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Tucson Unified Virtual Academy

Summary:

Catalina Online Learning Experience is a public virtual high school serving grades 6-12 in the Tucson Unified District in Arizona, with an enrollment of 330 students and a predominantly Hispanic student population.

While Catalina Online Learning Experience has been in operation for over a decade, the school has struggled with significant challenges. Its graduation rates have ranged from just 22.1% to 51% over the past 5 years, far below the 95.4% graduation rate at the nearby University High School. Catalina has also had high dropout rates, ranging from 5.9% to 21.3%, compared to just 1.1% at University High. Academically, Catalina students perform well below state and district averages on standardized tests, with only 9% of 11th graders proficient or better in Science, compared to 15% in the Tucson Unified District and 22% statewide. The school's student-teacher ratio is also very high, ranging from 15.8 to 66 over the past 3 years, much higher than the 22.9 ratio at University High.

Catalina Online Learning Experience's performance has declined over time, with its statewide ranking dropping from 135th out of 491 Arizona high schools in 2012-2013 to 299th out of 469 in 2022-2023. The school's virtual learning model and the racial achievement gaps within its student population, with African American students performing significantly better than Hispanic students, suggest areas that warrant further investigation and targeted interventions to improve student outcomes. Despite the school's poor performance, Catalina Online Learning Experience spends a relatively high amount per student, raising questions about the efficiency and effectiveness of the school's resource allocation.


Detail:

Public, Virtual, Alternative K-12

 3645 E Pima St
       Tucson, AZ  85716-3320

(520) 232-8770

District: Tucson Unified District


Feeder schools for Tucson Unified Virtual Academy:

Elementary:    Anna Henry Elementary School
    Annie Kellond Elementary School
    Blenman Elementary School
    Bloom Elementary
    More...
Middle:    Alice Vail Middle School
    Anna Lawrence Intermediate School
    Doolen Middle School
    Gridley Middle School
    More...

Student/teacher ratio:  66.0 Help
Number of students:  330

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:
62.1%
White:
21.5%
Two or more races:
5.5%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  13.8% Help


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Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details Tucson Unified Virtual Academy is not ranked due for the most recent year due to insufficient test score data. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2023 the calculated Average Standard Score was 44. (See more...)
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Compare Details Tucson Unified Virtual Academy is not ranked due for the most recent year due to insufficient test score data. (See more...)
Help
Compare Details In 2023 the calculated Average Standard Score was 30.65. (See more...)
Help
The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at Tucson Unified Virtual Academy who earn a standard high school diploma within four years of starting ninth grade.
Help
The high school dropout rate measures the percentage of students who do not complete their high school education.
Student Body
Help
Compare Details Racial makeup is: Hispanic (62.1%), White (21.5%), two or more races (5.5%). (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Tucson Unified Virtual Academy is 66. (See more...)
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Compare Tucson Unified Virtual Academy employs 5 full-time teachers.
Finance
Schooldigger Rankings:

Tucson Unified Virtual Academy was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

Tucson Unified District:

SchoolDigger ranks Tucson Unified District 207th of 288 Arizona school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Rank History for Tucson Unified Virtual Academy

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Compare

Rank History for all middle school students at Tucson Unified Virtual Academy

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2012 40.04 494th 772 36.0%
2013 35.16 549th 787 30.2%
2017 52.32 271st 695 61.0%
2018 39.16 392nd 711 44.9%
2021 46.19 360th 832 56.7%
2023 44.00 392nd 854 54.1%
See the entire list of Arizona Alternative School Rankings!

Rank History for middle school Female students at Tucson Unified Virtual Academy

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 9.06 805th 820 1.8%
2023 72.46 170th 806 78.9%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Alternative Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for middle school Male students at Tucson Unified Virtual Academy

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 54.06 295th 818 63.9%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Alternative Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for middle school Hispanic students at Tucson Unified Virtual Academy

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 56.49 240th 802 70.1%
2023 55.40 268th 760 64.7%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Alternative Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for middle school White students at Tucson Unified Virtual Academy

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 32.67 556th 780 28.7%
2023 75.84 103rd 675 84.7%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Alternative Schools for White Students!

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

Rank History for Tucson Unified Virtual Academy

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Rank History for all high school students at Tucson Unified Virtual Academy

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2012 77.46 97th 471 79.4%
2013 73.22 135th 491 72.5%
2017 35.97 208th 416 50.0%
2018 25.61 270th 420 35.7%
2023 30.65 299th 469 36.2%
See the entire list of Arizona Alternative School Rankings!

Rank History for high school Female students at Tucson Unified Virtual Academy

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 23.55 254th 354 28.2%
2023 19.34 331st 406 18.5%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Alternative Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for high school Male students at Tucson Unified Virtual Academy

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 22.84 266th 370 28.1%
2023 46.18 201st 429 53.1%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Alternative Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for high school African American students at Tucson Unified Virtual Academy

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 11.71 118th 122 3.3%
2023 87.25 25th 201 87.6%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Alternative Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for high school Hispanic students at Tucson Unified Virtual Academy

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 24.50 224th 311 28.0%
2023 28.21 260th 379 31.4%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Alternative Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for high school White students at Tucson Unified Virtual Academy

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools AZ State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 34.95 172nd 291 40.9%
2023 51.45 167th 371 55.0%
See the entire list of Best Arizona Alternative 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.

Tucson Unified Virtual Academy Test Scores
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Data source: Arizona Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Tucson Unified Virtual Academy

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Compare
Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
2006 6 1 0 2 0 n/a n/a 0 9
2007 31 3 1 11 1 n/a n/a 0 47
2008 156 22 7 64 3 n/a n/a 0 252
2009 32 3 2 14 2 n/a n/a 0 53
2010 28 1 2 17 2 n/a n/a 0 50
2011 34 4 2 31 2 2 2 0 77
2012 41 3 0 29 1 0 1 0 75
2013 107 8 5 44 1 2 3 0 170
2014 33 3 0 46 3 0 3 0 88
2015 31 11 1 67 3 0 4 0 117
2016 53 14 5 124 5 2 7 0 210
2017 71 10 1 99 9 1 12 0 203
2018 66 15 1 139 13 0 11 0 245
2019 67 12 0 122 4 1 13 0 219
2020 76 15 1 145 14 1 17 0 269
2021 82 15 3 153 13 3 10 0 279
2022 57 18 4 150 10 1 15 0 255
2023 71 15 4 205 16 1 18 0 330

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 Tucson Unified Virtual Academy

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
2006 9 n/a n/a n/a
2007 47 n/a n/a n/a
2008 252 n/a n/a n/a
2009 53 3.0 17.7 1.9
2010 50 2.0 25.0 n/a
2011 77 2.0 38.5 0
2012 75 3.0 25.0 0
2013 170 3.0 56.6 0
2014 88 2.0 44.0 n/a
2015 117 1.0 117.0 n/a
2016 210 3.0 70.0 n/a
2017 203 9.8 20.7 6.4
2018 245 4.0 61.2 n/a
2019 219 4.0 54.7 n/a
2020 269 9.0 29.8 13.8
2021 279 17.6 15.8 n/a
2022 255 5.0 51.0 n/a
2023 330 5.0 66.0 n/a

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 Tucson Unified Virtual Academy

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
2006 9 n/a n/a n/a
2007 47 n/a n/a n/a
2008 252 n/a n/a n/a
2009 53 3.0 17.7 1.9
2010 50 2.0 25.0 n/a
2011 77 2.0 38.5 0
2012 75 3.0 25.0 0
2013 170 3.0 56.6 0
2014 88 2.0 44.0 n/a
2015 117 1.0 117.0 n/a
2016 210 3.0 70.0 n/a
2017 203 9.8 20.7 6.4
2018 245 4.0 61.2 n/a
2019 219 4.0 54.7 n/a
2020 269 9.0 29.8 13.8
2021 279 17.6 15.8 n/a
2022 255 5.0 51.0 n/a
2023 330 5.0 66.0 n/a

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 Tucson Unified Virtual 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 $613 (5.4%) $108 (1.0%) $1,334 (11.8%) $9,096 (80.7%) $1,458 (12.9%) $10,554 (93.6%) $11,275
2020 $318 (7.8%) $03 (0.1%) $640 (15.7%) $3,682 (90.3%) $75 (1.8%) $3,757 (92.1%) $4,078

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

Impact of COVID-19 on Tucson Unified Virtual 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.

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)		 Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)		 Change (%)
Total Students219330
 50.7%
African American1215
 25%
American Indian416
 300%
Asian04
Hispanic122205
 68%
Pacific Islander11
White6771
 6%
Two or More Races1318
 38.5%

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Frequently Asked Questions about Tucson Unified Virtual Academy

In the 2022-23 school year, 330 students attended Tucson Unified Virtual Academy.

Students at Tucson Unified Virtual Academy are 62% Hispanic, 22% White, 5% Two or more races, 5% American Indian, 5% African American, 1% Asian.


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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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