For the sixth year in a row, the Minnesota Department of Education recently acknowledged TiZA's continued student growth and success by granting TiZA "Adequate Yearly Progress" (AYP) status. Only about half of Minnesota's public schools obtained AYP status this year.

The 2010 Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments-II (MCA II) test scores reveal that TiZA students matched the state performance in reading, despite the fact that 75 percent of students are English Language Learners (ELL) and more than 80 percent of students qualify for free or reduced meals.

In fact, despite these hurdles, TiZA students continue to outperform students statewide and nationally. The MCA II test scores reveal that:

TiZA students outperformed the state in reading at grades 7, 8

TiZA District outperformed state in math at all grades for a fourth year in a row

·        Grade 3- TiZA ranked 6th in state out of 838 schools that tested at least ten students.

·        Grade 4- TiZA ranked 2nd in the state out of 843 schools that tested at least ten students.

·        Grade 5- TiZA ranked 27th in the state out of 815 schools that tested at least ten students.

·        Grade 6- TiZA ranked 7th in the state out of 609 schools that tested at least ten students.

·        Grade 7- TiZA ranked 31st in the state out of 493 schools that tested at least ten students.

TiZA state test results were independently validated through the Minnesota Department of Education on-site monitoring and Caveon Data Forensic Analysis.

TiZA students also outperformed on the Northwest Evaluation Association (NWEA) test scores in 2010. According to the NWEA Measures of Academic Progress (MAP), 85 percent of students met or exceeded the national average growth in math, while 76 percent of the students met or exceeding the national average growth in reading.

NWEA is a not-profit organization that partners with more than 2,200 school districts around the country to test student progress in math and reading achievement.

"Our students are held to a very high standard of achievement and work to meet benchmarks specially created for them," says Magdy Rabeaa, the assistant campus director at TiZA’s Inver Grove Heights campus.

"Every spring and fall we interpret the NWEA data to determine benchmarks for the students and staff development."

If a majority of students do not achieve the benchmarks laid out at the beginning of the year, the students are required to study the materials again in an effort to achieve continued growth and success.

“We are fortunate to have the cooperation of our staff, students, and parents to achieve student success,” said Rabeaa.

"In everything we do, we are focused on student success and holding them to higher expectations. We focus on the needs of every student as individuals, and we work with them throughout the year to ensure they are meeting their benchmarks and achieving success."