| As with any state, Arizona has high-performing | | | | Great Heart Academies - Scottsdale Prep |
| schools and under-performing schools. However | | | | Hamilton Prep |
| Arizona is different than other states in two | | | | Keystone Montessori Charter School |
| regards. First, Arizona has taken a unique and | | | | Bright Beginnings School #1 |
| aggressive approach to school choice. In Arizona, | | | | Kyrene Altadena Middle School |
| residents are allowed to send their child to any | | | | Esperero Canyon Middle School |
| school in the state on a "space available" basis. | | | | McDowell Mountain Elementary School |
| The students can move across school or even | | | | Orange Grove Middle School |
| district boundaries and the budget dollars follow | | | | Foothills Academy |
| the students. The term used in Arizona for this is | | | | Quartz Hill Elementary |
| open enrollment and it has become a staple of | | | | Valley Academy |
| Arizona K-12 education. | | | | Cochise Elementary School |
| The second thing that makes Arizona schools | | | | This list of the top 25 schools in Arizona contains |
| unique is the degree to which they fund (or rather | | | | private, charter and public schools. |
| don't fund) schools. Arizona ranks 48th out of 51 | | | | The above list represents the top 2% of schools |
| (include the District of Columbia) in terms of per | | | | in Arizona. The study compared the top 2% of |
| pupil expenditures across the country. On a | | | | schools with where they would rank on a national |
| relative basis, the State of Arizona simply does | | | | basis. The answer: as a group they scored at the |
| not provide its schools with as much monetary | | | | 85% percentile. This may sound like an |
| resources as other states provide to their schools. | | | | accomplishment however the top 2% should, all |
| And the gap is significant. | | | | else being equal, perform at the 99% percentile |
| Arizona voters do tend to be fiscally conservative. | | | | nationally as a group. This represents a 14% |
| The state also is an early proponent of charter | | | | shortfall from where this group of Arizona schools |
| schools and, as noted earlier, school choice. The | | | | should be performing nationally. Considered in this |
| fundamental question is this: does the introduction | | | | light their accomplishments, while considerable, are |
| of school choice and reliance on charter schools | | | | muted by this national comparison. |
| overcome this funding gap? | | | | The study broadened the scope of the "top |
| A recent research study identified the top 2% | | | | school analysis" to encompass the entire top |
| and 10% of Arizona K-12 schools based on their | | | | decile (the top 10%) of Arizona schools. The top |
| performance on the Terra Nova test. The Terra | | | | 140 schools, representing the top decile of schools |
| Nova is a nationally normed test that places | | | | in Arizona scored, on average, at the 77th |
| schools into percentile rankings versus other | | | | percentile nationally. Thus while this group of top |
| schools on a national basis. It is highly regarded | | | | schools scored on average at the 95th percentile |
| tool and is often a better measure of school | | | | within the state, they were only able to attain the |
| performance than are state standardized tests. | | | | 77th percentile nationally. This represents an even |
| The list below was compiled, in part, to assist | | | | larger 18% gap on state-vs-national percentile |
| parents in selecting from Arizona's best schools | | | | ranking. |
| for their child's education. The list below | | | | It is difficult to look at these very straightforward |
| represents the best 25 schools in Arizona among | | | | numbers and easily dismiss the issue of public |
| those with over 200 students. The results are | | | | education in Arizona. To be sure, this analysis is |
| based on the average Spring 2009 Terra Nova | | | | simplistic in its design and does not represent an |
| scores across all grade levels within a given school. | | | | exhaustive review of educational issues in Arizona. |
| BASIS Scottsdale | | | | However, many of this issues that Arizona |
| Mesa Academy for Advanced Studies | | | | schools face are very similar to the issues faced |
| University High School | | | | by schools in other states. |
| BASIS Tucson | | | | In short, Arizona schools clearly underperform the |
| Gilbert Classical Academy Jr. | | | | rest of the nation. State and local officials must |
| Arizona School For The Arts | | | | address this issue with a particular emphasis on |
| Great Hearts Academies - Chandler Prep | | | | funding. The State has conducted an amazing |
| Great Hearts Academies - Veritas Prep | | | | experiment in school choice; the anecdotal |
| Self Development Charter School | | | | evidence of its impact appears positive. However |
| Cambridge Academy East | | | | the lack of funding represents a clear challenge |
| Tempe Preparatory Academy | | | | that no structural change can diminish. Arizona has |
| GPS Traditional Academy | | | | a responsibility to better fund schools. |
| Cheyenne Traditional Elementary School | | | | |