Balsz Elementary Earns A+ Grade from AEF

PHOENIX - June 10, 2009 - Balsz Elementary School has been recognized by the Arizona Educational Foundation (AEF) as one of 17 Arizona A+ Schools for 2009.

Located at 4309 E. Belleview St., the inner-city Phoenix school serves more than 800 K-6th grade students in an ethnically and linguistically diverse environment. Cultural diversity is a practice - not a goal - on a campus where forty-seven percent of the students have limited English proficiency and the school faces an increasing refugee population.

In addition to the language barriers Balsz’s teachers’ must overcome, economic hardship is also commonplace for Balsz’s students and their families with 92-5-percent of the student body qualifying for free and reduced meals.

The demographic challenges haven’t stopped the school, or its parent school district, from using innovative approaches to increase academic success. In March, the district announced it would be the first district in Arizona (and one of the first nationwide) to add 20 days to the traditional 180-day school year.

While the extra classroom hours will definitely help the school’s academic progress, a big reason Balsz Elementary achieved A+ status was the teachers' and students' ability and willingness to maximize every teaching opportunity.  A summary of A+ committee judges comments included: "Staff is cohesive and student-focused in planning academic and extracurricular activities. …The 21st Century Before and After School Programs are amazing and should be considered a model for other school communities.  Students are excited to learn and be involved in an incredible variety of athletic endeavors, the arts and other extended learning activities."

Another aspect impressing the A+ certification judges was the key role the school plays within its neighborhood: "The school is truly at the center of the community. …A common theme that there are open lines of communication among all stakeholders surfaced more than once…The parent liaison is an incredible resource for bridging the gap between school and home. …Parents are passionate about student learning and inclusion in classroom activities, English acquisition opportunities and evening events that build community."

The school offers plenty of chances to bring families together, including weekly Family Nights and events such as Math Night, Reading Under the Stars, Open House and Classroom Showcases and regularly scheduled parent classes.

In its certification sheet forwarded to the AEF, the school also praised the important role played by community partnerships, specifically citing Desert Schools Federal Credit Union and The Doubletree Hotel for important contributions to the school.

Balsz 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.

To learn more about the AEF A+ School Recognition Program, please visit, http://www.azedfoundation.org/school-recogition-program.php.