The Results Are In – Vail is on Top AGAIN!
Vail Rated Again as #1 School District by the Arizona Department of Education
The Arizona Department of Education (ADE) today announced the Vail School District as the top-rated, multi-school district in the State of Arizona.
Vail School District received an “A” grade based upon the 2011-2012 school year. All twelve of Vail’s elementary and middle schools also earned an “A” grade for the school year.
“We are very honored for this designation,” said Superintendent Calvin Baker. “Meeting the challenging criteria can only be accomplished when schools and communities work together. Action is the foundation to success. Our staff is committed to discovering the very best in our students and providing our parents a place where their children can obtain a quality education. We look forward to another great school year with a community that values and supports education.”
“A” grades were awarded to school districts that earned at least 140 of a possible 200 points using the ADE’s A-F School Accountability Letter Grade System which was implemented last year.
Vail School District received 156 points to achieve the A grade.
Under this system each school is evaluated both on how many of its students are meeting and exceeding the standard on the Arizona Instrument for Measuring Standards (AIMS) and how much students grow academically each year.
See the list of top ranked schools at ADE’s website.
Dr. Frank Makes More Headlines with “Daily Edventures”
Read all about Dr. Frank’s interview with “Daily Edventures” about moving “beyond textbooks” in the classroom! Posted – daily edventures – August 3, 2012.
CFO Matt Federoff Shares How Vail Keeps Students Safe on the Internet
New laws protect students while on the internet. See how Vail handles internet filtering in Matt Federoff’s interview with KGUN 9. Posted – KGUN9.com – July 27, 2012.
Dr. Frank Tells “Arizona Illustrated” Why He Loves Teaching
Posted – azpm.org – August 10, 2012.
Dr. Frank was recently on “Arizona Illustrated” to discuss the process of winning the Presidential Award for Excellence. See Dr. Frank’s interview!
State Rates Vail No. 1 School District in Arizona – APM Coverage
Arizona Public Media came to Vail to check out the #1 District in the state. Check out their coverage! Posted: azpm.org – August 15, 2012.
The Arizona Department of Education says Vail School District in suburban Tucson is the top-rated, multi-school district in the state.
Vail as a district received an “A” grade based on the 2011-2012 school year, and all 12 of Vail’s elementary and middle schools earned an “A” grade for the school year.
Debbie Hedgepeth, Vail assistant superintendent of curriculum and professional development, began her career at Vail as a classroom teacher and she’s been part of the team leading the push to improve the district’s AIMS scores.
“I remember the first year we got the results back –they weren’t very good,” she says. “We were ranked about the middle of the pack for the Tucson area, and well below the state average.”
Hedgepeth says the low AIMS scores were a wakeup call and provided an opportunity to reassess the effectiveness of the curriculum.
Vail Blended Learning Middle School Embraces the Information Age
Vail Blended Learning is highlighted in the Vail Voice. Posted: thevailvoice.com – August 1, 2012.
A wise educator once said, “Today’s students have their world’s information either in their pocket or on their lap and don’t need to be told it. They want to be engaged in working together (not sitting quietly) and solving real world problems. They want learning to be fun and intriguing and it doesn’t really matter what technology you put in front of them because, at its heart, teaching is inspiring learning, not managing it.”
Andrada Raised $4,300 for Hospitalized Former Vail Student
Fundraising Efforts A Success
On Friday, August 24th, Andrada Polytechnic High School staff, students, and community were having loads of fun raising money to help the Hilkemeyer family. On August 3rd, Austin Hilkemeyer, a former Vail student was seriously injured in a hiking accident leaving him hospitalized long term. Austin is a would be sophomore at the University of Arizona.
The fundraising event included a $10 admission fee, pie throwing at teachers and administrators, dodgeball, a talent show, a dance, and more. By the end of the evening, the school raised over $4,300 to assist the family with ongoing expenses.
Learn more of Austin and his condition in the Daily Wildcat article covering the event.
