After focused efforts by state and local school officials, two Arizona elementary schools were able to reach their adequate yearly progress marks after four consecutive years of falling short. Included: Strategies for making AYP.

According to an article in the The Arizona Republic, "Federal grades for schools are out, and officials at two of the most struggling schools in the Northwest Valley [in Arizona] are happy."

Two schools that failed to make adequate yearly progress four years in a row, El Mirage Elementary in the Dysart Unified School District and Landmark Middle School in the Glendale Elementary School District, hit the mark this time. State officials had gotten involved to help turn the schools around.

"'I was elated. The staff was elated,' Landmark Principal John Dalmolin told The Arizona Republic. "It was jubilation.'"

Schools are measured by how many students took the Arizona's Instrument to Measure Standards (AIMS) test and whether they passed the reading and math portions, as well as elementary attendance rates and high school graduation rates.

Every school in the Peoria district and the Glendale Union High School District made the required progress this year, according to the article.

In addition to the state testing, the district does its own testing of the students every quarter to give teachers an idea of where children need help.

"Dalmolin focused on discipline at Landmark last school year and shook up the math curriculum," the article said. "This year, he's focused on reading and has added another hour to the school day for children who are struggling and for those who want to take extra courses.

"Dysart officials have started focusing heavily on personnel, and superintendent Mark Maksimowicz partly attributes El Mirage's improvement to that emphasis."

ADDITIONAL RESOURCE

Some of the information in this article comes from the U.S. Department of Education. To learn more about this article, you might read:

• 2 schools relieved by 'report cards'
  This news article appeared in The Arizona Republic on September 7, 2005. Note: This link was live at the time of publication. Some newspaper Web sites require registration. Others retain complete news stories for a limited time.