The top reported proficiency rate is 24% in English language arts. The lowest is 23% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Maie Bartlett Heard School
Maie Bartlett Heard School is a regular public school serving pre-kindergarten through eighth grade in the Phoenix Elementary District, located in the central part of Phoenix, Arizona. The school sits within a large, sprawling urban environment that is car-oriented, built on a precise grid, and among the fastest-growing cities in the nation. Phoenix’s economy centers on high technology, manufacturing, tourism, and services, with Sky Harbor International Airport as a key transportation hub. Housing in the school’s immediate area is moderately priced for the region, though buying a home requires a substantial share of household income. Rents are also considerable, and the cost of renting is lower than the cost of owning, a pattern seen across many urban markets.
The school enrolls roughly the number of students expected for a PK-8 building. The student body is predominantly Hispanic, with smaller shares of Black students and White students, and very small representations of Asian, American Indian or Alaska Native, and multiracial students. Data on the share of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, as well as students with disabilities and English learners, was not available. This limits a full picture of the school’s economic and support needs, though given national patterns for urban elementary districts, these populations may be notable.
State assessment results provide a limited view due to suppression rules that mask proficiency rates for smaller tested groups. Across the grades and subjects where data was reported, proficiency rates in English language arts were low. In math, the reported rates were very low. Science results, available for fifth grade, also showed a low share of students meeting the proficiency benchmark. When compared with other districts across Maricopa County, the school’s overall proficiency across tested subjects and grade levels places it in the bottom quarter. The multi-year trend data for the most recent school year shows the same single-year figures, so no direction of change can be determined. Because the school does not serve high school grades, there is no graduation rate to consider.
A significant portion of the test data was suppressed, which often occurs when the number of tested students in a grade is small enough to risk identifying individual results. A parent may want to ask the school directly about how its students across all grades perform on state assessments, especially in math, where the available data points to an area of real challenge.
The district brief for Phoenix Elementary District did not identify any recent changes such as bond measures, curriculum shifts, or policy updates that would alter the school’s current profile. The school itself reports no special designations as a magnet or charter institution. It functions as a neighborhood school within a large, urban public system. For a family considering this school, the primary factors to weigh are its central Phoenix location, the demographic composition of the student body, and the academic attainment levels reflected in the available state data. The school offers a full pre-K through eighth grade pathway, meaning students would move on to a separate high school within the district or through open enrollment elsewhere after completing eighth grade. Families looking for a school with higher measured proficiency rates may want to explore other options in the area, while those who value a neighborhood school setting within a diverse urban community may find the school a suitable fit.
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