On Wednesday, five members of the Wheeler Elementary student council learned they would meet “some important people” the following day.
They showed up in button-down shirts, dresses, heels and smiles to greet education officials on Thursday afternoon.
The fourth and fifth graders knew two things as they sat in the school library: Their school was being recognized and “we work hard,” fifth grader Lily Lake said.
“I help make decisions and bring ideas in student council,” Lake said. “It makes us feel important in this school.”
Wheeler, an eastside K-5 school in TUSD was named as one of 108 schools in the state that has raised its academic progress and is removed from a watchlist. Wheeler was one of 12 Title I Tucson-area schools on the list, working to improve chronic absenteeism, math and reading standardized test scores. About 350 schools still remain on the list, requiring monitoring and improvement, the state says.
More than 39 percent of Arizona third graders were proficient or highly proficient on the reading portion of the Arizona Academic Standards Assessment in 2024, according to data from Center for the Future of Arizona. In Pima County, only 37.4 percent were proficient or above.
State education officials say the goal is 72% proficiency by 2030. Third-grade reading level is a strong predictor of high school performance, graduation and college attendance, says the Center for the Future of Arizona, a non-partisan nonprofit that uses research and community data to help improve the state, especially in areas like education.
The Arizona Department of Education says a school goes on the list and needs to improve when its test scores fall into the lowest 5% of Title I schools — those with at least 40% low-income students. If a school falls into that lowest 5%, the state Department of Education intervenes and says schools must follow an improvement plan. In Arizona, that plan is called Project Momentum.
The state intervention model is designed to support teachers, administrators and students to work together. On Thursday, Arizona’s Superintendent of Public Instruction, Tom Horne, Tucson Unified School District Superintendent Gabriel Trujillo and students said leaving the list is a step toward more needed academic progress.
“I think the school has room for improvement just like every other school,” said fifth-grader Victoria Bonilla, who also plays viola in the orchestra. “This is a brand-new school for me. The school has really nice students and staff.”
Trujillo said supporting struggling students during the school day is key, as academic intervention after school can create a barrier for parents.
“We have to get everything that we can into the school day, particularly with math and reading, and that’s been a game-changer for us,” he said.
Students say activities like orchestra, music, student council and yearbook help them feel invested in their school.
“In fifth grade we get to choose what instrument we get to play,” Bonilla said. “I think it’s really nice that we get to dive deep into music, and open that part of our brain.”
Education notes
🏫 After naming the four elementary schools it aims to close by next school year, Amphitheater Public Schools continues its meetings with parents and staff tonight with a get-together in the Canyon del Oro High School auditorium at 6:30 p.m. The Dec. 9 Governing Board meeting will include the formal recommendation and the board is expected to vote on the closures Jan. 13. Comment on the closures here.
✏️ The Kyrene School District, recommends shutting down six elementary schools and two middle schools over the next two years. The vote comes Dec. 16.
🚴🏼♀️ A Nogales High School sophomore cyclist is working to make cycling safer through a school project.
📣 ESA/school voucher questions: What do you want to know about where education dollars go? Who should we meet at your school? Tell us here.
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