Phoenix leaders announce new school-enrichment program

PHOENIX — Public, private and non-profit leaders got together this week announce “Thriving Together,” a plan already underway to improve education for the quarter-million K-12 students within the metropolitan Phoenix area.

“What we’re trying to do is selectively abandon those practices and program that don’t work and invest in those few programs that are proven to be successful for preparing every student for success in college, career and life,” said Kent Scribner, superintendent of the Phoenix Union High School District.

The partnership looks at data to see what is working and what is not in four key areas: third grade reading, eight grade math, college readiness and high school graduation rates.

Anel Mercado, the director of the Thriving Together partnership, said take third grade reading for example.

“You have School A and School B.” Mercado said. “You have an interventionist (at School A) who is doing A, B and C practices…and at School B you have interventionist doing D, E, and F.”

Let’s say data shows that A, B and C is working and that’s why School A is having success, and data shows that D, E, and F is not working for School B, Mercado said.

“We just need the interventionist (from School B) to recognize that those particular practices are not the most efficient ones, and do A, B and C instead.”