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Participating Sunnyslope students were;

Seniors-
Emily Chelgren
Alex Fischer
Andrew Fischer
Shea Francis
Dan Jacka
Kate McDugald
Emily Phoumynavong
Will Powell
Robert Snead
Jazz Worrall

Sophomores-
Hillary Carneal
Brittany Cote
Chrissy Emig
Sergio Estrada-Barajas
Ashley Farrimond
Michael Frongillo
Austin Krause
Katie Powell
Caitlan Spencer

Participating choruses: Huntsville Spiritual Chorale, Normal, AL; Westview High School Concert Choir, Avondale, AZ; Members of Estrella Foothills High School Concert Choir and Buckeye Union High School Concert Choir, Buckeye, AZ; Sandra Day O’Connor Choir, Phoenix, AZ; Sunnyslope High School Vocal Ensemble, Phoenix, AZ; Conqueror’s Choir, Lakewood, CO; Maranatha Academy Mixed Chorus, Shawnee, KS; Normandy Chorale, St. Louis, MO; Resonate with Temple Baptist Academy, Albuquerque, NM; The Arlington Master Chorale, Arlington, TX; Heart 2 Heart, All Saints Episcopal School Choir, Tyler, TX

They are Glendale, Sunnyslope and Washington High Schools.

ADE and ASU recently completed Phase 1 of the Benchmarking Study, conducted with Prism Decision Systems and Idea Science, to identify Arizona’s benchmark or “front tier” schools. The study evaluated student achievement as well as various school characteristics.

In Phase 2 of the study, researchers will take a closer look at selected “front tier” schools “to determine what unique characteristics each school may have which would account for its higher student performance over time (2004-06) when compared to other schools with similar constraints.”

Ultimately, ADE will use the findings of the study to help lower performing schools with similar characteristics improve student achievement.

The study, which is part of the department’s Longitudinal Assessment of Comprehensive School Reform Implementation and Outcomes, will provide information on how schools in communities with varying economic resources have improved and sustained student achievement.

The U.S. Department of Education used state assessment data to identify a small group of schools for the study. Sunnyslope was one of only 54 high schools in Arizona to receive an “Excelling” label-the highest possible ranking-in the 2006 Arizona LEARNS school profiles. In total, five schools in the Glendale Union High School District were recognized as Excelling. Sunnyslope has received the Excelling rating for the past three years.

Researchers from WestEd, an independent research firm contracted by the U.S. Department of Education, will visit Sunnyslope and other participating schools to “interview school administrators, teachers and parents about the school’s turnaround success and other relevant information.” Data collected from the study will be presented to Congress and other education stakeholders.

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The Glendale Union High School District serves students, parents and communities in both Glendale and Phoenix. Of the 522 high schools evaluated in the 2006 Arizona LEARNS school profiles, only 54 were designated as “Excelling.” Nearly 10 percent of those Excelling high schools were in the Glendale Union High School District. For more information about the Glendale Union High School District, visit http://www.guhsdaz.org.

Tom Clarke, a third year majoring in Molecular, Cell, and Development Biology, is currently conducting research under the guidance of Dr. Rachelle Crosbie.

His research focuses on the microtubule binding protein Gas11. Dr. Crosbie’s lab identified a microtubule association domain within Gas11 called the “Gas11 Microtubule Association Domain” (GMAD).

Tom is working to delineate the key regulatory features within the GMAD region. His preliminary results demonstrate that the GMAD is phosphorylated and that mutagenesis of predicted phosphorylation sites within the GMAD reduces Gas11 binding to microtubules. Tom is currently working to characterize the binding properties of these phosphorylation mutants in vivo and in vitro.

He then plans to test whether these mutants affect cell motility. Additionally, Gas11 functions in the context of a larger protein complex, called the “Dynein Regulatory Complex” (DRC). Dr. Crosbie’s lab has recently designed two methods to biochemically purify the DRC from mouse tissue.

It is hypothesized that this complex contains kinases and phosphatases that modify Gas11. Tom proposes to isolate and characterize these Gas11-regulatory proteins. After graduation,

Tom plans to continue his education in graduate school.