Crane-Gowan partnership wins ABEC award

  The Gowan Achievement Project (GAP) has received the 2008 Best Practices in Business and Education Partnership Award by the Arizona Business and Education Coalition (ABEC).

  Topping a field of 20 applicants for the recognition, GAP was honored at a June 3 ceremony in Scottsdale.

  GAP is a partnership between the Gowan Company, a crop protection products company, and the Crane Elementary School District that funds classes for advanced students at the Rancho Viejo School. ABEC is a Phoenix nonprofit whose aim is to improve and support kindergarten through 12th-grade public schools.

  Chris Weigel, Crane's communications director, noted GAP put a lot of time and documentation into submitting its application for the award and its selection was proof that ABEC saw the collaboration as an incredible success.

  "Of course, it's always unexpected when you receive an award," Weigel said. "But the award indicated GAP did the best-quality job in putting a business and education partnership together. It met the needs of both parties, and in the end everybody is a winner."

  Gowan provided $300,000 to Rancho Viejo School at the beginning of the 2007-08 school year to fund special math, science, language arts and social studies classes for high-achieving students. It was not a program for gifted students but for those who exceeded the benchmark of the AIMS (Arizona Instrument to Measure Standards) exam.

  "One of the factors that determined why we got the award was that Gowan was involved in a hands-on manner from start to finish," Weigel said.

  Rather than just providing an endowment and sitting back, Gowan employees helped Crane identify the target population for the program, sat in on the teacher interview process and an advisory committee that tracked progress throughout the year. Also, Gowan hosted a luncheon for students and teachers to discuss the program's impact, Weigel said.

  Colleagues from other school districts, he added, praised GAP for being "head and shoulders" above other business/education partnerships throughout the state. With this being an inaugural award, said Weigel, ABEC set the standards extremely high for others.

  "We are extremely gratified that ABEC would bestow upon us this honor because there are a number of worthy recipients out there."

  Susan Carlson, ABEC executive director, said what made the GAP approach so outstanding was that it was supported at Gowan's CEO level and developed a measurement criteria to chart GAP's success in boosting student achievement.

  "ABEC members know that quality education is related to good economic development," Carlson said. "GAP should be used as a model for other business/education partnerships."

  Helen Coffeen, principal of Rancho Viejo School, said one of the significant factors that distinguished their school was that a lot of children are from low-income families and are English language learners. The students have overcome those obstacles to be successful in life, she explained.

  "We want these students thinking at an early age of college and that they're capable of getting
into college. And that's why we offer accelerated courses."

  Coffeen noted that Gowan founder Jon Jessen felt that state resources focused only on those who failed to meet AIMS standards. He wanted to channel help to high achievers. Arizona is 49th out of 50 states in per pupil spending, she said, and even with GAP's $300,000 endowment, the school has only reached the national average.

  "GAP allowed teachers to start off at a higher level, and the laptops it provided allowed students to move through lessons at their own pace. GAP motivated students to arrive early, put in extra time and made them want to excel."


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William Roller can be reached at
wroller@yumasun.com or 539-6858.