State Report

Arizona

Arizona is building the foundation for high school transformation across 1 Policy Action.

State Report

Arizona

Arizona is building the foundation for high school transformation across 1 Policy Action.

Overview

State leaders in Arizona have taken initial steps towards transforming high school learning experiences by ensuring that students can earn credit towards graduation for successful completion of high-quality work-based learning experiences.

The Arizona Personalized Learning Network, established by the Center for the Future of Arizona, brings teachers and leaders together to support the adoption of new personalized, competency-based learning models. The network includes the state’s largest school district, Mesa Public Schools. The district has adopted a Portrait of a Graduate as part of its vision to serve each student’s strengths and needs so they graduate ready for “college, career and community.”

To support the efforts of school systems like Mesa, state leaders could create more flexibility from seat time requirements and work with communities to develop a statewide Portrait of a Graduate that reflects the broad set of competencies all graduates should have by the end of high school. State leaders could also explore opportunities for a statewide initiative with dedicated resources to incentivize community-led high school redesign.

Share your story

We want to hear how high school shaped your path—and how you think it needs to change.

Share your story

We want to hear how high school shaped your path—and how you think it needs to change.

Share your story

We want to hear how high school shaped your path—and how you think it needs to change.

Highlights from Arizona

Fusce dapibus, tellus ac cursus commodo, tortor mauris condimentum nibh, ut fermentum massa justo sit amet risus.

Highlights from Arizona

Fusce dapibus, tellus ac cursus commodo, tortor mauris condimentum nibh, ut fermentum massa justo sit amet risus.

Highlights from Arizona

Fusce dapibus, tellus ac cursus commodo, tortor mauris condimentum nibh, ut fermentum massa justo sit amet risus.

Arizona
Arizona’s economy will add an average of 408,000 job openings annually through 2031, of which 271,000 (66 percent) will be for workers with postsecondary education, including college degrees and workforce credentials.²
² Carnevale, A. P., Smith, N., Van Der Werf, M., & Quinn, M. C. (2023). After everything: Projections of jobs, education, and training requirements through 2031. Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce. https://cew.georgetown.edu/cew-reports/projections2031/#resources
Arizona
Strong high schools are essential for meeting that demand, which will pay huge dividends to individuals and the state as a whole. Economists estimate that Arizona’s six percentage point increase in college degree attainment between 2010 and 2020 will translate into $249 billion in additional net lifetime earnings for the state’s residents.³
³ Carnevale, A. P., Strohl, J., Peltier Campbell, K., Guilash, A., Cheah, B., Nyhof, E., & Fix, L. (2024). Learning by degrees: Gains in college degree attainment have enriched the nation and every state, but racial and gender inequality persist. Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce. https://cew.georgetown.edu/cew-reports/attainmentgains/#resources
Arizona
In Arizona and elsewhere in the nation, boosting student achievement will be central to realizing these gains. In 2025, 21 percent of Arizona seniors graduated ready for college in math and 401 percent did so in English (99 percent of students participated in that year’s ACT).⁴ 26 percent of Arizona’s 8th graders (the high school graduating class of 2029) demonstrated proficient math skills on the 2024 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) exam, down five percentage points from pre-pandemic levels. 25 percent were proficient in reading.⁵
⁴ ACT. (2024). Average 2024 ACT test scores by state. https://www.act.org/content/act/en/products-and-services/the-act/scores/average-act-test-scores-by-state.html
⁵ The Nation’s Report Card. (2024). Data tools: State profiles. The National Assessment of Educational Progress. https://www.nationsreportcard.gov/profiles/stateprofile?sfj=NP&chort=2&sub=MAT&sj=&st=AP&year=2024R3
Arizona
Improving these results is important not only for college readiness, but also for earning power. Better math skills would boost the wages of Arizona workers by $4,265 annually, totaling $85,314 over a 20-year period. Stronger reading skills would increase their wages by $7,933 per year, adding up to $158,661 over two decades.⁶
⁶ Boser, U. (2020). Education and income: How learning boosts salary. The Learning Agency. https://media.the-learning-agency.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/01151624/white_paper_education_and_the_economy.pdf
Arizona
A range of studies underscore the role of durable competencies in supporting academic achievement. Their integration with academic coursework strengthens and reinforces the acquisition of knowledge and skills in disciplines like literacy, math, and science.⁷
⁷ Balfanz, R. (2023, September). Centering school connectedness. State Education Standard: The Journal of the National Association of State Boards of Education, 23(3). https://www.nasbe.org/centering-school-connectedness/; Durlak, J. A., Weissberg, R. P., Dymnicki, A. B., Taylor, R. D., & Schellinger, K. B. (2011). The impact of enhancing students’ social and emotional learning: A meta-analysis. Child Development, 82(1), 405–432.
Arizona
Arizona’s economy will add an average of 408,000 job openings annually through 2031, of which 271,000 (66 percent) will be for workers with postsecondary education, including college degrees and workforce credentials.²
² Carnevale, A. P., Smith, N., Van Der Werf, M., & Quinn, M. C. (2023). After everything: Projections of jobs, education, and training requirements through 2031. Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce. https://cew.georgetown.edu/cew-reports/projections2031/#resources
Arizona
Strong high schools are essential for meeting that demand, which will pay huge dividends to individuals and the state as a whole. Economists estimate that Arizona’s six percentage point increase in college degree attainment between 2010 and 2020 will translate into $249 billion in additional net lifetime earnings for the state’s residents.³
³ Carnevale, A. P., Strohl, J., Peltier Campbell, K., Guilash, A., Cheah, B., Nyhof, E., & Fix, L. (2024). Learning by degrees: Gains in college degree attainment have enriched the nation and every state, but racial and gender inequality persist. Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce. https://cew.georgetown.edu/cew-reports/attainmentgains/#resources
Arizona
In Arizona and elsewhere in the nation, boosting student achievement will be central to realizing these gains. In 2025, 21 percent of Arizona seniors graduated ready for college in math and 401 percent did so in English (99 percent of students participated in that year’s ACT).⁴ 26 percent of Arizona’s 8th graders (the high school graduating class of 2029) demonstrated proficient math skills on the 2024 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) exam, down five percentage points from pre-pandemic levels. 25 percent were proficient in reading.⁵
⁴ ACT. (2024). Average 2024 ACT test scores by state. https://www.act.org/content/act/en/products-and-services/the-act/scores/average-act-test-scores-by-state.html
⁵ The Nation’s Report Card. (2024). Data tools: State profiles. The National Assessment of Educational Progress. https://www.nationsreportcard.gov/profiles/stateprofile?sfj=NP&chort=2&sub=MAT&sj=&st=AP&year=2024R3
Arizona
Improving these results is important not only for college readiness, but also for earning power. Better math skills would boost the wages of Arizona workers by $4,265 annually, totaling $85,314 over a 20-year period. Stronger reading skills would increase their wages by $7,933 per year, adding up to $158,661 over two decades.⁶
⁶ Boser, U. (2020). Education and income: How learning boosts salary. The Learning Agency. https://media.the-learning-agency.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/01151624/white_paper_education_and_the_economy.pdf
Arizona
A range of studies underscore the role of durable competencies in supporting academic achievement. Their integration with academic coursework strengthens and reinforces the acquisition of knowledge and skills in disciplines like literacy, math, and science.⁷
⁷ Balfanz, R. (2023, September). Centering school connectedness. State Education Standard: The Journal of the National Association of State Boards of Education, 23(3). https://www.nasbe.org/centering-school-connectedness/; Durlak, J. A., Weissberg, R. P., Dymnicki, A. B., Taylor, R. D., & Schellinger, K. B. (2011). The impact of enhancing students’ social and emotional learning: A meta-analysis. Child Development, 82(1), 405–432.
Arizona
Arizona’s economy will add an average of 408,000 job openings annually through 2031, of which 271,000 (66 percent) will be for workers with postsecondary education, including college degrees and workforce credentials.²
² Carnevale, A. P., Smith, N., Van Der Werf, M., & Quinn, M. C. (2023). After everything: Projections of jobs, education, and training requirements through 2031. Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce. https://cew.georgetown.edu/cew-reports/projections2031/#resources
Arizona
Strong high schools are essential for meeting that demand, which will pay huge dividends to individuals and the state as a whole. Economists estimate that Arizona’s six percentage point increase in college degree attainment between 2010 and 2020 will translate into $249 billion in additional net lifetime earnings for the state’s residents.³
³ Carnevale, A. P., Strohl, J., Peltier Campbell, K., Guilash, A., Cheah, B., Nyhof, E., & Fix, L. (2024). Learning by degrees: Gains in college degree attainment have enriched the nation and every state, but racial and gender inequality persist. Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce. https://cew.georgetown.edu/cew-reports/attainmentgains/#resources
Arizona
In Arizona and elsewhere in the nation, boosting student achievement will be central to realizing these gains. In 2025, 21 percent of Arizona seniors graduated ready for college in math and 401 percent did so in English (99 percent of students participated in that year’s ACT).⁴ 26 percent of Arizona’s 8th graders (the high school graduating class of 2029) demonstrated proficient math skills on the 2024 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) exam, down five percentage points from pre-pandemic levels. 25 percent were proficient in reading.⁵
⁴ ACT. (2024). Average 2024 ACT test scores by state. https://www.act.org/content/act/en/products-and-services/the-act/scores/average-act-test-scores-by-state.html
⁵ The Nation’s Report Card. (2024). Data tools: State profiles. The National Assessment of Educational Progress. https://www.nationsreportcard.gov/profiles/stateprofile?sfj=NP&chort=2&sub=MAT&sj=&st=AP&year=2024R3
Arizona
Improving these results is important not only for college readiness, but also for earning power. Better math skills would boost the wages of Arizona workers by $4,265 annually, totaling $85,314 over a 20-year period. Stronger reading skills would increase their wages by $7,933 per year, adding up to $158,661 over two decades.⁶
⁶ Boser, U. (2020). Education and income: How learning boosts salary. The Learning Agency. https://media.the-learning-agency.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/01151624/white_paper_education_and_the_economy.pdf
Arizona
A range of studies underscore the role of durable competencies in supporting academic achievement. Their integration with academic coursework strengthens and reinforces the acquisition of knowledge and skills in disciplines like literacy, math, and science.⁷
⁷ Balfanz, R. (2023, September). Centering school connectedness. State Education Standard: The Journal of the National Association of State Boards of Education, 23(3). https://www.nasbe.org/centering-school-connectedness/; Durlak, J. A., Weissberg, R. P., Dymnicki, A. B., Taylor, R. D., & Schellinger, K. B. (2011). The impact of enhancing students’ social and emotional learning: A meta-analysis. Child Development, 82(1), 405–432.
Arizona
Arizona’s economy will add an average of 408,000 job openings annually through 2031, of which 271,000 (66 percent) will be for workers with postsecondary education, including college degrees and workforce credentials.²
² Carnevale, A. P., Smith, N., Van Der Werf, M., & Quinn, M. C. (2023). After everything: Projections of jobs, education, and training requirements through 2031. Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce. https://cew.georgetown.edu/cew-reports/projections2031/#resources
Arizona
Strong high schools are essential for meeting that demand, which will pay huge dividends to individuals and the state as a whole. Economists estimate that Arizona’s six percentage point increase in college degree attainment between 2010 and 2020 will translate into $249 billion in additional net lifetime earnings for the state’s residents.³
³ Carnevale, A. P., Strohl, J., Peltier Campbell, K., Guilash, A., Cheah, B., Nyhof, E., & Fix, L. (2024). Learning by degrees: Gains in college degree attainment have enriched the nation and every state, but racial and gender inequality persist. Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce. https://cew.georgetown.edu/cew-reports/attainmentgains/#resources
Arizona
In Arizona and elsewhere in the nation, boosting student achievement will be central to realizing these gains. In 2025, 21 percent of Arizona seniors graduated ready for college in math and 401 percent did so in English (99 percent of students participated in that year’s ACT).⁴ 26 percent of Arizona’s 8th graders (the high school graduating class of 2029) demonstrated proficient math skills on the 2024 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) exam, down five percentage points from pre-pandemic levels. 25 percent were proficient in reading.⁵
⁴ ACT. (2024). Average 2024 ACT test scores by state. https://www.act.org/content/act/en/products-and-services/the-act/scores/average-act-test-scores-by-state.html
⁵ The Nation’s Report Card. (2024). Data tools: State profiles. The National Assessment of Educational Progress. https://www.nationsreportcard.gov/profiles/stateprofile?sfj=NP&chort=2&sub=MAT&sj=&st=AP&year=2024R3
Arizona
Improving these results is important not only for college readiness, but also for earning power. Better math skills would boost the wages of Arizona workers by $4,265 annually, totaling $85,314 over a 20-year period. Stronger reading skills would increase their wages by $7,933 per year, adding up to $158,661 over two decades.⁶
⁶ Boser, U. (2020). Education and income: How learning boosts salary. The Learning Agency. https://media.the-learning-agency.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/01151624/white_paper_education_and_the_economy.pdf
Arizona
A range of studies underscore the role of durable competencies in supporting academic achievement. Their integration with academic coursework strengthens and reinforces the acquisition of knowledge and skills in disciplines like literacy, math, and science.⁷
⁷ Balfanz, R. (2023, September). Centering school connectedness. State Education Standard: The Journal of the National Association of State Boards of Education, 23(3). https://www.nasbe.org/centering-school-connectedness/; Durlak, J. A., Weissberg, R. P., Dymnicki, A. B., Taylor, R. D., & Schellinger, K. B. (2011). The impact of enhancing students’ social and emotional learning: A meta-analysis. Child Development, 82(1), 405–432.

Arizona
Arizona’s economy will add an average of 408,000 job openings annually through 2031, of which 271,000 (66 percent) will be for workers with postsecondary education, including college degrees and workforce credentials.²
² Carnevale, A. P., Smith, N., Van Der Werf, M., & Quinn, M. C. (2023). After everything: Projections of jobs, education, and training requirements through 2031. Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce. https://cew.georgetown.edu/cew-reports/projections2031/#resources
Arizona
Strong high schools are essential for meeting that demand, which will pay huge dividends to individuals and the state as a whole. Economists estimate that Arizona’s six percentage point increase in college degree attainment between 2010 and 2020 will translate into $249 billion in additional net lifetime earnings for the state’s residents.³
³ Carnevale, A. P., Strohl, J., Peltier Campbell, K., Guilash, A., Cheah, B., Nyhof, E., & Fix, L. (2024). Learning by degrees: Gains in college degree attainment have enriched the nation and every state, but racial and gender inequality persist. Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce. https://cew.georgetown.edu/cew-reports/attainmentgains/#resources
Arizona
In Arizona and elsewhere in the nation, boosting student achievement will be central to realizing these gains. In 2025, 21 percent of Arizona seniors graduated ready for college in math and 401 percent did so in English (99 percent of students participated in that year’s ACT).⁴ 26 percent of Arizona’s 8th graders (the high school graduating class of 2029) demonstrated proficient math skills on the 2024 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) exam, down five percentage points from pre-pandemic levels. 25 percent were proficient in reading.⁵
⁴ ACT. (2024). Average 2024 ACT test scores by state. https://www.act.org/content/act/en/products-and-services/the-act/scores/average-act-test-scores-by-state.html
⁵ The Nation’s Report Card. (2024). Data tools: State profiles. The National Assessment of Educational Progress. https://www.nationsreportcard.gov/profiles/stateprofile?sfj=NP&chort=2&sub=MAT&sj=&st=AP&year=2024R3
Arizona
Improving these results is important not only for college readiness, but also for earning power. Better math skills would boost the wages of Arizona workers by $4,265 annually, totaling $85,314 over a 20-year period. Stronger reading skills would increase their wages by $7,933 per year, adding up to $158,661 over two decades.⁶
⁶ Boser, U. (2020). Education and income: How learning boosts salary. The Learning Agency. https://media.the-learning-agency.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/01151624/white_paper_education_and_the_economy.pdf
Arizona
A range of studies underscore the role of durable competencies in supporting academic achievement. Their integration with academic coursework strengthens and reinforces the acquisition of knowledge and skills in disciplines like literacy, math, and science.⁷
⁷ Balfanz, R. (2023, September). Centering school connectedness. State Education Standard: The Journal of the National Association of State Boards of Education, 23(3). https://www.nasbe.org/centering-school-connectedness/; Durlak, J. A., Weissberg, R. P., Dymnicki, A. B., Taylor, R. D., & Schellinger, K. B. (2011). The impact of enhancing students’ social and emotional learning: A meta-analysis. Child Development, 82(1), 405–432.
Arizona
Arizona’s economy will add an average of 408,000 job openings annually through 2031, of which 271,000 (66 percent) will be for workers with postsecondary education, including college degrees and workforce credentials.²
² Carnevale, A. P., Smith, N., Van Der Werf, M., & Quinn, M. C. (2023). After everything: Projections of jobs, education, and training requirements through 2031. Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce. https://cew.georgetown.edu/cew-reports/projections2031/#resources
Arizona
Strong high schools are essential for meeting that demand, which will pay huge dividends to individuals and the state as a whole. Economists estimate that Arizona’s six percentage point increase in college degree attainment between 2010 and 2020 will translate into $249 billion in additional net lifetime earnings for the state’s residents.³
³ Carnevale, A. P., Strohl, J., Peltier Campbell, K., Guilash, A., Cheah, B., Nyhof, E., & Fix, L. (2024). Learning by degrees: Gains in college degree attainment have enriched the nation and every state, but racial and gender inequality persist. Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce. https://cew.georgetown.edu/cew-reports/attainmentgains/#resources
Arizona
In Arizona and elsewhere in the nation, boosting student achievement will be central to realizing these gains. In 2025, 21 percent of Arizona seniors graduated ready for college in math and 401 percent did so in English (99 percent of students participated in that year’s ACT).⁴ 26 percent of Arizona’s 8th graders (the high school graduating class of 2029) demonstrated proficient math skills on the 2024 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) exam, down five percentage points from pre-pandemic levels. 25 percent were proficient in reading.⁵
⁴ ACT. (2024). Average 2024 ACT test scores by state. https://www.act.org/content/act/en/products-and-services/the-act/scores/average-act-test-scores-by-state.html
⁵ The Nation’s Report Card. (2024). Data tools: State profiles. The National Assessment of Educational Progress. https://www.nationsreportcard.gov/profiles/stateprofile?sfj=NP&chort=2&sub=MAT&sj=&st=AP&year=2024R3
Arizona
Improving these results is important not only for college readiness, but also for earning power. Better math skills would boost the wages of Arizona workers by $4,265 annually, totaling $85,314 over a 20-year period. Stronger reading skills would increase their wages by $7,933 per year, adding up to $158,661 over two decades.⁶
⁶ Boser, U. (2020). Education and income: How learning boosts salary. The Learning Agency. https://media.the-learning-agency.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/01151624/white_paper_education_and_the_economy.pdf
Arizona
A range of studies underscore the role of durable competencies in supporting academic achievement. Their integration with academic coursework strengthens and reinforces the acquisition of knowledge and skills in disciplines like literacy, math, and science.⁷
⁷ Balfanz, R. (2023, September). Centering school connectedness. State Education Standard: The Journal of the National Association of State Boards of Education, 23(3). https://www.nasbe.org/centering-school-connectedness/; Durlak, J. A., Weissberg, R. P., Dymnicki, A. B., Taylor, R. D., & Schellinger, K. B. (2011). The impact of enhancing students’ social and emotional learning: A meta-analysis. Child Development, 82(1), 405–432.
Arizona
Arizona’s economy will add an average of 408,000 job openings annually through 2031, of which 271,000 (66 percent) will be for workers with postsecondary education, including college degrees and workforce credentials.²
² Carnevale, A. P., Smith, N., Van Der Werf, M., & Quinn, M. C. (2023). After everything: Projections of jobs, education, and training requirements through 2031. Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce. https://cew.georgetown.edu/cew-reports/projections2031/#resources
Arizona
Strong high schools are essential for meeting that demand, which will pay huge dividends to individuals and the state as a whole. Economists estimate that Arizona’s six percentage point increase in college degree attainment between 2010 and 2020 will translate into $249 billion in additional net lifetime earnings for the state’s residents.³
³ Carnevale, A. P., Strohl, J., Peltier Campbell, K., Guilash, A., Cheah, B., Nyhof, E., & Fix, L. (2024). Learning by degrees: Gains in college degree attainment have enriched the nation and every state, but racial and gender inequality persist. Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce. https://cew.georgetown.edu/cew-reports/attainmentgains/#resources
Arizona
In Arizona and elsewhere in the nation, boosting student achievement will be central to realizing these gains. In 2025, 21 percent of Arizona seniors graduated ready for college in math and 401 percent did so in English (99 percent of students participated in that year’s ACT).⁴ 26 percent of Arizona’s 8th graders (the high school graduating class of 2029) demonstrated proficient math skills on the 2024 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) exam, down five percentage points from pre-pandemic levels. 25 percent were proficient in reading.⁵
⁴ ACT. (2024). Average 2024 ACT test scores by state. https://www.act.org/content/act/en/products-and-services/the-act/scores/average-act-test-scores-by-state.html
⁵ The Nation’s Report Card. (2024). Data tools: State profiles. The National Assessment of Educational Progress. https://www.nationsreportcard.gov/profiles/stateprofile?sfj=NP&chort=2&sub=MAT&sj=&st=AP&year=2024R3
Arizona
Improving these results is important not only for college readiness, but also for earning power. Better math skills would boost the wages of Arizona workers by $4,265 annually, totaling $85,314 over a 20-year period. Stronger reading skills would increase their wages by $7,933 per year, adding up to $158,661 over two decades.⁶
⁶ Boser, U. (2020). Education and income: How learning boosts salary. The Learning Agency. https://media.the-learning-agency.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/01151624/white_paper_education_and_the_economy.pdf
Arizona
A range of studies underscore the role of durable competencies in supporting academic achievement. Their integration with academic coursework strengthens and reinforces the acquisition of knowledge and skills in disciplines like literacy, math, and science.⁷
⁷ Balfanz, R. (2023, September). Centering school connectedness. State Education Standard: The Journal of the National Association of State Boards of Education, 23(3). https://www.nasbe.org/centering-school-connectedness/; Durlak, J. A., Weissberg, R. P., Dymnicki, A. B., Taylor, R. D., & Schellinger, K. B. (2011). The impact of enhancing students’ social and emotional learning: A meta-analysis. Child Development, 82(1), 405–432.
Arizona
Arizona’s economy will add an average of 408,000 job openings annually through 2031, of which 271,000 (66 percent) will be for workers with postsecondary education, including college degrees and workforce credentials.²
² Carnevale, A. P., Smith, N., Van Der Werf, M., & Quinn, M. C. (2023). After everything: Projections of jobs, education, and training requirements through 2031. Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce. https://cew.georgetown.edu/cew-reports/projections2031/#resources
Arizona
Strong high schools are essential for meeting that demand, which will pay huge dividends to individuals and the state as a whole. Economists estimate that Arizona’s six percentage point increase in college degree attainment between 2010 and 2020 will translate into $249 billion in additional net lifetime earnings for the state’s residents.³
³ Carnevale, A. P., Strohl, J., Peltier Campbell, K., Guilash, A., Cheah, B., Nyhof, E., & Fix, L. (2024). Learning by degrees: Gains in college degree attainment have enriched the nation and every state, but racial and gender inequality persist. Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce. https://cew.georgetown.edu/cew-reports/attainmentgains/#resources
Arizona
In Arizona and elsewhere in the nation, boosting student achievement will be central to realizing these gains. In 2025, 21 percent of Arizona seniors graduated ready for college in math and 401 percent did so in English (99 percent of students participated in that year’s ACT).⁴ 26 percent of Arizona’s 8th graders (the high school graduating class of 2029) demonstrated proficient math skills on the 2024 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) exam, down five percentage points from pre-pandemic levels. 25 percent were proficient in reading.⁵
⁴ ACT. (2024). Average 2024 ACT test scores by state. https://www.act.org/content/act/en/products-and-services/the-act/scores/average-act-test-scores-by-state.html
⁵ The Nation’s Report Card. (2024). Data tools: State profiles. The National Assessment of Educational Progress. https://www.nationsreportcard.gov/profiles/stateprofile?sfj=NP&chort=2&sub=MAT&sj=&st=AP&year=2024R3
Arizona
Improving these results is important not only for college readiness, but also for earning power. Better math skills would boost the wages of Arizona workers by $4,265 annually, totaling $85,314 over a 20-year period. Stronger reading skills would increase their wages by $7,933 per year, adding up to $158,661 over two decades.⁶
⁶ Boser, U. (2020). Education and income: How learning boosts salary. The Learning Agency. https://media.the-learning-agency.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/01151624/white_paper_education_and_the_economy.pdf
Arizona
A range of studies underscore the role of durable competencies in supporting academic achievement. Their integration with academic coursework strengthens and reinforces the acquisition of knowledge and skills in disciplines like literacy, math, and science.⁷
⁷ Balfanz, R. (2023, September). Centering school connectedness. State Education Standard: The Journal of the National Association of State Boards of Education, 23(3). https://www.nasbe.org/centering-school-connectedness/; Durlak, J. A., Weissberg, R. P., Dymnicki, A. B., Taylor, R. D., & Schellinger, K. B. (2011). The impact of enhancing students’ social and emotional learning: A meta-analysis. Child Development, 82(1), 405–432.

Arizona
Arizona’s economy will add an average of 408,000 job openings annually through 2031, of which 271,000 (66 percent) will be for workers with postsecondary education, including college degrees and workforce credentials.²
² Carnevale, A. P., Smith, N., Van Der Werf, M., & Quinn, M. C. (2023). After everything: Projections of jobs, education, and training requirements through 2031. Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce. https://cew.georgetown.edu/cew-reports/projections2031/#resources
Arizona
Strong high schools are essential for meeting that demand, which will pay huge dividends to individuals and the state as a whole. Economists estimate that Arizona’s six percentage point increase in college degree attainment between 2010 and 2020 will translate into $249 billion in additional net lifetime earnings for the state’s residents.³
³ Carnevale, A. P., Strohl, J., Peltier Campbell, K., Guilash, A., Cheah, B., Nyhof, E., & Fix, L. (2024). Learning by degrees: Gains in college degree attainment have enriched the nation and every state, but racial and gender inequality persist. Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce. https://cew.georgetown.edu/cew-reports/attainmentgains/#resources
Arizona
In Arizona and elsewhere in the nation, boosting student achievement will be central to realizing these gains. In 2025, 21 percent of Arizona seniors graduated ready for college in math and 401 percent did so in English (99 percent of students participated in that year’s ACT).⁴ 26 percent of Arizona’s 8th graders (the high school graduating class of 2029) demonstrated proficient math skills on the 2024 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) exam, down five percentage points from pre-pandemic levels. 25 percent were proficient in reading.⁵
⁴ ACT. (2024). Average 2024 ACT test scores by state. https://www.act.org/content/act/en/products-and-services/the-act/scores/average-act-test-scores-by-state.html
⁵ The Nation’s Report Card. (2024). Data tools: State profiles. The National Assessment of Educational Progress. https://www.nationsreportcard.gov/profiles/stateprofile?sfj=NP&chort=2&sub=MAT&sj=&st=AP&year=2024R3
Arizona
Improving these results is important not only for college readiness, but also for earning power. Better math skills would boost the wages of Arizona workers by $4,265 annually, totaling $85,314 over a 20-year period. Stronger reading skills would increase their wages by $7,933 per year, adding up to $158,661 over two decades.⁶
⁶ Boser, U. (2020). Education and income: How learning boosts salary. The Learning Agency. https://media.the-learning-agency.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/01151624/white_paper_education_and_the_economy.pdf
Arizona
A range of studies underscore the role of durable competencies in supporting academic achievement. Their integration with academic coursework strengthens and reinforces the acquisition of knowledge and skills in disciplines like literacy, math, and science.⁷
⁷ Balfanz, R. (2023, September). Centering school connectedness. State Education Standard: The Journal of the National Association of State Boards of Education, 23(3). https://www.nasbe.org/centering-school-connectedness/; Durlak, J. A., Weissberg, R. P., Dymnicki, A. B., Taylor, R. D., & Schellinger, K. B. (2011). The impact of enhancing students’ social and emotional learning: A meta-analysis. Child Development, 82(1), 405–432.
Arizona
Arizona’s economy will add an average of 408,000 job openings annually through 2031, of which 271,000 (66 percent) will be for workers with postsecondary education, including college degrees and workforce credentials.²
² Carnevale, A. P., Smith, N., Van Der Werf, M., & Quinn, M. C. (2023). After everything: Projections of jobs, education, and training requirements through 2031. Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce. https://cew.georgetown.edu/cew-reports/projections2031/#resources
Arizona
Strong high schools are essential for meeting that demand, which will pay huge dividends to individuals and the state as a whole. Economists estimate that Arizona’s six percentage point increase in college degree attainment between 2010 and 2020 will translate into $249 billion in additional net lifetime earnings for the state’s residents.³
³ Carnevale, A. P., Strohl, J., Peltier Campbell, K., Guilash, A., Cheah, B., Nyhof, E., & Fix, L. (2024). Learning by degrees: Gains in college degree attainment have enriched the nation and every state, but racial and gender inequality persist. Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce. https://cew.georgetown.edu/cew-reports/attainmentgains/#resources
Arizona
In Arizona and elsewhere in the nation, boosting student achievement will be central to realizing these gains. In 2025, 21 percent of Arizona seniors graduated ready for college in math and 401 percent did so in English (99 percent of students participated in that year’s ACT).⁴ 26 percent of Arizona’s 8th graders (the high school graduating class of 2029) demonstrated proficient math skills on the 2024 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) exam, down five percentage points from pre-pandemic levels. 25 percent were proficient in reading.⁵
⁴ ACT. (2024). Average 2024 ACT test scores by state. https://www.act.org/content/act/en/products-and-services/the-act/scores/average-act-test-scores-by-state.html
⁵ The Nation’s Report Card. (2024). Data tools: State profiles. The National Assessment of Educational Progress. https://www.nationsreportcard.gov/profiles/stateprofile?sfj=NP&chort=2&sub=MAT&sj=&st=AP&year=2024R3
Arizona
Improving these results is important not only for college readiness, but also for earning power. Better math skills would boost the wages of Arizona workers by $4,265 annually, totaling $85,314 over a 20-year period. Stronger reading skills would increase their wages by $7,933 per year, adding up to $158,661 over two decades.⁶
⁶ Boser, U. (2020). Education and income: How learning boosts salary. The Learning Agency. https://media.the-learning-agency.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/01151624/white_paper_education_and_the_economy.pdf
Arizona
A range of studies underscore the role of durable competencies in supporting academic achievement. Their integration with academic coursework strengthens and reinforces the acquisition of knowledge and skills in disciplines like literacy, math, and science.⁷
⁷ Balfanz, R. (2023, September). Centering school connectedness. State Education Standard: The Journal of the National Association of State Boards of Education, 23(3). https://www.nasbe.org/centering-school-connectedness/; Durlak, J. A., Weissberg, R. P., Dymnicki, A. B., Taylor, R. D., & Schellinger, K. B. (2011). The impact of enhancing students’ social and emotional learning: A meta-analysis. Child Development, 82(1), 405–432.
Arizona
Arizona’s economy will add an average of 408,000 job openings annually through 2031, of which 271,000 (66 percent) will be for workers with postsecondary education, including college degrees and workforce credentials.²
² Carnevale, A. P., Smith, N., Van Der Werf, M., & Quinn, M. C. (2023). After everything: Projections of jobs, education, and training requirements through 2031. Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce. https://cew.georgetown.edu/cew-reports/projections2031/#resources
Arizona
Strong high schools are essential for meeting that demand, which will pay huge dividends to individuals and the state as a whole. Economists estimate that Arizona’s six percentage point increase in college degree attainment between 2010 and 2020 will translate into $249 billion in additional net lifetime earnings for the state’s residents.³
³ Carnevale, A. P., Strohl, J., Peltier Campbell, K., Guilash, A., Cheah, B., Nyhof, E., & Fix, L. (2024). Learning by degrees: Gains in college degree attainment have enriched the nation and every state, but racial and gender inequality persist. Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce. https://cew.georgetown.edu/cew-reports/attainmentgains/#resources
Arizona
In Arizona and elsewhere in the nation, boosting student achievement will be central to realizing these gains. In 2025, 21 percent of Arizona seniors graduated ready for college in math and 401 percent did so in English (99 percent of students participated in that year’s ACT).⁴ 26 percent of Arizona’s 8th graders (the high school graduating class of 2029) demonstrated proficient math skills on the 2024 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) exam, down five percentage points from pre-pandemic levels. 25 percent were proficient in reading.⁵
⁴ ACT. (2024). Average 2024 ACT test scores by state. https://www.act.org/content/act/en/products-and-services/the-act/scores/average-act-test-scores-by-state.html
⁵ The Nation’s Report Card. (2024). Data tools: State profiles. The National Assessment of Educational Progress. https://www.nationsreportcard.gov/profiles/stateprofile?sfj=NP&chort=2&sub=MAT&sj=&st=AP&year=2024R3
Arizona
Improving these results is important not only for college readiness, but also for earning power. Better math skills would boost the wages of Arizona workers by $4,265 annually, totaling $85,314 over a 20-year period. Stronger reading skills would increase their wages by $7,933 per year, adding up to $158,661 over two decades.⁶
⁶ Boser, U. (2020). Education and income: How learning boosts salary. The Learning Agency. https://media.the-learning-agency.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/01151624/white_paper_education_and_the_economy.pdf
Arizona
A range of studies underscore the role of durable competencies in supporting academic achievement. Their integration with academic coursework strengthens and reinforces the acquisition of knowledge and skills in disciplines like literacy, math, and science.⁷
⁷ Balfanz, R. (2023, September). Centering school connectedness. State Education Standard: The Journal of the National Association of State Boards of Education, 23(3). https://www.nasbe.org/centering-school-connectedness/; Durlak, J. A., Weissberg, R. P., Dymnicki, A. B., Taylor, R. D., & Schellinger, K. B. (2011). The impact of enhancing students’ social and emotional learning: A meta-analysis. Child Development, 82(1), 405–432.
Arizona
Arizona’s economy will add an average of 408,000 job openings annually through 2031, of which 271,000 (66 percent) will be for workers with postsecondary education, including college degrees and workforce credentials.²
² Carnevale, A. P., Smith, N., Van Der Werf, M., & Quinn, M. C. (2023). After everything: Projections of jobs, education, and training requirements through 2031. Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce. https://cew.georgetown.edu/cew-reports/projections2031/#resources
Arizona
Strong high schools are essential for meeting that demand, which will pay huge dividends to individuals and the state as a whole. Economists estimate that Arizona’s six percentage point increase in college degree attainment between 2010 and 2020 will translate into $249 billion in additional net lifetime earnings for the state’s residents.³
³ Carnevale, A. P., Strohl, J., Peltier Campbell, K., Guilash, A., Cheah, B., Nyhof, E., & Fix, L. (2024). Learning by degrees: Gains in college degree attainment have enriched the nation and every state, but racial and gender inequality persist. Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce. https://cew.georgetown.edu/cew-reports/attainmentgains/#resources
Arizona
In Arizona and elsewhere in the nation, boosting student achievement will be central to realizing these gains. In 2025, 21 percent of Arizona seniors graduated ready for college in math and 401 percent did so in English (99 percent of students participated in that year’s ACT).⁴ 26 percent of Arizona’s 8th graders (the high school graduating class of 2029) demonstrated proficient math skills on the 2024 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) exam, down five percentage points from pre-pandemic levels. 25 percent were proficient in reading.⁵
⁴ ACT. (2024). Average 2024 ACT test scores by state. https://www.act.org/content/act/en/products-and-services/the-act/scores/average-act-test-scores-by-state.html
⁵ The Nation’s Report Card. (2024). Data tools: State profiles. The National Assessment of Educational Progress. https://www.nationsreportcard.gov/profiles/stateprofile?sfj=NP&chort=2&sub=MAT&sj=&st=AP&year=2024R3
Arizona
Improving these results is important not only for college readiness, but also for earning power. Better math skills would boost the wages of Arizona workers by $4,265 annually, totaling $85,314 over a 20-year period. Stronger reading skills would increase their wages by $7,933 per year, adding up to $158,661 over two decades.⁶
⁶ Boser, U. (2020). Education and income: How learning boosts salary. The Learning Agency. https://media.the-learning-agency.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/01151624/white_paper_education_and_the_economy.pdf
Arizona
A range of studies underscore the role of durable competencies in supporting academic achievement. Their integration with academic coursework strengthens and reinforces the acquisition of knowledge and skills in disciplines like literacy, math, and science.⁷
⁷ Balfanz, R. (2023, September). Centering school connectedness. State Education Standard: The Journal of the National Association of State Boards of Education, 23(3). https://www.nasbe.org/centering-school-connectedness/; Durlak, J. A., Weissberg, R. P., Dymnicki, A. B., Taylor, R. D., & Schellinger, K. B. (2011). The impact of enhancing students’ social and emotional learning: A meta-analysis. Child Development, 82(1), 405–432.

Progress

High school is where America’s future takes shape. Today’s students are tomorrow’s innovators, problem solvers, and leaders—but our schools are still rooted in a century-old model built for the industrial age. As automation and AI transform the job market, too many students leave high school unprepared for what comes next.

Arizona

Arizona

Share your story

Share your story

Share your story

Mastery-Based Credits

Core Competencies

K-16 Alignment

Community-Led Redesign

Postsecondary Credits

Internships and Apprenticeships

Professional Development

Next-Generation Assessments

Next-Generation Assessments

Success Data

Mastery-Based Credits

Core Competencies

K-16 Alignment

Community-Led Redesign

Postsecondary Credits

Internships and Apprenticeships

Professional Development

Next-Generation Assessments

Next-Generation Assessments

Success Data

Mastery-Based Credits

Core Competencies

K-16 Alignment

Community-Led Redesign

Postsecondary Credits

Internships and Apprenticeships

Professional Development

Next-Generation Assessments

Next-Generation Assessments

Success Data