Dear School Principal/Charter Administrator:

In April 2002, the Arizona State Board of Education initiated the Declaration of Curricular and Instructional Alignment to the Arizona Academic Standards to provide affirmation that the central components of standards-based education are in effect at every level in every school district and charter school in the State. These components are the organizational foundation for successful student achievement of the skills and knowledge of the Standards. The Standards also form the basis of the recent federal ESEA Authorization “No Child Left Behind.”

At the beginning of the 2002-2003 school year, your local governing board and administration signed the first two portions of the Declaration affirming that there are local policies in place to align the curriculum and instructional materials to the Standards and to evaluate teachers as to whether they integrated the Standards into their instructional practices. The third portion of the Declaration signed at the end of May 2003, School Principal/Administrator, affirms that the procedures occurred. A complete Declaration requires all three portions to be signed and returned to the Arizona Department of Education and the Arizona State Board for Charter Schools.

A Principal/Administrator Declaration signed prior to completion of teacher evaluations is not in compliance with Arizona State Board of Education Declaration requirements. If this has occurred, please submit another Declaration upon completion of teacher evaluations.

For questions about the Declarations, please see the Arizona Department of Education website or call Sharon Hendrickson at 602-364-1955. We are confident you have taken this opportunity to communicate your school’s accomplishments in implementing a standards-based education system.