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Mesa Public Schools reports progress at 14 intensive schools after school‑improvement action planning
Summary
District leaders and principals reported that the 14 schools identified for intensive support showed growth on most targeted metrics after a year of action planning, collaborative coaching and targeted resources. Math pass‑rate goals showed especially broad progress, district staff said.
Mesa Public Schools on Aug. 14 presented the results of a yearlong school‑improvement effort focused on 14 schools the district identified for intensive support. District staff and campus leaders said nearly all of the schools showed measurable progress on the goals set for English language arts, math and growth among below‑proficiency students.
District staff described a multi‑step process that included data analysis, root‑cause work (including a "five‑why" process), writing SMART goals, developing theories of action, building action plans with assigned owners and timelines, and aligning resources — including Title funds and coaching time — to school priorities. A one‑point rubric guided regular feedback and helped leaders assess school performance in each step of the process.
Results presented: For ELA pass rate goals, five of 14 schools met the target and three showed measurable progress; for math pass rates, 11 schools met the target and two showed progress (92.9% of the 14 schools made measurable progress or met the goal). All 14 schools showed growth on at least one of the district's below‑proficiency measures for ELA or math, the presentation said.
Principals described classroom and middle‑school practices that helped drive gains. Annie Ergison, principal at Redbird Elementary, said teachers used dedicated planning time, aligned instruction to priority standards, developed unit plans and implemented small‑group tier‑1 instruction and data talks with students. "A culture of learning developed as teachers actively sought feedback," Ergison said.
Mike Rapira, principal at Poston Junior High, said the school formed "create teams" that combined ELA, science and social studies teachers to focus on grade‑level reading and writing; math teams used a daily intervention period called "pause time" to reteach using data‑identified cohorts. Rapira said teachers also held pre‑AASA data conversations with students to set individual growth goals.
Next steps: The district said it will continue cross‑functional support and coaching, scale the process to grades 9–12 and continue to refine the continuous‑improvement cycle. Project Momentum, a targeted technical assistance program, will work with 10 campuses this year on instructional design, collaborative teams and backward‑design lesson planning, staff said.
Ending: Board members praised the work and asked for continued transparency; the district said follow‑up questions and additional data will be posted in BoardDocs before the next board meeting.
