School is in – and state grades are out, as well as a complex points system.

Scottsdale Unified School District celebrated an “A” grade, highlighted by nearly two dozen schools that aced their report cards.

“We are incredibly proud of our students, teachers, and staff for their hard work and dedication,” SUSD Superintendent Scott Menzel said. “Earning an ‘A’ rating once again reflects the strength of our academic programs and the deep partnership we share with our families and community.”

In addition to letter grades, the Arizona Department of Education scored schools via a complex point system.

With a dazzling 99.14 points out of 100 total, Scottsdale’s Desert Mountain High School topped 233 high schools in the state – repeating its top spot after finishing No. 1 last year.

Cactus Shadows High School, a North Scottsdale school in the Cave Creek Unified School District, ranked seventh in the state with 95.49 points.

Two other SUSD schools cracked the top 20 high school points list: Chaparral, at 15th, and Saguaro, 20th. Central Scottsdale’s Horizon High, in the Paradise Valley Unified School District, was between those two in 19th place. SUSD’s Arcadia High was close behind at 30th.

“SUSD is proud to celebrate Desert Mountain High School as the top-scoring traditional public high school in the state,” Menzel said, “and we’re equally proud that four of our high schools are ranked among the top 30 in Arizona out of 231 traditional district high schools.

With a close-to-perfect 98.63 points, Scottsdale Unified’s Desert Canyon Elementary came in second place out of 1,358 kindergarten-through-eighth grade schools. Alhambra Traditional School in Phoenix edged out Desert Canyon for the top spot by less than 1 point.

With a stellar 96.91 points, Cochise Elementary  ranked seventh. Tavan, 37th, and Sequoya, 44th, were two other SUSD schools to crack the K-8 top 50.

Hundreds of schools around the state received a letter grade from the Arizona Department of Education based on the A-F Accountability System.

Report cards

Last year, all 29 of SUSD’s “brick-and-mortar schools” earned an A or B, with 22 A’s.

This year, the district’s grade sheet shows 22 A’s, six B’s and two C’s: Tonalea Middle School and Scottsdale Online Learning.

“These results are a reflection of the exceptional work happening in classrooms across our district,” SUSD Assistant Superintendent Lea Mitchell said.

“We are grateful for the dedication of our educators and the ongoing support of our parents and community.”

SUSD’s “A team”: Arcadia, Chaparral, Desert Mountain and Saguaro high schools. Elementary schools with an A include Anasazi, Cherokee, Cheyenne Traditional, Cochise, Copper Ridge, Desert Canyon, Desert Canyon, Echo Canyon, Hopi, Kiva, Laguna, Navajo,  Pima, Pueblo, Redfield, Sequoya and Tavan.

Middle schools with an A include Cocopah, Desert Canyon,

Two of the schools that received A’s, Pima and Echo Canyon, may be “repurposed” or closed. A public meeting to hear opinions on this topic takes place at 6 p.m. Nov. 13 at Coronado High School.

The six SUSD schools that received B’s: Coronado High, and Hohokam Elementary, Ingleside Middle, Mohave Middle, Mountainside Middle and Yavapai Elementary.

According to the Arizona Department of Education, grades come from a variety of factors:

“The system measures year to year student academic growth, proficiency on English language arts, math and science, the proficiency and academic growth of English language learners, indicators that an elementary student is ready for success in high school and that high school students are ready to succeed in a career or higher education and high school graduation rates.”

What the grades mean

A (excellent): Distinguished performance on the statewide assessment, significant student growth, high four-year graduation rates, students on track to proficiency; overall performance is significantly higher than the state average.

B (highly performing): High performance on statewide assessment and/or significant student growth and/or higher four-year graduation rates and/or moving students to proficiency at a higher rate than the state average.

C (performing): Adequate performance but needs improvement on some indicators, such as proficiency, growth or graduation rate.

D (minimally performing): Inadequate performance in proficiency, growth and/or four-year graduation rate relative to the state average.

F (failing): Systematic failures in proficiency, growth and graduation rates (below 67%); performance is in the bottom 5% of the state.

According to the Arizona Board of Education, A-F letter grades use state test results, English learner test results, attendance, special education metrics, graduation rates and progress towards graduation.

For more detailed information, see the A-F Letter Grade Technical Manuals on the Arizona Department of Education website: azed.gov/accountability-research/resources.