| For many years, the Arizona schools have | | | | the media of these statistics. |
| experienced a lot of negative publicity that affects its | | | | Another example of false negative publicity is that the |
| ability to recruit talent, garner extra funding, and keep | | | | Arizona schools have one of the highest dropout rates |
| students in the public school system. Current | | | | in the country, according to the "Kids Count" |
| superintendent Tom Horne says that much of this | | | | measurement. Horne says the count is incorrect, since |
| publicity is unwarranted and unfair to the Arizona | | | | the census was used for the measurement - |
| schools that have made many positive strides toward | | | | otherwise, whenever the census reporter was told a |
| improving education. | | | | child between the ages of 16 and 19 was not attending |
| To counter this unwanted publicity, Horne developed | | | | school, it was used to blame the Arizona schools. |
| the Spotlight on Success program for the Arizona | | | | Many of these children were beyond the control of the |
| schools. Basically, the program works to put as much | | | | Arizona schools, such as children from other countries |
| positive publicity about the Arizona schools into the | | | | who have never been enrolled with the Arizona |
| public spotlight as possible. The superintendent, himself, | | | | schools, or those who had attended only private |
| seeks as many opportunities available for public | | | | schools. If the Arizona schools do not know a child |
| speaking and voicing his opinions and facts about the | | | | exists, they have no opportunity to educate them. |
| Arizona schools to the media. His goal is to emphasize | | | | Three national organizations that keep valid |
| the positive inroads Arizona schools have made both | | | | comparative statistics on graduation rates across the |
| in his public statements and when quoted in the media, | | | | nation are Manhattan Institute, Urban Institute, and |
| and he to refutes any false negative publicity with | | | | United Health Foundation. Their most recent figures are |
| ruthless tenacity. | | | | from 2002, and all three report that the Arizona |
| Not too long ago, many newspapers within the state | | | | schools are at the national average of about 70 |
| of Arizona and across the nation carried a negative | | | | percent (plus or minus one percent). Since 2002, the |
| story where a Kansas company designated Arizona | | | | Arizona schools graduation rate has grown from 72.7 |
| as the "dumbest state in the country". The story was | | | | percent to 77 percent. According to Horne, unless the |
| quite untrue. Arizona schools students performed | | | | rest of the country has had an equally dramatic |
| above the national average in Terra Nova (the only | | | | growth in graduation rates, the Arizona schools are |
| nationally-normed test), which is taken by essentially all | | | | now substantially above the national average. |
| Arizona schools students. Though Arizona schools | | | | Horne plans to continue his efforts to refute the |
| ranks 49th out of 50 states in expenditures per | | | | erroneous negative publicity about the Arizona schools, |
| student, the funding handicap has not affected the | | | | which he believes continue to do an excellent job in |
| ability of the Arizona schools to educate their students | | | | improving their educational standards. |
| above the national average. Horne is quick to remind | | | | |