Paradise Valley Unified School District has earned its first overall "A" rating under Arizona's school letter grade accountability system, marking a milestone in student achievement and academic growth.
Superintendent Dan Courson announced the designation during the district's Nov. 5 governing board meeting, crediting students, educators and families for the achievement.
"For the first time under Arizona's letter grade system, PVSchools has earned a district overall letter grade of A," Courson said.
The district reported 22 schools received "A" ratings, including five that earned an A this year and 17 that maintained their A ratings from 2025. Eight schools improved their letter grades overall.
Courson said the district's performance reflects progress across several measures, including student achievement, academic growth, attendance and English language development among students learning English.
"This milestone reflects progress in student achievement and academic growth, attendance, and English language development for students learning English," Courson said.
Arizona's school accountability system evaluates schools using multiple performance indicators, rather than relying exclusively on standardized test proficiency. The system is designed to measure both academic achievement and progress over time.
The district's announcement follows an Oct. 22 governing board presentation examining spring 2026 state assessment results and strategies to improve student performance.
During that presentation, district administrators discussed academic proficiency, English learner progress and efforts to strengthen achievement as part of the district's academic excellence strategic priority.
Courson said the district-wide "A" rating reflects contributions from employees across the school system, including classroom teachers, instructional assistants, administrators and support staff.
He also recognized families for their role in supporting students' academic progress.
The achievement comes as the district continues efforts to improve instructional opportunities and academic outcomes across its campuses.
"There is more work ahead to ensure that every student in every school experiences that success," Courson said.
The superintendent described the rating as an opportunity to recognize the district's progress while maintaining its focus on continued improvement.
"This 'A' is a milestone worth celebrating and an encouragement to keep building a culture of opportunity, high expectations, and success across PV schools," Courson said.
Editor’s note: A grant from the Arizona Local News Foundation made this story possible. The foundation awarded 15 newsrooms to pay for solutions-focused education reporters for two years. Please submit comments at yourvalley.net/letters or email them to AzOpinions@iniusa.org. We are committed to publishing a wide variety of reader opinions, as long as they meet our Civility Guidelines.
Meet Stacy Stacy Mantle is joining the team at Independent Newsmedia, Inc. as an Education Solutions journalist, thanks to a grant from the Arizona Community Collaborative. She has a long history in education that ranges from teaching junior high and middle school to developing curriculum and standards-based assessments.
Community: A longtime advocate for animal welfare, Stacy is deeply involved in rescue efforts and volunteers with several nonprofit organizations.
Random Fact: Once upon a time, she shared her home with a pet coyote and two wolf hybrids. The experiences were wild enough to become the subject of her first book!
Education: She holds a BA in English with a minor in Political Science, a Post-baccalaureate in Secondary Education, and an MBA with a emphasis on Marketing.
Hobbies: In her spare time, Stacy writes fast-paced urban fantasy novels, crafts small-batch artisan soap, and is always up for hiking or off-roading through the Arizona wilderness with her husband of 23 years.
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