22 SUSD schools ace state report cards

Nov. 6—Arizona schools don't just hand out letter grades — they are also "tested," with final grades stamped by the state Board of Education.

When results were released Oct.27, Redfield Elementary in North Scottsdale scored a "gold star" report card.

Of 1,370 elementary schools in the state, Redfield came in third in total points, with 97.72 — behind only Alhambra Traditional School, which scored a perfect 100, and Boulder Creek Elementary, which scored 99.82.

"We believe that every student has the potential to reach greatness," Redfield Principal Dr. Amanda Rand said.

Rand highlighted Redfield's "intervention" model, which "is able to identify struggling students early on" — with extra attention provided to help those students "catch up and reach their full potential."

With Redfield and Desert Mountain High School leading the way, 22 of Scottsdale Unified School District's 29 campuses schools received "A" grades. Six were given "B" grades, with one "C."

Last year, SUSD had 17 in-person schools earn an "A," 11 schools with a "B" and one school a "C."

Of SUSD's 24 elementary and middle schools, 18 received an "A" and five got a "B." Mohave Middle School got a "C," falling from a "B" last year.

As was the case last year, there were no "D" or "F" grades at SUSD schools.

The district as a whole also earned an "A."

Of the state's 33 districts, SUSD had the fifth highest percentage of A grades.

SUSD Superintendent Dr. Scott Menzel saw the grades as a reflection of the district's "commitment to educational excellence.

"These grades reflect the hard work and dedication of our students and staff," Menzel said. "The drive for excellence is never ending and we look forward to building on this positive report card and continuing to provide world-class, future-focused learning opportunities for our students."

SUSD Board President Julie Cieniawski saw the generally high grades as an affirmation of the board's policies and district's teaching and learning model.

"The proof is in the pudding," she said. "Dr. Menzel is a thoughtful and supportive leader and with that kind of guidance our employees have tremendous opportunities to become great leaders as well.

"When we all work together as a team, our students are better supported. "

The board president then indirectly addressed declining enrollment, saying, "My hope is that all families will see our neighborhood schools as the best choice for their children."

Of SUSD's 24 elementary schools, 18 received an "A" and five got a "B."

Pueblo Elementary came in 13th in the state among traditional elementary and middle schools, giving Scottsdale Unified two schools in the top 20.

Tavan came in 66th with a score of 96.32 while Sequoya came in 74th in the state, with a score of 95.9.

Cheyenne cracked the top 100 elementary schools for percentage of points earned, with Cherokee and Desert Canyon Middle not far behind.

Cheyenne Traditional, Cherokee, Desert Canyon Middle, Copper Ridge, Cochise, Laguna, and Hohokam also had percentage earned points above 90.

Four of the five SUSD high schools received an "A" with Coronado getting a "B."

Desert Mountain's 90.74 total points was the fifth highest of the 229 Arizona high schools that were graded, with Chaparral's 90.4 points a close sixth. Desert Vista in Ahwatukee was first with 94.84 points.

Of the other SUSD high schools, Saguaro was 23rd in points scored, Arcadia 39th and Coronado 106th.

Scottsdale Online Learning does not have a grade assigned yet.

Charter schools

BASIS Scottsdale moved up to an A and Scottsdale Country Day School repeated its A in the 2022-23 school year.

While federal and state law requires the grades be assigned, the pandemic derailed the school grading process.

The 2022-23 SUSD school results were nearly identical to the grades handed out for the 2018-19 school year, when SUSD schools scored 16 "A," 11 "B," one "C" and one "D."

The most notable SUSD difference between 2022-23 and 2018-19's was Yavapai Elementary improving from a "D" to an "A."

Scottsdale Country Day School and Scottsdale-Basis both earned A's in 2018-19.

An "A" grade means excellent; "B," highly performing; "C," adequately performing; "D," minimally performing and "F," failing.

Kindergarten through eighth-grade schools are rated according to four factors, and high schools and K-12 schools are rated according to five factors.

According to the state, "A-F letter grades are the state accountability model used to annually measure school performance."

The grades are required for the district to receive federal funding and must be published by Nov. 1. Schools have until Nov. 15 to submit an appeal of their letter grade, with final determinations made by Dec. 4.

School letter grades are based on the percentage of points earned in the accountability model, and it is possible for schools to earn more than 100 points with the inclusion of bonus points.

The letter grades are based on five quantifiable factors — academic growth from year to year, proficiency on the statewide assessment, English language proficiency and growth, high school graduation rates and indicators showing if a student is accelerating and ready for success at the next level.

For K-8 schools, 50% of the grade is based on "growth," or how much individual student's math and language performances improved between 2019 and 2022.

Another 30% of a school's grade comes from performance on standard tests, and the rest of the assessment comes from "Acceleration/Readiness" and English Learner growth and proficiency.

For high school and K-12 schools, the most heavily weighted factor is standardized test scores, which is 30%. Student growth, graduation rate and College and Career Readiness Indicator are each 20%.

The state Board of Education said the grades "measure critical quantitative areas key to students' success in school and career" and are important for parents when they choose a school for their child or children.

Those areas include "mastery of math and language arts standards and the students' readiness for the next educational level or career," the board states.

Still, it also cautions parents that while "these are important considerations when choosing a school," they are not the only measures of a school's performance.

"Qualitative measures, including the programs/extracurriculars, which will vary in importance from family to family, should also be considered," the board advises.

"Some students thrive in a small school, while others seek the wide range of options a larger school offers. If art or music programs are important to a family, they should consider those factors when choosing a school."

The board provides information on a school's characteristics at azreportcards.azed.gov.

It also advises parents and families to "have letter grade conversations with their student's school administrator and staff members."