MCRSD FAQ

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

General Information

Q:     What is the Maricopa County Regional School District?

 A:             The Maricopa County Regional School District is an accommodation district serving Maricopa County youth in transition, in three facilities including the Durango Transitional Learning Center, Tumbleweed Learning Center and the Mesa Transitional Learning Center.

Q:             What is an “accommodation” school?

A:             Per Arizona Statute ARS 15-101, an “accommodation school” can be either:

• A school which is operated through the county board of supervisors and the county school superintendent and which the county school superintendent administers to serve a military reservation or territory which is not included within the boundaries of a school district.
• A school that provides educational services to homeless children or alternative education programs.
• A school that is established to serve a military reservation, the boundaries of which are coterminous with the boundaries of the military reservation on which the school is located.

Q:             Who leads the Maricopa County Regional School District?

A:             The district is led by Superintendent Ernest Rose in conjunction with Dr. Don Covey, the Maricopa County Superintendent of Schools. In addition, there is a five member advisory council school board of dedicated individuals with decades of academic, non-profit, youth and business experience.  Together they work to assist each student within the district to accomplish their individual Education and Career Action Plan (ECAP) which will position them for success upon departure, and in the future. [link to bios]

Who We Serve

Q:             Who does the Maricopa County Regional School District serve?

A:             As an accommodation school district, the Maricopa County Regional School District serves approximately 2,500 students from a variety of socioeconomic backgrounds every year within two juvenile detention centers and one community based learning center. Due to individual circumstances, a student may be associated with the district for varying lengths of time.

Services Provided

Q:             What types of services, programs or partnerships does the district provide?

A:             As students enter the Maricopa County Regional School District system, they have a variety of options available in order to learn and grow.  Programs include the development of life skills, core academic curriculum, GED preparation, character building and financial literacy courses as well as preparation for transition to additional education, vocational and career opportunities.

In addition, the district has many dynamic local and regional partners who provide tremendous career, education and vocational training opportunities when students depart the Maricopa County Regional School District system. These partners are often the key to a successful transition into a career or ongoing education of the student’s choice. [link to partners]

-more-

Q:             What do students learn in the Maricopa County Regional School District system?

A:             The Maricopa County Regional School District focuses all student curriculum and partnerships on three paths, based on the student’s individual needs and circumstances. Students participate in an initial assessment, develop an Education and Career Action Plan (ECAP) and then attend the GED Preparation Course, Remediation Classes or Credit Recovery Program. In addition, each student will participate in the Transition Program to ensure skills and habits learned through the Maricopa County Regional School District will continue to benefit the student throughout their transition.

Q:             How can students learn in this type of environment, aren’t classmates very disruptive?

A:                         The learning environment in each of the Maricopa County Regional School District facilities is extremely conducive to learning and development. These classrooms are often the most structured and safe learning environments the students have attended.  Students earn additional freedoms and opportunities as they demonstrate initiative and accountability and are eager to earn rewards to improve their situations.

Students within the district often motivate each other through graduation, GED completion and other successes. Being introduced into an entirely new environment allows students to find new perspective and motivation in order to accomplish goals. [link to testimonials]

Q:             Can students within a detention facility receive school work from their regular school (school of origin)?

A:             Yes, parents should coordinate with their child’s school counselor or administrator, at their school of origin, to gather school work from individual teachers. Maricopa County Regional School District staff can then incorporate this into the student’s curriculum and aid in the smooth transition.

Student Pathways

Q:             What is an individual Education and Career Action Plan (ECAP) and how does it position students for success?

A:                         Education Career Action Plans or ECAPs are part of a new state directed mandate the district is focusing on in order to increase student success, testing scores and career possibilities. The school district works with and focuses on unique goals, assessment and measurement for each student’s unique skill set to better transition them into future opportunities of the student’s choice.

The district has strengthened and increased community partnerships throughout the county and state to enhance this program and to make available a number of positive options for students.

Q:             What success has the district seen with the students that are enrolled?

A:             The Maricopa County Regional School District is pleased to report an increased number of students earning their GEDs at both the Mesa and Durango facilities.  For the 2008-2009 school year, 25 Durango students and 25 Mesa students earned their GEDs. This success compares to only seven Durango graduates and zero Mesa graduates the year prior.

Q:             Are the programs at the Durango and Mesa Transitional Learning Centers accredited?

A:             Yes, both the Durango and Mesa Transitional Learning Centers are accredited through the North Central Association Commission (NCA) which allows students to receive accredited high school diplomas from these facilities and ensures that credits received at our facilities will transfer to their next school.

Getting Involved

Q:             How can I help make a difference or impact students during their enrollment in the Maricopa County Regional School district?

A:                         The Maricopa County Regional School District, its advisory council board and district superintendent welcome the support of family, neighborhoods and the community as they work to aid each student in accomplishing his or her individual Education and Career Action Plans. For more information on opportunities to volunteer or to be a guest speaker for the students, please contact the district office at 602-452-4700. To ensure confidentiality for each student’s situation, the district carefully processes each inquiry with discretion and follows proper legal protocol.

In addition, the community is always welcome to support the students and the district through financial contributions or through a simple income tax donation. For each dollar donated, an individual may receive a matching tax credit, up to the maximum amount allowed. Visit the district Web site for more information and proper income tax donation forms. [Insert donation web address]

###