BEAT THE ODDS SUCCESS STORY: COPPER CANYON HIGH SCHOOL

	Principal Lloyd Willis, Copper Canyon High School, at a summer 2008      Beat the Odds Leadership Retreat

When teachers at Copper Canyon High School in Glendale began collaborating on lesson plans and classroom activities, their creativity and individuality blossomed. So did their students’ test scores.

The school, part of the Tolleson Union High School District, is one of 59 Maricopa County schools participating in the Beat the Odds School Partners Program – a school-based initiative of the Center for the Future of Arizona. A culture of collaboration is one of the six Beat the Odds keys to improving individual student achievement.

“When hiring, we let teachers know that we are a community of learners so they come to the job with the right attitude,” said Principal Lloyd Willis.

School Overview

Copper Canyon High School opened in August 2004 and became a four-year high school in the 2007-2008 academic year. Currently, it serves more than 1,800 freshmen, sophomores, juniors and seniors. Minorities make up 85 percent of the student population. Seventy-two percent of the total student population is Hispanic.

One of the challenges Principal Willis initially faced was that many of the teachers, including the department chairs, were just starting their teaching careers. New teachers are typically overwhelmed and sometimes have concerns about spreading themselves too thin by participating on a collaborative team. Once they had experienced being on a collaborative team, however, they enthusiastically embraced them.

Teachers Extol Benefits

“Don’t be afraid of being on a team,” said Lynn Duffy, a member of the integrated science team. “Although we do individual lesson plans together and decide what activities we’ll develop, individuality and creativity are enhanced.”

“Being on a team helped a lot,” said Diana Given, the school’s geometry team leader. “I learned a lot of new ideas. It keeps you from getting in a rut. Every person brings something new to the team. Also, by discussing the material, you get a lot deeper understanding of the material.”

“I saw my own instruction in the classroom change and saw my kids change,” commented Monique Martinez, a member of the sophomore English team. “I think they’re achieving because of it.”

Copper Canyon’s 10th grade AIMS scores in reading, writing and math showed considerable improvement of four to nine percentage points between 2007and 2008. Teachers attribute increased scores and student success to collaborative efforts and improved school climate.

EFFECTIVE TEAM LEADERS When choosing collaborative team leaders, look for individuals who: • Have a positive attitude • Can differentiate instruction • Lead by modeling • Listen to team members • Are organized and hard-working • Drive people to meet deadlines

Lessons Learned

Principal Willis shared the following tips for creating high-performing teams:

	•	At the outset, carefully choose your team leaders and team members. Teach them how to lead.
	•	Once you have the right people in place, get out of the way. Allow them to interact and make decisions that are aligned with the school and district goals and mission. This process builds trust among team members, which is essential to a high-performing team.
	•	Periodically ask the teams what you can do, as the principal, to help them.
	•	Keep the teams focused on one or two things at a time. Don’t let them tackle too many things at once.
	•	Teach them how to run effective meetings.