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Maricopa High emphasizes tier‑1 instruction, posts learning‑target gains and diagnostic growth
Summary
Maricopa High School principal and teachers described district efforts to strengthen core classroom instruction using clear learning targets, formative "exit tickets," cooperative learning strategies and diagnostic tools; staff cited classroom adoption rates and growth on national benchmarks.
Maricopa High School on Feb. 12 told the Maricopa Unified School District governing board that a districtwide push to strengthen tier‑1 instruction has produced measurable classroom changes and diagnostic growth across the campus.
Principal McNamee and English teachers Talitha Martin and Jen Miller described a set of classroom practices — explicit learning targets, cooperative learning (Kagan) structures, exit‑ticket formative assessments and frequent diagnostic snapshots via the IXL platform — intended to make daily instruction more transparent and responsive to student needs.
The district presentation cited several indicators of implementation: learning targets posted in about 96% of classrooms, alignment to grade‑level standards improved to over 90%, and diagnostic data availability for roughly 90% of students. Staff also reported that the share of students above national benchmarks on diagnostic measures increased from 44% in August to 50% in January.
Martin and Miller demonstrated how teachers use a "group jam" activity and short formative checks to surface misconceptions, provide immediate coaching, and identify students who need targeted support. Board members asked clarifying questions about exit tickets and teacher workload; presenters described exit tickets as low‑stakes formative tools used to confirm daily mastery and guide the next day's instruction. Teachers acknowledged that scheduling consistent professional‑learning‑team (PLT) time is challenging but said long‑standing teams and administrative coaching help sustain implementation.
Administrators said the campus leverages multiple funding sources to support curriculum and professional development, including the district's vision budget, Project Momentum support, a recently awarded Ninth Grade Success grant and Title funds.
The presentation concluded with plans to continue professional development focused on formative assessment, differentiation and PLT best practices, and to incorporate ACT/ACT Aspire item types into daily learning to better prepare students for state and national measures.
