Casa Grande Union presents letter-grade breakdowns, highlights growth and areas for improvement
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Summary
District staff presented the formula behind Arizona letter grades and reported both campuses earned B grades, citing growth and college-career readiness gains while noting ACT proficiency and a lingering graduation-rate drag on total scores.
District staff on Monday walked the Casa Grande Union High School District board through the state formula that produced B grades for both comprehensive high schools and highlighted areas the district intends to target for improvement.
An unidentified district presenter explained the grading formula used by the state: ACT proficiency and performance by juniors (a weighted portion of the grade), growth from freshman to junior years, English learner proficiency and growth, high school graduation rates, and college- and career-readiness measures. The presenter gave a point-by-point breakdown, saying Vista Grande scored 11.71 out of 30 possible points on the junior ACT component and Casa Grande Union scored 13.39 out of 30. Growth points were strong: Vista Grande received 19.97 out of 20 for growth; Casa Grande Union received 16.96 out of 20.
“Those growth numbers show our teachers are making a difference,” the presenter said, noting both campuses posted their highest growth scores in recent years. The presenter also singled out programs such as IXL (an individualized practice platform), targeted ninth-grade algebra interventions and expanded PLC work as key contributors to gains.
Board members pressed on ACT proficiency, which remains a relative weakness. One board member asked whether the district has initiatives to raise those scores; the presenter pointed to strengthened instructional practices, extra intervention time for freshmen and broader use of individualized practice platforms as ongoing remedies. The presenter added the district is reviewing the data for potential appeal on select calculations where point totals are very close to grade thresholds.
On graduation-rate points, the presenter said historic dips in a prior cohort affected the district’s composite totals; nonetheless, the district’s five-year trend shows improvement, with a notable multi-point increase attributed to targeted supports and credit-recovery efforts.
The presentation closed with district leaders thanking teachers and staff for the progress while signaling a continued focus on raising ACT proficiency and converting high growth into proficiency-level gains.
The board did not take formal action on the presentation but moved to the next agenda items after questions and brief comments.