Students From Three Southern Arizona Communities Form Student Body at Sopori Elementary School, An AEF A+ School
Students Travel Many Miles to School Earning AEF's Top Grade

AMADO - July 24, 2009 - Nearly all 17 schools earning Arizona Educational Foundation's A+ rating for 2009 claim their campus serves as a focal point for their community.

While that certainly is impressive, one A+ School takes its claim to a completely different level. Sopori Elementary School, found at the southern-most edge of Pima County just 30 miles north of the US-Mexico border, is at the center of not one but three distinct rural communities!

Many of Sopori Elementary's students are bussed up to 45 minutes each way to get to the campus, serving Lakewood, Elephant Head and Arivaca. Rather than complaining about the long daily commute, there instead is a movement among parents to transform the school from a Pre K-through-Sixth Grade campus to a Pre-Kindergarten-through-8th Grade campus.

"Sopori is a hub providing educational programs, family support initiatives, business partnerships and adult education for the parents," Principal Desiree Raulston and her staff wrote in the school's A+ certification sheet. "Sopori strives to build excellence in a rural community."

The commitment of Sopori's students, parents and staff wasn't lost on the AEF A+ Schools judges.

"(Parents and students) feel a strong sense of community," wrote the judges. "Kids feel safe. This is an exceptional example of an A+ School, especially when considering the challenges within the community."

Much of the school's academic focus has centered on the Arizona Reading First curriculum, according to the school's certification sheet.

"The road has been long with many challenges and celebrations as we have worked to implement the research-based best practices of Reading First," Principal Raulston and her staff wrote. "Implementing Reading First has been a wonderful learning experience, as we work together to help all students become proficient readers by the end of third grade."

Sopori Elementary School will maintain its A+ designation for three years.

According to the AEF website, azedfoundation.org, the A+ program celebrates education and brings to light the positive stories and successes happening in public schools every day. Created in 1983, the program's stated purpose is threefold:

• To identify and publicly recognize outstanding public schools in Arizona;
• To make available a comprehensive framework of key criteria for school effectiveness that can serve as a basis for participatory self-assessment and planning in schools;
• To facilitate communication and sharing of best practices within and among schools based on common criteria related to success.

In order to be recognized as an A+ school, each school must submit an application providing demographic information, a description of current programs and practices, documentation of parent and community involvement, a profile of the school principal and his/her vision of the commitment to excellence, equity, service; and sustained high achievement or significant improvement in assessment. The winning schools are recognized for their superior ability to meet the needs of their student populations.

The AEF A+ School Recognition Program is sponsored by APS, The Arizona Republic, Desert Schools Federal Credit Union, Safeway and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona. To learn more about the AEF A+ School Recognition Program, please visit, http://www.azedfoundation.org/school-recogition-program.php.