The education challenges Arizona is facing have been discussed for years, with a funding shortage typically at the top of the list.

The group Expect More Arizona acknowledges that shortcoming, but has also come up with a collection of eight categories that are intended to give a true measure of where the state’s education system is.

As a whole, it’s called the Arizona Education Progress Meter. Each category has a goal that the state should be aiming to achieve.

Christine Thompson is the president and CEO of Expect More Arizona. She’s also the former executive director of Arizona’s State Board of Education.