Phoenix Schools' Roosevelt District in Serious Trouble with Arizona Department of Education

The Roosevelt Elementary School District, located inacademic achievement, as compared to Roosevelt.
the Phoenix Schools area on the south side of the city,(You may view Horne's graphs at:
is in serious trouble. The primarily low-income districtWhat really hit home for the people in attendance is
has been dealing with turmoil for years, and thethat Roosevelt receives per student funding above the
possible takeover by the Arizona Department ofstate average, yet no other district in the state has
Education only exacerbates the situation.performed so poorly. In 2005, the Arizona Department
Last December, Arizona Department of Education heldof Education ranked 10 of the Roosevelt schools as
a meeting in one of Roosevelt's school gyms to?underperforming?. The district has only 21 schools.
present the situation to all concerned. Over 200This was an unprecedented amount of
parents, teachers and other community members?underperforming? schools in the Phoenix schools
were present as Arizona Schools Chief Tom Horne,area.
flanked by 25 of his top staff members, laid out theThings must improve rapidly for the Phoenix schools'
Phoenix schools Roosevelt district's problems. Fivedistrict. Otherwise, the state will take over the district
members of the Phoenix schools Roosevelt districtand all its schools. Horne is applying pressure to
board were present.overhaul the district's practices and replace ineffective
Horne, a Harvard-trained lawyer, did not mince hispersonnel. Meanwhile, Horne has called for legislation to
words as he presented slide after slide and graphallow the state to take over entire districts and school
after graph that illustrated the large negative numbersboards for poor student performance.
that concerned this Phoenix schools district. Many inThe Roosevelt district has taken the threat of
attendance were visibly stunned by the enormity oftakeover by Horne to heart. This year, they have
the situation with which they and the district are faced.initiated many major changes, including:
One point that Horne hammered home to the five? New and innovative practices;
Phoenix schools' Roosevelt district board members? District educators are working together to develop a
present, as well as the audience, was that otherguaranteed and viable curriculum;
school districts were doing much better with similar? Teachers at all levels are involved in curriculum
resources. Three neighboring Phoenix schools' districtsmapping, which helps a teacher understand what
have just as many impoverished families as thestandards to teach students and when to teach them;
Roosevelt district. They have just as many students? A standards-based progress report now replaces
with English as a second language, who need thethe number grade reporting system, helping teachers
extra time, resources and coursework to learn Englishand parents understand the language of standards
in order to succeed in the Phoenix schools. Yet, theseand create a consistency between district reports and
three Phoenix schools' districts have between 64 andthe results of the statewide test; and
78 percent of their students performing at grade level? A comprehensive curriculum guide was developed
in math for the third grade, with Roosevelt at 45and implemented that includes standards and a
percent; and 62 and 72 percent in reading, withcurriculum pacing calendar.
Roosevelt at 34 percent. The same is true in the otherOnly time (and a very short time, at that) will tell if
score measurements. In all 27 separatethese changes will be enough to elevate the Phoenix
measurements, Roosevelt is substantially below theschools' Roosevelt district's underperforming schools. If
other three comparable Phoenix schools' districts. Thatnot, then the district will be under new management ?
is nearly double the number of students showingthe state.