Arizona charter-school students continue their strong academic performance, according to the Nation’s Report Card, officially known as the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). 

Arizona 8^th grade charter students performed especially well. In fact, if these charter attendees were grouped together as their own state, it would rank number 1 nationally in math and number 2 in reading. In both subject areas, Arizona 8^th graders scored approximately one full grade level better than their district peers.

“State and federal testing has repeatedly demonstrated that Arizona charter schools and students consistently outperform their district counterparts, despite receiving nearly $2,000 less in per-pupil funding,” said Dr. Matthew Ladner, director of the Arizona Center for Student Opportunity. “The past few years have been difficult for all schools, but we applaud Arizona charter schools for continuing to raise the bar for student achievement in our state.” 

The NAEP exam is usually administered every other year to a random sample of 4^th and 8^th grade students in each state, but was suspended during the pandemic. Nationally, NAEP results indicate a significant loss in academic progress during the past few years – particularly in mathematics. In Arizona, NAEP scores for 4^th grade mathematics and reading declined among both district and charter students. Overall, Arizona 4^th and 8^th graders attending district and charter schools performed at.

“Arizona charter schools helped lead our state’s academic recovery following the Great Recession,” Ladner said. “The challenges Arizona students now face are arguably even bigger now, but I am confident in the creativity, innovation and expertise of the charter sector to once again lead the way.” 

Arizona has approximately 560 public charter schools educating more than 230,000 students.

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A coalition of organizations supporting Arizona public charter schools are urging Arizona’s congressional delegation to reject efforts to cut federal funding for these schools. , CEO for the Foundation for Excellence in Education, that the letter aims to urge the congressional delegation to “treat all public school students equally by restoring the education funding cut in the Charter School Program fund, and eliminate language that could especially harm public school students with special needs and low income students who attend their schools.”

The coalition’s letter says that the current House Appropriations budget for FY 2022 decreases education funding for more than 3.3 million students nationwide. Of these 3.3 million students, there are more than 213,000 children in Arizona who will experience education funding cuts because their families chose to educate them in public charter schools.

The letter also notes that the Federal Charter Schools program is an important source of support for the broader public school system. The coalition is concerned that the FY 22 budget removes $40 million from the Charter Schools Program while the American Rescue Plan had just allocated $125 billion in new funding for public schools.

Supporters of public charter schools believe funding cuts for only public charter schools is discriminatory towards charter schools and their students.

Arizona’s legacy of education freedom

In Arizona, more than 21% of Arizona’s public-school students choose public charters as their education provider. It is also the case that these charter schools serve some of the state’s poorest students. The letter explains that “59% percent of whom are students of color and an estimated 133,000 students who qualify for free and reduced-price lunch,” subjecting some of the state’s most vulnerable students to deep funding. 

Charter schools are also often specialized to help students with different learning disabilities that other schools may not be equipped to treat with the same care.

Excluding charter schools from education funding

The coalition concludes its letter to the congressional delegation by asking the elected officials to “keep in mind that public demand for education options is at an all-time high. Learning models that embrace innovation, flexibility and a robust suite of options are key factors for achieving a student-centered education system.” 

Coalition members noted a study from the University of Arkansas finding that “higher levels of education freedom are significantly associated with higher NAEP achievement levels and higher NAEP achievement gains.” NAEP stands for the National Assessment of Educational Progress. 

The letter was signed by the Foundation for Excellence in Education, the national Alliance for Public Charter Schools, A for Arizona, the Arizona Charter Schools Association, the Arizona Â鶹´«Ă˝Ół»­ of Commerce & Industry, the Black Mother’s Forum, Empowered AZ Families, great Leaders Strong Schools, the Greater Phoenix Â鶹´«Ă˝Ół»­ of Commerce, and Love Your School.

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Legacy Traditional Schools recently earned the No. 1 spot for the top 10 charter schools in Arizona, according to the 2021 edition of business opinion poll. Other schools making this year’s list include charter schools with a long history in Arizona like BASIS, Great Hearts and Benjamin Franklin.

ł˘±đ˛µ˛ął¦˛â’s back-to-basics approach, which includes student uniforms, clearly resonates with parents. The non-profit’s A-rated schools continue to expand statewide. Today, there are more than 20 schools serving about 23,000 students.  

It is one example of how far charters have come since their start in Arizona in 1994, providing a range of programs and niches where almost any student can find the right spot, said Jake Logan, president and CEO of the . 

“I think charters have done a really nice job of continuing to diversify so students can find the right fit. You have students that have interest in arts. You have students that are high academic achievers. You have schools across the board that are student centered,” Logan said.  

Other schools with names many Arizonans are familiar with like BASIS, Great Hearts and Benjamin Franklin also made the top 10 list in the 2021 Ranking Arizona poll. 

The annual ranking is considered the state’s biggest and most comprehensive business opinion poll. More than 1 million participants vote to give their recommendations on simple questions about topics based on the quality of products, services and with whom they would recommend doing business.

Here’s the list of Top 10 Charters in the 2021 Arizona Ranking poll:

1. Legacy Traditional Schools  A-rated charter public schools emphasize turning students into “lifelong learners and engaged citizens” with a well-rounded curriculum that emphasizes all areas of academic study. The schools incorporate arts, physical education, athletics and extracurricular activities in their programming. The student body reflects all income levels. In Arizona, Legacy has campuses throughout the Phoenix metro region, Tucson, Casa Grande and the city of Maricopa. The company also operates in Nevada. 

2. Sequoia Schools One of the first charter schools in Arizona, Charter School in Mesa operates three schools on one campus: Sequoia Elementary, Sequoia Secondary and Sequoia School for the Deaf. Sequoia promises to “do whatever it takes” to help pupils succeed including tutoring programs in keeping with its philosophy that “Every Child is Known.” Sequoia is a highly diverse campus with a significant number of students on free and reduced lunches. Sequoia Schools also operate 13 other schools across Arizona.

3. Academies of Math and Science (AMS) Another long standing charter school that started in 2000 with 30 students, now operates nine campuses across Phoenix metro and Tucson. Many are in underserved areas. The schools advertise a well-rounded curriculum emphasizing STEM while incorporating foreign language, music, and art. Geared to “highly motivated students,” the schools are college-focused. Among its offerings are advanced and accelerated instruction and free after-school tutoring in all subjects. 

4. Great Hearts Academies

5. Benjamin Franklin Charter School

6. Arizona School for the Arts

7. BASIS Charter Schools

8. American Leadership Academy

9. Leman Academy of Excellence, Marana Campus

10. Primavera Online High School and Middle School

To read more about these and other charter schools in Arizona, visit: .

About charter schools in Arizona 

Arizona was one of the first states to start open enrollment and charter schools in 1994. Today, more than 213,000 Arizona students are enrolled in charter schools, making up nearly 20 percent of the state’s public school enrollment, according to the Arizona Charter Schools Association. Arizona’s 573 public charter schools make up approximately 28 percent of the state’s total schools.

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Black students in Arizona rank near the top in the nation for posting academic gains year after year, and those who attend charter schools may appear to have a competitive edge, according to an analysis by the nonprofit Arizona Center for Student Opportunity. 

“There’s actually good news about the education of African American students here in Arizona that is underrecognized,” said Matthew Ladner, director of the center that was launched earlier this year by the nonprofit Arizona Charter Schools Association to continue to improve academic achievement and opportunity at charter schools in the state. 

But whether parents choose a district, charter or online school for their children, one thing is clear: Arizona is doing something right, Ladner said. 

All students have bested nation

In fact, students of all colors in Arizona have outperformed the nation consistently for academic gains over the past decade, with Black students showing some of the biggest gains, he said.  

That doesn’t mean challenges don’t remain. There’s still an achievement gap with Blacks lagging behind their White peers.

“It’s not to say the problem is solved, but we’ve made a lot of progress in Arizona compared to other places,” he said. “In other states, you see the exact opposite — where things aren’t only bad, they’re getting worse.”

Don’t-fence-me-in policy works 

Ladner believes Arizona’s “don’t fence me in” policies are making the difference. Unlike most states, students in Arizona can attend schools outside their assigned school district boundaries. 

Arizona was one of the first states to offer open enrollment in 1994. Today, it’s widely used by parents statewide. For example, 4,000 of Scottsdale Unified School District’s 22,000 students last year were from out of the district’s geographic boundaries, Ladner said.  

Arizona also has more charter schools than most states. Today, charter school students make up nearly 20 percent of the public school population in the state with 213,000 students and 573 schools.

These policies have made schools more competitive and are benefiting students, particularly low-income Black and Latino students, Ladner said.  

How Arizona stacks up 

To measure how Black students in Arizona are stacking up against the rest of the country, Ladner analyzed standardized test and other data over the past decade from the Arizona Department of Education, the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), Stanford University’s Center for Research on Education Outcomes, and the Nation’s Report Card.

Among his findings:

-Over the last decade, Arizona stands as one of the few states demonstrating academic gains year after year among all students, including low-income Black students.

-In 2019, Black students ranked fourth in the nation for academic gains in eighth-grade math, compared to their peers in other states, according to National Assessment of Educational Progress. 

– Maricopa County has one of the highest rates for academic gains for Black students in the country among large urban areas. Last year, the rate of growth was 13 percent above the national average in 2019, according to the .

-Black charter school students in Arizona have seen higher academic gains than the state average in math and English Language Arts on the test since it was implemented in 2015. They also performed better than their district school counterparts. 

Arizona is national model 

It’s clear that Black families in Arizona are benefiting from the wide range of educational options in the state, Ladner said. While more needs to be done to narrow the achievement gap for students of color, Arizona is making ground. 

“This process of allowing people freedom for flexibility, to seek out the best school to meet their needs is helping everyone academically including black students.”

For more information about the association and charter schools in Arizona, visit

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Federal lifelines from the federal CARES Act are not only aiding small businesses and individuals in Arizona to survive the pandemic, they are helping schools navigate new challenges, as well.

In total, Arizona will collect $1.8 billion from the CARES Act. Of that, education is receiving an estimated $626 million. 

That relief has been “critical” for keeping students educated and safe as schools statewide cope with the financial realities of COVID-19, said Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction Kathy Hoffman.

“Schools have incurred significant costs including providing necessary technology for distance learning, purchasing additional PPE, and implementing new mitigation measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19,” Hoffman said. 

No state budget cuts to education 

As other states are facing cuts in education because of the costs related to COVID-19, Arizona is not. One reason is Gov. Doug Ducey and the state Legislature’s previous work to budget for a $1 billion rainy day fund, which has proven critical for safeguarding education during the health crisis. 

Arizona’s booming economy prior to the pandemic outbreak is also a factor, local said. Add in donations, in-kind contributions and grants from businesses, municipalities and philanthropic organizations, and Arizona schools are better prepared than much of the nation to weather the pandemic.    

“A well-resourced rainy day fund, a prudent and carefully planned strategy for Arizona’s CARES Act allocation, and a regulatory and tax environment that encourages job creation have positioned Arizona well,” said Garrick Taylor, executive vice president for the Arizona Â鶹´«Ă˝Ół»­ of Commerce and Industry. 

Biggest expense for education: transition to digital learning

When the pandemic struck in March, schools and colleges had to turn on a dime to provide remote learning for more than 1.5 million K-12 and college and university students.

That has proven to be a costly and exhausting endeavor for schools statewide, said Jake Logan, president and CEO of the Arizona Charter Schools Association. 

“Everything happened really fast when schools pivoted to that remote learning model to make sure learning was not disrupted,” he said. 

One major expense for charter and district schools has been ensuring that low-income students and students in rural and tribal areas have computers and an internet connection, Logan said. 

CARES Act funding and donations from the private and public sectors have helped those students stay connected, Logan said.  

“I’m really proud of the education community — and I include the governor and Superintendent Hoffman — because they have made students a priority and really worked hard to make sure learning wasn’t disrupted, considering the situation.” 

How Arizona is using CARES Act funds   

To date, approximately $1.4 billion of Arizona’s allocation of $1.8 billion in CARES Act funding has been obligated for a wide range of programs to assist residents, employees, businesses and schools. 

CARES Act programs directly benefiting schools include the Paycheck Protection Program, the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund and the Governor’s Emergency Education Relief Fund.

In all, Arizona is projected to receive more than $626 million in funding for K-12 district and charter schools, colleges and universities. A total of $370 million comes from the Education Relief Fund to support K-12 schools districts and charter schools struggling with the added costs.

Other vital sectors in Arizona benefiting from CARES Act include:  

• Cities, towns and counties: $441 million
• Public assistance: $150 million  
• State public health and safety: $397 million 
• Arizona Department of Health Services: $64.4 million

Financial challenges ahead 

While Arizona is better off than much of the nation, education will continue to face additional costs from COVID-19, Superintendent Hoffman said. 

Hoffman and 28 organizations including the Arizona Association of School Business Officials, Arizona Charter Schools Association, Arizona Education Association, Arizona Rural Schools Association and Arizona School Administrators Association have asked the state’s congressional delegation for continued support for schools. 

“In the face of a global pandemic Arizona schools and educators continue to be a beacon of hope for our communities. In addition to providing vital nutrition services, schools are working overtime to meet the academic, social, and emotional needs of students,” Superintendent Hoffman said. “Schools will need ongoing resources in order to provide the critical support families in Arizona rely on.”

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The stars came out Thursday night at the Arizona Biltmore as the Arizona Charter Schools Association celebrated its 25^th anniversary and the educational movement that has profoundly changed the lives of millions of Arizona kids.

Keynoting the event was eight-time Grand Slam tennis champion and former number-one world player Andre Agassi.

Since retiring from the tennis court, Agassi has become a charter school champion, dedicating nearly two decades to expanding educational opportunities for kids and families across the country, particularly in low-income and underserved communities. Agassi is the co-managing partner of the Turner-Agassi Charter School Facilities Fund.

“Students in every community deserve a great education, and charter schools play an essential role in helping all young people develop the tools they need to unlock their fullest potential,” Agassi said.

Agassi reflected on how a segment on the news program 60 Minutes sparked his interest in the charter movement.

“I saw people rolling up their sleeves and they were changing the trajectories for children,” he said. “They didn’t have choice, and now they have the choice. It activated me in a powerful way. My objective was to make one point: Children don’t fail us; we fail them.”

The event also featured a conversation with Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey and Lisa Graham Keegan, former state superintendent of public instruction and state legislator, who is widely credited as the mother of the school choice movement in Arizona.

During her time as chair of the state House Committee on Education, Keegan sponsored legislation that established the charter school concept in Arizona, as well as open enrollment.

“In the beginning, there was Lisa Graham Keegan,” Ducey said of the school choice pioneer.

The governor said Arizona’s tremendous growth over the past quarter-century has been aided by educational choice, offering new residents something they might not be able to access in other states.

“They are also finding that this is the very best state in the nation for choice in education,” Ducey said, referring to the millions of people who have made Arizona home since the launch of charter schools in 1994.

Enrollment in Arizona public charter schools is now at an all-time high, with more than 200,000 students attending one of more than 550 charter schools statewide.

“For 25 years, public charter schools have played an integral role in ensuring that every Arizona family — regardless of zip code or income — has access to a quality education,” said Jake Logan, president of the Arizona Charter Schools Association. “Today, public support remains as strong as ever, with nearly one in five Arizona students enrolled in a public charter school. The continued growth and success of these schools reaffirms what our charter pioneers understood a quarter-century ago: Parents know best when it comes to picking the right school for their child.”

Multiple factors account for the success of charter schools in Arizona, but leading factors cited by parents include the student-centered focus of charter schools and their academic performance.

Arizona now boasts charter schools of every size and specialty, including some of the nation’s premier college preparatory academies; specialty science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) schools; traditional, back-to-basics schools and much more.

“We recognize that this milestone is a credit to the visionaries, charter teachers, school leaders, advocates and policymakers who for more than two decades have embraced and supported public charter schools and their role in improving the education landscape,” Logan said. “To these champions: thank you. We look forward to working with you as we continue to raise the academic bar and deliver high-quality educational options for Arizona families.”

The event also featured remarks from Arizona Superintendent for Public Instruction Kathy Hoffman and video messages from U.S. Sens. Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ) and Martha McSally (R-AZ).

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