Eisenhower Center for Innovation
848 North Mesa Drive
Mesa, Arizona 85201-4302
(480) 472-5200 | fax (480) 472-5272
www.mpsaz.org/eisenhower
Tracy M. Yslas
PRINCIPAL
tmyslas@mpsaz.org
September 14, 2015
Dear Parent/Legal Guardian:
Because of the new state achievement test, known as AZMerit and recent legislation, schools will not be given new
letter grades and most schools with Priority or Focus labels will keep whatever label they had last year. Last year,
Eisenhower Center for Innovation (ECFI) had received a state accountability grade of C and a federal accountability
designation of Focus School. This year we have no letter grade but we did keep our Focus label.
State Accountability
The A-F Letter Grade is designed to hold schools accountable in a fair and systematic fashion. Each school is equally
evaluated both on AIMS performance and how much students grow academically from one year to the next. Other
factors such as AIMS improvement, dropout rate, graduation rate and English language learner proficiency rates are
taken into consideration, when applicable.
Federal Accountability
A Focus School designation under the federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) is based on student
performance data that placed our school among the ten percent of schools making the largest contribution to the
state’s achievement gap. Being named a Focus School allows our school to receive more resources and support to
improve student achievement.
School Choice
Eisenhower Center for Innovation (ECFI) School and Mesa Public Schools are committed to ensuring that all children
achieve proficiency, but, because ECFI currently receives federal Title I funds, you have the option to transfer your
student to another school in our district that is not identified as a Focus School.
If you so choose, Mesa Public Schools will provide your student bus transportation from ECFI to the following choice
of school:
Parents choosing to transfer their child have the following choice of school: Kerr Elementary
Please note that families who previously used Public School Choice Transportation but are no longer eligible for
transportation because their home school is not identified as Priority or Focus may choose to remain at the Choice
school, however, no transportation will be provided by the district.
School Improvement Plan
Before you decide to transfer your student, please consider the following efforts that we are making to improve the
academic success of our students:

After being designated a Focus School, Eisenhower Elementary was repurposed into Eisenhower Center
for Innovation. This transformation included updates to the facility, new leadership, and new instructional
staff and inclusion of a 1:1 iPad technology integration and curriculum that supports rigorous standards
and college and career pathways for student success;

The site receives additional staffing and funding resources to assist in implementation of the revised
School Improvement Plan that addresses strong leadership skills, high quality professional development
for staff, and data analysis aimed at identifying specific student skills to provide focused, research-based
intervention both within and outside of the school day for individual students; and

Increased parental involvement focused on cultural and linguistic awareness through a variety of parent
programs, partnerships through school leadership teams, a Family Support Specialist who provides family
resources, a Family Literacy Program on site for K-3 parents, and opportunities for two-way
communication.
Mesa Public Schools also provides the following in support of improved student achievement:
•
•
•
An assigned Instructional Intervention Specialist to provide assistance with mentoring and coaching teachers;
participation in data analysis for schoolwide planning; support for providing professional development to
staff;
A highly qualified Reading Interventionist to provide at-risk students with a systemic RTI Reading Program;
Students at ECFI have a 1-1 technology integration supported by LEA federal funds.
If you opt for School Choice, please complete the attached form by September 25, 2015 to let us know if you would
like your child to attend the school noted. Please contact Dana Yursi at 480-472-0246 should you need assistance.
We encourage all parents/guardians to get involved in our efforts to address our academic challenges.
Parents/guardians can become involved by participating in the development of the Continuous Improvement Plan.
Please contact Tracy Yslas at 480-472-5250 if you are interested in being part of a committee or would like more
information on our school improvement efforts
Educationally yours,
Tracy M. Yslas
School Principal
Susan K. Edman
Director of Title I and School Improvement
School Comparison for Public School Choice
2015 AZMerit Scores will be released later this fall.
ECFI
Grade
3rd
4th
5th
6th
% Proficient
in Math
based on
2014 AIMS
33
30
31
44
Kerr
% Proficient
in Math
based on
2014 AIMS
64
47
35
52
MPS
% Proficient
in Math
based on
2014 AIMS
72
64
62
63
State
% Proficient
in Math
based on
2014 AIMS
69
61
62
61
Enclosures: Parent request form for transfer to another school
ECFI
% Proficient
in Reading
based on
2014 AIMS
53
52
61
76
Kerr
% Proficient
in Reading
based on
2014 AIMS
75
70
65
60
MPS
% Proficient
in Reading
based on
2014 AIMS
79
78
81
82
State
% Proficient
in Reading
based on
2014 AIMS
78
75
80
80