As of October of 2019, all schools in the Snowflake Unified School District that qualify for grade labels from the Arizona Department of Education are receiving an “A” label and Superintendent Hollis Merrell is aiming for a third year with 2020.
“It is extremely rare for a unified district to achieve all “A” schools. It is even more uncommon to repeat that accomplishment. Our district and schools have been recognized throughout the state as one of the top performing districts in Arizona,” said Merrell.
“For K-8 schools, the grade is based on student growth, proficiency at test scores, English Language Learners (ELL) growth and proficiency, and acceleration and readiness measures,” explained Merrell. The district’s K-3 schools do not receive grades since testing begins and grade 3 and growth cannot be calculated. At the high school level, the grades for the schools are given based on the College and Career Readiness Index, graduation rates, ELL growth and proficiency, student subgroup proficiency and test proficiency.
In 2020, the formula for the grading of the performance of high schools will change. Previously, all high schoolers were tested. In 2020, only sophomores will be taking the AzMERIT test, which will now be called the AZm2 test.
In December of 2019, construction began on the bathroom renovation project at Highland Primary School, which is being funded through the School Facilities Board. “They now have a grant process to go through in order to secure funding for facilities projects. While we found that the process can be frustrating and takes much longer than we expected, we owe it to ourselves and the local taxpayers to follow through with these projects,” explains Merrell. Construction will continue into the coming year.
The schools are affected by the ongoing process of the flooding projects in the Town of Snowflake. Flooding damage continues to cause the need for carpet replacement, door replacement, paving and roofing projects in the schools. Beginning this month, the junior high football field began the process to upgrade the field to meet Americans with Disabilities Act access requirements.
“In the fall semester, each school completed a process to review performance at their schools. This process is used to identify strengths, weaknesses and to formulate plans to improve. We are also doing the same from a district perspective. The leadership team is reviewing the district vision and mission and will be recommending changes to the board in an upcoming meeting,” said Merrell.
In 2020, the district will continue making improvements to provide a safe and effective learning environment for students. “This school year and the 2020 year has been a year to re-focus on the strategies that have helped our schools to be successful and to identify behaviors that may be holding us back. The leadership team read a book called “Hunger in Paradise,” which focuses on how to maintain and improve upon success and how to avoid complacency. The principles taught in the book are being used in this process,” said Merrell. “We are excited about this year and the future of our schools. We will continue to focus our efforts on helping our students to achieve at the highest levels possible.”
