The National Black Council of School Board Members (NBC) gave its 2022 RISE Award to Arizona’s Agua Fria Union High School District at the council’s luncheon on Sunday at NSBA’s Annual Conference. The district received the award for its belief that providing a safe and connected school environment is the foundation to success for student wellness and academics. It also believes a critical component in establishing a safe and connected learning environment is to be proactive in reaching all students who may need support beyond the classroom.

District educators recognized that students’ transition to in-person learning could be met with a variety of emotions and require additional social-emotional supports. To return to the 2021-22 school year with as much normalcy as possible, each of the district’s five comprehensive high schools employed two Student Support Specialists.

Each Student Support Specialist comes from a diverse background to support students socially, emotionally, and academically. The Student Support Specialists are an extension of the student services department consisting of counselors and social workers. They intentionally build positive relationships with youth. Their mission is to be proactive in reaching out to students who need support and not wait for the student to come for support or react to a situation.

The Student Support Specialist provides individualized support based on the student’s needs. This can be something as simple as listening to student concerns to referring the student for more intensive services with the counselor, social worker, or school-based therapeutic services. Support can provide academic interventions with the intention of discovering “the why” and providing specific skills and/or coping strategies that will enhance academic success.

Members of the Agua Fria Union High School District Governing Board include: 

President Trey Terry

Vice President Gina DeCoste

Member Kristen Acton

Member Maxine Hill, who is also a founding member of the Arizona Black Caucus of School Board Members

Member Vickie Landis

The RISE Award honors a school district for its excellence in policies, practices, and strategies that promote and enhance equitable outcomes and career readiness for African American students.