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School improvement program excels at raising student performance
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PHOENIX – Arizona schools chief Tom Horne has announced that funding for Project Momentum Arizona will now be provided by the Arizona Department of Education after the recent decision by the Governor’s Office to reevaluate its role in that program. The department has signed a $10 million contract with Project Momentum to ensure the program continues and expands to more Arizona schools.
Horne said, “My job is to make sure student learning increases and test scores improve. Project Momentum Arizona has proven to be remarkably effective where it has been implemented. Every school in the Avondale Elementary District is now either rated A or B, and students in the Buckeye Elementary District outperformed the state average in the latest statewide achievement test. All other districts that use Project Momentum Arizona principles report similar success as well as improved teacher retention. Teachers want to teach and when they see students doing better year-to-year that is one of the strongest incentives to stay in the profession. Approving continued funding through the Department of Education was a very easy decision for me.”
Project Momentum uses several basic principles for school improvement that include aligning classroom instruction with the teaching methods that get the best academic results; providing time, training, and support for teachers to use those methods; establishing high expectations for students, and monitoring progress to ensure accountability.
Daniel Parris of Project Momentum added, “We are all extremely grateful to Superintendent Tom Horne for picking up the funding and the department’s incredible support of each of our participating districts. This is simply about doing our best to improve academic outcomes for the children of Arizona.”
