Arizona ranks 47th in education. Success stories are closer than you think.

By Stacy Mantle
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Arizona's education ranking has remained stubbornly low for years, and new reports suggest it has fallen even further.

The 2026 Kids Count Data Book ranks Arizona 47th in the nation for education, placing us among the five lowest-performing states in the country. According to the report, only about one in four Arizona students met proficiency standards in two key measures: fourth-grade reading and eighth-grade math. 

The ranking is based on 16 indicators measuring economic well-being, education, health and family and community factors. The education score includes preschool participation, fourth-grade reading, eighth-grade math and high school graduation rates.

Some advocates argue the ranking reflects years of underinvestment in services that support children both inside and outside the classroom. 

"This issue with our state not investing with full-on services for our children is making a huge impact. It's a ripple effect," said Kyrstyn Paulat, director of early learning and education at Children's Action Alliance.

Yet Arizona's education story is more complicated than a ranking alone might suggest.

It may not be all funding

Funding is often at the center of conversations about Arizona's education rankings. But researchers and educators say student outcomes are shaped by a combination of factors, including instruction, curriculum, school culture and family support.

"This issue with our state not investing with full-on services for our children is making a huge impact," said Kyrstyn Paulat, director of early learning and education at Children's Action Alliance. "It's a ripple effect."

One of the clearest examples comes from Mississippi, where literacy reforms have helped produce some of the nation's largest gains in reading achievement.

Despite ranking 50th overall for child well-being, Mississippi ranks 16th in education — far ahead of Arizona, which ranked 31st in child well-being and 47th in education.

Education researchers often point to Mississippi as one of the nation's most significant school improvement success stories. Over the past decade, the state invested heavily in early literacy, literacy coaching, evidence-based reading instruction and interventions designed to help students read proficiently by third grade.

The results have been significant enough that Mississippi is  frequently cited as a model for literacy reform. Its experience suggests that demographics alone do not determine educational outcomes. Long-term commitment and consistent implementation matter.

Why early childhood matters

The Kids Count report found that 65% of Arizona children ages 3 and 4 are not enrolled in school, compared with 54% nationally.

Advocates say that statistics may help to explain some of Arizona's later academic and economic struggles.

"The cost of child care is just not affordable for families right now," said Paulat. As a result, many families struggle to access preschool and other early learning programs because child care costs can be comparable to a mortgage or rent payment, and those effects extend well beyond a child's preschool years.

Research has consistently linked high-quality early childhood education to stronger kindergarten readiness, improved literacy development and better long-term academic outcomes.

If Arizona hopes to improve fourth-grade reading scores, experts say the work likely begins years before children enter elementary school.

Arizona already has examples of success

The encouraging news is that Arizona does not have to look outside the state to find examples of schools producing strong outcomes.

Districts including Chandler Unified School District, Vail Unified School District, Scottsdale Unified School District and Catalina Foothills Unified School District are frequently recognized among Arizona's highest-performing public school systems, earning strong academic ratings and national recognition.

Charter networks such as BASIS Charter Schools and Great Hearts Academies have earned national recognition for academic achievement, college readiness and student performance.

Great Hearts has been identified as one of Arizona's highest-performing charter networks, while BASIS schools have consistently ranked among the nation's top high schools.

While these schools serve different populations and use different educational models, they share several common characteristics.

Strong literacy instruction

High-performing schools place significant emphasis on reading in the early grades. Students who struggle receive intervention quickly rather than waiting until they have fallen years behind. Summer reading becomes even more important when evaluating this metric.

Clear expectations

Successful schools tend to maintain consistent academic standards and clearly communicate expectations to students and families.

Knowledge-rich curriculum

Many top-performing schools focus on building student knowledge through history, science, literature and the arts rather than emphasizing isolated test-preparation strategies.

Family engagement

Parents and caregivers play an active role in supporting student success, attendance and learning outside the classroom. “Make sure you’re connected with the child's teacher,” said Terri Clark, Read On Arizona. “Have them suggest simple things they can do at home. Become a partner in your child’s reading development.” 

School culture

Students understand that academic success is expected, and schools provide structures to help them meet those expectations.

Schools cannot solve every challenge

The Kids Count report also highlights factors beyond the classroom that affect student achievement.

Housing affordability, health care access and family stability remain concerns across Arizona. The report found that 29% of children live in households with high housing costs, 9% lack health insurance and 36% live in single-parent households.

Research has repeatedly shown that housing instability, health challenges and economic stress can influence attendance, concentration and academic performance.

"Families who are working so hard to rise above the poverty line are also facing higher costs for food, gas, housing and child care," Children's Action Alliance Executive Director January Contreras said in a statement accompanying the report. "The tough decisions that come with financial stress impact the whole family, including kids."

Improving education outcomes may therefore require both stronger schools and stronger support for families.

Moving forward

Arizona's ranking should serve as a warning, but it should also provide direction.

The state does not lack examples of success. They exist in high-performing districts, charter networks and classrooms across Arizona. Nationally, states such as Mississippi have demonstrated that sustained literacy reforms can improve outcomes even in places facing significant economic challenges.

The question is no longer whether improvement is possible.

Rather, it is whether Arizona is willing to invest in the strategies that research, experience and successful schools have already shown can work.

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. We are committed to publishing a wide variety of reader opinions, as long as they meet our Civility Guidelines.

Stacy Mantle
Education Solutions Reporter

smantle@iniusa.org

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.