Are You Ready for Reform?

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DEPARTMENTS4 ASBA News By Tracey Benson, ASBA Journal Editor

7 President’s Message Opportunities Abound in Times of Change and Uncertainty By Debbie King, ASBA President

10 Education and the Law Performance Pay for Superintendents: A New Law Mandates What We Already Have By Chris Thomas, ASBA Director of Legal Services

14 Capitol View School Personnel Reforms:

Focusing on the Student, Honoring the Profession By Janice Palmer, ASBA Director of Governmental Relations

32 Lessons from Research The Stupidification of America By Michael T. Martin, ASBA Research Analyst

34 Leadership Matters Where Will Your District Find It’s Next Superintendent?

By John Gordon, ASBA Director of Leadership Development

36 Points on Policy Officially Articulate Reform Through Policy By Jim Deaton, ASBA Director of Policy Services

38 Viewpoints What to Do When It’s Not Working By Panfilo H. Contreras, ASBA Executive Director

FEATURES9 Profile in Leadership:

Sue Kartchner

12 Advocating For Students In Your Community and at the Legislature By Beth Sauer, ASBA Governmental Relations Analyst

16 Closing the Achievement Gap in Arizona: Looking Back and Looking ForwardBy Pearl Chang Esau

18 A Path to Success: How One Arizona District Moved from ‘Failing’ to ‘Performing Plus’By Dr. Charlotte Boyle and Phyllis J. Schwartz

20 Ready for School, Set For LifeBy Rhiann Evans Allvin

22 Move On When Ready: New Legislation Provides Arizona Public Schools with College and Career-Readiness Tools and SupportBy Sybil Francis, Ph.D.

24 The Arizona Growth ModelA “How To” Guide for Board Members and Educators By Rebecca Gau

26 Instructional Improvement Systems and Educational Reform – A Local ChoiceBy Jason K. Feld, Ph.D.

30 Stretching School Renovation FundsHVAC and EMS Upgrades Save Dollars, Make SenseBy Terry Bohl and Justin Kelton

39 ASBA Affiliate Members

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ARIZONA SCHOOL BOARDS ASSOCIATION

OfficersPresident Debbie KingPresident Elect Dee NavarroSecretary Deb ScottTreasurer Lamar JohnsonImmediate Past President Robert Rice

County Directors, Caucus PresidentApache Rose Martinez Cochise Carolyn CalderonCoconino Chuck WahlerGila Bob Cassa Graham Roberta LopezGreenlee Mike Wearne La Paz Rudy ParkerMaricopa Kevin Clayborn Maricopa Randy SchillerMohave William GoodaleNavajo Raymond LaughterPima Jim CoulterPima Elaine HallPinal Irene PatinoSanta Cruz Harry ClapeckYavapai Karen McClellandYuma Maureen IrrHispanic/Native American Indian Caucus David Esquivel

StaffExecutive Director Panfilo H. ContrerasDirector of Administrative Services Ellen WhiteDirector of Policy Services Jim DeatonDirector of Legal Services Chris ThomasDirector of Governmental Relations Janice PalmerDirector of Leadership Development John GordonCommunications/Journal Editor Tracey BensonEducation Policy Analyst Dr. Terry RowlesEducation Policy Analyst Steve HighlenGovernmental Relations Analyst Beth SauerResearch Analyst Michael T. MartinLeadership Development Specialist Karen BeckvarPolicy Technician Renae WatsonAdministrative Secretary Jolene HaleAdministrative Secretary Shirley SimpsonAdministrative Secretary Colleen MeeAdministrative Secretary Elizabeth SanchezReceptionist Kristi Johnson

Publication Policy: Articles printed herein may be divergent in point of view and controversial in nature. The materials published in each issue represent the ideas or beliefs of those who write them, and not necessarily the views or policies of the Arizona School Boards Association. © 2010 by the Arizona School Boards Association.

Address all correspondence to:ASBA Journal Editor2100 N. Central Ave., Suite 200Phoenix, AZ 85004Phone: 602-254-1100; 1-800-238-4701editor@azsba.org; Web site: www.azsba.orgAnnual subscription rate $24.Production and Design by S&L Printing & Mailing1428 W. San Pedro • Gilbert, AZ 85233 • 480-497-8081

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ASBANEWS

By Tracey Benson, ASBA Journal Editor

ASBA reduces fees, offers boards one free training for year ahead Recognizing the financial stress many of our members continue to experience individually and as organizations, the ASBA board of directors has voted to maintain reductions for FY11 in registration fees for major conferences and policy services fees that were put into place last fiscal year. For FY11 the

maintenance fee for policy services will continue to be 20 percent less than it was in FY09. Registration fees for three major ASBA conferences – Summer Leadership Institute, the Law Conference and the Annual Conference – also will continue to be 20 percent lower than they were in FY09. ASBA also is working to streamline costs without reducing service at smaller workshops and conferences if possible. In addition, to ensure that all boards have access to ASBA’s customized training sessions, ASBA’s Leadership Development staff will provide one full-board training during FY11 (July 1, 2010 to June 30, 2011) at no cost other than staff travel expenses. To schedule this free training, contact ASBA Leadership Development.

Service activities recognized with Cactus Pin awards

Sixteen Arizona school board members have been recognized by ASBA with the Cactus Pin Award for their service to this association, the National School Boards Association and for participating in community service activities on behalf of their local board.

Recipients of Gold Cactus Pin Awards (150 or more service points) were Karen McClelland (Sedona Oak Creek USD), Jim Coulter ( Vail USD), Jesus Rubalcava (Gila Bend USD), Zita Johnson (Tempe UHSD) and Evelyn Shapiro (Isaac ESD).

Recipients of Silver Cactus Pin Awards (75-149 service points) were Randy Schiller (Laveen USD), Patricia Foy (Seligman USD), Carolyn Calderon (Palominas ESD), Harry Clapeck (Santa Cruz Valley USD), Richard Hopkins (Buckeye ESD), Cynthia Matus Morriss (Patagonia ESD), Katrina Talkalai (San Carlos USD), Denise Standage (Higley USD), Irene Patino (Eloy ESD) and Mark Warren (Cave Creek USD).

Scott Hamilton (Ash Fork USD) received a Cactus Pin Certificate for earning 60-74 service points.

Those recipients who attended the ASBA Summer Leadership Institute were presented their awards at the start of the conference’s Saturday morning general session.

Mark your calendar for ASBA County Meetings Each fall ASBA holds meetings in Arizona’s 15 counties. These county meetings provide board members the opportunity to network with other board members in their area, share issues and solutions to local challenges, meet with ASBA staff, celebrate training accomplishments and take part in valuable programming – all close to home. Dates for this year’s meetings can be found in the ASBA Calendar of Events on page 5. For more information, contact your county director or a member of the ASBA Leadership Development staff. (County director contact information is available online at www.azsba.org/static/index.cfm?contentID=28.) The Early Bird Session at this year’s county meetings will be for school board candidates. The session covers the roles and responsibilities of board members. Superintendents are encouraged to register all candidates for this opportunity.

Cactus Pins for service to ASBA and NSBA over the past year were presented to (left to right) Evelyn Shapiro, Randy Schiller, Jim Coulter, Carolyn Calderon, Jesus Rubalcava, Karen McClelland, Scott Hamilton and Harry Clapek at the ASBA Summer Leadership Institute in July.

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September 2010

October 2010

ASBA Calendar of EventsDay-long new board member orientation scheduled for Dec.15 ASBA will host a day-long orientation for newly elected or appointed school board members on Dec. 15 in connection with the ASBA-ASA Annual Conference at the Biltmore Conference Center in Phoenix. The ASBA New Board Member Orientation provides new governing board members and superintendents with an accurate look at school governance: including roles and responsibilities; insights into the legal and ethical responsibilities of the office; an overview of Arizona school finance and budgeting; and a look at the resources and services available through ASBA membership. Look for details and registration information soon.

A Look Back… ASBA Summer Leadership Institute More than 150 school board members and school administrators refined and refreshed their leadership skills at ASBA’s Summer Leadership Institute, held July 22-24 in Flagstaff.

ASBA Immediate Past President Bob Rice (far right) leads a Goldmine Session on “Mentoring New Board Members.”

Speaker Billy Arcement engages with attendees during his keynote presentation.

ASBA President Elect Dee Navarro congratulates door prize drawing winners.

Tracey Benson, who served as ASBA’s media and communications specialist and editor of the ASBA Journal for the past three years, was recognized for her service to ASBA by Executive Director Panfilo Contreras.

6 ASBA Office Closed Labor Day

9-11 ASBA Law Conference

24-25 ASBA Board of Directors Meeting ASBA Offices

28-30 ASBA County MeetingGreenlee, Graham, Gila

5-7 ASBA County MeetingApache, Navajo, Coconino

11 ASBA Office ClosedColumbus Day

12-14 ASBA County MeetingMohave, La Paz, Yuma

19-21 ASBA County MeetingMaricopa, Pinal, Yavapai

26-28 ASBA County MeetingCochise, Santa Cruz, Pima

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By Debbie King, ASBA President

Opportunities Abound in Times of Change and Uncertainty

Dear Friends: I want to take this opportunity to thank you for the leadership you provide across our state. I believe the outcome of Proposition 100 is a direct result of that leadership. I know many of you put in extra hours reaching out to your communities, explaining the issues, making calls, knocking on doors and getting out the vote. Your servants’ hearts makes a huge difference!I wish I could say that our work is done. As you all know we have much work left to do. Our school year is just beginning, and we fear the possibility of additional cuts in this year’s budget - and next year is unknown. There are the upcoming elections to consider. Stay tuned in to your local and state candidates. Find out where they stand on public education. (Please make use of the district-by-district legislative voting records on the ASBA web site: azsba.org.) Go the extra mile to support those who support what we are doing everyday. Especially those whose hearts are in the right place. The outcome is so very important for our children. As you will read in this edition of the Journal, there are several possible “changes” coming our way from both the federal government and the state of Arizona. These mandates can be frustrating at a time when we are trying so hard just to hang on to the successes and gains we’ve made. I encourage you to look carefully at these issues. I believe that with all that is occurring in “our” world of education, taking advantage of the opportunities to learn as much as we can about the upcoming issues is critical. We need to make the best decisions possible and to do so we need to have as many facts as possible. I also believe that the opportunity to network with other board members, superintendents and staff from other districts is crucial. Learning how others feel about issues and what they plan to do can be very useful as we sit at our own board tables and make decisions about what’s best for the children in our local schools. ASBA has many upcoming opportunities to provide training to your and your colleagues, and I hope that you will see the value in taking advantage of these options. In a time when we are all concerned about our budgets, I know how tempting it is to eliminate these trainings from our schedules; but well informed and educated board members make the best decisions. The 34th Annual ASBA Law Conference is coming up shortly and, with all the changes that have occurred, I’m confident we will have much to learn at this conference. Also, we will be coming to visit you very soon! Please plan to attend your county meeting. (See the schedule in the Calendar of Events in this issue.) This is a great time for you to come together with board members closest to you and network. The ASBA staff will have great programs for you as well. I look forward to seeing you there! I recently heard a speaker say that “problems are just opportunities you haven’t thought of yet.” Well, it feels like opportunities abound these days, don’t they? I encourage you to look at the mandates that come our way and ask yourself two questions: “How would I feel about this if I had thought of it?”and “Is it good for kids?” Learn as much as you can about the issues, determine the pro’s and con’s, and then decide if it’s something to work toward or if you need to work toward changing it so it can be a real “opportunity” for your students. This is our job and we may have to do some extra work to see that necessary changes get made. I know that things are more difficult for us as board members than they have been in many years. There is less money, more demands and higher expectations for our schools to perform. It can be extremely frustrating at times. We have great staff who work hard and care about our students. We have supportive parents and communities, as evidenced by the tremendous support for Prop. 100. Don’t be discouraged! You are making a difference in the lives of our children and you should be very proud of that! A true servant leader, such as you, can accomplish much as others can see that your motives are pure and you are doing it for others. I encourage you to keep up the good work!

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

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We’re helping public school leaders pave the wayto effective school board service

through upcoming training opportunitiesfor candidates and new governing board members.

Early Bird Sessions for School Board Candidates — Sept. 28 - Oct. 28, 2010

New Board Member Orientation — Dec. 15, 2010 Biltmore Conference Center, Phoenix

Arizona School Boards AssociationQuality leadership and advocacy for children in public schools.

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Governing BoardSt. David Unified School District

HometownAnaheim, Calif., where I enjoyed riding bikes, flying kites and watching the Disneyland fireworks from my backyard every summer night at 9 p.m. My high school years were spent in Kenai, Alaska, where I loved the fishing, the hiking and the immensity of nature. Since 1971, when I came to the University of Arizona as a sophomore, I have been an Arizonan. St. David has been my home since 1981. This May, the youngest of our eight children will graduate from St. David High School.

A Board Member For14 years

Books at BedsideAs a true biblioholic, there are innumerable books at my bedside. A few of my favorites are The Hiding Place, David McCullough’s John Adams, The Veggie Gardener’s Answer Book and Mountain Bike America – Arizona.

InspirationMy parents taught me to live with integrity, that anything worth doing is worth doing well, and that I can do anything I set my mind to do if I am willing to work for it. My 7th-grade social studies teacher opened my mind to a myriad of positive messages displayed prominently on his walls and reflected in his teaching, such as, “The harder the task, the more rewarding the accomplishment,” “Success comes in Cans; Failure comes in Can’ts,” and “An excuse is the key that opens the door to failure.” I hope all students are lucky enough to have more than one teacher like him.

Motto as a Board MemberI believe in making short-term board decisions based on long-term goals and core district values.

Pie-in-the-Sky Vision for EducationMy vision of public education is embodied in schools where

PROFILE IN LEADERSHIP

learning is exciting and challenging, where students are motivated to do their best, and where parents encourage and support, but allow their children to learn from the consequences of both their successes and disappointments. This vision also includes committed teamwork on the part of administration, staff and community partners willing to get involved in the schools.

Advice to New Board MembersTake advantage of all the ASBA training your district can afford. Read your board packets carefully and ask lots of questions. I realized a long time ago that there is great strength in the differences that individual board members bring to the table. Listening carefully to a variety of viewpoints allows you to come to a decision that best fits your district’s core values, your community and your students.

Greatest Accomplishment as a Board MemberWhile our district has faced many significant challenges through the years I have served on the board, two areas of accomplishment are most rewarding to me. Most importantly, I had the challenge and opportunity to moderate stakeholders’ meetings over a period of more than a year to finalize the formation of our district mission statement, core values, and motto. While this effort required fine leadership by many others in the district, I feel satisfaction in having been able to bring parties together to formulate a workable document that continues to influence district decisions at all levels. I also feel satisfaction in the partnerships we have developed with our local Heritage Society and business, community and alumni donors in rehabilitating the district’s 1938 elementary school building for both student use and as a cultural venue for the community.

Pet Peeve as a Board MemberI become discouraged when I witness parents who want to blame everyone and everything except their student and themselves for their student’s poor behavior, performance and attitudes.

Reason I Like Being an ASBA MemberI have found the ASBA training and policy services to be particularly helpful in my service as a board member. The annual law conferences have been both informative and practical, and have given me a better sense of judgment with regard to current board issues. The opportunity to network with other boards is valuable at ASBA events, and our board considers this vehicle very important in influencing public policy on education. If you are not using the ASBA website as a resource, you are missing out!

My EpitaphSue loved life and learning, her family, her country, and her God. She looked for the good in others, acted on principle, reached for possibilities, and kept commitments.

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EDUCATION AND THE LAWBy Chris Thomas, ASBA Director of Legal Services

Performance Pay for Superintendents: A New Law Mandates What We Already Have

Ask a superintendent what part of their salary is “performance-based” and they will confidently

tell you “all of it.” Superintendents have stressful jobs in which they oversee many employees and a school board that, acting collectively, can effectively issue a “pink slip” at any time if they don’t believe the district is on the right track.

This past legislative session, the Legislature enacted HB2521 (Laws 2010, Chapter 261), which mandates that governing boards “ensure that the contract for the superintendent is structured in a manner where at least 20 percent of the total annual compensation and benefits included for the superintendent in the contract is classified as “performance pay.”

For this edition of “Education and the Law,” I will examine this new law and what it requires.

Q. In a nutshell, what does the law require?A. As previously stated, it requires

that school district governing boards ensure that superintendent contracts have a performance component in them and that at least 20 percent of the total amount of compensation – salary and benefits – be determined based on performance.

Q. Did ASBA support this legislation?A. Yes. Just as ASBA believes that

teachers should be accountable and have an incentive for performance, we believe that superintendents should as well. Our concern was ensuring that

our boards have maximum flexibility in implementing the new law and in defining what type of performance they want from their superintendents.

Q. Does the law allow the governing board to define what performance is required of the superintendent to receive the 20 percent pay?A. Yes, the law allows for the

governing board to define performance in any way it wishes to – they simply have to have a public meeting (any governing board meeting will do) to say that they will not be following the prescribed (suggested) method of determining performance that is contained in the new law.

Q. What is the suggested method of determining adequate superintendent performance under the new law?A. The new Arizona Revised

Statutes section 15-341 A.40. suggests the following:

(a) Twenty-five per cent of the performance pay shall be determined based on the percentage of academic gain determined by the department of education of pupils who are enrolled in the school district compared to the academic gain achieved by the highest ranking of the fifty largest school districts in this state. for the purposes of this subdivision, the department of education shall determine academic gain by the academic growth achieved by each pupil who has been enrolled at the same school in a school district

for at least five consecutive months measured against that pupil’s academic results in the 2008-2009 school year. For the purposes of this subdivision, of the fifty largest school districts in this state, the school district with pupils who demonstrate the highest statewide percentage of overall academic gain measured against academic results for the 2008-2009 school year shall be assigned a score of 100 and the school district with pupils who demonstrate the lowest statewide percentage of overall academic gain measured against academic results for the 2008-2009 school year shall be assigned a score of 0.

(b) Twenty-five per cent of the performance that shall be determined by the percentage of parents of pupils who are enrolled at the school district who assign a letter grade of “a” to the school on a survey of parental satisfaction with the school district. The parental satisfaction survey shall be administered and scored by an independent entity that is selected by the governing board and that demonstrates sufficient expertise and experience to accurately measure the results of the survey. The parental satisfaction survey shall use standard random sampling procedures and provide anonymity and confidentiality to each parent who participates in the survey. The letter grade scale used on the parental satisfaction survey shall direct parents to assign one of the following letter grades:

(i) A letter grade of “a” if the school district is excellent.

(ii) A letter grade of “b” if the school district is above average.

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(iii) A letter grade of “c” if the school district is average.

(iv) A letter grade of “d” if the school district is below average.

(v) A letter grade of “f” if the school district is a failure.

c) Twenty-five per cent of the performance pay shall be determined by the percentage of teachers who are employed at the school district and who assign a letter grade of “a” to the school on a survey of teacher satisfaction with the school. the teacher satisfaction survey shall be administered and scored by an independent entity that is selected by the governing board and that demonstrates sufficient expertise and experience to accurately measure the results of the survey. The teacher satisfaction survey shall use standard random sampling procedures and provide anonymity and confidentiality to each teacher who participates in the survey. The letter grade scale used on the teacher satisfaction survey shall direct teachers to assign one of the following letter grades: (i) A letter grade of “a” if the school

district is excellent. (ii) A letter grade of “b” if the

school district is above average. (iii) A letter grade of “c” if the

school district is average. (iv) A letter grade of “d” if the

school district is below average. (v) A letter grade of “f ” if the

school district is a failure.

(d) Twenty-five per cent of the performance pay shall be determined by other criteria selected by the governing board.

Q. My superintendent signed a new two-year contract in May and it doesn’t have a performance pay component. Are we in violation of the law?A. No. The law has a general

effective date (July 29, 2010) and contracts that were written before that date do not have to take into account the new mandate. It is well-established law that a new law cannot impair the obligations of an existing contract. However, new contracts and renewals of contracts entered into after the effective date will have to take these new provisions into account.

Q. Does the new law require that the governing board add an additional 20 percent in pay to a superintendent’s contract to comply with the law?A. No. The law states that “nothing

in this paragraph shall be construed to require school districts to increase total compensation for superintendents.”

Q. Does the new law mandate that we change our evaluation process of our superintendent?A. No. Whatever periodic review

of your superintendent’s performance you are currently doing can continue under the new law.

Q. The law requires that “20 percent of the total annual compensation and benefits” included in a superintendent’s contract be based on performance. What comprises “compensation and benefits?” A. Compensation equals salary.

Benefits equal contributions made to retirement programs, including deferred compensation programs such as 403b and 457 programs under the Internal Revenue Code; car and phone allowances that go beyond mere reimbursement for district purposes; health insurance, both for the superintendent and family care, if the district pays those premiums; life insurance; and any other form of benefit that is part of the bargained-for exchange at the time of contract or not otherwise available to all other district employees.

Q. My superintendent has a very complex contract. How do we figure out what 20 percent of compensation and benefits will be?A. You will need to speak with your

district’s attorney and do an analysis that is specific to your superintendent – only then will you know if you have included all that is required under the law.

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Advocacy by school board members on behalf of Arizona’s 1 million public school students is such a critical part of boardsmanship it is contained in the

vision statement of ASBA: Quality leadership and advocacy for children in public schools.

In fact, advocating for students in your school district and throughout the state of Arizona is inherent in your role as an elected policy maker. As a board member, you are an ambassador for your schools and students. You have the unique expertise about your school district and students that makes you a natural leader and best suited to inspire others to use their passion for public education to influence policymakers and help shape the future of education in Arizona.

What Is Advocacy? Advocacy comes in many different forms – from direct

lobbying to working with others as part of a coalition. In general, anytime you are working to influence decision-makers to policy creation, you are advocating. Generally, advocacy for public education is focused on the Arizona Legislature because this is where many important decisions – including the state budget - are made. However, it is important to remember that many other decision makers need to hear from you too. City councils, the State Board of Education and business and community groups all need your expertise and passion for public schools.

Learn the IssuesPart of your responsibility as a board member is to be well-

informed on important education issues facing your district and students. Ensure you are learning all you can about education issues facing your district and if there is an area in which you’re especially interested or that is unique to your district and its students, become an expert. Use this knowledge to become a resource for your legislators – let them know that you are the person to contact for accurate, reliable information regarding public schools in Arizona!

Utilize Available ResourcesThere are many resources available to assist your advocacy

efforts at the Legislature and in the community. Start with the ASBA website (www.azsba.org) to hear the latest news from the Arizona Capitol with the Daily In-Session Updates and review all education legislation in the Comprehensive Brief. In addition, ASBA’s Advocacy Guide provides step-by-step instructions on how to navigate the legislative process

and become an effective advocate. Consider joining ASBA Advocates! and work with ASBA staff and other school board members to connect with your legislators to make your voice heard at the Capital. Finally, join ASBA on Facebook and get the latest updates on issues facing public schools in Arizona and connect with other advocates statewide.

Join in the ASBA Political Agenda ProcessThe ASBA Political Agenda shapes the policy positions

of ASBA at the legislature and in the courts. This exciting democratic process is your chance to influence the legislative and legal priorities of the association – and it is critical to understand the process in order to make the most impact. Make the discussion of the Political Agenda a topic at your board meeting and send a well-informed delegate to the June Delegate Assembly. In addition, participate in the creation of ASBA’s Top 10 Priorities – understand the top 10 and advocate for them. (Please refer to the article in the Spring 2010 ASBA Journal for a detailed description of the process.)

Get Involved with Bond and Override CommitteesSchool board members need to understand the important

role they play in the success of bond and override campaigns. Working on these committees is a great opportunity to speak to varied audiences on behalf of your schools and expand your sphere of influence.

Be VocalIn order to be a champion for your school district and

students you must get the word out about your district’s needs and challenges. Get creative and utilize the communications tools you’re most comfortable with (email, Facebook, Twitter or face-to-face meetings). In addition to sharing needs and challenges, you must also share the good news in your district – especially with local media. Write a letter to the editor and let people know your schools are worthy of investment. Consider adding a “celebration” component to your board meeting agendas.

Get Involved PoliticallyIt doesn’t matter which side of the aisle you choose - learn

about candidates and find out if they support public education. PACs are a great way to get involved in campaigns at every level and learn more about the campaign process. Of course, the best way to have a say is to VOTE – and encourage others to do so, too!

Advocatingfor Students in the Community

and at the LegislatureBy Beth Sauer, ASBA Governmental Relations Analyst

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CAPITOL VIEWBy Janice Palmer, ASBA Director of Governmental Relations

School Personnel Reforms: Focusing on the Student, Honoring the Profession

The 2010 Legislative Session saw some of the most dramatic and beneficial reform to school

personnel issues that Arizona has ever seen, with children rather than adults as the firm priority. While Arizona is not alone in focusing on the needs of our children and the critical role a quality teacher plays in our children’s success, we are a state that began these changes before federal grants, such as Race to the Top, urged states to embark on this path.

The most promising changes actually were enacted twice. First, under HB 2008 in the 2009, 3rd Special Session, and then again in HB 2227 in the 2010, 2nd Regular Session. (The latter enactment was needed to remove legal ambiguity that could have negated the effect of the earlier enacted legislation.) The major provisions of these reforms include the prohibition on the use of seniority for retention priority, condensing the number of days allowed for a teacher to correct inadequate classroom performance from 85 days to 60 days after notice is given, and providing local district governing boards with flexibility for contract renewal and general salary reductions notification. All of these focus on one thing: ensuring the best and brightest teachers are in front of our children so that each and every child has the chance to succeed. Ancillary to this, it provides professionalism to teaching that for too long has not been valued. Now, teachers’ value will be based on the quality of their work, rather than the number of years employed. ASBA led the charge on these pieces of legislation,

with the help of school attorneys and key policymakers, and we continue to lead efforts to ensure effective implementation of these reforms

Of course, this puts added emphasis on a quality evaluation system that provides teachers with feedback to increase and sustain effectiveness, while moving those ineffective teachers out. The highly touted The New Teacher Project report, “The Widget Effect: Our National Failure to Acknowledge and Act on Differences in Teacher Effectiveness,” identified five main characteristics found as they relate to teacher evaluations: 1) all teachers are rated good or great (with between 94 percent and 99 percent of teachers receiving a satisfactory or higher rating!); 2) excellence goes unrecognized; 3) poor performance goes unaddressed; 4) inadequate professional development; and 5) no special attention to novices.

Because the principal’s primary role is to be the instructional leader of the school, principal evaluations have also come under scrutiny. The Wallace Foundation funded The Vanderbilt Assessment of Leadership in Education (VAL-ED) to provide a comprehensive assessment of leadership effectiveness. Unfortunately, subsequent research has found a lack of congruency between current principal evaluation practices and research-based criteria for effective leadership, as outlined in VAL-ED.

Quality evaluations are a challenging task, yet developing these tools is a task of the utmost importance to ensure that reform produces the desired results in student achievement. To address this, SB 1040 was also passed. It requires

the State Board of Education to adopt and maintain a model framework for a teacher and principal evaluation instrument that uses quantitative data on student academic progress for at least 33 percent and up to 50 percent of the evaluation outcomes and best practices for professional development and evaluator training by Dec. 15, 2011. School districts and charter schools are required to implement these instruments for the 2012-13 school year. Couple this with Arizona’s Race to the Top application, which requires the State Board of Education to appoint a task force to advise the board on the outlined items above, and you see an absolute commitment to put our students first, while heightening the professional status of teachers and principals. The State Board appointed task force members at their June meeting. ASBA has partnered with the Arizona Superintendents Association to provide leadership through the development phase of these teacher and principal evaluations and we continue to support extraordinary administrators who have volunteered to take on the creation of a model framework and instrument.

Though brief, this outline of Arizona school personnel reforms illustrates that huge changes are on our doorstep. Even with the two significant pieces of legislation enacted, there is much work to be done in the interim. Laws are only as effective as their implementation. For the sake of our students’ and Arizona’s future, all of us must be unified in this endeavor.

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We have great potential in this state. If you ask people living in Arizona what they love about their state, they will say that Arizonans have a

great entrepreneurial and innovative spirit. Arizona is a young state, a place where we embrace new people and ideas, a place where people can be newcomers yet easily gain access to decision makers and get things done more quickly than in other states. We live in boundless nature and beauty. We have a great deal of pride for being Arizonan, and we believe in our potential for a thriving, dynamic community and economy. It has been a challenging time for us over the last couple of years, but we are resilient and we will make the future bright.

At the same time, let us consider the current reality. Arizona faces a devastating achievement and opportunity gap for children growing up in low-income schools, which in our state make up half of all public schools. Only 15 percent of Arizona’s fourth-grade students who are eligible for free or reduced-price school lunch, an indicator of poverty, perform at or above proficient in math (2009 National Assessment of Educational Progress). In reading, only 13 percent perform at

or above proficient (2007 National Assessment of Educational Progress). Only 10 percent of Arizona’s eighth-grade students who are growing up in poverty are proficient in reading and math, and they often attend high schools where half of the student population will not graduate. For those who do graduate, they are less likely than graduates in any other state to go to college.

These disparities are cause for great concern, and we must take collective responsibility for changing them. We need to cultivate Arizona’s students to become the leaders we need them to be, to help us build the Arizona we want for ourselves and our children. Whether your primary concern is education, the economy or society, the foundation for greater success is ensuring that all children have an equal opportunity to attain an excellent education.

Fortunately, we are seeing a number of examples that demonstrate that it is both possible and realistic to believe that we can close the achievement and opportunity gaps for our highest-need students. Just five years ago, few would have anticipated the progress that school systems such as those garnering national attention in New Orleans and Washington, D.C., would be making, and few would have anticipated the pace of policy change at the federal, state and local levels which is making it much easier to build high-performing schools and school systems. The KIPP charter school network, YES College Prep and the Harlem Children’s Zone are also strong examples of the success that is possible for students who face great challenges.

Intent on closing the achievement and opportunity gaps in Arizona, Teach For America has partnered with public and charter schools in Phoenix since 1994 to place nearly 1,200 teachers and has reached more than 140,000 local students.

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Teach For America is the national corps of outstanding recent college graduates who commit to teach for two years in urban and rural public schools and become lifelong leaders in expanding educational opportunity. We have worked with a variety of school districts and charter school networks to recruit, select, train and support teachers committed to ensuring that all students receive an outstanding education. Thanks to our community partnerships, our scale has grown over the years to the point where, in the 2010-11 school year alone, more than 300 Teach For America teachers will teach 20,000 students in Phoenix public schools. These teachers will join nearly 500 Teach For America alumni in Arizona, the majority of whom are still working in the education sector today. In addition to serving as teachers, dozens of alumni have become instructional coaches, school administrators, university instructors and school board members.

Working in partnership over the past 16 years with schools and districts that are committed to providing an excellent education to our low-income students, we have seen many examples that demonstrate that the achievement gap can be closed. We have learned a great deal about what it will take to close the gap and have seen many opportunities to increase our collective impact. Over the last four years in particular, we have witnessed what a committed school district can accomplish in partnership with a critical mass of corps members and alumni. In 2006, the Roosevelt Elementary School District drew attention in the community as more than half of its schools were failing and it was on the verge of state takeover by the Arizona Department of Education. At that time, the superintendent committed to a variety of reform efforts, including significantly expanding the district’s partnership with Teach For America.

Our teachers strive to make greater gains with their students than are typically expected in one school year and to provide life-enriching opportunities that are standard for students in more affluent communities. Collaborating with school and district leadership, and providing focused support on improving student achievement makes a difference. In just three years, Roosevelt went from having more than half of its schools failing to having 95 percent ranked “performing“ and “performing plus.” The district leadership is ambitiously planning for even more growth in the future. This is a wonderful example of the opportunity that exists when motivated and committed teachers and leaders work within schools and districts to collectively close the achievement gap.

As an organization, Teach For America’s goal is that our corps of first- and second-year teachers will perform, on average, as well as our nation’s top quartile of teachers. Given the evidence that having a top-quartile teacher three years in a row moves students a full quartile against the academic norm, reaching this goal will have transformative outcomes for children.

What’s encouraging is that we are seeing that there is nothing elusive about what it takes to create these transformative outcomes. Always, whether it is at the classroom, school or system level, change begins with leadership—committed people who believe in their students, who establish visions of success and inspire others (whether students and families or faculty members or community members) to work with them, who take a strategic and purposeful approach and will do whatever it takes to achieve great results.

Still, we must determine what it will take to provide equal educational opportunity for all students at the scale of the whole system. As much as we are seeing change, we have not moved the needle enough against the comprehensive problem. While 75 percent of children in the top economic quartile will graduate from college within six years, only 10 percent of children in the bottom economic quartile will do so. The challenge before us in Arizona is daunting, and it is compounded by a number of factors: Arizona ranks 49th in per-pupil funding, according to the most recent U.S. Census, and we have inadequate systems for tracking student academic progress. Our students come to school carrying with them the additional challenges associated with poverty.

With all of the issues that face our students growing up in poverty, our state must do all we can to provide our schools and our teachers the support they need. Given that educational leadership remains one of the most central ingredients to progress, we at Teach For America aim to foster the leadership of our alumni as a force for change. We support alumni who pursue careers in teaching, and school and district leadership. We have also seen political leadership and effective advocacy organizations play an invaluable role in making it possible for educational leaders to be successful.

It is inspiring to look forward to the impact we can have by working together to end educational inequity. The progress we have already made in our nation would have been unthinkable 20 years ago, and, 20 years from now, we will be a fundamentally different and better place. We are excited to start this new chapter together in Arizona. Knowing that change is possible, we look to support communities and leadership to play a fundamental role in fueling that change. Since Teach For America’s charter year in Phoenix, we have seen that our teachers have had great success in working to close the achievement gap in some of the Valley’s highest-need communities. We are confident and hopeful that in partnership with our corps members, alumni, schools, communities, government and other nonprofit organizations, collectively, we will fuel a movement in support of educational excellence and equity that is truly unstoppable.

About the writer: Pearl Chang Esau is executive director of Teach for America – Phoenix.

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A front-page headline above the fold is a strategic alert to the reader. When it is about a local school district, a spotlight shines brightly on that district. In 2008,

the Creighton Elementary School District in Phoenix received troubling news: It had been labeled as the only “failing” district in the state of Arizona. As a consequence, CESD had the dubious distinction of being slated for state takeover. Six of the nine schools were designated as “underperforming,” and one was identified as “failing to make academic progress” in the Arizona Learns accountability system. But in a remarkable turnaround, the district, with the support of a dynamic partnership with the Ellis Center for Educational Excellence and WestEd, has taken huge strides in improving student performance, the quality of classroom instruction and changing the culture at all the schools. At the end of the partnership’s second year, there is now one “highly performing” school, six “performing plus”, and one “performing.” And, the partnership’s effort continues. What is the focus of the reform effort, and how did Creighton and its partners achieve this dramatic change?

This partnership was formed in April 2008, in keeping with the Ellis Center’s board of directors’ goal to make a significant difference in support of systemic district improvement. Although that term may have many different connotations, the Ellis board’s commitment of five years of funding for ongoing interventions and support have helped boost student achievement scores two years in a row.

The Ellis Center, a local education philanthropy formed in 2006, is committed to supporting systemic district improvement and comprehensive reform in Arizona’s public schools. Its mission is predicated on the belief that:

If school districts create and institutionalize a culture of continuous improvement in their goals, outcome and operations—referenced against best practices in all key system areas: standards, curriculum, institutional practice, assessment, professional and

leadership development, parental and community engagement, data management, finance, and others—student achievement will increase, the minority achievement gap will be narrowed, and students will enjoy a greater chance of success in post-secondary education and future societal participation. The center had no experience with implementing its

ambitious mission. To meet this challenge, it formed a partnership with WestEd, whose DistrictsMovingUp (DMU) project was designed to provide ongoing professional development to districts seeking the kind of sustainable comprehensive reform that the Ellis Center envisioned. And the Ellis Center was willing to commit to funding a district-wide intervention for five years. The Ellis Board chose WestEd as a partner because of its experience in working with districts in need of comprehensive systemic improvement. Its staff had demonstrated success in

turning around low-performing schools and districts over the past 10 years. WestEd has been a leader in moving research into practice by conducting research and development programs, projects and evaluations; by providing training and technical assistance; and by working with policymakers and practitioners at state and local levels to carry out large-scale school improvement and innovative change efforts.

The Ellis Center wanted to work initially with one Maricopa County school district. In selecting a district the team adapted an eight-part criteria based on the work of David H. Florio. The criteria included reviews of stability of leadership, results, political atmosphere, systems,

influence, equity and diversity, coherence of services and size. Nineteen districts in federal corrective action in Maricopa

County were considered during the selection process. Creighton impressed the DMU team with its openness to change and readiness to benefit from the intense work ahead. The central office, under the leadership of Superintendent Charlotte Boyle, welcomed the opportunity as evidenced by the transparency of their responses to the questions during the

A Path to Success: How One Arizona District

Moved from ‘Failing’ to ‘Performing Plus’

By Dr. Charlotte Boyle and Phyllis J. Schwartz A+

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preliminary steps of the needs assessment. They were hungry to improve and seemed willing to take a hard look at what needed to be done. Assistant Superintendent Jim Bogner noted that their “attempts at systemic change have been like climbing an ice wall, inching forward then slipping down.” WestEd responded by offering to supply the pegs of support through interventions that could move the district forward and prevent further slippage. The Creighton governing board was also committed to seeking interventions that would increase student achievement for every child. This was no small task in a district with 7,600 students, and where 91 percent receive free and reduced lunch and 44 percent receive ELL services. Approximately 300 students are homeless. Eight-six percent of the student population are identified as Hispanic, 6 percent are White, 4 percent are Black, 3 percent are Native American and 1percent are Asian. All schools are Title I under NCLB.

WestEd knows from research and decades of experience that a one-size-fits-all approach does not work in comprehensive reform efforts. Its DMU team developed a customized proposal based on individual district strengths and needs. The DMU process begins with an intensive needs assessment, followed by the development of a unique action plan. This action plan is the focus of systemic implementation and monitoring, and evaluation. The work is built around 10 evidence-based principles of district improvement. In Creighton, 20 areas in need of attention were identified in the needs assessment phase, and a team of 55 teachers, parents and district leaders selected three major areas for the first year: • to focus unwaveringly on good instruction that reflects

sound research and best practices, • to align standards, curriculum, assessment and instruction, and • to build capacity to develop and effectively use common

formative assessments.Professional development training and continuous

coaching is a key element of DMU’s improvement approach. All Creighton staff have been trained by the WestEd staff in the Teach For Success (T4S) model of instruction, the English Learners and the Language Arts instruction model (ELLA), and Local Accountability and Professional Development Series for standards, curriculum and assessment alignment (LAPDS). The details of these interventions, as outlined in the action plan, have received support from the Creighton governing board, district leadership, parent community and the Creighton staff. Everyone is held accountable, and there is a sense of urgency for the overarching mission: student success. The board and central office are also concerned with reform in all of its subsystems, and this means that financial, IT, data systems, as well as internal and external communication systems have been reviewed and improved.

The district is about to begin its third year of the five-year partnership. The hard work will intensify in year three. However, the results of the first two years of this work are impressive. In addition to the success with the AZ Learns accountability system

and moving far away from being a “failing district,” student scores are on an upward trajectory as evidenced by the student reading data (see attached table). The reclassification of ELL students is equally impressive. In year two there has a focus on ELLA instruction for English language learners. In grades 6-8 there has been an increase in the reclassification rate from 31 percent in 2009 to 47 percent in 2010. With all teachers now trained in the new strategies, further success in this area is predicted.

The district is building its capacity for sustaining success is this ongoing work. In the words of Suzanne Schweiger-Nitchals, governing board president, “The job of the school board is to make sure everyone in the district has their eyes on the prize. In our case the prize is academic achievement for all students. That achievement needs to be as high as it can get. Our children have only one chance at learning and we have to give them all we have. This is what having WestEd and the Ellis Center involved in our district has done for Creighton. It allows everyone to keep their attention on student achievement and give every student all we’ve got: A prize worth working for.” Now, that is a worthy headline.

Creighton Student Reading Data: 2008 to 2010 % Meets or Exceeds Proficiency

2008 2009 2010 Change from 2008 to 2010

Hispanic or Latino

46.8 56.1 64 + 17.2

Students with Disabilities

13.2 20.1 21 + 7.8

District: All Students

48.5 57.5 64 + 15.5

State: All Students

68.5 71.5 74 + 5.5

About the writers: Dr. Charlotte Boyle has served as the superintendent of the Creighton School District for the past eight years. During her extensive tenure in the district, she has also served as a teacher, principal and as assistant superintendent for educational services. Presently Dr. Boyle is an adjunct professor at ASU and has taught a doctoral class on school superintendency for several years. In spring 2009, she was the recipient of the national UCEA Excellence in Educational Leadership Award, an annual recognition for practicing school administrators who have made significant contributions to the improvement of administrator preparation.

Phyllis J. Schwartz is the Arizona project director for WestEd’s DistrictsMovingUp project. Prior to joining WestEd, she served as associate superintendent for school effectiveness at the Arizona Department of Education where she led the state’s efforts for school and district improvement. During her tenure there, she had responsibility for the departments of early childhood education, K-12 literacy, special populations, education technology, standards, best practices and school improvement. She has worked as a teacher and principal in both elementary and middle schools, and she taught reading at ASU West.

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In a 2008 New York Times column titled “The Biggest Issue,” writer David Brooks noted, “By age 5, it is possible to predict, with depressing accuracy, who will complete

college and who won’t.” This quote rushed to my mind recently as I spent the afternoon with a group of seasoned kindergarten teachers. They spoke with great passion about the kids in their classrooms and the sometimes overwhelming responsibility to get the students off to a good start on their academic journey. Most compelling was their lament that fewer and fewer children were coming to kindergarten prepared to succeed, even as Arizona’s expectations for them were increasing.

Their comments were a profound reminder of what we hear every day from neuroscientists, economists and educators—that the first five years of a child’s life set the foundation for success both in school and in life.

Traditionally, Arizona politicians had ignored the opportunity that early childhood represents to invest in our children’s future success – and we had the dismal statistics on child well-being to prove it. But, in 2006, Arizona became one of only a handful of states where early education and health services were put to a vote of the people. Arizonans made a commitment to kids five and younger: that they would have the tools to start school healthy and ready to succeed. They backed that commitment with an 80-cents-per-pack increase on tobacco products.

The voters also created the Arizona Early Childhood Development and Health Board, known as First Things First, to ensure that these funds were spent on evidence-based strategies that would help young children and their families receive services to promote early literacy, high-quality child care, preventive health services and family supports.

Ninety percent of the funds raised must go directly to those programs and services, and decisions about how to spend those funds are made by community volunteers, not government bureaucrats. More than 300 volunteers are engaged on local regional councils that provide recommendations to our state board for funding. They assess the needs and assets in their local region and develop strategies and approaches that build on existing funding streams and create innovative local partnerships—much like local school boards. Regional council members represent diverse backgrounds including health, K-12 education, philanthropy, child care, parents, early childhood educators, tribal communities and business.

To date, close to $300 million has been allocated to early education and health services for young kids in communities across Arizona. More than 330,000 children are being impacted by voluntary programs and services funded by First Things First. Some examples include:• Partnerships with 25 school districts across the state to

increase the number of preschool slots available;• Literacy initiatives through pediatricians and family support

programs;

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• Child care tuition scholarships to help struggling familiesafford safe, stable child care;

• College scholarships to help early childhood professionals earn degrees and expand their skills working with our youngest children;

• Loan reimbursement to encourage speech, language and occupational therapists to work in rural communities so that children in need of their services don’t have to travel long distances or do without the support they need;

• Screenings and fluoride treatments to prevent oral disease, a major cause of school absenteeism;

• Physicians training on cognitive, developmental and social emotional milestones;

• Nutrition counseling and obesity prevention; and • Support for child care centers and homes that want to

improve the quality of the educational services they provide.Sadly, all of these early interventions – which prevent the

need for costlier remedial and special education services later on – are in danger of disappearing. The Arizona Legislature has placed a measure on the November ballot – Proposition 302 – that would eliminate First Things First and the programs funded by the citizens’ vote in 2006. Instead, the Legislature wants to send those tobacco revenues to the general fund to be spent at the discretion of politicians forever.

This move came after First Things First offered a $300 million interest-free loan to the state to assist with the budget crisis. Legislative leadership rejected this offer and instead decided to gamble with our kids’ future. The First Things First board has passed a resolution opposing this measure and urging Arizonans to do everything in their power to preserve early childhood services. We believe that in November voters will reconfirm their commitment to our youngest children.

Early Childhood, the Beginning of the Education Continuum

One of the most significant milestones of academic progress is reading scores in third grade. In fact, this year, lawmakers passed a bill that requires schools to retain all third graders who are not reading at grade level. If we expect our kids to be reading by third grade, we can’t afford to wait until they are five to build the foundations of literacy. One predictor of third-grade literacy is the number of vocabulary words a child has acquired by age five. This means making sure that kids are in environments rich in literacy, that they have the opportunity to bond with a parent or caregiver, that if they are in an out-of-home setting that it is a high-quality experience, that professionals working with young children have a strong background and education in early childhood development and health, and that young children have access to early intervention and preventive health services including dental check-ups and fluoride treatments. In other words – everything that First Things First and its early childhood partners are working to achieve.

First Things First is working closely with the Arizona Department of Education to align early learning experiences with our state academic standards. The Arizona Early Learning Standards were developed by the Department of Education to provide a framework for a rich curriculum for preschoolers. The standards are aligned with the K-12 academic standards and cover a broad range of skill development. First Things First integrates the dissemination and utilization of these standards throughout early care and education settings.

These standards are the basis for the early developmental guidelines for infants and toddlers. Infant and toddler developmental guidelines have the potential for significant impact on physical and social/emotional growth, on providing the conditions infants and toddlers need to learn effectively, and on promoting quality early experiences to improve child outcomes. First Things First began this work in April 2010 and these guidelines will be completed by September 2010.

Measuring Success

It is not enough for us to simply fund programs and services and hope that we are getting it right. We have made a commitment to the voters, taxpayers and children of Arizona that First Things First would not be business as usual - that we would do things differently, we would hold ourselves accountable. Most noteworthy is the longitudinal impact study of the early childhood system to support school readiness conducted by a university consortia (University of Arizona, Arizona State University, Northern Arizona University). The longitudinal evaluation consists of two major studies: Longitudinal Child Study of Arizona (LCSA) and Family and Community Case Study (FCCS).

The LCSA has begun data collection on more than 8,000 Arizona children. Each participant will be assessed every other year on constructs including height and weight, language/math skills, child development, family and home environment, parenting, child care, child health, use of services and household income. Measures will occur at nine months, preschool age and at kindergarten.

At First Things First, we know that getting children ready for school means more than packing their lunches, filling their backpacks and getting them to the bus on time. In fact, the job of helping children succeed in school starts the day they’re born. As the beginning of the education continuum, we are proud of our partnerships with K-12 school districts across Arizona and look forward to expanding those to ensure that all students have the opportunity to achieve to their full academic potential.

About the writer: Rhian Evans Allvin has served in a variety of roles at state and national nonprofit organizations learning the ins and outs of public policy, philanthropy and advocacy along the way. She was appointed in December 2009 to the role of executive director of First Things First.

It is more important than ever for students to pursue their education beyond high school if they hope to compete in the highly competitive international economy. By 2013 less than

2 percent of new high-growth jobs in Arizona that pay a livable wage will be open to students who do not have at least a high school diploma. At the same time, high school graduation rates have stalled at about 70 percent nationally for 40 years, and for those students who do enroll in postsecondary education, nearly 60 percent require remedial coursework in math and/or English in community college. Those numbers are even higher in Arizona. In order to offer our students a better chance for a promising future we need system-level change. The recent passage of the Move On When Ready legislation (HB2731) does just that.

Move On When Ready is designed to raise academic achievement for all students to national and international standards and prepare them to a college-ready level. Students who demonstrate readiness for college through participation in board examination systems can earn a performance-based high school diploma, the Grand Canyon Diploma, as early as age 16, which offers multiple high-value education options.

Far from setting low expectations and fast-tracking students to high school graduation, earning the new Grand Canyon Diploma will prepare students well beyond today’s graduation requirements.

The LegislationThe Move On When Ready legislation retains all current

options open to students for high school study while providing new, completely voluntary options and tools for schools and students to:

• Raise academic achievement for all students to national and international standards.

• Allow students to advance based on their demonstrated learning rather than on seat time in class.

• Provide students with multiple, high-value education options within and beyond the high school setting once they demonstrate they are ready for community college without remediation.

• Offer students who demonstrate readiness for community college work, and/or career and technical-level work, the Grand Canyon Diploma as early as the end of their sophomore year.

The Grand Canyon Diploma is designed to help all students achieve their career goals of a license, associate’s degree or bachelor’s degree on a solid academic foundation, opening doors closed to many students today.

To earn a Grand Canyon Diploma, students must participate in board examination systems and demonstrate readiness for college-level math and English according to standards prescribed by an interstate board examination systems consortium. Students also must have passing grades on an additional set of required, approved board examination courses. These courses will be determined by the Arizona State Board of Education as early as this fall.

Participating schools will offer at least one lower division board examination system to incoming freshmen. The participating schools will continue to receive a substantial portion of the per pupil funding for students who qualify

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for the Grand Canyon Diploma and move on to approved postsecondary study until that student would otherwise have graduated at the end of grade 12. Those funds may be utilized by schools to provide student and teacher incentives, customized programs of support for struggling students, and to help offset the cost of the board examination systems.

Board Examination Systems

Despite the name, board examinations are not just another test. Board examination systems are complete instructional systems that are used around the world and in the United States in many of the most successful educational systems in existence. While they will require students to far exceed what is currently expected of them through AIMS, they are not elite systems. They are designed to successfully prepare all students to high academic standards.

Board examinations are available for all subjects, ranging from the standard academic courses, to physical education, music and art, as well as career and technical courses. They are comprehensive in their approach and include the following components: a coherent group of courses that constitute a core curriculum at the high school level; a comprehensive syllabus for each course; appropriate instructional and teaching materials for each course; high-quality examinations that are closely aligned with the course syllabus; professional scoring of examinations; and teacher engagement and professional development that is designed to train teachers to successfully teach those courses.

Providers of these internationally recognized board examination systems include ACT QualityCore, Cambridge International Examinations, Edexcel/Pearson, College Board and International Baccalaureate.

Student OptionsStudents who pass these criteria would qualify to earn a

Grand Canyon Diploma and could graduate as early as age 16, if they are prepared and if their families agree.

Options available to graduates include:• Remaining in high school and enrolling in an upper level

of board examination systems designed to prepare students for entrance to selective baccalaureate-degree granting institutions such as Arizona State University, Northern Arizona University, the University of Arizona, as well as other universities across the nation.

• Graduating early and enrolling in full-time community college courses on the students’ current high school campus or on a community college campus.

• Enrolling in a full-time career and technical education program leading to an industry certification. These programs may be offered on a community college campus, a high school campus or a joint technical education district campus – or any combination of these campuses.

Students who take the exam at the end of their sophomore year in high school but do not qualify to earn a Grand Canyon

Diploma will remain in high school and have the opportunity to continue to work toward the diploma.

Next StepsPassage of the Arizona legislation has cleared the way for a

year of planning in which the model will be further developed and refined prior to its implementation in early adopter schools in fall 2011.

The Center for the Future of Arizona, which played a key role in bringing the Move On When Ready concept to Arizona and in the passage of HB2731, will continue to work collaboratively with education partners across the state to lead the planning year. This initial work was supported in large part by Arizona’s philanthropic community. Key partners include Helios Education Foundation, the Arizona Community Foundation, the Rodel Charitable Foundation of Arizona, Sundt Foundation and the John Whiteman Foundation.

In May, the Center for the Future of Arizona hosted a statewide summit which launched the planning year. It featured presentations by the National Center for Education and the Economy (NCEE), which is leading the national Move On When Ready effort, and several board examination providers. The event was attended by more than 150 people representing PreK-12, philanthropy, business and industry, higher education and elected officials.

In addition, the Center for the Future of Arizona has met with school and district representatives interested in becoming early adopters, hosted an informational symposium series featuring three board examination system providers, and is holding teacher focus groups throughout the state to obtain feedback regarding the Move On When Ready model, curriculum and assessments.

The Center for the Future of Arizona also is working to secure federal and foundation grants to support any start-up costs for early adopter schools. In collaboration with the NCEE State Consortium on Board Examination Systems, Arizona has already submitted two federal grants. If awarded, Arizona stands to gain just over $4 million to support schools in implementing the Move On When Ready model.

Move On When Ready offers tremendous opportunity for our students in Arizona. The Center for the Future of Arizona is excited about the significant progress made and looks forward to continuing this work in close collaboration with partners nationally and across the state. We welcome the opportunity to discuss with interested individuals and organizations ways in which they can engage in and support this work.

About the writer: Sybil Francis, Ph.D., is executive director for the Center for the Future of Arizona, a Phoenix-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that combines public-policy research with collaborative partnerships and initiatives to address issues critical to the state. CFA serves as the state’s liaison with the National Center on Education and the Economy (NCEE), which is leading the national Move On When Ready effort. Contact her at Sybil.Francis@asu.edu or visit www.arizonafuture.org for more information.

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Providing quality education to all students is the goal of any teacher, school, administrator or district. Arizona strengthened that goal in 2007 with the creation of a tool

that would allow for prediction and accountability. Through collaborative efforts of various local and state agencies, the Arizona Growth Model was developed to aid in a student’s educational path in Arizona. Since its implementation, the Arizona Growth Model has helped public schools and teachers accurately predict a student’s growth potential while aiding in planning and school accountability.

HistoryThe Arizona Growth Model was created from a federal

grant given to Colorado, Arizona, Ohio, Florida and Stanford University. In Arizona, the grant went to the Arizona State Board for Charter Schools and the Arizona Charter Schools Association. The goal was to create a tool schools and teachers could use to better predict a student’s academic performance on standardized tests. Instead of looking at a simple snapshot of a student’s performance, the growth model would take into account past standardized test scores and peer performance, plotting a point of potential achievement for the student in the upcoming year.

The Arizona Charter Schools Association began by calculating this measure for every student in the state that took the Arizona Instrument to Measure Success (AIMS) in the spring of 2005 through 2009. The files used to complete the analysis include past growth percentile data and test scores for all students, grades 4 to 8. A complete picture of the student over time began to form. The model doesn’t rely on one test score, but a series of data points that help us see how this student might perform compared to his peers. Information like this is invaluable as it gives teachers and schools a better starting point for making the necessary changes to help the student reach higher levels of achievement.

How It Works The function of the Arizona Growth Model is simple.

Students are compared to academic peers from year to

year so the results are not skewed by income levels, parental involvement, race or gender. Growth percentiles use multiple years of a student’s test scores to show how each student is progressing from year to year and to estimate the student’s expected future academic performance. This enables teachers to act now on timely data, rather than looking at test results long after the school year ends and it is too late to help students.

This data becomes valuable at the beginning of a school year as teachers prepare for the range of learners in the classroom. Using growth percentile data, teachers and schools can determine if a student made typical growth compared to similar students. Teachers model their instruction after the classroom make up, allowing more time to prepare for learners of all levels. They can spot a student’s weak areas in order to give the student extra help to meet state standards. Teachers can spot trends in a student’s learning so they can encourage more, faster growth or act quickly to stop a downward drift. Students who meet or exceed state standards can forge ahead in learning, staying on track to college and a productive career.

The data is available to parents as they track their student’s progress and monitor their growth over the years. Like a teacher, the parent can see where the student is weak and help provide additional assistance in guiding the student to higher levels of academic success. Because the data is timely and provided before the beginning of the year, parents and teachers can begin to take the necessary steps needed to ensure a specific level of growth for that student.

Breaking Down the Data In the graph below, we see an example of a student’s

growth model report in math and reading. Over a three-year time period, a student has been tracked by her standardized test scores and compared to her peers with similar scores.

Success of the Model Thus far, we have seen many positive outcomes from

the creation and use of the Arizona Growth Model. Creating the model provided a unique opportunity for multiple state agencies to collaborate on a tool that would benefit all

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Arizona students. The discussion was centered on finding a data-driven tool that combined all of our collective goals of student achievement. Districts and charters started a dialogue on best practices and how this information could affect their schools. The collaboration alone was well worth the endeavor, allowing groups who had no regular interaction with one another to come together on a shared goal.

Mesa Unified School District and Scottsdale Unified School District were just two of the first districts to adopt the Arizona Growth Model as a means of clear data-driven decision making in their goal of becoming an excelling district. The association partnered with the Scottsdale district in a series of training seminars on how the growth model data could be used in their schools and classrooms. Data analysis conducted by the association on Scottsdale USD proved valuable for their mission to continually work for the highest level of student achievement. The association was able to assert itself as a reliable source of data while giving the district a tool to be successful.

The association is continuously looking for new ways to incorporate this system in schools across the state. The use of this data will allow any school to better focus their students on a path of excelling student achievement. Decisions will be data driven, improving the chance for a student’s academic success.

Moving ForwardThe Arizona Growth Model shines a spotlight on

Arizona’s most effective schools – district and charter – that

produce the highest sustained academic rates of growth in students. It has already had positive affects not only on student achievement, but collaborative efforts to work relentlessly for the highest student achievement possible. It helps parents, schools and policymakers focus on quality schools moving students academically forward and those schools that may need intervention as students struggle to learn and understand state standards in math and reading. Above all, it gives educators, leaders and the state a clear picture of what is possible for Arizona’s students.

The growth model is a sustainable means for affecting positive change. The data has given teachers a new insight into their students and what needs to be done to help students achieve at their highest level. The best way to support the further use of the Arizona Growth Model is to learn about it. Learn more about the model at azcharters.org/growthpercentiles.

The Arizona Growth Model has the potential of bringing about serious change in Arizona. It is a tool teachers, policy makers, leaders, parents and anyone involved in education can use to create a new educational landscape. Strong data needs to drive our battle in educational inequities. Through the use of growth percentiles, Arizona students will be given a new opportunity to learn and achieve.

About the writer: Rebecca Gau is vice president of the Arizona Charter Schools Association.

In first graph, you can see three scores plotted over the student’s early academic career. Based on the student’s growth percentile on past AIMs tests and the scores of the student’s peers, a plot is set for the student in the upcoming years’ “Next Test.” The student could reach any of these potential levels if proper measures are taken. Based on the growth over the last three years, the student could fall back to “Fails” if nothing is done. This is the picture that is painted for the parent and educator. Data is used to support growth and give all parties involved a clear picture of what is possible for the student. This picture supplemented with other data will help ensure the student reaches a higher level of student achievement.

The model not only shows the student’s level of achievement, but how the student has grown over her academic career. Instead of a small snapshot depicting the student’s current level of knowledge, we see where she came from, where she can go, and how fast she can get there.

Figure 1 - Example growth model report.

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It should come as no surprise that the recent proliferation of new education policies and funding at federal and state levels is designed to facilitate a new era of reform in

America. The overall effort to channel American education in new and innovative directions has presented an array of challenges and opportunities at all levels of the education continuum. Consequently, we are in the midst of a national dialogue on educational reform. This dialogue extends out from our nation’s capital to the steps of state departments of education, and into the boardrooms, administrative offices, school board and teacher associations, educational campuses and homes of those invested in student achievement.

It is here, within our local community and school district where the broad sweeping ideas of educational reform are carefully vetted in the context of local reality. It is here where the local school board, administrators, educators, students, families, volunteers, and community partners systematically work together to develop plans for implementing reform. And it is here where new policies and financial investments are transformed into daily practice. Reform is, after all, a local phenomenon, occurring within each school and within each classroom, one student at a time.

It is axiomatic that within this context, success in implementing and sustaining reform efforts over the long-

term is best achieved when school districts and governing boards are able to exercise local control across a broad range of decision-making activities which include, but are not limited to 1) the development of plans that provide a roadmap specifying educational goals to be achieved, standards to be included in instruction and the pacing of those standards throughout the year; 2) the design of curriculum and the selection of resources to help support curriculum implementation; 3) the development and/or selection of assessment and reporting tools designed to measure student progress on a continuous basis and in ways that provide information to inform instructional decision-making; and 4) the selection and adoption of technology-based instructional improvement systems that effectively integrate a full range of online tools which offer rapid and flexible access to instructional planning, assessment, intervention and reporting.

More generally conceived, local empowerment can be manifested in several interrelated ways. First and foremost, it involves the identification of local reform goals aligned with public policy. Second, it involves the careful selection and adoption of the “best-fit” assessment, reporting, curricula and instructional approaches to achieve those goals. Third, local empowerment calls for ongoing collaboration between the local school board, school administration and education

–

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staff in ways that help build consensus for the planning, implementation, management and evaluation of locally adopted reform practices.

While state or federal agencies often define desired reform outcomes in both broad and specific terms, local ingenuity and ownership in decision-making for achieving those outcomes is the key to success. The local school board, in particular, plays a central role in helping to ensure local initiative in selecting and implementing educational reform activities, such as a comprehensive, locally designed assessment and instructional program offering a “best fit” for the district. The board can also strengthen local empowerment by helping to facilitate effective collaborative partnerships with key stakeholders both within and beyond the school district. This might include collaboration with the state department of education, community partners, education and professional organizations, and organizations/businesses that provide reform solutions through technological innovation and expertise in the areas of assessment, curriculum, research and instructional improvement system services.

The primacy of local empowerment as an essential component of educational reform can be seen in a variety of major reform initiatives currently underway. These include the School Improvement Grants (SIG) initiative, the Investing in Innovation (i3) initiative and the Race to the Top (RTTT) initiative.

The SIG initiative, for example, is intended to provide funds to be used to improve student achievement in Title I schools identified for improvement, corrective action, or restructuring so that these schools can progress toward making adequate yearly progress (AYP) and exit improvement status. A key aspect of this initiative is to ensure that the local education agency (LEA) is vested with the authority to select an appropriate school intervention model and determine how to best implement the model in the schools being served. A second key aspect of the initiative is that the selection of a model be based on the LEA’s careful analysis of local needs and capacity. One model for example, the Turnaround Model, calls for the local school district to use data to identify and implement an instructional improvement program that is research-based and aligned to state academic standards. The model also requires the use of student data (such as that from formative, interim and summative assessments) to inform and differentiate instruction. In fact, Arizona’s Turnaround Framework4, includes a call for local school districts to select and implement a comprehensive assessment system that includes, but is not limited to, a benchmark assessment system aligned to the local curriculum and state standards that can be used to inform teachers about student learning for instructional decision-making.

The i3 initiative provides another illustration of the importance of local decision making in educational reform

activities. The i3 fund supports LEA efforts to select and implement innovative and evidence-based practices, programs and strategies that, among other things, significantly improves the achievement of K-12 students, closes achievement gaps, and enhances teacher and school leader effectiveness. For example, under Absolute Priority 2 (Innovations that Improve the Use of Data), funds are provided to LEAs, charter schools, nonprofit organizations working with

LEA(s) or a consortium of schools to support strategies, practices or programs designed to 1) encourage and facilitate the evaluation, analysis, and use of student achievement or student growth data to inform decision making, improve student achievement, and enhance teacher, principal, school, or LEA performance and productivity.

The focus on local decision making as a key component of educational reform is nowhere as salient as in the RTTT initiative. One of four major areas of reform within the initiative is to build data systems that measure student growth and successes, and that inform teachers and principals about how to improve instruction. These systems are being called instructional improvement systems. An instructional improvement system is generally conceived of as a technology-based, data-driven, standards-aligned, integrated system comprised of assessment, reporting and instructional tools that can be used to support LEA efforts to elevate student achievement. Among other things, the RTTT initiative calls for an increase in the acquisition, adoption, and use of a local instructional improvement system that provides district stakeholders with the information and resources needed to inform and improve instruction, decision making and overall effectiveness.

Reform in Action through a Local Instructional Improvement System

As illustrated in SIG, i3, and RTTT, one of the overarching themes embodied in the new educational reform movement is local school district selection and use of technology-based instructional improvement systems that include innovative approaches to assessment, reporting, curriculum

It is here, within our local community and

school district where the broad sweeping ideas of educational reform are carefully vetted in the context of local reality.

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and intervention to assist students in achieving new levels of learning. This focus offers an important opportunity for districts and their boards to more closely explore what works, and to strengthen their capacity to select and implement an approach that offers a “best-fit” for their district. In fact, one of the most widespread reform activities occurring in Arizona today is the adoption of technology-based instructional improvement systems. For example, as of this writing, 119 school districts and charter schools ranging in size from a few hundred to over 33,000 students have adopted the same instructional improvement system developed here in Arizona and introduced more than a decade ago. The instructional improvement system was and continues to be part of a grassroots effort between local school districts and Assessment Technology Incorporated to create and continually adapt an instructional improvement system to meet the current and future needs of local school districts, advances in technology and research, and changes in public policy, standards and practice.

Given the prevalence of local instructional improvement system adoption in Arizona, let’s take a look at the kinds of activities that might occur as a school district engages in the process of selecting and adopting an IIS to help put reform into action. In the broadest sense, an effective, technology-based instructional improvement system integrates a full array of online tools that provide all district stakeholders rapid and flexible access to instructional planning, assessment, intervention, and reporting tools. For district administrators, staff, and school board members wishing to utilize such a system as part of their educational decision making and management processes, one might consider the following five areas for questions, discussion and consensus building:

Identify Stakeholders and Roles In identifying options available from which to evaluate

and select a “best-fit” instructional improvement system

solution, how will input from stakeholders be gathered and taken into consideration? How will stakeholders be informed of the instructional improvement system options available? Will there be a formal review committee or will administrators seek stakeholder input?

Determine District GoalsIn order to effectively evaluate an instructional

improvement system for local deployment it is essential that the district identify immediate and long-term educational reform goals. A starting point for this process is the formulation of a few basic questions. For example: What are the overall goals of our district in using an instructional improvement system, benchmark testing, formative testing, instructional planning and/or intervention? What are our goals related to data and standardized tests? What are our goals for reporting assessment data? What are our goals for using the system to record grades and produce report cards? What are our goals related to providing educational content and monitoring curriculum implementation?

Develop Criteria for ConsiderationCriteria to be considered in evaluating the “best fit”

between an instructional improvement system and district goals might include taking a close look at the system’s assessment, automatic scoring and reporting, and instructional capabilities. Consideration should also be given to the extent to which the system can accommodate professional learning communities and provide flexibility both in system implementation options and adaptability to changes in standards and government requirements. Finally, the security measures, data management features and technical requirements of the system should be thoroughly vetted.

Establish Timelines and Determine the Selection Process

Timely implementation of a new instructional improvement system is the key to promoting successful outcomes. Consequently your district will want to work backwards from the desired implementation date in planning a realistic timeline for evaluating options and selecting an instructional improvement system. To facilitate this process a number of questions might be considered. Will the selection process require a request for proposal (RFP) and if so, how much time is needed to review RFP responses and move the process through district channels? If an RFP is not required, what selection process will be used, who is involved, and how much time is needed? How will our governing board be included in the process and how will their role impact the timeline? What post-selection tasks and customization (district pacing calendar aligned benchmarks) might impact the timeline?

While state or federal agencies often define

desired reform outcomes in both broad and specific

terms, local ingenuity and ownership in

decision-making for achieving those outcomes

is the key to success.

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Compare Technology SolutionsLocal control and empowerment is fully exercised

during the evaluation of the instructional improvement system options available and the eventual decision to select and adopt a particular instructional improvement system. Becoming fully informed about the options available, their strengths and limitations is essential to the success of this process. This can be accomplished in a number of ways. Gather information and materials including background research and referrals. Interview each organization offering an instructional improvement system solution and request an online walkthrough. This will allow you to preview systems and create a short list for presentations at the district. Request on-site presentations so that you can see firsthand the extent to which the various options meet your district’s needs. Ask for access to the system and assign staff to “try out” the system. Carefully review written proposals and cost estimates against your criteria and talk to other districts that use the instructional improvement system under consideration.

Looking AheadAs we have known for some time, we are well into a new

frontier of American education. Within this frontier changes in public policy, technological advances, and new directions in research and educational practice are helping to further empower local school districts to take the lead in elevating student achievement and in preparing our youth to thrive in a rapidly changing global society. Continual change and progress is a hallmark of education in the 21st century and not surprisingly, this environment of continual change is having a profound impact on the decisions and actions of local school boards and districts across Arizona. We have progressed from leaving no child behind and a focus on grades three through 10, to elevating student achievement from pre-k through college. As we continue to move forward in reforming education, it is important to keep in mind that real change

and, therefore, real reform is driven and sustained first and foremost by the efforts of the people it affects most directly – those at the local school district level. In this regard, education reform in Arizona is a local phenomenon, a shared responsibility and a message of local empowerment.

About the writer: Jason Feld, Ph.D., is vice president corporate projects for Assessment Technology Incorporated, developer of Galileo K-12 Online integrated instructional improvement system. He received an M.A. in psychology from New York University and his Ph.D. in educational psychology from the University of Arizona. His research and professional activities in child development, Pre-K and K-12 education, assessment, policy and practice span 25 years.In his position at ATI, Dr. Feld is responsible for assisting client partnerships as they create systemic change designed to enhance student achievement, for formulating and monitoring ATI responses to changes in governmental policies and societal positions related to education, and for formulating projects with K-12 and Pre-K policy implications. Dr. Feld coordinates partnership activities between ATI and WestEd for No Child Left Behind related school improvement activities. He establishes and maintains relationships with State Departments of Education and with federal and corporate organizations responsible for education policy and practice. For more information on how Galileo reporting tools coupled with curriculum and instructional dialog tools make it possible to continuously link information about student learning and instructional planning and teaching to promote standards mastery, visit ati-online.com.

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Many school officials are facing facility-related dilemmas today. Older campuses are experiencing high operating costs due to inefficient equipment

and outdated technologies. The ideal solution would be to renovate the facility and bring the school up to date with the latest technologies and high-performance features. Unfortunately, the budget for upgrades is virtually nonexistent in hard economic times.

But if your district can afford to upgrade or is ready to use an Energy Service Company (ESCO), now is the time to do so in order to take advantage of competitive contractor pricing and government rebates and incentives that focus on sustainable practices within schools. Updated HVAC units and Energy Management Systems should be considered in order to maximize your school renovation funds.

HVAC upgrades = Big Cost SavingsOne of the most obvious updates a school should

consider, especially in Arizona, is updating HVAC units to 13 SEER or higher. In 2006, the Department of Energy raised the standard for air conditioners and heat pumps to a minimum of 13 SEER (seasonal energy efficiency rating) for all manufacturers. HVAC units with a 13 SEER are 30 percent more efficient than the old standard of 10 SEER.

The purpose of the HVAC system is to filter air, heat and cool as required, and control humidity in the building. Many such systems introduce outside air into the process to dilute building contaminants, such as high carbon dioxide levels (CO2), which occupants contribute to a space such as a classroom. Schools in Arizona with older HVAC units face challenges with their energy bills, especially during the

hot summer months, because of the requirement to maintain minimum outdoor air ventilation rates consistent with the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) standard 62.1, which for classrooms is about 15 cubic feet per minute (cfm) of outdoor air per person.

The Chandler Unified School District has taken a proactive, phased approach to its HVAC upgrades, grouping schools according to need over a three-year period. The district also installed CO2 sensors that trigger the HVAC unit to infuse fresh air into the classrooms when CO2 levels are too high. The sensors also allow the unit to perform at peak operating efficiency, since fresh air is only pumped into the rooms when it is needed.

“We decided to move forward with HVAC upgrades for several reasons: the equipment was getting old, the units were running inefficiently and we wanted to control rising utility costs,” said Frank Fletcher, associate superintendent for support services for Chandler. “We have noticed that our kilowatt hour consumption has been reduced by 20 to 25 percent and, in addition, we are better able to centrally control the systems at each of the sites.”

Energy Management SystemsAn Energy Management System is another critical

technology that enables schools to save money on energy costs. Districts now have the opportunity to install EMS systems with backnet control and Internet access, which allows the entire system to be controlled from one point via a computer. EMS can be programmed to shut off certain systems automatically at specific times during the day to conserve energy.

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HVAC and EMS upgrades save dollars, make senseBy Terry Bohl and Justin Kelton

Ideally, an Energy Management System should be installed in conjunction with an HVAC upgrade. If schools have relatively new HVAC units with old-fashioned programmable classroom thermostats, energy is being wasted. The downside of programmable thermostats is that they are battery operated and teachers often override the controls, resulting in excess energy usage.

Additionally, during Arizona’s cooler months when there is still heat being generated by lights and occupants in the classroom, EMS systems can be programmed to use fresh, cool outside air to moderate classroom temperatures instead of using the air conditioning. This reduces compressor time and saves money.

Upgrading InsulationOlder schools in Arizona should also consider

upgrading insulation, particularly if exterior walls were

built with exposed masonry. These block walls quickly heat up during the summer months, resulting in HVAC units working overtime to cool the classroom. During the winter months, cold drafts easily make their way into the classroom, resulting in excess heating. Thermal walls can be constructed within classrooms to provide insulation and prevent energy loss.

Because schools are facing unprecedented budget cuts, it’s critical that school improvement projects result in long-term cost savings. The aforementioned recommendations include high-performance technologies that allow schools to save on energy costs while improving the learning environment for students and teachers.

About the writers: Terry Bohl and Justin Kelton are directors of the Education Services team at McCarthy Building Companies in Tempe, Ariz.

Progression on HVAC upgrade renovation work overnight on a campus within the Chandler Unified School District.

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Pulitzer Prize-winning Miami Herald columnist Leonard Pitts, Jr., wrote in a July 27, 2008, essay,

“For as much as we obsess over black v. white and red v. blue, I suspect the defining division of this technology-driven era will be between those who have and can exploit information and those who do not and cannot. Between intelligence and its opposite.”

Pitts clarified that he wasn’t talking about ignorance or error, but rather about stupidity. “Ignorance is a lack of information; we’re all ignorant in one way or another,” Pitts noted. “Nor am I talking about people prone to punctuation or spelling errors; we all make mistakes. No, I’m talking about stupidity, which I define as an inability to analyze, draw conclusions from, or otherwise ‘use’ information even when one has it.”

He went on to say that Americans are losing the skill of thinking. For Pitts, that was more than worrisome; “Me, I find that alarming.”

Pitts called his essay “The Stupidification of America.” His definition of stupidity seems cogent: “An inability to analyze, draw conclusions from, or otherwise ‘use’ information.” He calls it the opposite of “intelligence” and contrasts this with just knowing facts.

Pitts is not alone. There is an emerging concern that, because of high-stakes testing, schools today teach

only easily tested facts rather than the “intelligence” of reasoning.

This concern over high-stakes testing is not limited to the United States. A study done in Germany and published in June 2009 titled “Assessment Drives Learning” utilized data from an augmented Programme

for International Student Assessment (PISA) test to compare the effect of learning in German states that did and did not have Central Exit Examinations (CEEs). They compared the scores of students on the PISA questions of broader mathematical literacy to their scores on knowledge of their local curriculum. They reported, “While central exit exams significantly increase curricular knowledge of students, we found no significant effect on mathematical literacy – the

type of mathematical knowledge that is regarded to be relevant in everyday situations.”

In other words, the German researchers found that Central Exit Examinations increased factual knowledge for the test, but did nothing to improve useful knowledge of

mathematics. More crucially, their research included a questionnaire on student attitudes. They found:

“There appears to be a downside to CEEs because students in CEE-states do like mathematics less. They find it less easy and more boring than those in non-CEE states. The present study confirms findings that central exit exams are associated with negative student attitudes: students in CEE-states are generally more anxious, feel higher achievement pressure, and are actually less motivated to learn.”

They concluded their paper with this: “Notably, these differences between curricular and literacy tests are in accordance with recent findings from the U.S., where state-mandated exams were found to increase performance measured in terms of the curriculum but not necessarily in terms of a deeper understanding of mathematical concepts that enables students to actually use mathematics in everyday life.” And it is likely that U.S. students also are “less motivated to learn” by high-stakes tests.

LESSONS FROM RESEARCHBy Michael T. Martin, ASBA Research Analyst

“The Stupidification of America”

The present study confirms findings that central exit exams are

associated with negative student attitudes: students in CEE-states are generally more anxious, feel higher

achievement pressure, and are actually less motivated to learn.

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Recently, in a special section on “Science, Language, and Literacy” of the American Association for the Advancement of Science magazine Science (April 23, 2010, edition), several authors lamented the teaching of facts instead of reasoning and critical thinking. In the article “Arguing to Learn in Science: The Role of Collaborative, Critical Discourse,” Jonathan Osborne wrote, “Deep within our cultural fabric, education is still seen simplistically as a process of transmission where knowledge is presented as a set of unequivocal and uncontested facts and transferred from expert to novice.”

In their Science article “Literacy and Science: Each in the Service of the Other” Pearson, Moje, and Greenleaf concluded “…high-stakes testing drives teachers to cover content rather than actively engage students in the learning process.”

The “learning process” is, thus, not seen by scientists as remembering a “content” of facts. Instead, they view reasoning and critical thinking as the crucial need to be taught. Indeed, they view the teaching of facts as being destructive. As Pearson, Moje, and Greenleaf averred, “…as long as low-challenge, multiple-choice tests serve as the primary metric for measuring student learning and teacher quality, not only in science but in literacy as well, it will be difficult for teachers to take the risk of promoting genuine inquiry in their classes.”

Paul Webb, in his Science article “Science Education and Literacy: Imperatives for the Developed and Developing World,” notes, “What is needed are minds-on experiences that include discussion, planning, reading, and writing, as well as deliberations and argumentation.” Webb then described a successful science teaching program that “represents a move from laboratory work as recipes and simple report writing to meaningful writing toward sense making by integrating

understandings of the nature of science, scientific inquiry, and issues of argumentation.”

This dove-tailed with Jonathan Osborne’s view, which says, “The goal of science is to produce new knowledge of the natural world. Two practices essential to achieving this objective are argument and critique.” In lamenting the lack of reasoning and critical thinking, Osborne noted, “The common explanation of the absence of argument is that it is a product of an overemphasis by teachers, curricula, and textbooks on what we know at the expense of how we know.”

In a 2004 article in Physics Today, Ramon E. Lopez and Ted Schultz noted that AAAS publications proffered that “less is more” in arguing for less content and more reasoning. Lopez and Schultz noted there were opponents to this view that “… believes that more is more: that the more facts a child is taught, the easier it is for the child to learn still more. This contrasts with the less-is-more belief underlying the standards – the more facts you try to teach a child, beyond a certain point, the less likely the child is to develop any real understanding.”

Similarly, Dr. Keith Devlin, a Stanford University mathematician who is also “The Math Guy” on National Public Radio, suggests in a Public Broadcasting Corporation edblog (Feb. 12, 2010), “Many attempts have been made to improve U.S. middle-school mathematics education, but all have failed to achieve the desired results. I think the reason is clear. They have all focused on improving basic math skills. In contrast, I (and a great many of my colleagues) believe the emphasis should be elsewhere. Mathematics is a way of thinking about problems and issues in the world. Get the thinking right and the skills come largely for free.”

There is an old story of the legendary mathematician Karl Gauss. When he was a child, his teacher assigned a disruptive class the task of

adding all the numbers between one and one hundred. The students took out paper and set dutifully to work. Gauss, however, thought about it for a minute, wrote down the answer and turned it in.

He reasoned that 1 and 99 could be paired for 100, along with 2 and 98, thus there were 49 ways of pairing to get 100, plus the ending 100 and the middle 50. So the answer had to be 5,050. The students who worked out the answer number by number were prone to at least one arithmetic error, so their answer would always be a question. But Gauss knew his reasoned answer had to be correct.

In their Science journal special section article “Supporting Students in Developing Literacy in Science” Joseph Krajcik and LeeAnn Sutherland stated, “To explain phenomena, scientists require evidence to support their claims, and their explanations need to employ the language and ideas of science in ways that illustrate how they reasoned from available evidence.”

Repeatedly the authors of the articles in Science referred to the necessity of teaching reasoning and critical thinking. Jonathan Osborne in his Science magazine article cited research from “a U.K. classroom-based study using 30 lessons dedicated to the teaching of reasoning over 2 years … from grades 7 and 8. … two years later, these students significantly outperformed a control sample not only in science, but also in language arts and mathematics, which led the authors to argue that their program had accelerated students’ general intellectual processing abilities.” It’s what Pitts called “intelligence.”

In this sense, intelligence can be taught, reasoning can be taught, but when we measure successful teaching as the rote regurgitation of facts, there is no reason to teach it. So it is rarely taught, and Leonard Pitts, Jr., along with a great many scientists and mathematicians, lament that people “are losing that skill.”

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LEADERSHIP MATTERS By John Gordon, ASBA Director of Leadership Development

Where Will Your District Find Its Next Superintendent?

Superintendent searches in Arizona for 2009–2010 proved to be anything but average, even though

the number of vacancies – 35 - came close to the average for the past 16 years.

The season started early in August 2009 and several searches were still underway at press time. Of the 33 searches, ASBA completed all aspects of 12 and assisted seven districts who contracted for partial services. The searches took ASBA to every corner of the state and to 12 of our state’s 15 counties.

The ASBA Search ServiceThis level of involvement made ASBA

the leading provider of executive search services for school districts in the state once again. Our self-designed online application process, which we implemented in 2008, has made ASBA’s search service more attractive and effective than ever. In addition to enabling a more robust search, it also often enables a shortened time period for the search.

In 2007, ASBA received 57 applications for the eight superintendent vacancies or an average of just over seven applications for each vacancy. In the three years since the online search process has been in use, ASBA has averaged 18 applicants for every position; districts with 2,000 or more students have averaged 23 applicants per search.

The increase in applicants largely can be attributed to our online system’s database of nearly 800 interested applicants. Each receives an email inviting applications as soon as a vacancy is posted. Nearly 80 percent of our applicants state they apply after receiving the “email blast.” Since implementing the online system we have discovered that the length of the search listing is not a determiner in how many qualified applicants we receive. In several instances, we have been able to accumulate over 20 applications for an interim vacancy in two weeks or less.

Though the vast majority of candidates hear about ASBA searches through our online system, we use other resources to attract top candidates as well. As an NSBA affiliate, ASBA posts all searches with the 36 other state school boards associations that offer similar search services. Additionally, for the past two years ASBA has contracted with two national organizations to advertise the listings; however, these agencies account for only 9 percent of our applications. Not surprisingly, “word of mouth” is the next highest referral with 11 percent. (In other words, your employees, parents and community members are essential to increasing applications.)

The CandidatesFor the past eight years, 81 percent

of the Arizona finalists chosen to be superintendent had experience as an educator in Arizona. ASBA data reveals other interesting data related to the background of the chosen leader.

Some not-so-surprising findings from ASBA search consultants:• Typically, every governing board desires to run a full search and find an experienced superintendent who has worked in a district of similar demographics and similar challenges. As you can determine from the chart below, 65 percent of the professionals chosen to lead districts (over the past four years) do not have superintendent experience. From the assistant superintendent category you can see that 6 percent more are chosen from within the district than from outside the district and thirteen per cent move directly from a principal position (all in districts 500 students or less).

• We see very little succession management (grooming and training an internal candidate to succeed the current leader) in the state.

• When a district has an internal candidate, applications are lower and applicants are hesitant to make a commitment to

Superintendent Experience

From Out of State

Retired* Assistant Supt. - In-District

Assistant Supt. - Out of District

Principal Other (director, asst.

principal, teacher, etc.)

2007 10 8 3 9 8 2 3

2008 17 9 4 8 8 8 3

2009 13 5 5 6 1 4 1

2010 9 4 5 8 6 4 1

35% 19% 12% 22% 16% 13% 6%

*Please notice that totals add up to more than 100% as “retired” category may be included in other categories.

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interview if the internal candidate is interviewing.

• 12 percent of the chosen finalists have retired and 19 percent are outside Arizona. Even though an experienced leader has retired, it does not mean they lack enthusiasm or commitment to tackle district challenges. Quite the contrary, we have evidence of many who have moved to Arizona and have utilized their experience and training to make a positive impact over a period of years.

• Replacement superintendents hired from outside of the district negotiate a higher salary than the outgoing superintendent was earning.

• It is extremely difficult to recruit a principal or assistant superintendent from

a larger school district to a superintendent position in a smaller district due to the salary and benefits gap.

Looking WithinIn order to maintain continuity of

leadership, the time to begin searching for your next superintendent is not when it is decided that the current leader is no longer going to be your leader. Having an effective succession management plan can enable the district to react quickly to change and endure difficult times.

The following should be done with the knowledge of and the plan of the current superintendent and all members of the governing board:• Keep your district’s vision, mission,

beliefs and goals as the drivers for all personnel decisions.

• Begin looking at your district’s depth of talent and make concerted efforts to unlock the potential of good employees as well as providing mentoring and professional development opportunities including meaningful performance reviews.

• Create a performance-based culture with high expectations for retention.

• Discover what employee career aspirations are. Many leaders begin their leadership careers when someone shows interest and encouragement.

• Want to dialogue about succession management? Contact ASBA’s Leadership Development Department.

Year Total AZ Searches By ASBA Private Firms By District

2007 34 8 11 15

2008 44 23 6 15

2009 29 15 6 8

2010 36 20 3 13

Totals 143 66 26 57

Percentage 46% 19% 35%

ASBA has been collecting and analyzing search data for the past four years in order to better serve our members, to reveal trends and to provide a clear picture of opportunity for applicants. Above is a summary of the data collected:

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POINTS ON POLICYBy Jim Deaton, ASBA Director of Policy Services

Officially Articulate Reform Through Policy

To consistently be successful, a school system must be a dynamic organization,

simultaneously grounded in the fundamental values of the community and society it serves while continually weighing, researching, learning, testing and applying theories, methodologies, techniques, practices and proce- dures necessary to provide meaningful and productive educational outcomes at an ever accelerating pace. Foremost in importance is the delivery of instruction to and learning by students. But actions throughout the other departments are important to sustaining the institution. The administrative and support services must also be constantly alert and responsive to exploring, recognizing and implementing more effective, efficient and economical means for fulfilling their respective contributions to enhancing beneficial and desirable outcomes in the teaching and learning of students.

With such significant responsi- bilities before them, how can governing body members succeed? Successful board members realize their duty

to perform homework outside the board meetings and come prepared for the meetings. They become aware

of and respect the laws and rules that impact the board and the school system. Successful members stretch their vision and expand their horizons by reading, listening, conferring and consulting with knowledgeable persons. Furthermore, they network with board members from other districts and attend functions designed

to increase their familiarity with and understanding about educational matters. They commit and work hard

to be the best they can when carrying out their personal and corporate responsibilities as board members. Additionally, they evidence a spirit and willingness to cooperatively investigate, consider and adopt reforms for improving the manner in which board and school functions are accomplished.

When a board perceives a need and desires to pursue reforms, how does the board formally express those expectations and requirements of the school system? The selected reforms must be formalized in the board’s officially adopted policies. Policies are the board’s global

declarations providing the framework for present and future activities and decisions. Policies provide roadmaps for: fulfilling objectives; establishing rules, procedures, and bylaws for the board’s operation; complying with applicable laws and rules; managing resources; exercising fiscal oversight and fiduciary responsibility; granting

The selected reforms must be formalized in the board’s officially

adopted policies. Policies are the board’s

global declarations providing the

framework for present and future activities

and decisions.

“Education reform” has been defined as a plan or movement which attempts to bring about a systematic change in educational theory or practice across a community or society. A local governing board needs to be aware of and understand the state of present and evolving theory and practice in the broader societal environments at county, state, national or global levels. The local school system can no longer be a community isolated in its corner of the world; nor can the students educated in that system only be equipped to function in that local community. For those reasons, governing boards functioning as a corporate body on behalf of their communities have the duty and responsibility to determine and clearly present the expectations and requirements to be carried out in the theories and practices of the local school system.

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authority; establishing obligations and requiring accountability; assuring fairness and equitability; prescribing the number, compensation, employment, evaluation, ethics, conduct, and treatment of personnel; endorsing the courses of study; approving codes for and adjudicating circumstances of student conduct; providing for support and auxiliary services; and assessing its own ethics and performance as a governing body.

When a board desires reforms, whatever form they might take, the board must also confirm that its policies designate, align with, encourage, support, and examine progress toward achieving the reforms. ASBA Policy Services provides its subscriber school boards with document models of policies recommended for action by the governing board. More than three-fourths of the recommended documents are directed at assisting the school system to comply with state and federal laws, agency rules, legal opinions, case findings and so forth. The remainder

of the document models present platforms for philosophical statements and elements of good practice. Many of them have universal applicability for the respective school systems throughout the state. Other policies, however, particularly those expressing a board’s philosophic position, need to be carefully studied and modified when necessary to accurately reflect the local board’s intentions.

A case in point is the boilerplate document model, policy A – District Mission and Belief Statement, presented by ASBA Policy Services as an example and placeholder. Technically, it is a practical, generic, “apple pie and motherhood” illustration of a mission and belief statement for consideration by boards. It is acceptable if its contents accurately and faithfully describe the governing board’s perceptions and desires for the school system. However, if the language does not properly describe the board’s philosophy, the document

should be revised. Furthermore, the policy should be a living document, subject to adjustment and refinement as necessary to assure the adopted policy synchronizes with amendments to the board’s principles. Although Policy Services believes a copyrighted uniform document model approach is an advantageous and economically responsible tool for serving its clients, the circumstance of a school system’s mission and belief statement is one policy that ideally should not, for all intents and purposes, display the ASBA copyright; it should be distinctive in its creation by and application to the respective school system. And when reforms are preferred, pursued and accomplished, the board must revisit its policies time and again to assure they reliably describe the board’s future vision for the school system.

Is your board and school system evidencing a readiness for reform? Has the board adopted and put reforms into play? What do your policies imply?

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VIEWPOINTSBy Panfilo H. Contreras, ASBA Executive Director

Are you really ready for reform? Unfortunately, reform to you might mean something very

different than to the other members of your board, the superintendent and, oh brother, legislators at the Capitol! That is the scary part of reform.

Change in nothing new to educators. Change is a constant in the world within we work. Staff changes; administrators change; your board changes; kids change, and we have handled those things….well, always. The real question in my mind is whether you want to decide what “reform” YOU want to do, or whether you want “reform” DONE to you.

Many boards are very busy doing important things they think are reforms. There are many examples out there: from cooperative agreements for food service to transportation, joint use agreements to staff recruitment and development sharing, to cutting edge technologies, to name just a few. But these are cost-saving budget issues and measures, not ones focused on student learning.

School Board Districts working

towards the needs of students and focused on their achievement will have little trouble with “reform.” They are ahead of everyone-including legislators and policy makers. Great examples exist like Sunnyside Unified District’s “students with laptops project” (which has resulted in dramatically increased graduation rates in a short period of time).

The central core of any reform effort should be how the implementation of that reform improves student achievement. This is the primary and most important work we do. Unfortunately, accountability is the name of the game these days; even to the detriment of a broader education experience for our children.

Superintendents and their staff know what works for students in your organizations. Support of a school district’s governing board is crucial to accomplishing effective reform in a timely and successful manner. Just a necessary note of caution, however: make sure that your organization is not wasting valuable time and energy by continually changing direction with the

latest craze or gimmick. In the James C. Collins’ opus, Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap…and Others Don’t, it was noted that an important aspect of great organizations lies in the simplicity of finding something that works, sticking to it for a long period of time, and adjusting it only when the data shows it is necessary to do so.

Reform does not need to be complicated nor does it even need to be new! Doing something that is already “working” just a little differently may be all that is needed to get over a plateau or perk up a slow period, but continuing an effort that has had no effect whatsoever needs to be abandoned for a better way. Doing the work is the staff ’s responsibility; monitoring and asking the right questions is the responsibility of the governing board.

Just remember, if you are not focusing on the needs of your students and working towards improving their achievement, reform will be brought to you from another source and you may not like it! Get to it! There is no time to lose!

What to Do When It’s Not Working

Thank You Tracey Benson!

THE ASBA STARTracey Benson has accepted the position of Marketing and Communication Administrator with the office of the Maricopa County Superintendent of Schools. Tracey has made a tremendous contribution to ASBA and public schools in general with her energy, creativity, professionalism and dedication to the children of Arizona. She will be missed but not far away!!

Our best wishes in her new position. Our heartfelt THANK YOU for a job well done!!

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AIG Retirement Group retirement plans, individual financial servicesAnn Zlamal11201 N.Tatum Blvd., Ste.100Phoenix, AZ 85028602-674-2614 www.aigvalic.com

APS Energy ServicesEnergy conservation, renewable solutions60 E. Rio Salado Pkwy., Ste. 1001Tempe, AZ 85281602-744-5000www.apses.com

APS Solutions for BusinessEnergy efficiency project rebatesJennifer Rivera2001 N. Third St., Ste. 106Phoenix, AZ 85004602-385-0900 www.aps.com/businessrebates

Accelerated Construction TechnologiesCatherine Walley22425 N. 16th St.Phoenix, AZ 85024602-272-2000 www.act-az.com

Accelify Outsourced Medicaid billing serviceAlex Brecher81 Spencer St.Brooklyn, NY 11205347-922-2354 www.accelify.com

Administrative Enterprises Inc.Leanne Appledorn5810 W. Beverly Ln.Glendale, AZ 85306602-789-1170

Adolfson & Peterson ConstructionGeneral contractorTamara Caraway5002 S. Ash Ave.Tempe, AZ 85282480-345-8700 www.a-p.com

Alvarez & Gilbert PLLCLegal servicesRandy McCaskill14500 N. Northsight Blvd., Ste. 216Scottsdale, AZ 85260602-263-0203 www.alvarez-gilbert.com

American Building Maintenance Co.Wade Moffet2632 W. Medtronic WayTempe, AZ 85281480-968-8300

American Fidelity AssuranceDonna Sciulara3505 E. Flamingo Rd., #6Las Vegas, NV 89121800-616-3576

ArcadisInfrastructre, environment, buildingsEd Boot950 W. Elliot Rd., #220Tempe, AZ 85284480-394-0335 www.arcadis-us.com

Arizona Correctional IndustriesBill Branson3701 W. Cambridge Ave.Phoenix, AZ 85009602-272-7600 www.azcorrections.gov

ASBAIT(Arizona School Boards Association Insurance Trust)Wayne Carpenter5810 W. Beverly Ln.Glendale, AZ 85306602-789-1170 www.asbait.org

Assured Imaging Women’s Wellness of Southern Arizona, LLCDavid Shain8710 N. Thornydale Rd., Suite 100Tucson, AZ 85742520-744-6121 www.assuredwomenswellness.com

Auto Safety HouseSchool bus sales and serviceRudy Garcia2630 W. Buckeye Rd.Phoenix, AZ 85009602-269-9721 www.autosafetyhouse.com

The Bagnall CompanyEmployee benefit consultingMark W. Bagnall1345 E. Chandler Blvd., Bldg. 1, Ste. 103Phoenix, AZ 85048480-893-6510 www.thebagnallcompany.com

Benefit IntelligenceCharles Carlson, Mark Imbrogno4862 E. Baseline Rd., Ste. 101Mesa, AZ 85206480-892-4207 www.benefitintelligence.com

BoardBookTim CurtisP.O. Box 400Austin, TX 78767888-587-2665 www.boardbook.org

CCS Presentation SystemsJulia Solomon17350 N. Hartford Dr.Scottsdale, AZ 85255480-348-0100 www.ccsprojects.com

CN Resource LLCRich Crandall1930 N. Arboleda, #101Mesa, AZ 85213480-835-7072 www.cnresource.com

Calderon Law OfficesLegal servicesErnest Calderon2020 N. Central Ave., Ste. 1110Phoenix, AZ 85004602-265-0004

Centennial Contractors EnterprisesLisa Bentley1616 E. Indian School Rd., #200Phoenix, AZ 85016623-764-0397 www.cce-inc.com

Chartwells School DiningSchool lunch managementJoel Mee11634 W. Monroe St.Avondale, AZ 85323602-350-4876 www.eatlearnlive.com

Claridge Products & EquipmentMelissa Bracy28473 N. 108th WayScottsdale, AZ 85262480-419-9434 www.claridgeproducts.com

Core ConstructionJessica Steadman3036 E. Greenway Rd.Phoenix, AZ 85032602-494-0800 www.coreconstruct.com

D2 Data Driven SoftwareEducation softwareMatt Winebright900 Jackson St., Ste. 380Dallas, TX 75202972-490-4044 www.d2sc.com

D.L.Withers ConstructionDan Withers3220 E. Harbour Dr.Phoenix, AZ 85034602-438-9500 www.dlwithers.com

DLR GroupLynnette Morrison6225 N. 24th St., Ste. 250Phoenix, AZ 85016602-381-8580 www.dlrgroup.com

Dairy Council of ArizonaPatricia Johnson2008 S. Hardy Dr.Tempe, AZ 85282480-966-8074 www.dcaz.org

DeConcini McDonald Yetwin & LacyJohn C. Richardson2525 E. Broadway, Ste. 200Tucson, AZ 85716520-322-5000 www.deconcinimcdonald.com

eBOARDsolutionsWeb-based board governance softwareMark Willis, Diane Sandifer5120 Sugarloaf Pkwy.Lawrenceville, GA 30043800-226-1856 www.eboardsolutions.com

Edupoint Educational SystemsJoseph Kirkman1955 S. Val Vista Dr., #210Mesa, AZ 85204480-833-2900 www.edupoint.com

EMC2 Group ArchitectsArchitects, plannersRon Essley1635 N. Greenfield Rd., Ste. 144Mesa, AZ 85205480-830-3838 www.emc2architects.com

Fennemore Craig, P.C.Deanna Rader3003 N. Central Ave., # 2600Phoenix, AZ 85012602-916-5000 www.fclaw.com

First Financial Group of AmericaBenefit Plan Administration, Independent Insurance and Investment ServicesMike O’Malley2201 San Pedro Dr. NE, Bldg. 1, Ste. 2101Albuquerque, NM 87110 800-365-3860 www.ffga.com

GHD Inc.Architecture, civil engineeringTerry Worcester1501 S. Yale St., Ste. 101Flagstaff, AZ 86001928-774-7179 www.ghd.com

G.V. EnterprisesProject managers, procurement consultingGordon Vasfaret9102 W. Marshall Ave.Glendale, AZ 85305623-872-1852 www.gventerprises.com

Gust RosenfeldRobert Haws201 E.Washington, Ste. 800Phoenix, AZ 85004602-257-7976

HDA Architects LLCPete Barker459 N. Gilbert Rd., Ste. C-200Gilbert, AZ 85234480-539-8800

Heinfeld, Meech & Co.Gary Heinfeld10120 N. Oracle Rd., #100Tucson, AZ 85704520-742-2611

Hufford, Horstman, Mongini, Parnell & TuckerC. Benson Hufford120 N. Beaver St.Flagstaff, AZ 86001928-226-0000 www.h2m2law.com

Hughes-Calihan Konica MinoltaDan Schmidt4730 N. 16th St.Phoenix, AZ 85016602-244-9944 www.hc-km.com

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Kennedy Partners LLCAllison Suriano2222 W. Pinnacle Peak Rd., Ste. 330Phoenix, AZ 85027623-374-2478 www.kennedyprtnrs.com

Lewis & Roca LLPMary Ellen Simonson40 N. Central Ave.Phoenix, AZ 85004602-262-5317 www.lrlaw.com

M.L. Riddle Painting Inc.Mike Riddle5922 N. Black Canyon Hwy.Phoenix, AZ 85017602-277-3461

Mangum Wall Stoops & WardenA. Dean PickettP.O. Box 10Flagstaff, AZ 86002928-779-6951 www.flagstaffattorneys.com

Miller, LaSota & PetersJack LaSota722 E. Osborn Rd., #100Phoenix, AZ 85014602-248-2900

Mohave Educational Services Co-opTom Peeler625 E. Beale St.Kingman, AZ 86401928-753-6945 www.mesc.org

N.L. Booth & SonGeneral contractorRobert Booth3025 N. Tarra Ave.Prescott, AZ 86301928-772-0077

NTD ArchitectureScott Beck2800 N. 44th St., Ste. 500Phoenix, AZ 85008602-956-8844 www.ntd.com

The O’Malley GroupFacilities, project, construction managementTim O’Malley, Sharon O’Malley80 W. State Ave., Ste. 300Phoenix, AZ 85021602-906-1905 www.omalleyafl.com

The Orcutt/Winslow PartnershipPaul Winslow3003 N. Central Ave., 16th Fl.Phoenix, AZ 85012602-257-1764 www.owp.com

Piper Jaffray & Co.William C. Davis2525 E. Camelback Rd., Ste. 925Phoenix, AZ 85016602-808-5428 www.piperjaffray.com

PracticeMax Inc.Medicaid billing for special education services9382 E. Bahia Dr., Ste. B202Scottsdale, AZ 85260480-421-9700 www.practicemax.com

Professional Group Public Consulting, Inc.Caroline BrackleyP.O. Box 30850Mesa, AZ 85275480-699-4458 www.pgpc.org

Pueblo Mechanical & ControlsDesign, build HVAC specialistSteve Barry6771 E. Outlook Dr.Tucson, AZ 85756520-545-1044 www.pueblo-mechanical.com

RBC Capital MarketsJohn Snider2398 E. Camelback Rd., Ste. 700Phoenix, AZ 85016602-381-5361 www.rbccm.com

Regional Pavement MaintenanceSteve LeoneP.O. Box 3778Gilbert, AZ 85299480-963-3416 www.regionalaz.com

Rodel Charitable FoundationCarol Peck6720 N. Scottsdale Rd., Ste. 380Scottsdale, AZ 85253480-367-2920 www.rodelfoundationaz.org

SAPA Fabricated ProductsAluminum ramps, stairways, all REDD Team productsJanet Wray1617 N. Washington St.Magnolia, AR 71753800-643-1514 www.sapafabricatedproducts.com

SCF ArizonaWorkers’ compensation insuranceTod Dennis3030 N.Third St.Phoenix, AZ 85012602-631-2000 www.scfaz.com

SRPRebecca WestPAB 336P.O. Box 52025Phoenix, AZ 85072602-236-3578 www.srpnet.com

SDBLisa Bentley14700 N. Frank Lloyd Wright, #157Scottsdale, AZ 85260480-298-9596

SPS + Architects Herb Schneider8681 E.Via De NegocioScottsdale, AZ 85258-3330480-991-0800

School ReachWil Pearson9735 Landmark Pkwy., #100Saint Louis, MO 63127800-420-1479 www.schoolreach.com

Shade ‘N NetSun and UV protection structuresJoe Reda5711 W.WashingtonPhoenix, AZ 85043602-484-7911 www.shade-n-net.com

Schaefer-Smith-Ankeney Insurance(Compass Insurance)Craig Ankeney2002 E. Osborn Rd.Phoenix, AZ 85016602-956-7800

Smartschoolsplus, Inc.Phased retirement services Sandra McClellandP.O. Box 11618Tempe, AZ 85284480-839-8747 www.smartschoolsplus.com

SodexoKatrina Lewis1842 W. Windermere Dr.Phoenix, AZ 85048480-577-3503

Stone & YoungbergFinancial servicesBryan Lundberg2555 E. Camelback Rd., Ste. 280Phoenix, AZ 85016602-794-4000 www.syllc.com

Summit Food ServiceDave Brewer2703 Broadbent Pkwy. NE, Ste. FAlbuquerque, N.M. 87107505-341-0508 www.summitfoodservice.com

Summit Management ServicesMichael Gonzales14646 N. Kierland Blvd., #200Scottsdale, AZ 85254480-505-0427 www.summit-inc.net

Sundt ConstructionConstructionEdward Mullins2620 S. 55th St.Tempe, AZ 85282480-309-2347 www.sundt.com

Sunland AsphaltAsphalt, concrete, sport courts, tracks, turf and bleachersJohn McCormack3002 S. Priest Dr.Tempe, AZ 85282602-288-5020 www.sunlandasphalt.com

TCPN – The Cooperative Purchasing NetworkMike Chouteau2100 N. Central Ave. #220Phoenix, AZ 85004602-405-9402 www.tcpn.org

Technology CoordinatorsUtilities and building renewal projectsEd Schaffer2116 W. Del Campo Cir.Mesa, AZ 85202888-474-5509 www.tc-az.com

Thunderbird Mountain Facilities performance servicesDavid JohnsonP.O. Box 10130Glendale, AZ 85318623-825-1730 www.thunderbirdmountain.com

Traaen & Associates, LLCHuman resources management, training and organizational developmentTeri J. Traaen, Ed.D., DPA4831 E. Calle TuberiaPhoenix, AZ 85018602-510-3989 www.traaenandassociates.com

Troxell CommunicationsAudio-visual equipmentBob Berry4830 S. 38th St.Phoenix, AZ 85040480-495-4745 www.trox.com

The Trust333 E. Osborn Rd., #300Phoenix, AZ 85012602-222-2110 www.the-trust.org

Turner ConstructionConstruction management servicesScott Ellison637 S. 48th St., 1st Fl.Tempe, AZ 85281480-557-4700 www.tcco.com

U.S. Army Access for EducationThedius Burden11122 W. Olive Dr.Avondale, AZ 85392623-234-4904 www.goarmy.com

Udall Shumway & Lyons PLCDenise Lowell-Britt30 W. First St.Mesa, AZ 85201480-461-5300

Valley Schools Mgmt. GroupPatrick DittmanP.O. Box 41760Phoenix AZ 85024623-594-4370 www.vsit.org

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Arizona School Boards Association2100 North Central AvenueSuite 200Phoenix, Arizona 85004

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Quality leadership and advocacy for children in public schools.