April 2013                                                                                                        http://parca.samford.edu

Before we close the book on April and the tax forms and filings that are part of this month, it is worth looking at the size of the taxes we pay to support government and who bears the burden of paying them. How big is the total tax burden? How is that burden distributed? Where do State and Local Taxes fit into the calculation?

To read more about Alabama's Tax Burden, see our latest report, Taking Stock of the Size and Burden of the Taxes Alabamians Pay.

PARCA is creating a collection of reviews of schools in Alabama that have demonstrated high performance. We will be telling the stories of these schools' successes through several issues of The Perspective.

This month's spotlight shines on Westhills Elementary School. Westhills is a part of the Bessemer City School System. 

In 2009, Westhills received a wake-up call when the school's special education students failed to make Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) under the state's system for performance evaluation.

Instead of being discouraged or making excuses, the faculty at Westhills vowed to up their game, determined not to be labeled a failing school. 

By using a variety of techniques, Westhills students' scores on the Alabama Reading and Mathematics Tests have risen across all grade levels since 2009. In some cases, they scored well above the state average.

To read Westhills Elementary School's strategies for success, click here.