The results, released this week, show an uneven recovery more than six years after pandemic school closures disrupted learning. Math pass rates have lingered in the low thirties since 2020, even as reading scores have climbed back to pre-pandemic levels. Before the lockdowns, the two subjects trended together.

"What we see in Arizona, improvement like we saw on the 2026 assessment results, is not a glitch. It's real, but it's also not a trend yet," said Chelsea Waite, a research principal with the Center on Reinventing Public Education at Arizona State University.

Waite cautioned that a single year of data does not signal a sustained turnaround, noting that only about one in ten students nationally attend school in a district that has fully recovered to pre-pandemic levels in reading and math.

The gains were concentrated in traditional district schools, which improved by one point in both subjects. Charter schools, which maintain higher overall pass rates, saw no change from the previous year.

Among individual schools, Phoenix Coding Academy in the Phoenix Union High School District recorded a 14-point increase in average math and English pass rates, placing it among the top ten most improved schools in the state. Principal James Williams credited the school's instructional approach and collaboration with families.

"We don't believe in teaching to the test," Williams said. "We do a little bit of test prep to make sure the students have things like practice tests, but we believe in our instructional model and have leaned into that really heavily and teacher collaboration to make sure every student gets what they need to thrive."

The small school, which will enroll just over 300 students next year, was not alone in posting strong gains. Newell Barney College Preparatory School in the Queen Creek Unified School District saw more than a 12-point increase in combined math and English pass rates. Principal Kim Higginbotham said in a statement that the growth "didn't happen by accident" and reflected "an intentional focus on academic excellence, high expectations, data-driven instruction, and a school culture where every student is challenged, supported, and encouraged."

At the district level, Casa Grande Union High School District posted the largest math improvement in Maricopa and Pinal counties, with pass rates rising 7 points to 26%. Red Rock Elementary in Pinal County gained 4 points, while three Phoenix-area elementary districts — Osborn, Riverside, and Glendale — each saw 2-point increases.

Several districts saw math pass rates decline, including Fountain Hills Unified, Glendale Union High School, Palo Verde Elementary District, and Coolidge Unified, where rates fell between 2 and 4 points.

The persistent gap in math performance carries long-term implications for Arizona's workforce and economy, particularly as employers seek workers with quantitative skills. Waite said many schools and districts are still working to bring students up to grade level after the pandemic's disruptions.

State education officials have not announced new interventions tied to the results. The assessment data comes as Arizona schools continue to navigate shifting enrollment patterns and ongoing debates over school funding and accountability.