels, uses a wide range of academic measures, including results from the state-mandated assessment and academic growth.
The district’s overall results show excellent growth with 10 schools moving up one letter grade and a total of 37 schools that are labeled “A” (excellent) or “B” (highly performing).
Each of the high schools in the Peoria Unified School District (PUSD) received either an “A” or “B” label. In addition, nine elementary and high schools were within two points of a higher letter grade and are continuing to make academic progress. Included in this is Peoria Elementary School, which has moved up another letter grade from a “B” to an “A” this year. This is the second consecutive jump in their letter grade.
A complete list of PUSD’s school labels is available on its website at
peoriaunified.org/lettergrades.
“I am extremely proud of the work taking place in our schools,” said Dr. Jason Reynolds, PUSD superintendent. “The last two years have undoubtedly presented challenges, but our staff remain committed to supporting student learning. We have turned these challenges into opportunities, and our letter grades are one example of how we look at growth and improvement.”
The release of labels presents an opportune time to reflect on the multiple ways the district measures student learning, and the A-F Accountability System is just one of those tools. Throughout the school year, there are many ways teachers assess how students are doing in the classroom, including classwork, homework, quizzes, projects, and teacher and counselor observations about individual student growth.
The district also measures soft skills such as students’ ability to communicate, collaborate and think critically.
“The district is continuing to review these letter grades and is focused on continuous improvement,” PUSD said in a release. “Through the district’s strategic plan and our continuous improvement plan, some of this work has already begun at each of our schools. As we continue to overcome the interruption to learning and reimagine what it means to educate students, we remain committed to ensuring that every student reaches their fullest potential.”
To learn more about how PUSD is reimagining teaching and learning, listen to the Peoria Unified Progress Report at peoriaunified.org/progressreport.