The Arizona State Board of Education released the A-F letter grades, with Peoria Unified School District showing growth, according to a news release.

The district’s overall results show 10 schools moving up one letter grade and a total of 37 schools that are “A” (Excellent) or “B” (Highly Performing) labeled.

The formula that determines school labels uses a wide range of academic measures, including results from the state-mandated assessment and academic growth.

Each of the district's high schools 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 all Peoria Unified school labels is available at www.peoriaunified.org/lettergrades.

“I am extremely proud of the work taking place in our schools,” Superintendent Jason Reynolds said. “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, the release stated. 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. Through the district’s strategic plan and 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, the district remains committed to ensuring that every student reaches their fullest potential.

Community members can learn more about how Peoria Unified is reimaging teaching and learning by listening to the Peoria Unified Progress Report at www.peoriaunified.org/progressreport.

Peoria Unified, located in the Northwest Valley, serves more than 37,000 students in 34 elementary schools, seven high schools and one non-traditional high school.