Tempe Union reports mixed ACT gains; district exceeds state averages while gaps persist for ELL and students with disabilities

Tempe Union High School District officials presented ACT results during the board’s regular meeting, reporting that the district overall exceeded state averages across four years of administration while calling attention to persistent gaps for English learners and many students with disabilities.

The presentation by district teaching and learning staff summarized average scale scores, proficiency percentages and growth measures across the district’s high schools. “As a district, we do exceed the state average,” the presenter said while reviewing four years of data that, she said, show relatively stable districtwide performance but variation across individual schools.

District-level proficiency figures presented to the board showed 53 percent of tested juniors proficient in ELA and 42 percent proficient in math, according to the report. Staff highlighted that some schools show year-to-year fluctuation while others have made multi-year gains.

Staff emphasized that proficiency is one way to view performance and described…