Arizona Educational Foundation Inc

The aef a+ school of excellence program is a comprehensive school recognition program that began 42 years ago. Through the program, aef identifies, recognizes and rewards pre- kindergarten through 12th grade public schools throughout arizona that demonstrate excellence in every aspect of education: student focus and support; school organization and culture; challenging and viable curriculum; active teaching and learning; professional community; leadership; community partnerships; and assessment. Pre-kindergarten through 12th grade public schools in arizona that have been in operation for six or more years and received a grade of "a- or "b" from the arizona department of education are eligible to apply for this prestigious, well-known, and coveted award. The process necessitates that the school complete and submit a 35-to-40-page detailed application, which is read, reviewed and evaluated by a panel of leaders from the education and business communities. Schools whose written applications qualify for it receive a day-and-a-half-long site visit from members of a review committee to determine if the award is warranted. The a+ school of excellence designation is valid for four years, after which time a school must re-apply. Aef conducts informational meetings across arizona each fall to introduce schools to and acquaint them with the program, give insight on writing a successful application, and encourage schools to apply for the award. Schools use the coveted a+ school distinction as a recruiting tool for new students and civic leaders use it as a way to lure industry to local communities. Since 1991, over 800 schools ranging from urban and suburban schools to rural and smaller community schools to a school located on the navajo reservation have earned the designation. The a+ school of excellence program provides an objective, comprehensive, authentic assessment of applicant schools. Awarded school leaders profess that earning the award enables schools to collaborate with the community they serve in order to articulate, analyze, evaluate, modify and improve every aspect related to the education and care of their students. The process serves as a school improvement plan and a needs assessment tool. The coveted award validates a school's effectiveness, unifies the community, brings positive public attention to successes in public education, and instills a sense of pride in public schools and school districts. Awarded schools encourage fellow educators, parents and businesses to visit their schools; they serve as models of exemplary educational practices. A+ school of excellence principals have the opportunity to become mentors and coaches to emerging school leaders through aef's principals' leadership academy (see description below).

The aef arizona state spelling bee is administered by aef to determine arizona's representative in the annual scripps national spelling bee in washington d.c. Spelling bees give students from public, private, charter and home schools an opportunity to utilize their spelling and phonetic skills in a competitive environment and a chance to participate in higher level bees. Spelling bees give students who might not excel in more traditional competitive environments such as sports an opportunity to shine. On average, over 500,000 arizona students statewide in grades kindergarten through eight compete in classroom, school, district, and county bees to qualify as one of 28 finalists in the state bee. Aef works year-round with school, district, regional and county coordinators across arizona to ensure consistency and fairness in determining which 28 spellers will vie for the title of arizona state spelling bee champion. The winner and chaperone receive an all-expenses paid trip to washington d.c., so arizona's champion can compete in the scripps national spelling bee in late spring.

Teachstem is a workforce readiness program aimed at combating the arizona stem teacher shortage. The program motivates 9th-12th grade high school students to become stem teachers and also provides teaching resources for educators in grades 5th-8th to infuse classrooms with stem skills by introducing students to a variety of stem careers. Aef pairs an arizona teacher of the year and other master stem educators with a high school to serve as a stem coach to not only teach students vital stem learning skills, but also work with them on becoming stem teachers. The first time most high school students learn about stem is through a teacher; yet, with stem teacher shortages plaguing almost every high school in arizona, opportunities for students to learn from and interact with stem educators are growing few and far between. Teachstem is fostering the next generation of stem teachers for arizona schools. The program also utilizes stem subject matter experts who are guest speakers and talk with students about stem careers. The principals' leadership academy of arizona (plaa) was launched in september 2008, in response to a strong demand statewide for leadership training programs to prepare the next generation of school leaders in arizona. With its wealth of expert principals identified through the a+ school of excellence program, aef is well-positioned to formulate and develop a successful academy. Plaa curriculum is grounded in the professional standards for educational leadership, developed nationally by members of the national policy board for educational administration and education experts assembled by the council of chief state school officers based in washington dc. Now in its 16th year, the plaa cohort comprises new and aspiring principals from elementary and secondary public traditional and charter schools. Participants are paired with a+ school of excellence principals who mentor and assist them with developing their leadership skills. Classes are held on seven saturdays throughout the school year. Instruction is a rich blend of practice and theory. Class sessions consist of direct instruction and expert speakers to inform participants on topics such as: community and business involvement in schools; developing and maintaining a positive culture of learning; what outstanding teachers need from their administrators; communication skills; advocating effectively for a school community; and dealing with public policy makers. To date, over 265 school leaders have successfully completed the plaa. Aef collaborates with three other education organizations in arizona to launch the take your legislator to school program. This initiative identifies award-winning teachers and teacher leaders, pairing them with arizona state legislators who from the district in which their school is situated. Teacher hosts invite their legislator to shadow them for a day in their classroom. Goals for the program are (a) to give the elected official a glimpse into a day in the life of an arizona teacher and (b) to formulate and foster a sustainable partnership and understanding between the teacher and the legislator. Since it's inception, the take your legislator to school program has resulted in nearly 426 visits by legislators to teachers' classrooms. It is the hope of aef that eventually all 90 of arizona's legislators will have a teacher partner, and that 90 visits will occur each year.