AZ Dept of Ed School Rating
Communication from the District
October 28, 2024
On Friday, October 25th, 2024, the Arizona Department of Education (ADE) released the 2023-24 School Letter Grades. The state’s ‘Accountability System’ of letter grades is designed to empower schools to achieve and increase student success by providing districts and schools with feedback on areas of strength and those that may need additional focus and enrichment.
Schools earn a letter grade based on various metrics, including proficiency and growth in critical subject areas, graduation rates, subgroup proficiency improvement, acceleration and readiness measures, and college and career readiness indicators.
For the 2023-24 school year, Gilbert Public Schools has achieved an ‘A’ letter grade for our school district. 82% of GPS schools have been rated as A schools representing excellence, and the remaining 18% achieved a B rating representing highly performing, according to the Arizona Department of Education. The majority of GPS schools increased their scores from last year, and many moved up a letter grade.
GPS District By the Numbers:
82% of GPS schools are rated A.
85% of GPS elementary schools are rated A.
75% of GPS secondary schools are rated A.
31 A schools, and 7 B schools K-12.
1 school, Quartz Hill Elementary, successfully moved up two grades, from C to A.
5 elementary schools, Val Vista, Playa, Oak Tree, Boulder Creek, and Augusta Ranch, all moved from B to A.
61% of GPS schools improved letter grade points and/or letter grades from last year overall.
13 out of 26 of our elementary schools improved letter grade points and/or letter grades from last year.
10 out of 12 secondary schools had an increase in points and or letter grades from last year.
Communication from Principal Davis
I am so proud of the work our staff has done over the past three years to investigate our effectiveness, invest time and money in professional development, and develop relationships with our students and families. We have progressed each year, and I am very proud to announce that the state of Arizona has rated us as a Highly Performing “B” school. While we all strive for an "A," my years in education have taught me to deeply appreciate the value of a "B" when it reflects substantial effort, growth, and dedication. I know that we all want to be an “A,” but I have been in education for a long time, and I know the value of a B when so much work has gone into achieving it!
Our “B” grade released by the state on October 25th was for the 2023-2024 school year, and that represents our current 8th graders and the current 9th grade class at DRHS. We saw an incredible jump in our GROWTH score as a school. The gold standard is that a student grows at a .4 rate each year, and that number represents a full year's growth. We hit that mark as a school with a .4158. This means that our students are not just doing the work, but they are learning and retaining the information, and then applying it to the complex questions the state assesses students on each April.
We are thrilled to celebrate our four feeder schools—Augusta Ranch Elementary, Boulder Creek Elementary, Canyon Rim Elementary, and Meridian Elementary—all of which have earned an “A” rating. We also want to congratulate Desert Ridge HS for being awarded an “A” rating from the state. The east side of Gilbert Public Schools is working hard to provide continued academic success and a seamless transition from elementary to junior high school and eventually high school. We thank all our students and families for supporting us and encouraging your child to do their best each day.
Desert Ridge Junior High is full of dedicated individuals who prepare great lessons that are built from the grade-appropriate Arizona state standards. There is a review of prior grade-level standards, but finding time in a school day for interventions becomes more difficult each year a student is in school. It is so important that all families understand the AASA test scores for their child and make family decisions to promote habits outside of school time to better your child’s progress. Establishing a non-negotiable expectation for your child to read at least 30 minutes each night in a book of their choice, along with completing 3-5 “My Path” lessons weekly, will greatly enhance their academic success and prepare them for the challenges of junior high and high school. (The 8th grade honors math students have an alternate option.)
TEAM - Together Everyone Achieves More - is how we at Desert Ridge Junior High have become better each year. Our administration, instructional coaches, district curriculum coordinators, teachers, classified staff, and families have partnered to do what is best for our students, and we have seen great gains. Last year, DRJHS jumped 60 Arizona middle/junior highs, and this year another 18. No public junior high ranked in the top 200 can match that growth in the last two years, and there is no slowing down in sight. Please join me in celebrating all that is great about Desert Ridge Junior High School by completing a review on Greatschools.org, or an even easier way by scanning the QR code at the end of this letter.
Thank you for your support of our school and our staff. For more information about DRJHS, please attend PTRO meetings, Site Council meetings, or call to have a conversation with an administrator about our success and school data. We will have a new “State of the School” presentation for our community on Monday, January 13th at 6 PM in our Library. We held one back in September with data from the 2022-2023 school year, but our January 13th meeting will feature the 2023-2024 data and semester one data about student progress, school accomplishments, and discipline.
Sincerely,
Mr. Mike Davis
Principal
