FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

NCEA Releases 2011 List of Higher Performing Schools in Arizona that are Advancing toward College and Career Readiness

The National Center for Educational Achievement's annual list released today recognizes Arizona public schools that are most successful at preparing students for college and careers.

(Austin, TX--November 17, 2011) The National Center for Educational Achievement (NCEA), a department of ACT, Inc., in partnership with the Arizona Department of Education, released its 2011 NCEA Higher Performing Schools List for Arizona on its website www.nc4ea.org today. The list identifies those elementary, middle, and high schools in Arizona that have consistently outperformed their peers with similar student populations over a three-year period (the 2008-09, 2009-10, and 2010-11 school years). All Higher Performing schools will be celebrated, and the All Subject Higher Performers will receive special recognition at an event hosted by the Arizona Business & Education Coalition (ABEC), on Tuesday, November 29, from 1:00 Ð 3:00 pm at the Desert Willow Conference Center, 4340 E. Cotton Center Blvd, Phoenix.

"The list of Higher Performing Schools is a valuable tool for any district that wants to evaluate areas of performance that might need strengthening. It's also a great way to compare your school or your district to other schools of similar demographics in the state of Arizona," says Angela Hall Watkins, Assistant Vice President and Managing Director of NCEA. "The schools that really stand out are those that, over several years, have gone above and beyond their expected achievement levels given their socioeconomic status. Such commitment is truly impressive, and is a testament to the fact that economic obstacles can indeed be overcome with dedication and perseverance."

"We know college and career readiness doesnÕt just start in high school," said Susan Carlson, executive director of ABEC. "This project helps start the conversation about readiness in elementary schools."

On the list are several schools whose populations include a significant amount (more than 60%) of economically disadvantaged students. Among those that stand out are Ganado Primary (Ganado USD), H. L. Suverkrup Elementary (Crane ESD), and Washington High School (Glendale UHSD). Each of these schools made the list in all subjects and all grades tested by the AIMS test.

NCEA identified the Higher Performing Schools based on one or both of two measures: 1) consistent improvement in student achievement from previous years (growth), and/or 2) absolute student achievement.

There were 13 schools that made the 2011 NCEA Arizona Higher Performing Schools List for all subjects:

NCEA began identifying Higher Performing Schools in 1998. The organization continues to annually release these lists as well as College and Career Readiness Charts for every public school in Arizona.

To view the 2011 NCEA Higher Performing Schools List for Arizona, visit
http://www.nc4ea.org/index.cfm/e/higher_performing_schools/st/arizona.

To learn more about how NCEA identifies Higher Performing Schools in Arizona, visit
http://www.nc4ea.org/index.cfm/e/areas_of_focus.higher_performers.

About NCEA

The National Center for Educational Achievement (NCEA) is a department of ACT, Inc., a not-for-profit organization committed to helping people achieve education and workplace success. NCEA builds the capacity of educators and leaders to create educational systems of excellence for all students by providing research-based solutions and expertise in higher performing schools, school improvement and best-practice research that lead to increased levels of college and career readiness. For more information, visit www.nc4ea.org.

About ABEC

The Arizona Business & Education Coalition (ABEC) is a 501(c)3 organization providing a balanced forum for business and education leaders to collaborate and improve K-12 education policy, with linkages to pre-kindergarten and postsecondary education. Guiding principles include: increasing public awareness about the relationship between ArizonaÕs future workforce and the quality of the K-12 system; actively and effectively influencing education policy; and sharing responsibility for the growth of student achievement in Arizona. For more information, visit www.azbec.org.