SUSD again tops AZ in Excelling schools
Superintendent praises parents, teachers for helping student excel

For the second year in a row, Scottsdale Unified School District has more schools with the state’s highest rating than any other school district in Arizona, according to information released today by the Arizona Department of Education.

In all, 18 of Scottsdale’s 32 rated schools received the Excelling label from the state. In addition, every Scottsdale school received a rating of Excelling, Highly Performing or Performing. One school, Copper Ridge Middle School, is not rated because it is too new. It will receive its first rating next year. Ratings are based on student performance on state tests and graduation and dropout rates.

Dr. John M. Baracy, Scottsdale superintendent, praised the district’s outstanding teachers and attentive parents for helping the district’s students excel in the classroom.

“The two factors that are most important in student achievement are highly qualified teachers and parents who are involved in their children’s schoolwork,” Dr. Baracy said. “These results once again show that real learning is taking place in our classrooms because we have those two key ingredients.”

Today’s announcement is the fourth time this fall that Scottsdale schools have been recognized for strong academic performance. All 33 schools made academic Adequate Yearly Progress under No Child Left Behind. On both the AIMS and Stanford 9 tests, Scottsdale students scored as much as 50 percent higher than state averages in all subjects and all grade levels tested.

The following schools received an Excelling label from the Department of Education:

Excelling schools: Anasazi, Cherokee, Cheyenne Traditional, Cochise, Copper Ridge, Desert Canyon, Hopi, Laguna, Pima and Sequoya elementary schools; Cocopah, Desert Canyon, Ingleside and Mountainside middle schools; Arcadia, Chaparral, Desert Mountain and Saguaro high schools.

Highly Performing schools: Arcadia Neighborhood Learning Center, Aztec, Kiva and Zuni elementary schools and Mohave Middle School.

Performing schools: Hohokam, Navajo, Pueblo, Tavan, Tonalea, and Yavapai elementary schools; Supai Middle school; and Coronado High School.

“We strive to continue making academic progress with all children in all subjects, all grades and all schools,” Dr. Baracy said. ”Once again, these results show that we are accomplishing that goal.”

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