A CLOSER LOOK

 ● With approximately 15,000 students, Glendale Union High School District (GUHSD) is the second-largest district of its kind in Arizona. Serving   both Phoenix and Glendale, GUHSD consists of nine traditional and one alternative high school.

 ● In the 2008 Arizona LEARNS school profiles, seven GUHSD schools were designated “Excelling,” the highest possible ranking. The remaining   two traditional schools received “Highly Performing” labels, the second-highest ranking.

 ● All nine of GUHSD’s high schools made A.Y.P. (Adequate Yearly Progress) in 2008.
 
 ● Six of GUHSD’s high schools were ranked as America’s Best High Schools by U.S. News & World Report

 ● GUHSD is a national model for the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (NCA CASI) and AdvancEd. All nine high schools are
 nationally and internationally accredited through both organizations.

 ● GUHSD offers smaller class sizes. According to the office of the AZ Auditor General, the average student-teacher ratio is 20:1.

 ● According to the office of the AZ Auditor General, GUHSD allocates more money to the classroom than the state average.

 ● Over 80% of GUHSD students enroll in post-secondary education.
 
 ● Over 70% of the district’s students participate in extracurricular programs at school, compared to 50% nationally.

 ● GUHSD has a parent satisfaction rate of 92%.

 ● GUHSD has a low drop-out rate of 1.70%.

 ● GUHSD has a high graduation rate of 91.3%.

 ● GUHSD students earned over $23 million in scholarships during the 2007-2008 school year.

 ● Five GUHSD seniors earned National Merit Scholarships.

 ● GUHSD test scores exceed state averages on all state-mandated testing.

 ● GUHSD teachers are highly-qualified and academically focused.

 ● GUHSD athletic teams win local, regional and state championships. District coaches are annually recognized as Coaches of the Year.

 ● GUHSD fine arts and performing arts students excel in competitions from the local to the national levels.

 ● GUHSD award winning teacher-mentor program is in place on all nine campuses.

 ● GUHSD teachers receive additional pay based on performance.

 ● GUHSD offers a Alternative Teacher Certification program.

 ● The GUHSD Math Standards Remedication Program was selected by the Arizona School Boards Association to receive its prestigious Golden Bell Award.

 ● GUHSD schools were identified in a study by the Arizona Department of Education (ADE) and Arizona State University (ASU) as benchmark, "front-tier" schools. ADE studied each school and used their findings to help lower-performing schools with similar characteristics improve student achievement.

 ● A GUHSD school was selected by the U.S. Department of Education as a model school for a study on how schools in communities with varying economic resources have improved and sustained student achievement.  

 ● GUHSD has a long-standing tradition of academic excellence. During the 2007-2008 school year, the district began to further emphasize student   achievement through school-improvement initiatives known as Small Learning and Professional Learning Communities. This effort focuses on    meeting the needs of each student.

 ● GUHSD employs over 2,000 people, contributing to the local economy.