Programs

We at Palo Verde School District take pride in the special programs we are able to offer our students and community. The Programs Department consists of Special Education, Gifted, ESEA management, Testing, ELL, and many other programs.

You may direct any questions or concerns regarding any of these programs to Sarah Morales by calling (623) 327-3680, or you can e-mail her by clicking on her name.

Curriculum and Testing

The curriculum taught to the students in the Palo Verde Learning Community is aligned to the Arizona Academic Standards. Highly qualified teachers provide instruction through a variety of methods to meet the individual needs of their students through enrichment or reteaching. The students are expected to meet or exceed the standards in reading, language arts, and math in their classroom performance and for state testing.

Students are assessed with the Arizona's Measurement of Educational Readiness to Inform Teaching (AzMERIT), a performance based and normed referenced test for all students in grades 3-8. The state testing period is generally held in April of every year.

The Palo Verde Learning Community is the framework and philosophy behind the instructional practices employed by Palo Verde District to insure all students are meeting or exceeding the standards. The academic standards are aligned in the daily lessons to insure adequate coverage. The assessments used to measure student achievement are valid and reliable. There are several tiers of interventions to assist students needing more intensive instruction to reach mastery. There are enrichment platforms for students who would benefit from extensions of the lessons. Our Palo Verde Learning Community also provides professional development for teachers to deeply align the academic standards with effective instructional strategies.

ESSA

The Every Student Succeeds Act was signed into law on December 10, 2015. This measure reauthorizes the 50-year-old Elementary and Secondary Education Act which has been reauthorized every five years since enactment. The previous version on the law was known as the No Child Left Behind Act.

The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB) was passed by the United States Congress, signed by President Bush and became effective on January 8, 2002 as Public Law 107-110. The Act amends and re-authorizes the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S. C. 6301 et Seq). The Act represents the most far-reaching reforms to K-12 education since the Elementary and Secondary Education Act was first adopted in 1965. Student and school accountability, along with highly qualified professionals, are some of the principle themes of the NCLB.

The law makes available to states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and territories of the United States programs to help supplement state educational programs to improve student achievement. States that apply for these federal programs are required to commit to the various federal program stipulations and requirements on program and student accountability.

Parent Involvement

It is the belief of the Palo Verde Elementary School District community that parental involvement in their children's education is vital to the success of our students. Parents are the primary educators, and the most important influence in the lives of their children.

All the evidence suggests that when parents are actively involved in their children's education the children are most likely to do much better in and out of school. Therefore, it is very important for every parent to work closely with the school personnel as partners. PVESD #49 will provide parents with the following assistance to help them meet their needs as active parents in the lives of their children while at school:

  • Opportunities for parents to participate in decision making on an annual basis.
  • Opportunities for parents to participate in the development of school review
  • Coordinate parent activities with other parent involvement activities.
  • Utilize survey results and evaluations in designing strategies for academic achievement for all students.
  • Build the capacity for increased parental involvement.

It is our belief that:

  • Communication between home and school should be constant, open, honest, respectful of each other, and whenever possible, in the parent's primary home language.
  • Parents are always welcome on campus to visit classrooms, hold conferences, help as volunteers, or serve as committee members.
  • When parents are actively involved with every aspect of their children's education, students do better in school and their self-esteem improves.
  • Decision-making is the responsibility of the entire school community. Parents provide the most valuable input and feedback that will affect their children's educational program.
  • When we utilize all of the available community resources, we improve the quality of our school programs for students, parents, and the school staff.

PVESD #49 supports and encourages continued professional development opportunities for staff and community members. We recognize and accept the responsibility of creating a peaceful learning and working environment with high expectations for everyone. We invite every parent to help us accomplish all of the above by becoming actively involved in their children's education at Palo Verde Elementary School District. When we all work together, we will increase the academic achievement of all our students.