December 14, 2004
Principals and teachers from every Mesa junior high school are getting together to study the best ways to prepare students for high school and the AIMS test.
The Junior High Academy includes principals and three teachers from each of the district’s 13 junior high schools.
They will review activities during the entire school day from when students "walk on campus to when they leave," said Mike Cowan, associate superintendent of educational services for the Mesa Unified School District.
"We’re looking at schedules, course offerings, at subgroups of our students," he said. "Maybe these students need math taught in a different way. Or maybe they need intensified tutorial support of literacy skills."
Beginning in 2006, seniors must pass the Arizona Instrument to Measure Standards to receive diplomas. Students first take the test in 10th grade and can retake it as juniors and seniors.
