Tempe Union presents decade of curriculum changes, rising ACT and proficiency gains; board to use new dashboard for monitoring

Tempe Union High School District leaders told the governing board on July 12 that a decade of deliberate curriculum alignment, common assessments and targeted interventions preceded measurable gains on college‑readiness and state assessments, and they unveiled a district data calendar and teacher‑facing dashboard to track progress.

The presentation, led by Dr. Alexik and Dr. Lehi, traced a shift beginning in 2012 from a highly decentralized district to common scope‑and‑sequence work, quarterly district assessments, professional learning community (PLC) development and a three‑tier multi‑tiered system of supports (MTSS). "We looked at what would be the learning targets or the learning outcomes of kids," Dr. Alexik said, describing work to identify essential or 'power' standards and to align instruction across sites.

Why it matters: Board members said the data will inform goal setting at a board retreat scheduled for July 13 and shape public monitoring. The district plans to use the dashboard and a month‑by‑month data calendar so the governing board and community can see quarterly progress on ACT implementation, MTSS indicators and classroom observations.

Presenters summarized the district’s most recent assessment strands. Dr. Lehi described ACT results and school‑level changes and said the district’s average ACT scale score “outperformed the state” in 2023. She cautioned that 2021 participation was optional and therefore not directly comparable, and noted predicted ACT scores and Aspire/ASPIRE freshman measures that Pearson supplies as growth indicators. "That’s a huge win because it’s really hard to show growth on standardized assessments," she said of the percent‑proficient increases the slides show from 2022 to 2023.

The presentation also covered subgroup data: English learners, students with disabilities, ethnic groups and a parent‑withdrawn category (parents who decline EL services). CCRI (College and Career Readiness Index) slides are still being finalized and will be updated before the state deadline, the presenters said.

On MTSS, district staff walked through three tiers of support—high‑quality whole‑class instruction, PLC‑driven small‑group interventions, and intensive tier‑3 supports tied to dropout prevention and individualized intervention teams—and said an "early warning list" will be monitored for academics, behavior and attendance. "Our PLCs should really collectively be responsible for those tier‑2 interventions," Dr. Alexik said.

Other highlights: the district has launched an early teacher preparation pathway to certify experienced hires; presenters said three candidates are already participating. Leaders also described expanded staffing—six new instructional coaches and content specialists—and joint work to integrate ACT preparation into course scope and sequence so teachers do not have separate ACT and standards documents.

Board reaction focused on using the data for concrete goals and community transparency. Member James urged adding FAFSA completion and post‑graduation tracking to CCRI discussions, arguing those measures better indicate students’ postsecondary trajectories. Several board members emphasized teacher buy‑in, the importance of communicating quarterly progress to families, and using celebrations of student and teacher successes to reinforce long‑term implementation.

Next steps: District staff will finalize CCRI slides with missing partner data, roll out the teacher dashboard to administrators and teachers, and present a monitoring plan during the July 13 board retreat where the board intends to set district goals and interim measures.