How Deer Valley Unified fared in statewide letter grades report
No schools throughout the district received a ‘D’ rating
Legend Springs Elementary School, at 21150 N. Arrowhead Loop Road, in Glendale, hosts summer programming for students on July 17, 2025.
(Independent Newsmedia/Steve Stockmar)
The Arizona State Board of Education on Wednesday released school letter grades for the 2024-25 school year.
Deer Valley Unified School District – a district with 42 schools spanning almost 400 square miles across Phoenix, Glendale, Peoria, Anthem, New River, Cave Creek, and unincorporated areas of Maricopa County – jumped to having 93% of all schools rated with either A or B scores.
The district received an overall A rating, and has no schools that received a D.
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EDUCATION
How Deer Valley Unified fared in statewide letter grades report
No schools throughout the district received a ‘D’ rating
(Independent Newsmedia/Steve Stockmar)
Legend Springs Elementary School, at 21150 N. Arrowhead Loop Road, in Glendale, hosts summer programming for students on July 17, 2025.
Posted
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
Arizona has 2,431 public schools that are comprised of 1,572 district schools, 572 charter schools, and 287 Career and Technical Education (CTED) school sites.
There are 661 districts in Arizona that are comprised of 236 traditional districts and 425 charter districts.
SOURCE: Arizona Department of Education
What does each letter grade mean?
-- A (Excellent): Distinguished performance on the statewide assessment, significant student growth, high four-year graduation rates, students on track to proficiency; overall performance is significantly higher than state average.
-- B (Highly Performing): High performance on statewide assessment and/or significant student growth and/or higher four-year graduation rates and/or moving students to proficiency at a higher rate than the state average.
-- C (Performing): Adequate performance but needs improvement on some indicators, such as proficiency, growth or graduation rate.
-- D (Minimally Performing): Inadequate performance in proficiency, growth and/or four-year graduation rate relative to the state average.
-- F (Failing): Systematic failures in proficiency, growth and graduation rates (below 67%); performance is in bottom 5% of the state
The Arizona State Board of Education on Wednesday released school letter grades for the 2024-25 school year.
Deer Valley Unified School District – a district with 42 schools spanning almost 400 square miles across Phoenix, Glendale, Peoria, Anthem, New River, Cave Creek, and unincorporated areas of Maricopa County – jumped to having 93% of all schools rated with either A or B scores.
The district received an overall A rating, and has no schools that received a D.
Mirage Elementary (K-6), at 3910 W. Grovers, in Glendale, in particular, moved up to a B rating this year under Principal Bobbi Cerro. Mirage had been close to a D rating when Cerro arrived on campus and has steadily worked its way up.
Also, all five Deer Valley Unified high schools maintained their A rating. Barry Goldwater specifically was named the first Model PLC (Professional Learning Community) High School in all of Arizona.
State statute requires the Arizona Department of Education, subject to final adoption by the State Board of Education, develop an annual achievement profile for every public school in the state based on an A through F scale.
The process evaluates key measures, including student proficiency on statewide assessments, academic growth from year to year, graduation rates (at the high school level), and readiness indicators such as college and career preparation. State schools earn points in each area, and those points combine to determine the overall letter grade for each school.
“This collaborative approach allows us to identify what’s working, address areas for improvement, and ensure every student receives the support they need,” the district notes on its website. “That ongoing cycle of reflection and teamwork in our district helps drive both stronger student outcomes and continued improvement in our letter grades year after year.”
All nine high schools in the Glendale Union High School District earned an A rating.
Steve Stockmar News Editor | Sun Life Magazine & Arts & Entertainment
YourValley.net
Meet Steve Steve Stockmar joined Independent Newsmedia, Inc., USA, in 2017, and has been an Arizona journalist for almost 30 years. He serves as editor of Sun Life Magazine and contributes to West Valley communities where he focuses mostly on arts & culture, education, and profiles of neighbors making a difference.
Community: Every season Steve serves as a “buddy” with the Miracle League of Arizona in Scottsdale, has volunteered his time with Family Promise in Glendale, and previously served on the Ghostlight Theatre board in Sun City West.
Education: Graduated from Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff with a Journalism major and English minor.
Random Fact: Steve once won a 50-player live Texas Hold ’Em poker tournament.
Hobbies: Anguishing over his beloved Chicago Cubs and Bears; listening to Beatles and Grateful Dead music.
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