ARIZONA STATE SENATE
Phoenix, Arizona
schools; AIMS test revisions
Purpose
Establishes an alternative
assessment in the high school grades to assess a pupil’s competency in reading
and mathematics and a compensatory instruction fund administered by the Arizona
Department of Education. Removes the
requirement that the Arizona Instrument to Measure Standards (AIMS) test
results for high school seniors be recorded on the high school transcript. Makes changes to the AIMS Intervention and
Dropout Prevention Program.
Background
State
law requires the State Board of Education to adopt and implement a nationally
standardized norm-referenced test that measures skills in the subject areas of
reading, language arts and mathematics.
Norm-referenced tests are designed to measure student performance of
core subject areas compared to students in the same grade in other states.
Arizona currently administers the Stanford
9 assessment statewide.
Additionally,
the State administers statewide the AIMS test, which is a criterion-referenced
test established in 1998 that measures a student’s knowledge of the core
subject areas based on the State’s academic content standards. The AIMS test is administered each spring to
all students in grades 3, 5 and 8 and to high school students. Beginning in
grade 10, high school transcripts must include a pupil’s AIMS test
results. High school students will be
required to pass the AIMS test as a graduation requirement starting in
2006.
In
2000, the AIMS Intervention and Dropout Prevention Program was established to
serve at-risk pupils in the high school grades with issues relating to AIMS
test intervention and school dropout issues.
S.B.
1303 makes numerous changes to the State’s testing requirements including the establishment of alternatives
in the high school grades to assess a pupil’s competency in reading and
mathematics. It also removes the
requirement that AIMS test results for high school seniors be recorded on the
high school transcript and removes the AIMS
intervention component of the AIMS Intervention and Dropout Prevention Program.
There
is no fiscal impact to the state general fund in FY 2001-2002. For FY 2002-2003 and FY 2003-2004 the Joint
Legislative Budget Committee staff estimates that, while this legislation may
reduce state general fund costs, the impact cannot be determined due to a
variety of unpredictable factors, which are outlined in the fiscal note.
Provisions
1. Establishes additional competency requirements the State Board of Education (SBE) must prescribe for the promotion of pupils from the eighth grade including the following:
a)
Requires
the competency requirements to include a minimum score determined by the SBE on
the statewide nationally standardized norm-referenced test indicating that a
pupil in eighth grade is competent in reading and mathematics to the extent
necessary for productive citizenship, to find workplace opportunities and to engage
in lifelong learning.
b)
Stipulates
that, if a pupil in the eighth grade does not meet the minimum score on the
statewide nationally standardized norm-referenced test, the pupil shall be
promoted from the eighth grade if all other competency requirements are
met.
2. Stipulates, beginning in the 2002-2003 school year, if a pupil in eighth grade did not meet minimum score requirements on the statewide nationally standardized norm-referenced test, the pupil must pass an alternative assessment in order to graduate from high school.
3. Requires the high school or charter school of the pupil to provide compensatory instruction approved by the State Board of Education designed to assist the pupil in passing the alternative assessment.
4. Requires school districts and charter schools that instruct in the high school grades to develop one or more assessments that indicate a pupil is competent in the subject areas of reading and mathematics to the extent necessary for productive citizenship, to find workplace opportunities and to engage in lifelong learning.
5. Requires the alternative assessment to be reviewed and approved by the SBE. Allows the alternative assessment to include a minimum score on the statewide nationally standardized norm-referenced test. Requires the tests to be scored and returned to the pupil for review if the alternative assessment includes one or more tests.
6. Establishes the compensatory instruction fund, administered by the Arizona Department of Education (ADE), consisting of monies appropriated to the ADE and for the AIMS test. Monies in the fund are continuously appropriated.
7. Requires the ADE to distribute monies in the fund to school districts and charter schools that submit requests for grants from the fund for compensatory instruction programs.
8. Requires the ADE to develop application procedures and selection criteria for the distribution of monies from the fund.
9. Requires, notwithstanding any other law, any unexpended and unencumbered monies previously appropriated to the SBE, the State Superintendent or the ADE for any purpose relating to the AIMS test, to be transferred to the compensatory instruction fund.
10. Provides an exception to the requirement for the SBE to determine AIMS test implementation. Stipulates that a school district is not required to administer the AIMS test unless the school district governing board notifies the SBE that the school district will participate in the AIMS test.
11. Removes the requirement that each pupil’s AIMS test results for grade 12 be recorded on the pupil’s high school transcript and removes the requirement of the SBE to prescribe the format for recording the AIMS test results on high school transcripts.
12. Removes the “AIMS” intervention” component of the AIMS Intervention and Dropout Prevention Program administered by ADE.
13. Makes technical and conforming changes.
14. Provides for a general effective date.
Prepared by Senate Staff
March 8, 2002