When Arizona parents research schools, one phrase keeps coming up: A+ Excelling. It’s the top rating given by the Arizona Department of Education, and it appears in enrollment brochures, tour introductions, and website taglines across the state. But what does it actually mean? And why should families care?
A+ Excelling schools represent the highest tier of academic performance recognized by ADE. Understanding what schools have to do to earn that designation helps parents ask better questions and make better choices for their kids.
What A+ Excelling Schools Are
Arizona’s A-F Accountability system evaluates every K-12 school in the state each year. Schools earn letter grades based on a combination of student proficiency, growth, English Learner progress, and other academic indicators.
Schools that score at the very top of the A range are designated A+ Excelling. It’s the state’s highest recognition and the rating that separates good schools from truly high-performing ones.
Not every A-rated school is A+ Excelling. It takes consistent, measurable excellence across multiple academic categories to reach that top tier. And staying there year after year is much harder than getting there once.
Six Consecutive A+ Excelling Ratings
EDUPRIZE Schools has earned the A+ Excelling designation for six consecutive years. That is the longest current streak of any charter school in Arizona.
That kind of consistency doesn’t happen by accident. It requires:
- Sustained academic rigor across all grade levels
- Skilled teachers who know how to move every student forward
- A curriculum that balances depth and breadth
- Ongoing measurement and adjustment based on real data
- A culture that treats excellence as the standard, not the exception
Six years in a row of A+ Excelling is what happens when a school gets all of those things right at the same time.
What A+ Excelling Schools Do Differently
Not every school on the list looks the same, but there are patterns. A+ Excelling schools tend to prioritize:
- Small group instruction, especially in reading and math
- Data-informed teaching that responds to what each student actually needs
- Strong teacher training and support
- Consistent standards from the youngest grades through the oldest
- Parent partnership and communication
At EDUPRIZE Gilbert, all of those pieces are in place. Our teachers spend real time in small groups with students. Our leadership tracks growth data closely and adjusts instruction accordingly. Our K-8 sequence is designed so that skills build on each other cleanly from year to year.
Why the Rating Matters for Your Family
For most parents, the top question isn’t what’s your school rating. It’s will my kid do well here. The two questions are related.
Students at A+ Excelling schools tend to:
- Perform above grade level on state assessments
- Score competitively on national benchmarks
- Be prepared for accelerated middle and high school programs
- Approach learning with confidence
That doesn’t mean every child at an A+ Excelling school is a perfect student. What it means is that the school has systems in place to help every student make measurable progress every year.
More Than Test Scores
The A+ Excelling label focuses on academics, but the schools that earn it consistently tend to do more than teach test-taking. At EDUPRIZE Gilbert, we’ve built our approach around whole-child education. Arts, PE, music, and character education aren’t extras. They’re part of what makes the academics possible.
Kids who feel known, valued, and challenged do better academically. Kids who move their bodies daily and create things with their hands learn better in every subject. The A+ Excelling rating is a result of all of that working together.
How to Choose Among A+ Excelling Schools
If you’re evaluating schools this year, look beyond the label. Ask questions like:
- How long has the school held the rating?
- What does daily instruction actually look like?
- How do teachers respond to students who are struggling or excelling?
- What does the school culture feel like when you visit?
Every A+ Excelling school in Arizona has earned that rating. But some have held it longer, and some have built stronger daily cultures around it. Visiting in person is the only way to know if a school fits your family.
Ready to Enroll for 2026-27?
If this sounds like the K-8 experience you want for your child, EDUPRIZE Gilbert and EDUPRIZE Queen Creek are both now enrolling for the 2026-27 school year.
Gilbert Campus: 480-344-2622 | gilbertenrollment@eduprize.com
Queen Creek Campus: 480-888-1610 | qcenrollment@eduprize.com
Apply online: https://www.eduprize.com/Apply/
Learn more: https://www.eduprize.com
Six years of A+ Excelling. Thirty years of showing up. This is what consistency looks like.