2025 Arizona Education Progress Meter Update

Quality education that prepares every student for the future, no matter their skin color, background, or zip code, is key to Arizona’s future, shaping opportunities for individuals and driving economic growth for the state.

Developed by Center for the Future of Arizona (CFA) and Education Forward Arizona in 2015 with input from over 200 leaders, the Arizona Education Progress Meter is a trusted resource measuring eight key indicators for the state’s education system, from early childhood learning to postsecondary attainment.

More than just a data tool, it tracks Arizona’s progress toward set goals, providing valuable insights to drive action and improve outcomes for students at every level.

This most recent update reveals both areas of progress and persistent challenges. The data show notable gains in early childhood learning and high school graduation rates, yet critical gaps remain in reading, math proficiency, and post-secondary enrollment. These findings highlight the urgent need for continued collaboration and investment in education. When we know where we are, we can make better decisions on how to move forward together—ensuring every Arizona student has the opportunity to succeed.

Up 5%: More Arizona Preschoolers Benefit from Quality Early Learning

Since its launch nearly a decade ago, no Arizona Education Progress Meter indicator has seen as rapid or significant improvement as Quality Early Learning between 2019 and 2023.

This progress is a meaningful gain and continued focus is necessary to ensure more Arizona preschoolers access quality learning opportunities to acquire essential skills that lay the foundation for lifelong growth and success.

Figure 1: Expanded quality pre-K programs and enrollment have rapidly improved the Quality Early Learning indicator. (Read On Arizona)

Room to Grow: K-12 Educational Outcomes Remain Low

Proficiency in Third-Grade Reading and Eighth-Grade Math are key indicators of long-term academic success. Reading by the end of third grade marks the critical shift from “learning to read” to “reading to learn,” while math proficiency by eighth grade lays the foundation for high school coursework, STEM opportunities, and career readiness.

Both subjects experienced significant declines following the COVID-19 pandemic. Third-grade reading proficiency dropped from over 45% in 2019 to 35% in 2021, showing only slight recovery in 2022 before stalling. Eighth-grade math saw an even steeper decline, falling from 41% in 2019 to 27% in 2021, and is now slowly rising.

These persistently low scores highlight an urgent need for renewed focus on early literacy and math instruction to ensure students are prepared for future academic and career success.

Gradual Gains in Graduation and Post-Secondary Attainment, Arizona Still Short of Long-Term Goals

High School Graduation is a critical milestone that shapes students' career opportunities, earning potential, and long-term economic mobility. Additionally, Post-Secondary Attainment plays a crucial role in meeting workforce demands and driving economic growth.

The state’s high school graduation rate has steadily increased from 76% in 2021, though it remains just shy of the pre-pandemic peak of 79% in 2019. Arizona is making gradual progress toward the Achieve60AZ goal—ensuring 60% of working-age adults (25-64) attain a post-secondary credential by 2030. Still, only 30% of Arizona high school graduates are completing a degree or certificate six years after high school graduation.

Increasing graduation rates and expanding access to post-secondary education remain essential to preparing students for the workforce and ensuring long-term economic success for the state.

Figure 2: Attainment of a post-secondary credential shows slight improvement year-over-year in 2023. (Arizona Department of Education)

Moving Arizona Forward

Consistently, Arizonans emphasize the importance of education and its impact on the state overall. They not only understand the key and central role education plays in their own success but overwhelmingly support concerted action to advance the success and prosperity of Arizona through educational attainment.

In CFA’s recent surveys of likely voters in 2024, voters across parties and affiliations agree:

• Every school should have the resources necessary to deliver quality education that prepares every child for the future, no matter their skin color, background, or zip code.
• More funding should be allocated for K-12 public education
• Teachers should be trained in the most effective approaches to teaching reading
• All students should be able to access dual-enrollment or other early college opportunities while in high school
• More students must pursue and complete education or training beyond high school

Alongside communities, partners, leaders, and decision-makers, CFA is working to improve Arizona’s educational landscape. Our work over the past year has expanded career exploration opportunities statewide, increased access to work-based learning, fostered collaboration to address workforce challenges in critical sectors like healthcare and cybersecurity, and deepened our understanding of the barriers students face on their path to success.

In our last Arizona Education Progress Meter Update, we recognized the urgency of this moment—the need to accelerate action for Arizona’s future. That urgency hasn’t changed, and neither has our commitment.

While challenges remain, so does the opportunity to drive meaningful change. Without bold, innovative, and collaborative action, Arizona students risk falling short of their full potential.

The state needs critical thinkers, problem-solvers, innovators, and lifelong learners to drive progress and build a thriving future. Let’s turn urgency into action and create a brighter future for all.

About Our Data Sources

As with all the Arizona Progress Meters, data are publicly available from a trusted and regularly updated source. Data used in the education metrics come from the Arizona Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau, the Arizona Board of Regents, and the U.S. Student Clearinghouse. For more information, see our full methodology.

About Arizona Progress Meters

CFA developed the Arizona Progress Meters as a tool for policymakers, business leaders, civic leaders, educators, and others across the state to understand how Arizona is doing in areas critical to achieving The Arizona We Want. The Arizona Education Progress Meter was co-developed with Education Forward Arizona. All eight Arizona Progress Meters provide valuable and regularly updated data on 80+ metrics in education, jobs, healthcare, environment, civic engagement, infrastructure, and more to support policymakers and other leaders’ data-driven dialogue, decision-making, and action.

About Education Forward Arizona

Education Forward Arizona is a statewide education advocacy organization dedicated to championing education as the key driver to improving Arizona’s economy and quality of life. Education Forward Arizona serves as the leading voice for promoting the state’s Achieve60AZ education attainment goal and a shared action plan to move the goals of the Arizona Education Progress Meter forward. The organization’s work also includes mobilizing people and communities to advocate for policies and funding to improve educational outcomes across the Pre-K to postsecondary continuum, as well as providing scholarships and programs that improve postsecondary attainment for Arizona’s diverse student population. Learn more at EducationForwardArizona.org.