Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Special Education topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Board approves RISE as separate school designation to fix administrative and data problems
Summary
The board approved administration’s recommendation to designate the RISE emotional‑disabilities program as a separate school within the district to resolve data, scheduling and accountability issues; day‑to‑day operations and funding will not change.
The Show Low Unified District Board of Education voted to approve administration’s request to designate the RISE program — a state‑approved EDP (emotional disabilities program) for students with significant behavioral needs — as its own school within the district.
Beth Marsh, the district’s director of special education, described RISE as a specialized program serving a small percentage of students with emotional disabilities who require intensive supports. Marsh said the program had been consolidated on the high school campus for facility reasons and that placing grades three through twelve under the high school in the student information system (PowerSchool) created problems with transcripts, GPAs, scheduling, third‑party products and state accountability metrics.
Sarah Choet, identified in the presentation as the RISE lead teacher, and district staff explained that making RISE a separate school would not change day‑to‑day operations, staffing models or financial impacts for the district. Instead, the change would create an independent school identifier in PowerSchool and with the Arizona Department of Education (ADE), which the administration said would streamline course creation, attendance, grading and vendor product access for RISE students.
The board approved the recommendation after limited discussion. Administrators said they would apply to ADE for the separate‑school designation and work on the technical and enrollment steps required, and that the change could reduce data‑management disruptions that previously affected the high school’s recorded outcomes.
Action taken: the board moved to approve the proposal as presented and the motion passed.
Clarifying details from the discussion: the district reported RISE currently enrolls students in grades three through twelve at the high school campus; staff said the change would require administrative work up front and an ADE application but no change to student services or funding.
