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