ARIZONA

Arizona is one of twelve states incorporating the National Governors Association's four-year cohort graduation rate into the state's accountability system. 

In 2006, the state established the Arizona Instrument to Measure Standards (AIMS) Intervention and Dropout Prevention program. AIMS provides at-risk seventh through twelfth graders with academic support via tutoring and remediation, workplace skill development, and leadership and civic duty experiences through summer jobs or community service, all with the end goal of helping students acquire the credits necessary for high school graduation. Additionally, the program includes a 12-month follow-up to support successful postsecondary transitions to education, training, or employment programs. Dual-credit programs are considered a transition program.   

A service provider can be a public agency (including a school or school district) or a private entity. Each service provider is required to submit an annual report on program outcomes to the Arizona Department of Education and the governor. State policy mandates that an annual appropriation of 56 percent of all gaming income go towards supporting AIMS.

Although Arizona's public school entitlement age is 21, the state allows for students to disengage at earlier ages by establishing the maximum compulsory age at 16 and allowing students to leave school upon the completion of the tenth grade.