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CANYON CORRIDOR CONNECTION | 13
AMessage fromAlhambra School District
W elcome to the 2013-
2014 school year! Our
administrative team is
excited to be starting another year of
promise and we are encouraged that
you have chosen the Alhambra School
District! In the Alhambra School District,
“We believe in the American Dream,” a
simple yet profound concept, sought
after around the globe. Everything
we do in Alhambra is rooted in the
belief, that, through hard work and
determination, you can achieve
anything. Our goal is to ensure that
each student is prepared for college, a
career and a lifetime of prosperity.
Our philosophy is captured by the
phrase, “Believe In, Practice, and Live
the American Dream.” The following
three ideals drive our efforts:
Belief – Our team believes that every
child deserves a high-quality education.
Students will be challenged to maximize
their learning potential; therefore,
all decisions and actions reflect our
students’ best interests. In Alhambra, we
firmly believe poverty has no place in any
child’s future.
Practice – In Alhambra, our Core Values
guide everything we do.
• Guarantee high academic results.
Providing the highest-quality programs
such as the Johns Hopkins Success
For All reading, FOSS/SEPUP
hands-on science and Pearson’s
Investigations and Connected Math
Program 2 (CMP2), all successfully
proven academic programs.
• Drive continuous growth through
professional development.
Preparing our staff to deliver the
Common Core Standards so teachers
teach for children’s futures, and not
the past.
• Ensure data-driven instructional
excellence. Targeting the individual
strengths and areas of focus for each
student through intervention strategies
that meet specific needs and enhance
outcomes.
• Build enduring relationships and
respect diversity. Respecting the
differences of students who come to
Alhambra from all parts of the world. We
learn from and celebrate our many rich
cultures, readily emphasizing America as
the land of opportunity.
• Empower parents as active
partners. Accepting full responsibility
as a collaborative professional team of
educators while asking our parents to
expect their children to cooperate and
to learn to their fullest potential every
day. Education must be a priority in the
home environment.
• Commit to technological
advancement. Recognizing the
digital era our children will inherit is a
keystone to future success.
• Maximize financial resources.
Pledging to utilize every dollar in a cost-
effective manner. Over the past three
years, we have remained steadfast in
our dedication to these core values.
Live the Dream– The quality of
education students receive impacts
them for a lifetime. It is our intent that
Alhambra students are well-prepared
to lead successful lives; not just dream
about their futures, but achieve their
hearts’ desires. In Alhambra, possibilities
abound! Our three-year quest for quality
has yielded significant results:
• Last year, the maintenance and
operations budget override passed by
the largest margin in the election history
of the district. We are grateful for the
continued support of parents and our
community members for trusting us
with our nation’s most important work:
providing a quality education for the
children of this district!
• The district has been faced with the
challenge of operating with millions
of dollars less than we have in the
past; however, we have been able to
maintain highly competitive salaries
and health benefits. In fact, the
Alhambra School District continues
to provide an outstanding benefits
package to eligible employees. This
year, the district absorbed a 7.85%
rate increase for health insurance with
no plan design changes or increased
costs to employees.
• We worked closely with Maricopa
County Education Service Agency
to create a pilot teacher evaluation
system and reduced the number of
yearly teacher evaluations required
by the grant from five to three
while maintaining the maximum
compensation allowed.
• Principals play a critical role in leading
our schools. Even though their title
is “principal,” their primary role is
instructional leader; our principals are
impacting achievement outcomes by
improving the level of instruction in
classrooms.
• Thirteen Alhambra Schools showed
improvement in their AZ LEARNS
Accountability System growth score on
the most complex AIMS test given.
• Granada Primary School achieved an
AZ LEARNS letter grade of “A,” joining
James W. Rice Primary School and
Alhambra Traditional School.
• Three years ago, 105 Alhambra
School District eighth grade students
passed the Phoenix Union High
School District’s Algebra Qualifying
Test (PUHSD AQT). This past spring,
287 Alhambra students, including 19
seventh graders, passed the PUHSD
AQT, nearly tripling our success rate on
the most rigorous test to date.
Overwhelming research indicates
successful completion of algebra by
eighth grade is the greatest indicator
of successfully completing a four-year
college degree.
• Alhambra led the way with our
Science, Technology, Engineering,
and Math (STEM) initiative. The
District was one of seven sites
selected to receive a grant through
Science Foundation Arizona and
Helios Education Foundation to launch
Helios STEM school pilot programs at
Cordova Middle School and Granada
East School. Our MESA Clubs led the
regional and state competitions by
capturing a majority of the awards
in these two events. Additionally, 35
students from Alhambra received
admissions letters from BioScience
High School, which admits
approximately 100 students per year.
• The Alhambra District recently
surveyed parents to obtain feedback on
the quality of education provided at our
schools. The district received an 85%
response rate to the survey. Of those
parents who responded, 94% rated the
overall quality of education provided at
their child’s school as an “A” or “B.”
Alhambra is on the right course and
we will remain steady! Great things
are in store for this district and our
14,200 students are on track to
achieve success. This school year, our
theme is “Winning Together!” Through
partnerships between employees,
students, parents, community members
and local businesses, we have created a
culture of high expectations, a culture of
excellence and a culture of success. Our
commitment to the Alhambra community
is to work diligently and ensure every
child lives this country’s promise, “The
American Dream.”
Believe!
Dr. Karen E. Williams
Superintendent
Alhambra School District
4510 N. 37th Avenue
Phoenix, AZ 85019
602-336-2921
Educat ion
Dr. Karen E. Williams,
Superintendent, Alhambra
School District