QUEEN CREEK - Most likely every Arizona high school has a mission statement. But perhaps no school takes it as seriously as Queen Creek High School... (read more) Story: Despite Tremendous Growth Queen Creek High School Sticks to Mission, Receives Top Grade from Arizona Educational Foundation EL MIRAGE - Thanks to the efforts of Principal David Dumon, Character now Counts more than ever at Surprise Elementary School... (read more) Story: Surprise Elementary School Principal Named Arizona PTA Educator of the Year PHOENIX - The first high school class of West-MEC's new Medium Heavy Diesel Technology program recently attended an open house at the Freightliner, Sterling and Western Star of Arizona dealership... (read more) Story: West Valley students gear up for West-MEC's diesel program TUCSON - Edith Corrales and her two sisters — Cynthia Corrales-Díaz and Annette Corrales-López — bounce reading, writing and science lessons off of one another... (read more) Story: Teaching is teamwork for 3 sisters   Beat the Odds Program Available Statewide in 2009-2010 STATEWIDE - Arizona K-12 schools interested in joining the Beat the Odds School Partners Program for this academic year may do so through September. The program provides principals with training, assistance and support in applying research-based principles that have been found to provide better-than-expected academic performance. The 2009-2010 school year is the first time the popular and rapidly expanding program has been available statewide. More than 85 school principals from the metro Phoenix and Tucson areas, as well as Whiteriver, are expected to participate. Interested principals and superintendents can obtain further details by contacting Beat the Odds Institute Director Marjorie Kaplan at (602) 496-1360 or Marjorie.kaplan@asu.edu.   Ask your friends and colleagues to log onto www.azschoolsmakeadifference.org and sign up to receive our weekly newsletter. They will be one of the first to hear about good things happening in public education around the state.   We are looking for impressive stories about how Arizona's teachers, students and schools are making a difference every day. Log onto www.azschoolsmakeadifference.org and submit your stories.