Ward Traditional Academy

Summary:

Ward Traditional Academy is a public elementary school serving grades K-8 in Tempe, Arizona, with a student population of 377 as of the 2022-2023 school year. The school is part of the Tempe School District, which is ranked 197 out of 288 districts in the state and has a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Ward Traditional Academy consistently outperforms the Tempe School District and the state of Arizona in academic proficiency across all grade levels and subjects. For example, in the 2023-2024 school year, 77% of 3rd graders at Ward Traditional Academy were proficient or better in English Language Arts, compared to 33% for the Tempe School District and 39% for the state. The school has been ranked among the top elementary schools in Arizona, consistently placing in the top 15% of schools statewide, and has maintained extremely low dropout rates, ranging from 0.0% to 0.9% over the past several years.

When compared to other elementary schools in the Tempe School District and the surrounding area, such as Arredondo Elementary and Curry Elementary, Ward Traditional Academy stands out as a high-performing outlier, with significantly higher academic proficiency rates and statewide rankings, despite serving similar student populations. The school's traditional academic approach, low student-teacher ratio, and strong performance across student subgroups suggest that factors such as instructional quality, curriculum, and school culture may be contributing to its success.


Detail:

Public K-8

 1965 E Hermosa Dr
       Tempe, AZ  85282-5833


(480) 491-8871

District: Tempe School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
35th of 904 Arizona Elementary Schools


Student/teacher ratio:  13.0 Help
Number of students:  377

Racial breakdown:

White:
45.4%
Hispanic:
35.3%
Asian:
8.0%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  24.9% Help


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Performance Trends
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Compare Details Ward Traditional Academy ranks better than 96.1% of elementary schools in Arizona. It also ranks first among 13 ranked elementary schools in the Tempe School District! (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 94.98. (See more...)
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Compare Details Ward Traditional Academy ranks better than 91.7% of middle schools in Arizona. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 89.21. (See more...)
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The high school dropout rate measures the percentage of students who do not complete their high school education.
Student Body
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Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (45.4%), Hispanic (35.3%), Asian (8%). (See more...)
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Compare Details 24.9% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Ward Traditional Academy is 13, which is the 4th best among 13 elementary schools in the Tempe School District. (See more...)
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Compare Ward Traditional Academy employs 29 full-time teachers.
Finance
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Ward Traditional Academy:

SchoolDigger ranks Ward Traditional Academy 35th of 904 Arizona public elementary schools. (See Ward Traditional Academy in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


Female students:
Male students:
White students:

SchoolDigger ranks Ward Traditional Academy 44th of 533 Arizona public middle schools. (See Ward Traditional Academy in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


Female students:
Male students:
White students:


Tempe School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Tempe School District 197th of 288 Arizona school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Rank History for Ward Traditional Academy

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Rank History for all elementary school students at Ward Traditional Academy

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2009 87.62 76th 1062 92.8%
2010 91.51 41st 1090 96.2%
2011 88.65 77th 1075 92.8%
2012 89.96 31st 1141 97.3%
2013 89.56 45th 1158 96.1%
2014 88.31 93rd 1079 91.4%
2015 86.71 103rd 955 89.2%
2016 88.98 101st 1079 90.6%
2017 87.37 125th 1106 88.7%
2018 87.67 125th 1109 88.7%
2019 84.09 148th 1039 85.8%
2021 86.31 167th 1226 86.4%
2022 83.18 124th 1000 87.6%
2023 92.91 71st 1245 94.3%
2024 94.98 35th 904 96.1%
See the entire list of Arizona Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for elementary school Multi-racial students at Ward Traditional Academy

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 63.73 276th 1027 73.1%
2022 30.50 381st 444 14.2%
2023 48.87 321st 617 48.0%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Elementary Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for elementary school English Language Learner students at Ward Traditional Academy

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 92.84 16th 451 96.5%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Elementary Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for elementary school Special Education students at Ward Traditional Academy

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 67.64 180th 1201 85.0%
2023 81.56 72nd 820 91.2%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Elementary Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for elementary school Low Socio Economic Status students at Ward Traditional Academy

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 81.78 96th 820 88.3%
2022 76.17 124th 618 79.9%
2023 87.32 74th 1116 93.4%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for elementary school Female students at Ward Traditional Academy

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 85.05 141st 1023 86.2%
2019 84.41 98th 862 88.6%
2021 76.59 260th 1219 78.7%
2022 80.43 106th 824 87.1%
2023 91.87 65th 1219 94.7%
2024 95.17 13th 593 97.8%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for elementary school Male students at Ward Traditional Academy

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 87.30 119th 1032 88.5%
2019 81.81 122nd 850 85.6%
2021 91.60 82nd 1220 93.3%
2022 86.86 58th 830 93.0%
2023 92.34 69th 1216 94.3%
2024 92.37 31st 609 94.9%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for elementary school Asian students at Ward Traditional Academy

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 85.94 16th 620 97.4%
2022 50.60 130th 270 51.9%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Elementary Schools for Asian Students!

Rank History for elementary school African American students at Ward Traditional Academy

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 51.48 304th 895 66.0%
2023 79.81 78th 607 87.1%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Elementary Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for elementary school Hispanic students at Ward Traditional Academy

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 76.07 171st 911 81.2%
2019 93.05 29th 709 95.9%
2021 79.28 152nd 1198 87.3%
2022 95.15 19th 716 97.3%
2023 89.08 68th 1170 94.2%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Elementary Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for elementary school Native American students at Ward Traditional Academy

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 91.36 15th 654 97.7%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Elementary Schools for Native American Students!

Rank History for elementary school Pacific Islander students at Ward Traditional Academy

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 39.58 95th 171 44.4%
2023 60.82 3rd 20 85.0%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Elementary Schools for Pacific Islander Students!

Rank History for elementary school White students at Ward Traditional Academy

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 82.62 94th 720 86.9%
2019 78.43 89th 595 85.0%
2021 82.04 141st 1161 87.9%
2022 89.99 24th 800 97.0%
2023 88.36 58th 1024 94.3%
2024 91.33 16th 477 96.6%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Elementary Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Arizona Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

Rank History for Ward Traditional Academy

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Rank History for all middle school students at Ward Traditional Academy

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2009 87.66 51st 663 92.3%
2010 93.02 21st 692 97.0%
2011 93.42 18th 685 97.4%
2012 90.47 26th 772 96.6%
2013 90.07 35th 787 95.6%
2014 89.25 48th 690 93.0%
2015 76.40 107th 521 79.5%
2016 75.72 139th 677 79.5%
2017 75.10 137th 695 80.3%
2018 83.87 95th 711 86.6%
2019 75.53 138th 605 77.2%
2021 81.64 124th 832 85.1%
2022 71.47 139th 605 77.0%
2023 82.25 107th 854 87.5%
2024 89.21 44th 533 91.7%
See the entire list of Arizona Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for middle school Multi-racial students at Ward Traditional Academy

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 73.80 97th 650 85.1%
2022 76.20 29th 211 86.3%
2023 59.74 130th 384 66.1%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Elementary Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for middle school Special Education students at Ward Traditional Academy

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 72.24 56th 789 92.9%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Elementary Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for middle school Low Socio Economic Status students at Ward Traditional Academy

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 85.33 46th 503 90.9%
2022 65.41 98th 369 73.4%
2023 75.65 96th 717 86.6%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for middle school Female students at Ward Traditional Academy

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 80.01 106th 624 83.0%
2019 83.23 57th 466 87.8%
2021 72.69 183rd 820 77.7%
2023 70.40 186th 806 76.9%
2024 85.55 36th 379 90.5%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for middle school Male students at Ward Traditional Academy

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 87.87 62nd 617 90.0%
2019 78.47 73rd 435 83.2%
2021 87.18 77th 818 90.6%
2022 69.62 104th 476 78.2%
2023 87.85 63rd 810 92.2%
2024 89.77 28th 356 92.1%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for middle school Asian students at Ward Traditional Academy

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 82.43 24th 404 94.1%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Elementary Schools for Asian Students!

Rank History for middle school African American students at Ward Traditional Academy

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 58.20 144th 573 74.9%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Elementary Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for middle school Hispanic students at Ward Traditional Academy

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 85.04 48th 543 91.2%
2019 93.41 22nd 387 94.3%
2021 85.14 57th 802 92.9%
2023 74.42 125th 760 83.6%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Elementary Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for middle school Native American students at Ward Traditional Academy

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 55.92 73rd 390 81.3%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Elementary Schools for Native American Students!

Rank History for middle school White students at Ward Traditional Academy

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 83.33 43rd 436 90.1%
2019 81.72 36th 337 89.3%
2021 69.51 188th 780 75.9%
2022 82.81 36th 446 91.9%
2023 81.04 71st 675 89.5%
2024 81.03 38th 273 86.1%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Elementary Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Arizona Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Ward Traditional Academy Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 








Data source: Arizona Department of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 2.3)
33%

0%

0%

0%

67%

  

Reviews:
by a parent
Monday, October 15, 2018

Open Quote Ward does not treat all students the same. All children deserve an equal quality education. It should not be based on the color of their skin. Close Quote


by a parent
Monday, August 29, 2016

Open Quote Aweful school they dont treat everyone equally. The front office secretary is plain rude and unprofessional. Close Quote


by a student
Monday, May 9, 2011

Open Quote Ward Traditional Academy is an excellent school. They have great teachers that help students learn everyday in every way. All teachers are nice and are fun to be with. Close Quote



Enrollment information for Ward Traditional Academy

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Compare
Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
2004 2 2 0 1 0 n/a n/a 0 5
2005 0 0 0 0 0 n/a n/a 0 0
2006 196 30 9 68 6 n/a n/a 0 309
2007 239 35 17 94 16 n/a n/a 0 401
2008 285 31 21 122 19 n/a n/a 0 478
2009 278 43 34 93 15 n/a n/a 0 463
2010 278 37 35 99 12 n/a n/a 0 461
2011 256 28 36 118 9 0 25 0 472
2012 259 28 33 135 7 0 31 0 493
2013 267 27 33 131 2 3 23 0 486
2014 259 24 26 134 3 4 27 0 477
2015 259 23 31 130 2 4 34 0 483
2016 249 15 30 122 1 3 32 0 452
2017 245 17 26 137 3 5 28 0 461
2018 233 22 32 131 6 3 28 0 455
2019 224 21 26 138 4 4 28 0 445
2020 213 15 19 139 6 5 25 0 422
2021 201 13 22 129 6 6 24 0 401
2022 176 21 25 131 6 2 25 0 386
2023 171 15 30 133 4 2 22 0 377

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Ward Traditional Academy

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Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
2004 5 8.1 0.6 40
2005 0 11.1 0.0 n/a
2006 309 19.1 16.2 50.2
2007 401 23.2 17.3 26.7
2008 478 24.4 19.6 24.1
2009 463 23.4 19.8 17.5
2010 461 23.4 19.7 6.1
2011 472 22.9 20.6 23.1
2012 493 22.6 21.8 21.9
2013 486 22.8 21.2 23.3
2014 477 24.6 19.3 26.6
2015 483 25.0 19.3 26.9
2016 452 25.0 18.0 29.2
2017 461 24.3 18.9 29.3
2018 455 25.0 18.1 20.7
2019 445 25.4 17.4 19.8
2020 422 24.8 16.9 18.7
2021 401 24.9 16.0 n/a
2022 386 31.0 12.4 9.8
2023 377 29.0 13.0 24.9

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Ward Traditional Academy

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
2004 5 8.1 0.6 40
2005 0 11.1 0.0 n/a
2006 309 19.1 16.2 50.2
2007 401 23.2 17.3 26.7
2008 478 24.4 19.6 24.1
2009 463 23.4 19.8 17.5
2010 461 23.4 19.7 6.1
2011 472 22.9 20.6 23.1
2012 493 22.6 21.8 21.9
2013 486 22.8 21.2 23.3
2014 477 24.6 19.3 26.6
2015 483 25.0 19.3 26.9
2016 452 25.0 18.0 29.2
2017 461 24.3 18.9 29.3
2018 455 25.0 18.1 20.7
2019 445 25.4 17.4 19.8
2020 422 24.8 16.9 18.7
2021 401 24.9 16.0 n/a
2022 386 31.0 12.4 9.8
2023 377 29.0 13.0 24.9

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.
Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Ward Traditional Academy

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YearPersonnel Expenditures from Federal FundsNon-Personnel Expenditures from Federal FundsTotal Expenditures from Federal FundsPersonnel Expenditures from State and Local FundsNon-Personnel Expenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $262 (2.9%) $72 (0.8%) $596 (6.6%) $7,508 (82.7%) $1,240 (13.7%) $8,748 (96.3%) $9,082
2020 $455 (4.9%) $64 (0.7%) $975 (10.4%) $7,720 (82.4%) $1,129 (12.1%) $8,849 (94.5%) $9,368
2021 $395 (3.7%) $432 (4.0%) $1,223 (11.4%) $8,645 (80.7%) $1,240 (11.6%) $9,885 (92.3%) $10,712

Data source: Arizona Department of Education
Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Ward Traditional Academy

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Rank
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Ranks 148th of 1039 Elementary schoolsRanks 71st of 1245 Elementary schools
 8.5%
Ranks 138th of 605 Middle schoolsRanks 107th of 854 Middle schools
 10.3%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students445377
 15.3%
African American2115
 28.6%
American Indian44
Asian2630
 15.4%
Hispanic138133
 3.6%
Pacific Islander42
 50%
White224171
 23.7%
Two or More Races2822
 21.4%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients19.8%24.9%
 5.2%


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Frequently Asked Questions about Ward Traditional Academy

Students at Ward Traditional Academy are 45% White, 35% Hispanic, 8% Asian, 6% Two or more races, 4% African American, 1% American Indian.

In the 2022-23 school year, 377 students attended Ward Traditional Academy.

Yes! Ward Traditional Academy is one of the best elementary schools in the state. It ranks 35th of 904 Arizona elementary schools.


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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Arizona Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.





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