HUSD - Higley News

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-- Excelling schools, therefore, are those that demonstrate optimal student performance.Last year, two of our schools, Power Ranch Elementary and Higley High School achieved Excelling labels. For the 2008-2009 AZ LEARNS evaluation, the Measure of Academic Progress (MAP), a measure of student-level growth for grades 3-8, received greater weight. By emphasizing student growth vs. current performance, we have a more accurate picture of our effectiveness than a mere snapshot of achievement provides because we can account for where a student started academically. With four more of our schools earning the Excelling label, it is evident that our students are experiencing academic growth. Moreover, since 2002, our schools have been steadily advancing in the labeling system (see chart). As our students continue to grow academically, we move as a district to achieving our goal of all Excelling schools by 2012. Congratulations to all of our schools for the great progress! We have great news. Make that great news times 6!

In the December 2008 issue of our newsletter, we presented the HUSD Governing Board’s goal of achieving Excelling designations for each of our schools by 2012. We are happy to report to you, with six of our nine evaluated schools having earned the designation of Excelling for 2009, we are well on our way to achieving that goal. Congratulations to Coronado, Cortina, Power Ranch, San Tan,Higley High School and Williams Field High School for the hard work and dedication the staff, students, and parents put forth to earn those Excelling labels.

Each year, the Arizona Department of Education (ADE) evaluates all of its public schools and uses a rating system to label them.

K-8 schools are evaluated based on the following:
1. The percent of students who pass the AIMS (Status/Growth Points)
2. Arizona Measure of Academic Progress (MAP)
3. Performance on the English language proficiency test
4. The number of students Exceeding in reading, writing, and math.

High schools are evaluated based on the following:
1. The percent of students who pass the AIMS (Status/Growth Points)
2. Graduation and dropout rates
3. Performance on the English language proficiency test
4. The number of students Exceeding in reading, writing, and math.

THE ADE then rates schools using the following scale:
• Excelling - Schools that are significantly above state performance goals and have a significant number of students who exceed the state standards on the AIMS test.
• Highly Performing - Schools that are above state performance goals or have demonstrated adequate improvement and have a significant number of students who exceed the state standards on the AIMS test.
• Performing Plus - Schools that are above state performance goals, but the number of students exceeding the standards on the AIMS test is no significant enough to earn a highly performing or excelling label.
• Performing - Schools that meet state performance goals.
• Underperforming - Schools that need to meet state performance and state progress goals.