West Valley Student Proficiency: The Top Classes in 11 School Districts
West Valley Families presents a by-the-numbers look at assessment scores. See how your neighborhood school stacks up, with insights into proficiency levels and performance trends.
More than ten years ago, West Valley Families was started with a simple goal: sharing the good news from “our side” of town. Since then, we’ve focused on city council decisions as our area started growing rapidly and the media rarely make it out here to cover the stories affecting our daily lives. Now, we’re finding daily news in both our cities and our local schools.
Our shift to school boards have led to unfortunate headlines for some pretty serious reasons. With allegations of sexual harassment and leaked audio recordings—it’s a lot for parents to grasp. We’ve also taken a close look at how our tax dollars are spent, especially for travel expenses, and even the way lawmakers are calling out developers over land deals for schools.
So, when it comes to West Valley school children, what really matters?
For us, it's all about student proficiency. And overall, the numbers are not good with 9 of 11 districts scoring less than 50% proficiency in either English Language Arts or math.
STUDENT PROFICIENCY BY THE NUMBERS
In Arizona's public schools, student proficiency is measured through annual assessment tests evaluating academic progress and mastery of state standards.
Comparing the results side-by-side gives us useful insight as to what’s happening in local classrooms. That’s why West Valley Families decided to dive into the latest assessment data from the Arizona Department of Education.
The dataset is extensive, with over 690,000 lines of information under the “School” category and nearly 274,000 lines under the “District” category. While a line-by-line analysis is impractical, we spent roughly 20 hours extracting key proficiency scores for major school districts in the West Valley to provide a clearer snapshot.
It's important to note that individual schools - even classrooms - may perform above or below district averages, reflecting diverse educational outcomes. And districts have additional, independent testing scores from ACT which are not included in this report. (Although, we have reported ACT numbers given to us through FOIA records requests.)
The Arizona Department of Education's website hosts its detailed assessment results, offering a downloadable and searchable format. Find your child’s classroom, school's and district's specific results in the database provided.
WHAT THIS INVESTIGATION COVERS
In this article, we’re taking a broad look at West Valley public school districts. The proficiency percentages are results of SPRING 2024 state assessment testing.
The numbers allow you to go back and see how your child’s class performed last school year and what you might expect this year.
When we say "proficiency," we’re talking about the combined scores of students rated as “proficient” or “highly proficient.”
On the other hand, "not proficient" includes those scored as “minimally” or “partially proficient.”
WEST VALLEY ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS
Let’s look at the top West Valley elementary classes in “HIGHLIGHTS” of each district.
AVONDALE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL DISTRICT
Avondale Elementary School District: 2024
English Language Arts
Minimally Proficient 43%
Partially Proficient 17%
Proficient 31%
Highly Proficient 9%
Mathematics
Minimally Proficient 44%
Partially Proficient 24%
Proficient 21%
Highly Proficient 11%
Highlights: In the Avondale Elementary School District, we found Wildflower Accelerated Academy excelling across the board. Notable are Grade 6 students with a 73% passing score and its 8th graders a 70% in ELA.
67% of all students at Centerra Mirage STEM Academy in Grade 5 math passed state assessments.
The next school with the district’s highest scoring class would be the 8th graders at Copper Trails with a 57% proficiency rate.
Desert Thunder’s 7th graders had a 55% passing score in ELA.
BUCKEYE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL DISTRICT
Buckeye Elementary School District: 2024
English Language Arts
Minimally Proficient 52%
Partially Proficient 18%
Proficient 25%
Highly Proficient 5%
Mathematics
Minimally Proficient 52%
Partially Proficient 24%
Proficient 16%
Highly Proficient 8%
Highlights: In the Buckeye Elementary School District, we found Westpark Elementary School excelling across the board with a 72% passing score among all students in Grade 8 math and its 5th graders with a 56% proficiency.
Of all students in ELA Grade 4 at Westpark Elementary School, 53% had a passing proficiency score.
Marionneaux Elementary School 5th graders had a 51% passing score in math.
Half of the 4th graders at John S McCain III Elementary School were proficient in English Language Arts.
LIBERTY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL DISTRICT
Liberty Elementary School District: 2024
English Language Arts
Minimally Proficient 41%
Partially Proficient 18%
Proficient 30%
Highly Proficient 11%
Mathematics
Minimally Proficient 49%
Partially Proficient 23%
Proficient 18%
Highly Proficient 10%
Highlights: Westar Elementary School in the Liberty Elementary School District leads in proficiency scores as we find 73% of all students in Grade 3 passing math assessments. 68% of 3rd graders at Westar also earned the highest ELA district-wide passing score of 68%.
3rd graders at Las Brisas Academy had a 70% proficiency rate.
62% of 4th graders at Estrella Mountain Elementary passed ELA state assessments, as did 61% of its 7th graders.
40% of Blue Horizons Elementary School 3rd graders scored proficient in ELA.
The actions of the Liberty Elementary School District governing board sparked our interest in tracking school proficiency scores after the former president boldly highlighted its low math scores. You can see our discussions here. The lowest proficiency score in the district - of all students in one grade - was at 11% in math.
LITCHFIELD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL DISTRICT
Litchfield Elementary School District: 2024
English Language Arts
Minimally Proficient 31%
Partially Proficient 18%
Proficient 36%
Highly Proficient 15%
Mathematics
Minimally Proficient 29%
Partially Proficient 25%
Proficient 29%
Highly Proficient 17%
Highlights: In the Litchfield Elementary School District, we found 73% of the students in Grade 5 English Language Arts passed in proficiency at Verrado Elementary School.
3rd Graders at Belen Soto Elementary School came in a close 2nd with a 72% proficiency score in ELA. Grade 3 also had the highest mathematics passing rate in the district of 72% at Belen Soto Elementary School.
TOLLESON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL DISTRICT
Tolleson Elementary School District provided us its All Assessments scores for ELA and math. These are the updated numbers.
Tolleson Elementary School District: 2024
English Language Arts
All Students and our proficiency rates are as follows:
Highly Proficient: 5%
Proficient: 23%
Partially Proficient: 16%
Minimally Proficient: 56%
For All Math Assessments for All Students has our proficiency rates as follows:
Highly Proficient: 5%
Proficient: 15%
Partially Proficient: 24%
Minimally Proficient: 56%
Highlights: In the Tolleson Elementary School District, we found the highest scoring grade in the district was at Arizona Desert Elementary School where 48% of ELA Grade 4 had a passing score.
Arizona Desert Elementary School 3rd graders had the district’s highest collective proficiency score in math at 45%.
We recently ran a story with Tolleson ESD’s Dr. Hightower. The superintendent of 13 years resigned and will be stepping down at the end of the year. The Tolleson ESD governing board unanimously appointed Ms. Gisselle Herrera to start in the new year.
WEST VALLEY HIGH SCHOOLS
High schools in the West Valley are becoming competitive by offering career and technical courses. Which are the top performing?
AGUA FRIA UNION HIGH SCHOOL DISTRICT
Agua Fria Union High School District: 2024
English Language Arts
Minimally Proficient 29%
Partially Proficient 33%
Proficient 30%
Highly Proficient 8%
Mathematics
Minimally Proficient 37%
Partially Proficient 34%
Proficient 19%
Highly Proficient 10%
Highlights: In the Agua Fria Union High School District, we found almost half, 49%, of all students at Millennium High School have a passing score in all assessments of English Language Arts.
41% of all students at Canyon View High School are ELA proficient.
36% of 11th graders at Millennium High School are proficient in math.
15% of all students at Desert Edge High School are proficient in all math assessments.
22% of all students have passing ELA scores at Agua Fria High School.
Agua Fria Union High School District is building an Academies program. It’s currently constructing Goodyear High School.
Agua Fria Union High School District reportedly graduated 93.85 of its students in 2023.
BUCKEYE UNION HIGH SCHOOL DISTRICT
Buckeye Union High School District: 2024
English Language Arts
Minimally Proficient 34%
Partially Proficient 31%
Proficient 28%
Highly Proficient 7%
Mathematics
Minimally Proficient 41%
Partially Proficient 29%
Proficient 19%
Highly Proficient 11%
Highlights: In the Buckeye Union High School District, we found 43% of all students at Estrella Foothills High School in all ELA assessments had a passing score. And 41% of all students in all assessments at Estrella Foothills High School had a passing score.
23% of all students at Buckeye Union High School are proficient in math.
36% of all students at Youngker High School have passing assessment scores in ELA.
Buckeye Union High School District reportedly graduated 92.6 of its students in 2023.
TOLLESON UNION HIGH SCHOOL DISTRICT
Tolleson Union High School District: 2024
English Language Arts
Minimally Proficient 17%
Partially Proficient 62%
Proficient 21%
Highly Proficient 15%
Mathematics - The state gives Tolleson Union High School District a passing score of 11%. It does not break down “proficient” vs. “highly proficient” scores.
Minimally Proficient 65%
Partially Proficient 24%
Passing 11%
Highlights: In the Tolleson Union High School District, we found 91% of all students at University High School passed proficiency in ELA in all assessments. The same educational institution saw 82% proficiency in math.
Outside University High School, the next school with the highest passing score was West Point High School with 35% of all student proficient in ELA. West Point High School earned a 33% passing score in math.
Sierra Linda High School students have an 9% passing score in math and 17% in ELA.
Several Tolleson Union High School District’s governing board members and its superintendent have made news headlines recently.
Tolleson Union High School District reportedly graduated 86.8 of its students in 2023.
UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICTS
A unified school district is a school district that oversees both elementary and high schools within a single administrative structure.
DEER VALLEY UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT
DEER VALLEY UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT
English Language Arts
Minimally Proficient 25%
Partially Proficient 18%
Proficient 39%
Highly Proficient 18%
Mathematics
Minimally Proficient 25%
Partially Proficient 24%
Proficient 30%
Highly Proficient 21%
Highlights: In the Deer Valley Unified School District, we found a whopping 85% of 6th graders at Sonoran Foothills School tested proficient in English Language Arts!
84% of 4th graders at Diamond Canyon School earned passing assessment scores!
83% of 3rd graders at Traditional Academy at Bellair passed math assessments.
Desert Mountain School’s 4th graders passed ELA assessments with an 82% proficiency score.
3rd graders at Legend Springs Elementary boast an 82% proficiency rate.
81% of 7th graders at Sonoran Foothills School passed ELA.
80% of 6th graders at Las Brisas Elementary School are proficient in ELA.
Sandra Day O'Connor High School has 69% of all student proficient in English Language Arts. And 57% of its student tested proficient in math.
28% of students at Deer Valley High School scored proficient in math. 29% of students passed assessments in math at Barry Goldwater High School.
Deer Valley Unified School District reportedly graduated 94.25 of its high school students in 2023.
DYSART UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT
DYSART UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT
English Language Arts
Minimally Proficient 32%
Partially Proficient 19%
Proficient 36%
Highly Proficient 13%
Mathematics
Minimally Proficient 34%
Partially Proficient 26%
Proficient 25%
Highly Proficient 15%
Highlights: In the Dysart Unified School District, we found a 91% math proficiency rate among 8th graders at Freedom Traditional Academy. 89% of the school’s 7th graders passed ELA assessments.
77% of 6th graders at Canyon Ridge School tested proficient in ELA. 75% of the school’s 4th graders also passed ELA assessments.
Of all the students in 4th grade at Rancho Gabriela, 73% passed ELA tests.
72% of 4th graders at Western Peaks Elementary also tested proficient in ELA.
72% of 7th graders passed ELA assessments at Canyon Ridge School. 69% of 5th graders at Marley Park Elementary scored proficient in math.
66% of Mountain View’s 3rd graders were proficient in ELA, as were 65% of 8th graders at Kingswood Elementary School.
49% of the students at Willow Canyon High School are proficient in ELA.
In math, 46% of the students at Shadow Ridge High School passed.
41% of Valley Vista High School students are proficient in ELA compared to 39% at Dysart High School.
32% of all students at Dysart High School passed math proficiency compared to 34% at Valley Vista High School.
Dysart Unified School District reportedly graduated 93.24 of its high school students in 2023.
PEORIA UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT
PEORIA UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT
English Language Arts
Minimally Proficient 35%
Partially Proficient 20%
Proficient 34%
Highly Proficient 11%
Mathematics
Minimally Proficient 35%
Partially Proficient 26%
Proficient 24%
Highly Proficient 15%
Highlights: In the Peoria Unified School District, we found an astonishing 94% of 3rd graders at Paseo Verde Elementary School tested proficient in math!
94% of 8th graders at Centennial High School passed ELA assessements.
88% of Peoria Traditional School’s 5th graders tested proficient in math, and 86% of 8th graders at Sunrise Mountain High School.
Peoria eCampus 8th graders scored 80% proficient in both math and ELA.
77% of the 3rd graders at Lake Pleasant Elementary passed math assessments compared to the 3rd graders at Parkridge Elementary with 74% proficiency.
Peoria High School has a math proficiency score of 26% for all students. Its ELA passing rate was 29%. Raymond S. Kellis students had a 30% proficiency score.
It’s a 34% passing score for students at Ironwood High School.
Peoria Unified School District reportedly graduated 94.39 of its high school students in 2023.
Peoria Unified School District’s governing board has a contentious election coming up. Its board has been in the news for its funding of counselors.
JEN’S TWO CENTS
We found one Arizona school district with a 3% passing rate at the lowest end. The highest passing rate was 98% at BASIS “Math Grade 11” in Oro Valley. The West Valley’s BASIS Peoria scored 98% in both ELA and math!
Remember, the state’s assessment spreadsheet data take a while to download and to search.
I am trying to find out, though, how it’s possible to have high school graduation rates above 90% when less than half of the students are testing proficient.
For instance, Sunnyside High School has a 6% proficiency score for all students of all math assessments, as does Cholla High School. Sunnyside graduated almost 85% of its students in 2023. Cholla graduated 87%.
Carl Hayden High School and Alhambra High School have 7% math proficiency scores. Carl Hayden High’s 2023 graduation rate was 72%. Alhambra High’s was 70%.
*IMPORTANT: The Arizona Department of Education also issues A-F “Letter Grades” for schools. But those grades can be influenced by growth.
Now is a good time to ask school board candidates what they plan to do about proficiency scores if elected.
If you know a teacher whose class was mentioned for excelling proficiency scores, feel free to drop us a line and we’ll highlight them in a future article. Send your good news to jen@news2jb.com.