The Arizona Department of Education is pleased to provide you with this state report card as a part of our compliance with the federal No Child Left Behind law. We are working hard to raise academic standards for Arizona students. We are also holding our schools accountable for how well students perform academically. We are restoring classroom discipline, which is an essential component for achieving academic excellence. We also have an extensive state program to help schools whose test scores show a need for improvement. We are working hard to make sure Arizona students and schools are performing to their absolute potential.

The Strategic Plan comprises an ambitious set of goals and objectives. It is a “living” document that will guide our focus and activities. As such, some objectives and expected results will be subject to change as information and events unfold. Objectives and measures aligned to drive achievement have also been developed in Units, Sections, and Divisions throughout the Department.

The Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System has provided home and community-based services to long-term care beneficiaries through a waiver from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services since 1989. Through its Arizona Long Term Care System, AHCCCS provides comprehensive coverage for members residing in their own homes or approved alternative residential settings, such as assisted living facilities or group homes. Covered services include care such as home health nursing, attendant or personal care, and home-delivered meals. Members may designate a family member or friend to provide attendant care; after completion of training, these caregivers can be paid by AHCCCS.

The potential impact of diabetes on the Arizona Long Term Care System is of significant concern to AHCCCS. Based on this and previous studies conducted by AHCCCS, the prevalence of diabetes among ALTCS members is approximately 20 percent. With the number of Arizonans age 65 and older increasing 40 percent in the last decade, the proportion of ALTCS members with diabetes is likely to increase as well.