Challenges Lead to a Vision of Excellence
In 2002-03 Mesquite Elementary was labeled by the Arizona Department of Education as a “Performing School.” Educational leaders at the school knew that the label was tied to the Arizona Instrument to Measure Standards (AIMS) results and set out to raise student achievement in the next year. One obstacle to making significant improvements in the following year was that teachers would have to address the recently updated Arizona Academic Standards (2003) as required, as well as the 1996 standards (the 2004 AIMS tested the 1996 standards.) In addition, the passing score for AIMS had recently been raised by the Arizona Department of Education. Yet, Mesquite Elementary principal, Connie Erickson and her staff did not postpone their goal for academic excellence. Instead, district and school initiatives were combined to make a significant impact. The 2003-04 Arizona School Report Card for Mesquite Elementary indicated that Mesquite had advanced from “Performing” to “Excelling” in just one year (2004). The school’s successes in the two years since 2003 have been recognized by numerous awards including:

- Mesquite Elementary is one of 3 Schools recognized by the State of Arizona for their Best Practices as part of the Spotlight on School Success for 2004-05.
- Mesquite student achievement on AIMS increases substantially in 2 year period in all three tested areas, (Reading, Math and Writing). The percent of eighth Grade Students meeting or exceeding the standards in Writing rose from 31 to 84. Eighth Grade Math results grew from 18 to 54 percent meeting or exceeding the standard.
- Mesquite Elementary was designated as an Arizona Educational Foundation A+ School in 2005.
- Mesquite Elementary Principal, Connie Erickson, was named a National Distinguished Principal of the Year for the State of Arizona.
- Mesquite Elementary was the 1st Place K-8 Winner of the 2004 ASBA Golden Bell Award.

Research-Based Approach
Mesquite was able to impact student achievement in a short time frame due to the concerted effort of all Mesquite Elementary stakeholders. The combined efforts of students, parents, teachers and administrators were leveraged through several programs that contributed to the measurable progress of students in the school.

The process began with a determination to focus on standards. Mesquite benefited from the implementation of The Vail Unified School District Data Driven Instruction Initiative that began in 2003. The initiative involved a partnership between Vail, Assessment Technology, Incorporated (ATI), and WestEd, to enhance the district’s capacity to deliver standards-based instruction to promote learning. As a result, Vail teachers recognize that the state standards are the root of instruction.

The standards-based focus was reinforced by giving teachers the tools for using data in the classroom. Teachers receive support to analyze data tied Arizona State Standards by performance objective from formative and benchmark tests. Professional development, team meetings with a Student Data Coordinator, and access to technology for managing learning aided staff in using data to improve teaching and learning. A young school with many new faces was able to establish continuity in teaching methods through professional development, weekly grade-level meetings and written lesson plans based on curriculum mapped to the standards. Access to useful information on student learning on a regular basis has provided a solid structure for growth in the school.

Using time wisely became another focus for change. Common sense said that the inequity of instructional time needed to teach the required standards would need to be addressed. Principal Erickson responded by providing staff and team planning times to brainstorm, prioritize and share best teaching practices in classroom pacing and transitions, group alerting, and maintaining active participation in the classroom. From this, an award-winning program called “Bell-to-Bell Learning” blossomed at Mesquite as a strategic component to implementing standards-based instruction.

A brief look at the research-based programs implemented in the past few years at Mesquite show how fast a school can achieve excellence.

Essential Standards
In order to address both the importance of standards-based instruction, and the seeming imbalance in the amount of teaching time to address the standards, Vail School District built a district-wide accountability system that started with identifying “Essential Standards” for the district at each grade level. Administrators and teachers from Mesquite Elementary participated in WestEd’s Local Assessment Professional Development Series to help determine which standards need proficiency before a student exited grade level. The work with WestEd gave the district’s schools, teachers, and students a better target for improving student achievement. The Essential Standards were used at the District level to develop benchmark assessments and at the school level to create formative tests. Benchmark tests are administered on Math and Language Arts/Reading Standards three times during the school year. At Mesquite, formative assessments are administered every few weeks to enable a grade level team to gauge levels of success and adjust their instructional efforts accordingly. Formative assessments are teacher designed, consistent across grade level, and designed to match the scope and sequence of performance objectives that will appear on upcoming benchmark assessments. Joe Sassone, Vail Assistant Superintendent remarks that, “With information on how many students succeed in the Essential Standards, Mesquite is able to develop strategies to improve instruction and intervention."

Educational Management System
An additional district-wide contribution to improving student performance is the implementation of the Galileo K-12 Online Educational Management System (EMS). The benefits to educators of using technology are numerous. Galileo enables teachers to easily create and administer standards-aligned tests either by paper or online. Galileo is organized around learning standards, so benchmark and formative tests, grade book information, assignments, lesson plans and curriculum maps are all linked directly to specific performance objectives. Online technology provides instant access to assessment information at student, class, grade, school and district levels. Because of test equating procedures within the Galileo EMS, Vail School District has the ability to run a Multi-Test report to predict student performance on the AIMS assessment based on successive benchmark assessments administered.

At Mesquite, educators access Galileo reporting tools to evaluate student accomplishments and to provide the information on student learning necessary to modify instruction to increase student achievement. The Standards Development Grid is used to look at assessment results by class. This report shows how each student in the class performed on each performance objective tested. Erickson says she and her team also look at Item Analysis reports to analyze raw test scores. Teachers can see which performance objectives students may be having difficulty with across the entire grade, and even look deeper by analyzing incorrect answer choices. Erickson explains, “When students are not meeting the standards, these reports are helpful in determining how to re-teach. Is it a class issue or a small group of students?”

Achievement Teacher
Providing teachers with assistance in analyzing the information on learning available from Galileo has been critical to Mesquite’s rapid progress. Vail School District funds a Student Data Coordinator at every school. Known as the “Achievement Teacher”, this person is responsible for compiling and preparing student assessment data for use by teaching teams and administrators to inform instructional practices. Data is also assembled in reports or presentations communicating achievement results to educational stakeholders. Mesquite is fortunate to have more than one person filling this role. Jerry Wood and Susan Marko work the equivalent of 1.5-time as achievement teachers. They hold “Data Team Meetings” every 2 weeks for each grade level. At these meetings, the group looks at data showing how many students Met, Approached, or Fell Below the standard for a specific learning objective. When students are not meeting the standard, they examine the data to determine whether it is a class issue or student issue. From this information, the teachers create a plan for what they call “re-teaching.” The effect of a dedicated position for analyzing data on student progress has been to ensure that every student has an opportunity to learn.

Comprehensive System of Student Support
The synergy of these components -- essential standards, benchmark and formative testing, the educational management system, and grade-level analysis with the achievement teacher -- is visible in Mesquite’s Comprehensive System of Student Support (CSSS). The CSSS is a Daily Math Re-teach/Enrich Class that Erickson credits with having a significant impact on increasing math test scores. Over a three year period the percentage of 5th grade children at the level of “Exceeds Standard” for Math rose from 45% to 51% to 69%. Other grades experienced similar gains. The Re-teach/Enrich Class occurs every day from 12:30-1:00pm. During this time, the entire school focuses on a specific Math concept. Data from formative tests are used to determine whether students will receive re-teaching or enrichment on the focus math concept. Every staff member at Mesquite has an assignment to teach during that time, including para-professionals and specialists, so groups get as much attention as possible.

Bell to Bell Learning
The research-based principles that classroom instructional practices and student active participation have the biggest impact on student achievement drive this time-on-task/student engagement program. Winner of the 2005 ASBA Golden Bell Award, “Bell to Bell Learning,” is based on the commitment to using every minute of teaching time every day. Bell to Bell culture assumes that student learning is a shared responsibility – and is supported by parents, community, staff and students. Kids are expected to be focused to learn and taught how to be an engaged participant. This is exemplified through posters in the classrooms with tips like: Watch for signals from the teacher. Arrive at School on-time, ready and rested. Kids speak the “language” and know what it means when the teacher directs the student to “stay on-task.” Parents of Mesquite students are making an effort to make sure their children are prepared for learning. Measured by decreases in absences and tardies, and increases in the number of students regularly completing homework, the parental awareness-building has helped. Mesquite teachers created and staff homework clubs and Saturday school to help students struggling in “being prepared for school.”

Smooth transitions are reinforced and classroom interruptions for messages or announcements are restricted. Erickson provides motivational challenges to make Bell to Bell fun and keep it top-of-mind. For instance, she gave egg timers to each class with the goal that transitions take less than one minute. Classes who achieved the goal receive school-wide recognition.

Recognizing achievement is an overall motto Erickson says, “In our world of high stakes testing Mesquite recognizes students who achieve and improve academically.” At the end of every school year students who have made progress as determined by standardized test scores are recognized with ribbons, trophies and plaques at a school assembly. Exceptional student attendance, which has been shown to promote learning and achievement, is recognized quarterly.

Summary
As a result of implementing these strategies, teachers were able to continuously gauge the level of student mastery, adjust instructional efforts to meet the needs of students, offer re-teach/enrichment activities, and enhance student achievement. The Arizona Department of Education chose Mesquite for the state Spotlight on School Success Award for their “efforts in the areas of AIMS, yearly progress, and the use of data to improve educational programs.” Other schools looking for strategies for improvement might consider replicating some of the ideas that enabled Mesquite Elementary to achieve exceptional gains in student performance in a short period of time.

For further information:
Arizona Department of Education Spotlight on Success http://www.ade.az.gov/
Assessment Technology, Inc. and Galileo http://www.ati-online.com
Vail Unified School District and Mesquite Elementary School http://www.vail.k12.az.us/