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My name is Megan Brown and I am the very proud principal at Buckeye Elementary School in downtown Buckeye.

I entered the principalship in January 2022, after the school received a failing letter grade the previous October. My school community was determined to do better for our students.

Through the support of Project Momentum, we formed a Guiding Coalition to act as the model PLC and drive our school improvement efforts forward. This team dug into our comprehensive needs and determined specific instructional areas of focus for the year.

We implemented a Tier 1 literacy support plan that included a highly-targeted and structured phonics program to ensure all kinder through 4th grade students received instruction to boost their phonics skills. We recognized that ALL students need to receive rigorous at-grade-level instruction across all classrooms.

We knew that in order to completely transform our school, it would require teachers to collaborate, plan, analyze data and grow as learners themselves to ensure that all students were growing and achieving. Our school culture maintained a focus on celebrating all growth and, as a guiding coalition, we have exuded joy and passion for both student and teacher learning. This focus on celebrating all growth built a positive and productive school culture.

Teacher development and collaboration strategies were centered around the belief that an effective teacher yields to student achievement. Our teachers meet weekly as collaborative teams, focusing on deepening their knowledge of the content and analyzing student data to maintain a constant pulse on student learning. These collaborative team meetings act as embedded professional development and provide teachers with action plans based on student data that they can implement immediately.

We proudly moved our school out of the failing category and received a letter grade of a B, only 18 months after we began implementing our school improvement plan. We still have a lot of work ahead of us and are far from done, but my staff, students and community are committed to the work and fulfilling our vision of ALL students achieving at high levels.

As the founder of the Leona Group schools, Dr. William Coats, once said, “Anyone can learn almost anything if it's relevant, and how do we make it relevant…through relationships.” He also said, “We know our students by name, by face, by family,” and that is absolutely a philosophy at Mission Heights Preparatory High School. What have we done to succeed? First and foremost, we know all of our students. By having strong, positive relationships with our students and families, we have created a climate and culture where students want to meet our high expectations and standards.

Secondly, as an AVID Site of Distinction, our teachers use engaging strategies to empower students to have agency and generate ownership of their college and career goals. In the last few years, we have made sure all of our staff members are trained in the AVID program, and this unified umbrella of education has helped create disciplined structure of consistent focused notes, tutorials, and use of writing and reading in all classrooms. Every student also has access to free college courses at Central Arizona College in the school and transportation to the CAVIT program that gives students even more opportunity for their futures. Over 75% of our students are enrolled in college and/or CAVIT before they graduate.

Finally, consistency is key. Students and families need consistent expectations, systems, policies and structure not only in the school as a whole but in each classroom. They need consistent discipline. They need consistent support. They need consistent, intentional and rigorous education. With little staff turnover on this campus, our students understand the expectations, and they feel part of something more. We often say that Mission Heights is not just a building students come to in order to get education, it is a family they become a part of. As soon as students walk through our doors, they become part of that family and the high expectations to show MOTIVATION, HEART and PURPOSE in all they do as they go out into the world.