District working to raise math scores

At last week’s Maricopa Unified School District governing board meeting, members looked at test scores and heard updates on what is being done to improve district math scores and turn around Maricopa Elementary School.

Director of Multiple Projects Lynnette Michalski presented AIMS scores for the past three years in math, reading, writing and science, as well as the correlation between those scores and the results of Galileo testing, a good indicator of AIMS test success.

Math scores are the most problematic for the district, for the state and the nation. New instructional strategies, including rubrics and alignment, are being utilized across the district in order to raise those marks.

“Administration is in math classrooms,” said superintendent Jeff Kleck. “We’re evaluating, watching, making sure teaching is what it needs to be.”

Maricopa High School Principal June Celaya told board members that each department at her site now has strategies for math and reading. “My philosophy is it’s all of our jobs, not just math or reading. We need clear and purposeful target areas in terms of remediation.”

To help address that issue, the high school English department has volunteered to provide lesson plans for RAM time at the school. RAM time is a half hour period not attached to classes, so teachers do not have their own students. Math and reading remediation will be part of that time slot this year.

“We’ve made some tremendous improvements in tackling issues, and I know we’ll continue to do that,” said board president Geoff Goddard.

Partially due to low test scores, Maricopa Elementary School is technically in corrective action for year three, with an additional year to plan and restructure, according to Michalski. The transformational model, where the principal, not the staff, is replaced, is being utilized there. Former principal Bonnie Gibson is now part of the district’s curriculum department, and assistant principal Rachele Reese has assumed the position of MES interim principal.

“I appreciate Rachele stepping in here and exhibiting leadership,” Michalski said.

According to Michalski, communication is increasing and district expectations are being addressed at MES. Students are responding well to the Character Counts program, and discipline referrals have decreased.

“For some of the schools, there is absolutely no room for failure, none at all,” Goddard said. “We have to succeed. This may be the hardest next two or three years an educator could have—or the most rewarding.”

“We can’t fail. If we fail now, it’s goodbye to schools.”

Photo by Michael K. Rich