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Students throughout Arizona have for the first time this spring been taking a new exam to measure their mastery of mathematics and English/Language Arts. As a result, school districts throughout the Southeast Valley and Pinal County are not only deciding on which format they will offer the test but also acquire the equipment necessary to provide it.
The AzMERIT (Arizona’s Measurement of Educational Readiness to Inform Teaching) test replaces the AIMS (Arizona’s Instrument to Measure Standards) test, which measured student proficiency in the same categories through the tenth grade. Students in the fourth and eighth grades will continue to take the AIMS Science exam until an upgraded AzMERIT version is developed.
To give students, teachers and schools time to adapt to the new format of AzMERIT and its potential questions, this year’s test results will not be applied toward school and district A-to-F letter grades and teacher evaluations.
Based on practice tests administered earlier this year, it is known that vocabulary skills will be a bigger part of the English/Language tests. Knowing what is covered on the 2015 AzMERIT tests will enable teachers to better prepare students for next year’s tests.
AzMERIT tests also will be offered in two formats: the traditional pencil-and-paper tests and one conducted online through a laptop computer. The Arizona Department of Education (ADE) is encouraging school districts to try both formats.
Yet some districts plan to go 100 percent computerized with the tests. These include the Coolidge Unified School District, the Queen Creek Unified School District, the Ray Unified School District (RUSD) in Kearny, and the Superior Unified School District.
According to Curt Cook, RUSD superintendent, “Students today are extremely computer savvy so they shouldn’t find an online exam hard to comprehend. As we intend on using the computer/online exam exclusively in the future, this year’s exam will get them used to the format.”
The Florence Unified School District (FUSD) will offer most AzMERIT tests in the computerized format, owing to the District’s decision back in 2007 that all students should have a laptop for classroom use. However, Chris Knudson, FUSD assistant superintendent, said some students will take the AzMERIT paper test on request.
The J. O. Combs Unified School District in San Tan Valley will conduct the online test at the Combs Middle School and Combs Traditional Academy, while it’s other schools with have the pencil-and-paper test. The Oracle Elementary School District likewise will offer both AzMERIT test format to students, though based on signups more will be taking the online test.
Most school districts report already having the equipment to offer the online exam and thus will incur no additional outlays. But the Combs District reported having to purchase headphones for the English/Language Arts section and anticipate that next year it will need to purchase additional graphing calculators.
“Students will require specialized training on the graphing calculators as they use these types of calculators in their current math classes,” said Gayle Blanchard, Combs superintendent.
RUSD’s Cook reported having to acquire up to 60 additional laptops so that all of its students can take the online exam.
Only the Hayden-Winkelman Unified School District will administer the pencil-and-paper exam to all its students. But Superintendent Jeff Gregorich said he hopes to upgrade school facilities to be able to administer the online exam in the future.
For now it appears that the AzMERIT exams will be administered in Arizona schools for more than one year. Legislation that would have allowed parents to opt their children out of such testing failed during the 2015 session of the state legislature.
Another bill that would have allowed Arizona school districts choose from a menu of student achievement tests rather than just AzMERIT also failed in the Arizona House of Representatives. The measure was proposed by state Superintendent of Public Instruction Diane Douglas.
“A one-size-fits-all approach to state testing in not the best way to truly measure student success,” Douglas said in mid-March. “As a national leader in school choice, Arizona is better suited to a system that allows schools to select a test based on how they teach their students.
The measure failed when it was learned that not having a standardized statewide measure of student achievement could cost Arizona $582 million in federal educational funds.
James J. Hodl is a career journalist who has worked for newspapers, magazines and trade journals. A graduate of Southern Illinois University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Journalism, Hodl began his career as a reporter with the Palatine (IL) Herald and the Morton Grove (IL) Review before becoming editor of the trade publication Appliance Service News. In recent years, Hodl has had articles published in Consumers Digest, Good Housekeeping, Home Remodeling, Kitchens & Baths and Salute; and has contributed to trade publications serving the home furnishings, restaurant and casino markets. A native of Chicago, Hodl relocated to San Tan Valley in 2013.
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