Student achievement, fiscal accountability and a closer examination of whether district programs are producing results will drive Litchfield Elementary School District Superintendent Carter Davidson’s goals for the 2026-27 school year.
Litchfield Elementary School District leaders plan to take a closer look this year at whether existing programs are producing results — and whether some should be changed or eliminated.
The LESD governing board unanimously approved Superintendent Carter Davidson’s goals for the 2026-27 school year Aug. 11, setting measurable targets for student achievement while placing an emphasis on evaluating how effectively the district uses its money, staff time and other resources.
“Do we have too much? Why are we doing that?” board member Ryan Owens said. “Not just, yeah, we did it and we’re going to stick by it. We’re going to assess and figure out if we need to change it or just do away with it (or) do (something) different.”
Owens said the goals give the board a way to measure the district’s progress and Davidson’s performance.
“I’m big on accountability, and that’s what this is,” he said.
Student achievement
Student achievement remains the first of Davidson’s six goals, with 10 specific measures ranging from district benchmark results to attendance and state test performance.
The targets include districtwide reading and math benchmark growth coefficients of at least 1.70 and at least a 2% increase in the number of K-5 students performing at or above benchmark on Acadience literacy assessments.
The district also is targeting at least a 3% increase in proficiency by grade level on state English language arts, math and science assessments. Additional goals call for reducing the percentage of third graders scoring minimally proficient in English language arts and improving eighth-grade math performance.
The district is aiming for an average daily attendance rate of at least 95% and to maintain or earn an A label from the Arizona State Board of Education.
“First and foremost, I do, our team does, and I believe 100% our board does value student achievement,” Davidson said. “That’s goal number one. Has been goal number one for quite some time.”
Fiscal responsibility
Fiscal responsibility is the second goal and includes evaluating the opening and operation of Troy Gilbert Elementary School through enrollment, bond spending, attendance boundaries and student opportunities available on the campus.
Davidson also is tasked with developing a district capital expenditure plan that identifies and prioritizes needs and available resources. A revised district safety strategic plan incorporating capital needs and stakeholder input is expected to be presented to the board in spring 2027.
Return on investment
The third goal goes further by asking district officials to develop a repeatable method for determining the return on investment of programs and initiatives.
Among those slated for review are early-release Wednesdays, district-level coaching in general and special education and staffing decisions that tighten grade-level staffing based on class sizes.
“Goal number three is spending some time looking around the initiatives that our district has in place and trying to determine, do those initiatives make the difference that we wanted them to make?” Davidson said. “So really looking at a return on investment, time, energy, resources, talents — you name it.”
The district also will review changes made to special education during the 2025-26 school year, including curriculum, IEP development, staffing and feedback from an Arizona Department of Education audit and the district’s parent advisory group.
Other areas slated for review include English language arts curriculum investments, assessments, professional learning communities and services for gifted students.
Stakeholder engagement
Davidson’s fifth goal focuses on stakeholder engagement and includes plans for a parent safety summit, a student-superintendent advisory group, community partnerships and family literacy efforts at Title I schools. Staff-focused efforts include employee stay interviews, longevity awards and campus-based “Money With Michael” financial discussions.
Board member Kimberly Moran said the district also should make sure the goals are understandable to residents who were not involved in developing them.
Moran pointed to terms in the document such as budget “levers” and “Lebra” that board members and district officials understand but members of the public may not.
“If there’s someone just generally trying to understand what kind of accountability we’re holding Dr. Davidson to, that might be better if there was a definition,” Moran said.
She said the goals should be “as self-explanatory as possible” so residents can understand what Davidson is being evaluated on.
Continuing the district's Litchfield Learner initiative
The final goal focuses on further developing the district’s Litchfield Learner initiative. Planned work includes new report cards incorporating Litchfield Learner traits and training and implementation of evaluation systems for classified, certified and leadership employees.
The goals were developed collaboratively by Davidson, district leadership and board members following discussions at a summer board retreat.
Board members unanimously approved the goals, which will provide the benchmarks used to evaluate progress during the school year.
Editor’s note: A grant from the Arizona Local News Foundation made this story possible. The foundation awarded 15 newsrooms to pay for solutions-focused education reporters for two years. Please submit comments at yourvalley.net/letters or email them to AzOpinions@iniusa.org. We are committed to publishing a wide variety of reader opinions, as long as they meet our Civility Guidelines.
Meet Stacy Stacy Mantle is joining the team at Independent Newsmedia, Inc. as an Education Solutions journalist, thanks to a grant from the Arizona Community Collaborative. She has a long history in education that ranges from teaching junior high and middle school to developing curriculum and standards-based assessments.
Community: A longtime advocate for animal welfare, Stacy is deeply involved in rescue efforts and volunteers with several nonprofit organizations.
Random Fact: Once upon a time, she shared her home with a pet coyote and two wolf hybrids. The experiences were wild enough to become the subject of her first book!
Education: She holds a BA in English with a minor in Political Science, a Post-baccalaureate in Secondary Education, and an MBA with a emphasis on Marketing.
Hobbies: In her spare time, Stacy writes fast-paced urban fantasy novels, crafts small-batch artisan soap, and is always up for hiking or off-roading through the Arizona wilderness with her husband of 23 years.
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