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Gilbert Unified touts district A rating, widespread school-level gains and near‑93% graduation rate
Summary
District officials reported the district remained an A-rated district for the third consecutive year, highlighted multiple elementary and secondary school gains, and said the district graduation rate is just below 93%, the highest since 2018.
Assistant Superintendent Jared Ryan and directors in the district’s teaching and learning team presented the district’s school letter-grade results and longitudinal academic data on Nov. 4.
Ryan and elementary director Mr. Bircher described how letter grades are calculated for K–8 schools (50% growth, 30% proficiency, 10% English-language learners, and acceleration/readiness indicators worth up to 10 points) and for 9–12 models (proficiency, EL, graduation rate, growth, and CCRI). Bircher noted 12 of 26 elementary schools have been A-rated under the current formula for all four years it has been used; 13 elementary schools maximized the acceleration and readiness indicator; and Neely Traditional earned a perfect 30 of 30 proficiency points.
On secondary measures, presenters said the district’s various accountability models — including hybrid models at Gilbert High and GAMS and an alternative model at Canyon Valley — complicate comparisons but that many of the district’s secondary schools earned full points for graduation and college-and-career indicators. The presenters reported the district graduation rate is “just below 93%,” which they characterized as the highest level since at least 2018.
District staff credited gains to a districtwide continuous-improvement process, a recent math curriculum adoption and targeted supports such as counseling, impact checks and newly developed data dashboards that help track cohorts from freshman through senior year. Jared Ryan pointed to new Tableau dashboards created by the data and research team as a tool that helped sites identify cohort needs earlier in students’ high-school careers.
Board members congratulated staff and emphasized collaborative work across the district; one board member said the improvements reflect intentional, ongoing supports rather than any single change. Staff noted several schools that showed notable letter-grade movement year‑over‑year, including Burke Elementary, Gilbert Elementary (dual-language), Pioneer Elementary (B→A), and Court Hill’s multi-year improvement.
Presenters said the district’s GPA rose from about 3.5 two years ago to 3.84 this year and that the district has maintained an A rating for three straight years. They closed by urging continued focus on areas that still need work while celebrating the districtwide progress.
