K-12 System - A Strong Foundation

 

Award-winning K-12
Mesa Public Schools (MPS) is the largest school district in Arizona and the 44th largest in
the country. MPS is recognized nationally for its superb educational programs and student
achievements in academics, sports, creative and performing arts, as well as technical and career
training. Mesa boasts a new biotech academy and an advanced health sciences academy.

Mesa Public Schools conducts an Annual Senior Survey. 3,401 seniors responded in Spring 2010.

Results indicate:

  • 94 percent plan further education with 85 percent planning to attend college immediately
    after high school. Of those, 69 percent indicated they planned to attend school full-time.
  • 79 percent plan to attend an Arizona school.
  • 71 percent plan on obtaining a four-year BA/BS degree.
  • 40 percent plan on obtaining a graduate degree.
  • For the past three years, America's Promise Alliance named Mesa Public Schools as No. 1 in
    graduation rates among the nation's 50 largest cities. MPS' four-year graduation rate is 81
    percent. (Source: AZ Department of Education)
  • U.S. News & World Report listed five MPS high schools in its 2010 report on America's
    best high schools.
  • MPS graduates were offered more than $53 million in scholarships last year.
  • Mesa Public Schools, the nation's 44th largest district with 66,500 students, was identified as
    one of only 21 districts that "beats the odds" by exceeding expected graduation rates by at
    least 10 percent.

(Source: Education Week magazine, June 10, 2010, Diploma Counts 2010: Graduation by the Numbers)

 Gilbert Public Schools (GPS) is one of four districts covering a portion of Mesa and the first in Arizona to acquire the national pre-engineering program Project Lead the Way (PLTW). The
program will be offered at Desert Ridge High School in East Mesa. With its commitment to recruit and retain all students, PLTW offers a flexible and rigorous high school four-year program that recognizes students' college-preparatory math and science sequences and their career goals. PLTW prepares students to enter a two- or four-year college or technical school in engineering and engineering technology.

East Valley Institute of Technology (EVIT) is considered a model for career and technical education by the U.S. Department of Education. EVIT provides students with hands-on, advanced skills and training in over 40 occupation-specific programs which allow students to thrive in today's competitive job market. EVIT is Arizona's first Joint Technological Education District (JTED), a public school district that serves students from 10 East Valley school districts.

Mesa Education and Schools
Higher Education Institutions in Mesa
Mesa Counts on College
Arts and Culture