Avondale Elementary School District

Sixty students in the Avondale Elementary School District got a perfect score on Arizona’s Academic Standards Assessment. That's nearly double the year prior. Students and families were celebrated at the district’s governing board meeting Sept. 20, 2022.

Earlier this year, data from the state education department showed declines in math and English language proficiency.

But the Avondale Elementary School District is seeing some positive changes, as students overcome pandemic-related learning loss.

Every April, third through eighth grade students take Arizona’s Academic Standards Assessment (AASA). The statewide test measures their knowledge in English Language Arts and Math.

This year, 60 students in the Avondale Elementary School District got a perfect score. That’s nearly double from the year prior.

District superintendent Betsy Hargrove said that could be due to a number of factors.

“We continually improve the instructional practices in every one of our classrooms," Hargrove said. "We make sure that our educators have all of the resources that they need, and then we empower our children to have ownership of their own learning.”

Students and their families were celebrated at the district’s governing board meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 20. They'll also help kick off the Desert Edge High School football game on Friday, Sept. 23.

"They're gonna come out and help me flip the coin to start the game off to continue the celebration," Hargrove said. "I think it's really important for kids to know that their work pays off."