PHOENIX — Some Arizona schools saw growth in academics as the Arizona Department of Education released its spring assessment results.
Phoenix Coding Academy, a small school in the Phoenix Union High School District, was among the top 10 schools that saw the highest amount of growth — recording a 14-point increase in average pass rates for math and English language arts in just one year, according to Arizona Department of Education data analyzed by ABC15.
"I am not surprised. We work really hard here with the teachers, the students, the staff, and students' families to make sure students are thriving," said James Williams, principal of Phoenix Coding Academy.
Williams credited the school's instructional model and working closely with teachers and families for seeing the improvements. Next year, the school will have a little over 300 students.
"We don't believe in teaching to the test. We do a little bit of test prep to make sure the students have things like practice tests, but we believe in our instructional model and have leaned into that really heavily and teacher collaboration to make sure every student gets what they need to thrive," Williams said.
Another school, the Newell Barney College Preparatory School in the Queen Creek Unified School District, saw more than a 12-point increase in the average math and ELA pass rates, according to data ABC15 analyzed.
The principal, Kim Higginbotham, sent ABC15 a statement on the gains:
“Being recognized among Arizona’s top 10 most improved schools is an incredible achievement and a testament to the hard work, dedication, and determination of our students and teachers.
This remarkable growth didn’t happen by accident. It reflects an intentional focus on academic excellence, high expectations, data-driven instruction, and a school culture where every student is challenged, supported, and encouraged to reach their full potential.
Newell Barney College Prep is demonstrating what is possible when exceptional educators, motivated students, and engaged families work together toward a shared commitment to excellence.
We are incredibly proud of this achievement, but we are even more excited about what comes next.”
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Statewide, a slightly higher share of Arizona students passed their assessments compared to last year, at least in one subject. 41% of students passed English language arts — up one point from the 2024-25 school year. The pass rate for math remained the same at 33%.
The COVID-19 lockdowns had a significant impact on math pass rates. Prior to the lockdowns, English language arts and math pass rates trended together. Since COVID-19, math pass rates have remained in the low thirties. English pass rates declined as well but have since recovered to pre-pandemic levels.
The improvement is coming from district schools. Charter schools have an overall higher pass rate in both math and English, and both remain unchanged from last school year. District schools improved their pass rate by one point in both math and English.
Among districts in Maricopa and Pinal counties, Casa Grande Union High School District saw the most improvement in math, with pass rates rising 7 points to 26%. Red Rock Elementary, just south in Pinal County, saw a 4-point improvement. Three urban elementary districts in the Phoenix metro — Osborn, Riverside, and Glendale — all recorded 2-point increases in math pass rates.
The districts where math pass rates declined the most were Fountain Hills Unified, Glendale Union High School, Palo Verde Elementary District, and Coolidge Unified, where rates fell between 2 and 4 points.
Chelsea Waite, a research principal with the Center on Reinventing Public Education at ASU, said the gains are meaningful but cautioned against reading too much into a single year.
"I would say what we see in Arizona, improvement like we saw on the 2026 assessment results, is not a glitch. It's real, but it's also not a trend yet," Waite said.
She noted that many schools and districts are still working to reach pre-pandemic levels.
"Only 1 in 10 students nationally attend school in a district that has actually recovered fully to pre-pandemic levels in reading and math," Waite said.
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