Featured Indicators Data

Arizona Indicators' inaugural statewide report card, Arizona Directions, tackles four critical issues that display an urgent need for new strategies and solutions: job creation, education, health and infrastructure. By examining our status, trajectories and potential responses in each of these areas, this report seeks to stimulate a candid assessment of our strengths and weaknesses, and of the policy options that will enable Arizona to prosper. The report also includes new public opinion data from the Merrill/Morrison Institute Poll.

In 2011 Arizona students made real progress on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), an exam that enables meaningful comparisons across states. For example, the percent of Arizona 4^th graders who scored “at or above proficient” on the math assessment rose from 28% in 2009 to 34% in 2011. Eighth graders made gains on the math assessment as well, with those “at or above proficient” rising 2 percentage points. Students at both grade levels demonstrated slight improvement on the reading assessment, but student achievement is still too low. Only 26% of Arizona 4^th graders are “at or above proficient” in reading.