Copper Apple Winner in Paradise

PVSchools is proud to announce that Echo Mountain Intermediate and Principal Elizabeth Rankin have been honored with the prestigious Copper Apple Award from the Arizona Department of Education's Office of School Improvement. This recognition, presented in collaboration with Arizona Project Momentum, celebrates exceptional leadership and a steadfast commitment to academic excellence. Elizabeth was surprised with the award during a special presentation today, marking a significant milestone for both her and the Echo Mountain community.

The Copper Apple highlights the remarkable growth and positive academic outcomes achieved under Elizabeth’s guidance. By implementing the Project Momentum Framework, she has provided invaluable support to her teachers, building an environment where student achievement can truly flourish. 

Join us in celebrating this incredible achievement and commitment to empowering every learner at Echo Mountain for a lifetime of success.

Read the full letter written by Jay McClain - Elizabeth's Principal Partner for Project Momentum:

“Echo Mountain Intermediate School from Paradise Valley Unified School District is nominated based on their steady improvements in Project Momentum over the past three and a half years, resulting in exiting from CSI and ongoing student learning growth.

Echo Mountain has become a model in the way it has systematically implemented strong Tier 1 instructional practices. 

In a recent visit, 100% of classrooms had learning targets in place, and there was active student learning with student-to-student collaboration. Exit tickets were used to guide the use of small groups and adjustments to instruction. In addition, teachers across each grade level were on pace with each other while teaching their lessons. 

Echo Mountain has developed an exemplary approach to collaborative teams. They have a solid agenda that supports focusing on data to guide instruction, planning for upcoming learning through unpacking standards, and planning high-quality instructional strategies and assessments to monitor student learning. Their 4th grade team is a model for the way a team should run. 

Echo Mountain's dedication to the work of Project Momentum, their outstanding results, and their exemplary practices has led to other schools visiting to see what they have put into place. For all of these reasons noted above, they are highly deserving of this Copper Apple award.”

 

 

 

 

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