In November 2001, Arizona voters approved Proposition 301 which provided funds to the Arizona Department of Education to develop "a system to measure school performance based on student achievement, including student performance on the AIMS test." The accountability system created to satisfy the statute is referred to as AZ LEARNS. The school evaluation given by the Department to each school is referred to as the school's achievement profile. This manual describes the method and processes used to generate the AZ LEARNS achievement profiles. It provides formulas, parameters, and business rules that make up the profile calculation. Its intent is to document and explain the methods used and justify the policies adopted.

Proposition 301 also called for a state accountability system for public schools. The system created to comply with the federal No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, commonly referred to as Adequate Yearly Progress, evaluates the performance of local public schools and schools districts, including charter schools.