Phoenix

Schools

Evidence of the achievement gap in Phoenix, specifically along socioeconomic and racial lines, is unmistakably clear:

• Third graders in Phoenix's Roosevelt Elementary School District scored at the 26th percentile in Language Arts Literacy on the nationally norm-referenced TerraNova exam. 95 percent of district students are Latino or African-American and 90 percent of students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch.
• Third graders in the more affluent Scottsdale Unified School District scored at the 75th percentile on the same exam. 77 percent of students in Scottsdale are White and only 20 percent are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch.

In response, Phoenix corps members have joined along side veteran teachers and administrators in their schools to create systematic plans to significantly increase these results. For the 2009-10 school year, Teach For America in Phoenix is broadening its impact in high-need areas. We have brought in the first cohort of early childhood education teachers and one-fourth of the Phoenix corps is teaching math or science. For the 2010-11 school year we are exploring teaching placements in surrounding communities within an hour’s drive of central Phoenix.

View a map of our placement areas.

At a Glance

School Districts:
Agua Fria High School District
Balsz School District
Buckeye Elementary School District
Buckeye Union High School District
Creighton Elementary School District
Glendale Elementary School District
Isaac School District
Littleton School District
Mesa Public Schools
Osborn School District
Phoenix Union High School District
Roosevelt School District
Tolleson Union High School District
Charter School Partners

Ethnic Breakdown-Student Population (In schools served by corps members)
8% African-American
16% Caucasian
76% Latino/Hispanic
1% Asian-American
3% Native American
N/A Other

Ethnic Breakdown-Phoenix
5% African-American
71% Caucasian
34% Latino/Hispanic
2% Asian-American
2% Native American
15% Other
(Statistics total more than 100 percent because the Phoenix Chamber of Commerce defines persons of Hispanic origin to be of any race.)

Percentage of Students Qualifying for Free/Reduced-Price Lunch
60-98% (varies by district)

Placements
36% elementary teachers
22% special education teachers
37% secondary education teachers 12% mathematics 13% science 11% English 3% social studies
4% pre-K