AZ Learns & Adequate Yearly Progress Numbers for State Schools Show Record Number of Schools Exceed Standards

PHOENIX - July 29, 2009 - Arizona Department of Education Superintendant Tom Horne announced on Wednesday the release of the AZ Learns profiles for 1,896 schools statewide. The components used for evaluating schools in determining their annual AZ Learns profiles included:

• AIMS/Dual Purpose Assessment (DPA);
• Measure of Academic Progress;
• Graduation/Dropout rates (HS);
• Reclassification of ELL students.

"We have a record number of schools excelling this year, going from 17-percent in 2008 to 21-percent excelling in 2009," Horne said. "We also are seeing an increase in the number of schools in the performing plus designation, moving from 21-percent in 2008 to 32-percent in 2009.

"The AZ Learns accountability system is the best way to measure a school's performance from year to year, and gives parents a snapshot as to how their school compares with other schools around the state."

The number of Arizona schools classified in each category for 2009 include:

• Excelling - 394
• Highly performing - 248
• Performing Plus - 608
• Performing - 577
• Underperforming - 50
• Failing to meet academic standards 19

The federal accountability system, No Child Left Behind, measures Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) from year to year and has 253 specific points of measurement. The components for evaluating schools' AYP status include: the percents of students passing; the percent of students tested; and graduation rate. If a school fails just one of the 253 categories, the school fails to make AYP.

Arizona schools have maintained a statistically consistent AYP performance. In 2008, 73-percent of schools made AYP, while 74-percent made AYP in 2009. For more information about a particular school's profile, go to www.ade.az.gov and click on the 2009 AZ Learns profiles in the Hot Topics section of the home page.

Two school districts showing particularly impressive results were Maricopa County's Cave Creek Unified School District and Pima County's Catalina Foothills Unified District. All eight Cave Creek Unified School District schools (Black Mountain Elementary School, Desert Sun Elementary School, Desert Willow Elementary School, Horseshoe Trails Elementary School, Lone Mountain Elementary School, Desert Arroyo Middle School, Sonoran Trails Middle School and Cactus Shadows High School) and all seven Catalina Foothills Unified District schools (Canyon View Elementary School, Catalina Foothills High School, Esperero Canyon Middle School, Manzanita School, Orange Grove Middle School, Sunrise Drive Elementary School and Ventana Vista Elementary School) received an Excelling rating.

For Horne, the AYP status news is just the latest strong statistic he's had the pleasure to announce this month. In mid-July, he announced 2009 AIMS test scores were up for all subjects.