Using the inspiration – and methodology – of Jim Collins, author of "Good to Great," the "Beat the Odds" research study identified 12 Arizona schools with mostly low-income, mostly Latino students that were performing better than predicted by demographics on reading and math scores.

After comparing them to other schools that were similar in everything but performance, the Center for the Future of Arizona found six keys to success that describe the characteristics of the more successful schools.

To learn more about the original 12 schools, click on the school names below, or download the research report,

at right.

 

 

School	Geography	Grades Served
Third-Grade Reading – Improving
Alice Byrne	Small Metropolitan Area – Yuma	K-6
Clawson	Small City – Douglas	K-5
John F. Kennedy	Small Town – Superior	K-6
Orange Grove	Small Town/Small Metropolitan Area – Somerton/Yuma	K-5
Eighth-Grade Math – Improving
Estrella	Large Metropolitan Area - Phoenix	7-8
Granada Easty	Large Metropolitan Area - Phoenix	4-8
Larry C. Kennedy	Large Metropolitan Area - Phoenix	K-8
Sierra Middle	Medium Metropolitan Area - Tucson	6-8
Wade Carpenter	Small City - Nogales	6-8
Consistently Strong
Fairbanks (for third-grade reading)	Small Town - Morenci	K-6
Gallego Basic (for third-grade reading)y	Medium Metropolitan Area - Tucson	K-5
Phoenix Magnet Traditional (for third-grade reading and eighth-grade math)	Large Metropolitan Area - Phoenix	K-8