Make It Happen Pilot Projects

Three teams of educators from schools in Tucson, Phoenix and Mesa were selected from summer 2007 AFRE academy participants for the "Make It Happen" pilot program that was implemented during the 2007-2008 academic year. Funding was provided in part by a $50,000 grant from the Arizona Community Foundation.

Brinton Elementary School
Mesa Public Schools

Focus: Ensure achievement among students who enter first grade at varying levels of math readiness.

Solution: As a team, develop a curriculum map for first grade math that explicitly articulates the knowledge and skills to be taught and learned based on Arizona’s math standard.

Cartwright Elementary School
Cartwright Elementary School District, Phoenix

Focus: Increase comprehension skills of third grade students with an emphasis on comprehending informational text (e.g., maps, schedules, pamphlets).

Solution: Effectively use the Understanding by Design (UbD) instructional-planning model to deliver higher quality instruction in reading comprehension of informational text, and thereby increase third-grade students’ overall reading achievement.

Peter Howell Elementary School
Tucson Unified School District

Focus: Maximize student achievement whether students are falling below the standards, meeting the standards or exceeding them by more boldly aligning best practices in the three key elements of learning: curriculum, instruction and assessment.

Solution: Use grade level teams to plan, design and implement quality units (using Understanding by Design) along with more skillfully differentiating instruction for students.