Basis Phoenix South, Phoenix AZ - Test Scores & Data

Original Research by School Decision on Basis Phoenix South

BASIS Phoenix South is a public charter school serving kindergarten through eighth grade in south Phoenix. Though its official grade band extends through twelfth grade, the enrollment data shows students only through grade eight, meaning the school currently operates as a K-8 campus. It sits within the BASIS Charter Schools Inc. network, a well-known Arizona charter group with a reputation for rigorous academics.

The student body is diverse and predominantly Hispanic, with Hispanic students making up roughly half the enrollment. Black students account for about one-fifth of the population, Asian students for a smaller but notable share, and White students for less than one-tenth. The school enrolls around 500 students total, with class sizes largest in the early elementary grades and tapering significantly in middle school. The eighth-grade class is small, a pattern that families considering the school may want to understand better.

Academic performance on the state's AASA and AzSci assessments presents a mixed picture that depends heavily on grade level. In early elementary math, third-grade proficiency was solidly above the midpoint compared to other schools statewide. By fifth and sixth grade, however, math proficiency dropped considerably, before rebounding to a moderate level in seventh grade. Results for fourth and eighth grade math were suppressed for data reasons, so no conclusion could be drawn for those grades.

In English language arts, the pattern is more encouraging as students get older. Third and fourth grade proficiency rates were modest, and fifth grade dipped lower. But starting in sixth grade, proficiency climbed, and by seventh and eighth grade it reached levels that are strong by any measure. Science results were available for two grade levels: fifth-grade science proficiency was low, while eighth-grade science proficiency was much higher, a pattern that mirrors the upward trajectory seen in ELA.

Overall, when combining all tested subjects and grades, the school's proficiency index sits above the midpoint among districts in Maricopa County. A multi-year trend line, based on limited data points, shows ELA and math proficiency holding fairly steady year over year, with no dramatic shifts up or down.

The school operates in Phoenix, a sprawling, fast-growing urban center that functions as a major transportation and business hub for the Mountain West. The economy is anchored by high-technology industries, manufacturing, tourism, and services, with Sky Harbor International Airport a key facility. South Phoenix is a large, diverse section of the city, and the school's location along 19th Avenue places it in a corridor with a mix of residential and commercial uses.

Because the school does not yet appear to serve high school grades, there is no graduation rate to report. Data on free or reduced-price meal eligibility, special education identification, and English learner status were not available, making it difficult to assess the level of support resources or the share of students with additional learning needs. A parent may want to ask the school directly about these figures, as they matter for understanding the full picture of student supports.

No recent district-level changes were found in the research, and the school's program offerings data was also absent, so this account cannot speak to what specific extracurriculars, advanced coursework, or enrichment options are available beyond the core academic program. What is clear is that BASIS Phoenix South delivers a curriculum that produces strong results in the upper middle grades, particularly in reading and science, while math performance in the middle elementary years is a softer spot that families may want to explore further with the school.

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Academic performance

How students perform on state tests, by grade, set against the district.

Math

Grade 362%

School 62% · District 63% · ▼ 1 pts below district

▲ 18 pts above state median · ▲ 16 pts above county median

Grade 530%

School 30% · District 30%

▼ 12 pts below state median · ▼ 16 pts below county median

Grade 628%

School 28% · District 27% · ▲ 1 pts above district

▼ 8 pts below state median · ▼ 12 pts below county median

Grade 750%

School 50% · District 50%

▲ 18 pts above state median · ▲ 17 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 346%

School 46% · District 46%

▲ 6 pts above state median · ▲ 2 pts above county median

Grade 436%

School 36% · District 36%

▼ 11 pts below state median · ▼ 14 pts below county median

Grade 526%

School 26% · District 26%

▼ 15 pts below state median · ▼ 18 pts below county median

Grade 649%

School 49% · District 48% · ▲ 1 pts above district

▲ 6 pts above state median · ▲ 4 pts above county median

Grade 769%

School 69% · District 69%

▲ 26 pts above state median · ▲ 24 pts above county median

Grade 881%

School 81% · District 81%

▲ 41 pts above state median · ▲ 39 pts above county median

Science

Grade 520%

School 20% · District 20%

▼ 17 pts below state median · ▼ 19 pts below county median

Grade 857%

School 57% · District 57%

▲ 24 pts above state median · ▲ 22 pts above county median

This schoolBASIS Charter Schools Inc. (549803), same grade

Graduation rate (ACGR) reflects the federally published Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate for the most recent year available. We refresh this data annually at the close of each academic year in June. The federal source publishes a banded rate (for example, "90-94%") instead of an exact number for cohorts small enough to risk identifying individual students. The state distribution chart, where shown, plots every school in the state with a published rate or band; schools whose rate is federally suppressed are excluded. Where the federal source publishes a band rather than an exact rate, the school is placed within its band using a stable, ID-derived offset, so its position is consistent across visits.