Evidence of the achievement gap in Phoenix is clear. Third graders in Phoenix's Roosevelt School District, where 95 percent of students are Latino or African-American, scored at the 54th percentile in reading on the Arizona's Instrument to Measure Standards (AIMS) standardized test. Compare this to their more affluent peers in nearby Scottsdale Unified School District, where 79 percent of students are Caucasian and where third graders scored at the 86th percentile (check out GreatSchools.net for more information). Several of the Phoenix schools in which Teach For America places corps members have been placed on three-year improvement plans as a result of low standardized test scores. These schools risk being closed at the end of this time period and re-opened with new leadership if they do not show significant improvements in student academic performance on the AIMS standardized test.
In response, some corps members have joined leadership and curriculum committees with veteran teachers and administrators in their schools to create systematic plans to significantly increase academic results. Phoenix is made up of many smaller school districts, giving corps members numerous opportunities to effect systemic change. Phoenix corps members take responsibility to ensure significant measurable gains in their students' achievement. Currently there are 21 Teach For America alumni holding or moving into administrative positions throughout Phoenix, and the number of alumni choosing to take on leadership roles in our schools increases each year. Seventy-eight percent of 2005 corps members have chosen to stay in education past their two years, and 53 percent are teaching for a third year.
Due to the acute teacher shortage in Phoenix, Phoenix corps members are given the opportunity to self select their teaching assignment* in much more detail than other regions. The specific buckets corps members may choose are the following: 1-3 grades; 4-6 grades; 7-8 English; 7-8 math; 7-8 science; 7-8 social studies; 9-12 English; 9-12 math; 9-12 social studies; 9-12 general science; 9-12 biology; 9-12 chemistry; 9-12 physics; K-5 special education; 6-8 special education.
*Note: Although Phoenix corps members are able to choose one of these buckets 96 percent of the time, in rare instances placements need to be changed somewhat to meet shifting needs of school districts.
Corps members who are assigned to Phoenix will be able to discuss their preferences and options once they accept our offer to join the corps in Phoenix.
| 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 |
| 74% Caucasian |
| 42% 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 |
|---|
| 44% elementary teachers |
| 19% special education teachers |
secondary education teachers
|
| 3% bilingual education teachers |
| 100% teach at a school with another corps member or alumnus |
K-12 grade level placements
|
Our corps members
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