North Phoenix English Learner Program Earns Arizona's Highest Reclassification Rate
Adams Traditional Academy has the highest English Learner reclassification rate in Arizona on the 2026 AZELLA Spring Reassessment. Eighty percent of ATA's English Learners tested out of English Learner services this spring, compared with a projected statewide average of 23 percent.
The Arizona Department of Education's Office of English Language Acquisition Services recognized the school this spring. Principal Ashley Smith, EL Coordinator Candace Sauma, and Representative Lisa Fink accepted the award on behalf of the school.
When a student enrolls in an Arizona public school and speaks another language at home, the state gives an English proficiency test called AZELLA. Students who are still learning English receive English Learner services, and they retake the AZELLA every spring.
Reclassification is what happens when a student passes. They have shown they can read, write, speak, and understand English well enough to succeed in a regular classroom without extra language support. They are no longer an English Learner.
The reclassification rate is the share of students who reach that point in a given year. It is the clearest measure of whether a school's English Learner program is doing the job it exists to do: getting students to full proficiency and moving them on.
Statewide, that number has historically been low. At Adams this spring, four out of five English Learners reclassified.
Why Adams Traditional Academy gets this result
There is no single reason. It comes from a set of practices used the same way in every classroom, every year.
Two hours of literacy every day. Every ATA student receives 120 minutes of daily literacy instruction. Reading, spelling, and writing are taught together rather than as separate subjects, which is what makes English click faster for a student learning it.
A structured, research-based reading curriculum. Adams is an accredited Spalding school with a certified Spalding teacher at every grade level. Spalding's phonograms make English spelling patterns explicit instead of something students have to guess at. Heggerty adds ten to twelve minutes of daily sound drills that sharpen listening and pronunciation. REWARDS teaches older students to break long academic words into manageable parts.
Small-group support, every day. English Learners meet daily in small groups with our EL teacher for targeted work in vocabulary, reading, writing, and speaking, at the level each student is actually ready for. Each grade has its own scheduled block, so students get focused language instruction without missing essential classroom content.
Instruction that follows the data. Teachers check fluency, writing, and comprehension regularly, then adjust based on AZELLA results and daily classroom performance. Students set individual goals so they can see their own progress.
Practice before the real test. Students take AZELLA practice tests throughout the year. Familiarity is what turns a stressful test into an ordinary school day, and the practice results tell teachers exactly which skills to reinforce while there is still time.
Classrooms that feel predictable. Our classrooms are technology-free and teacher-led, with consistent routines and visual supports. For a child who is new to the language, and often new to the country, knowing what happens next is not a small thing.
What this means for families
Many families come to Adams from Taiwan, India, and around the world, often relocating for work at the TSMC and Honeywell campuses just minutes from our campus. They arrive knowing very little about how American schools work, and choosing between them is hard when you cannot tell what strong language support looks like from the outside. Our North Phoenix English Learner program was built for exactly that situation.
The reclassification rate answers that question with a number. It says that students who arrive at Adams still learning English tend to reach full proficiency, and they tend to get there quickly.
It also reflects something we believe about English Learners generally. A child's home language is an asset, not an obstacle. Students who keep a strong first language often learn English faster. Our goal is never to replace what a family brings. It is to add English to it, thoroughly and quickly, so a student can take on grade-level work with confidence.
Come and see what Adams Traditional Academy has to offer your student
The best way to understand an English Learner program is to watch one. We will walk you through your child's school day, answer your questions in plain terms, and help you feel confident about your decision.
Schedule a tour at atachoice.org or call us at (602) 938-5517.
Learn more about our English Learner Program at https://www.atachoice.org/english-learners
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