High Expectations Propel Cave Creek's Black Mountain Elementary School to A+ Rating from the Arizona Educational Foundation

CAVE CREEK - September 9, 2009 - A common topic in public education discussions these days is expectations. Whether it's expectations for students, teachers, curriculums, standardized testing - the list seems to go on and on - setting appropriate expectation levels is a major concern for many.

It's also a common topic of discussion at Cave Creek's Black Mountain Elementary School. Evidence shows the Cave Creek Unified School District campus is meeting those expectations. Black Mountain was one of only 17 schools statewide to receive A+ certification from the Arizona Educational Foundation (AEF) in 2009, the highest rating AEF can give.

Principal Eleanor S. Gaines and her staff wrote in the school's A+ Certification materials: "We hold high expectations that go beyond those outlined by the Arizona Academic Standards. Our concern is the care of every individual ... and our vision is for each one of us to reach our highest potential."

To help Black Mountain's students reach their highest potential, the school's faculty and staff have decided to become more than just educators. According to the certification materials, educators also view themselves as treasure hunters.

"...It is the responsibility of every adult on campus to care for each child," the school wrote. "We view ourselves as treasure hunters looking for the treasure that is in all of us."

Those treasure hunters have struck gold, according to the AEF's certification judges.

"The students feel grounded in school community through active involvement," the judges wrote. "This school has a strong sense of community, which is evident because parents bring their children ...on variances. It is very deserving of its second A+ award."

To equip the Black Mountain Elementary School staff, the school has developed a professional development program recognized by the Staff Development Council of Arizona as the state's best in 2008.

Black Mountain 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, www.azedfoundation.org/school-recogition-program.php.