FAQ
Teacher Certification
Please contact the Certification Unit at the Arizona Department of Education.
Phone: (602) 542-4367
Information on the requirements for various Educator Certificates is available on the Arizona Department of Education website here: https://www.azed.gov/educator-certification/forms-and-information/certificates.
Information about how to appeal the denial of a certificate for reasons that do not involve immoral or unprofessional conduct is available on our website here: https://azsbe.az.gov/resources/teacher-certification-appeals.
Please contact [email protected] with questions.
You can search for educators in the Online Arizona Certification Information System (OACIS) maintained by the Arizona Department of Education.
https://oacis.azed.gov/PublicOACIS/NormalPages/Educators.aspx
High School Graduation/Transcripts
The Arizona State Board of Education is responsible for setting statewide minimum requirements for graduation. Districts and charter schools may, at their discretion establish graduation requirements for their students in addition to the statewide requirements. You can find the statewide minimum graduation requirements on our website here: https://azsbe.az.gov/resources/graduation-requirements.
The Arizona State Board of Education does not collect or receive student transcripts/school records. You will need to reach out directly to the school you attended to request that information.
If the school you attended was a district school that has since closed, please contact the district office.
If the school you attended was a charter school that has since closed, please contact the Arizona State Board for Charter Schools as they may be able to assist.
If you are looking for transcripts/student records from a postsecondary institution that has since closed, please contact the Arizona State Board for Private Postsecondary Education as they may be able to assist.
Please contact the Adult Education Unit at the Arizona Department of Education.
Phone: (602) 258-2410
Email: [email protected]
A-F Letter Grades
A-F Letter Grades are the State Accountability model used to annually measure school performance.
A-F Letter Grades are one component to consider when deciding where to enroll your student. A-F Letter Grades provide general information about the performance of a school and use several measures included the annual state assessment. A-F Letter Grades as well as additional information about schools including the programs/extracurriculars they offer is available through the Arizona School Report Cards website (https://azreportcards.azed.gov/).
A-F Letter Grades use state assessment results, English learner assessment results, attendance, special education metrics, graduation rates and progress towards graduation, and graduating seniors’ completion of activities that help prepare for college and career. These data points are used to measure students’ performance and growth on the state assessment, English learner’s proficiency and growth towards proficiency in English, and readiness for students’ next steps whether that be to high school or to college and careers. For more detailed information on the A-F Letter Grades, please use the A-F Letter Grade Technical Manuals on the Arizona Department of Education website here: https://www.azed.gov/accountability-research/resources under “Technical Manuals & Codebooks”.
According to Arizona State Statute, A-F Letter Grades must be released by November 1st following the school year they represent.
Once letter grades are released, schools have until November 15th to appeal their letter grade based on adverse testing conditions, school/community events or emergency, school tragedy, or incorrect data. Appeals are reviewed by the Board’s A-F Appeals Committee and determinations are made in the December Board meeting.
The Arizona Department of Education and the Arizona State Board recognize that A-F Letter Grades contain important information for families and communities and make every effort to make A-F Letter Grades available as early as possible.
Open Enrollment
Open Enrollment is when a student applies for and attends a school other than the one they are assigned based on their home address. This may be a different school in their local school district, a school in a different district, or a charter school. Schools in Arizona are required to enroll open enrollment students as long as there is capacity available for the program, class, or grade level.
Arizona law specifically states that school districts may not deny enrollment based on:
- ethnicity or race
- national origin
- sex
- income level
- disability
- English language proficiency
- athletic ability
A.R.S. § 15-816.01(F)
A.R.S. § 15-184(F)
You can file an Open Enrollment Complaint through the Arizona Department of Education using their form here: https://www.azed.gov/adeinfo/open-enrollment-complaint.
Empowerment Scholarship Account (ESA)
Please contact the Empowerment Scholarship Account (ESA) Unit at the Arizona Department of Education
Phone: (602) 364-1969
Email: [email protected]
ESAs are administered by the Arizona Department of Education (ADE). Please contact the ADE Empowerment Scholarship Account (ESA) Unit.
Phone: (602) 364-1969
Email: [email protected]
Website: https://www.azed.gov/esa
ESA applications are processed by the Arizona Department of Education (ADE). The ADE should be able to address questions about your specific ESA application.
The State Board of Education (SBE) does not process ESA applications, so the SBE is unable to answer questions about why your ESA application has been denied. If you would like to appeal a denial or ADE administrative decision, the SBE can process your appeal. Information on the ESA appeals process and associated forms are available on our website here: https://azsbe.az.gov/empowerment-scholarship-account-esa-program.
Please contact us at [email protected] with questions.
The State Board of Education (SBE) can only processes ESA appeals of ADE administrative decisions. The ADE program rules, like requiring a utility bill to confirm residency in the state of Arizona, cannot be appealed.
Please email the letter or email to [email protected] for evaluation.
The State Board of Education (SBE) processes ESA appeals. Information on the ESA appeals process and associated forms is available on our website here: https://azsbe.az.gov/empowerment-scholarship-account-esa-program.
Please contact [email protected] with questions.
The State Board of Education (SBE) annually approves the ESA Parent Handbook and processes ESA appeals of ADE administrative decisions. The Arizona Department of Education (ADE) administers the ESA program by processing ESA applications, evaluates expenses, and works with the third party financial firm.
More information is available on the SBE ESA Website: https://azsbe.az.gov/empowerment-scholarship-account-esa-program.
Concern
You can file a Statement of Allegations using the form on our website here: https://azsbe.az.gov/educator-discipline.
To report a concern about a charter school, please contact the Arizona State Board for Charter Schools.
To report a concern about a district school, please contact the district Superintendent’s office and/or the district governing board.
You can search for a teacher on the Online Arizona Certification Information System (OACIS) (https://oacis.azed.gov/PublicOACIS/NormalPages/Educators.aspx). If the teacher has a disciplinary history, it will note “Disciplinary History on File: Yes” at the top of the page. You can also search the outcome of disciplinary proceedings on our website here: https://azsbe.az.gov/teacher-certification-ppac/discipline-search.
Other Topics
There are many different factors to consider when choosing a school for your student. The Arizona School Report Cards website (https://azreportcards.azed.gov/) is a great place to start as it allows you to search for schools near your address and provides data and information about each public school.
You should contact the university directly and/or contact the Arizona Board of Regents (https://www.azregents.edu/).
Please contact the Exceptional Student Services Unit at the Arizona Department of Education.
Phone: (602) 542-4013
Email: [email protected]
Student loans are handled by the U.S. Department of Education. You can find information on their website here: https://www2.ed.gov/fund/grants-college.html?src=rn.
In accordance with Arizona Revised Statute § 15-802 (B)(2), an affidavit of intent must be filed with the County School Superintendent. For information on that process please contact your county’s School Superintendent’s office for assistance.
In July of 2023, the Board released a statement on the 50-50 Dual Immersion SEI Model in light of the Attorney General's ruling. That statement is available here.