Huge gains made in academic scores at inner-city school used as ADE lab

For immediate release: March 5, 2025
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Huge gains made in academic scores at inner-city school used as ADE lab

Horne touts leadership efforts tied to math and reading gains

PHOENIX – A program championed by state schools chief Tom Horne to train teachers and use collaborative leadership efforts to raise student achievement showed remarkable gains in academic scores at the Wilson Elementary School near downtown Phoenix.

The ADE-Wilson Partnership Project involved 5th grade classes for the entire 2023-24 school year. Educator and leadership coaches from the Arizona Department of Education worked with teachers and district personnel to implement rigorous classroom instruction and management techniques. The results show that students’ reading scores reading grew by six percent and math scores shot up 25 percent.

Horne said, “The results of this partnership are outstanding and prove that students in low-income areas are just as capable of academic excellence as students in wealthy communities. Family income has no bearing on academic ability.”

He added, “There was an impressive 25 percent gain in math scores. This demonstrates that using effective coaching and training methods rewards students with academic success. Every time my department has worked in partnership with schools to improve academics, we have seen gains. That is true for this partnership just as it is true for Project Momentum, school improvement teams and tutoring programs. I want to commend the teachers, staff and leadership at the Wilson school and the district for their excellent performance. The students were challenged to work very hard, and they deserve praise for their achievements.”

The partnership concentrating on the 5th grade cohort began in June of 2023 and lasted through September of 2024. It also included mentoring from ADE professional learning specialists in between sessions. Since then, the entire school has transitioned to Project Momentum, a department-led program that uses the same techniques to increase academic achievement.

The success of the Wilson project also led to the department creating low-cost training academies for teachers, leaders, and instructional coaches. Training for any public school statewide is available through the department.

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