Late state budget amendment may scrap AIMS

Yuma officials' reaction to a state lawmaker's amendment that could replace the Arizona Instrument to Measure Standards, which is required of all high school seniors to graduate, has been one of cautious acceptance.

Rep. Rich Crandall, R-Mesa, managed to get his amendment added to HB 2211 just before the 2008-2009 budget was adopted before the July 1 deadline.

Crandall's proposal first establishes a seven-member task force appointed by the state board of education, who then look into replacing AIMS, possibly with the SAT or ACT exams, and finally, limits the testing contract from the current five years to one year.

District 24 representative Lynne Pancrazi, D-Yuma, said she supports Crandall's amendment.

"It seems to me, since we all want students to go on to some form of higher education, it makes good sense," Pancrazi said.

She also said a majority believes there needs to be some sort of accountability but she is not sure if AIMS is the answer.

"I am pleased Crandall is doing this and I will support him in a bipartisan effort," Pancrazi said.

Bob Klee, Antelope Union High School District superintendent, said he had reservations about using the ACT because it is at a much higher level and not all students are college bound.

"The ACT is designed to be a college entrance exam," Klee said. "It is a predictor of how well a student would do at the college level. My preference would be a norm reference exam against which all (nationwide) high school seniors are measured."

Crandall stressed he does not want to make the SAT or ACT exam the one requirement to graduate but as part of a package of assessment criteria. AIMS waits too long to assess whether high school seniors are ready to graduate, he noted.

He went on that the state needs to require a high-stakes accountability exam as early as the third or fourth grade.

"According to the Arizona Community Foundation, reading scores for Arizona third-grade students is 47th in the nation. It doesn't paint a good picture of the state's education."

Crandall also added the state is "dead last" in the nation with just 18 percent of students who take college entrance exams. Yet the state board of education boasts that Arizona scores above average in those tests. But that is because they compare only the top fifth of Arizona students with the total of all students in other states, he said.

"A high school diploma is not enough nowadays, you need some form of university or technical training," Crandall said.

Tom Horne, Arizona Department of Education superintendent, said he opposes Crandall's amendment. AIMS is not as bad a test as critics maintain, he noted.

Under the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, the federal government must approve all standards-based tests and Arizona was one of the first 10 states approved. The Fordham Foundation, the principal institution for ranking standards, ranked Arizona standards seventh in the nation, Horne said.

He went on that AIMS costs $11 per student to administer and if Crandall's proposal to combine the ACT exam with portions of AIMS is adopted, the cost will skyrocket to $115.

Rep. Mark Anderson, R-Mesa, who chairs the Arizona House Education Committee, noted that Crandall could have brought up his proposal anytime during this year to allow hearings and debate but he neglected to do so.

"It bypassed the normal structure used to consider legislation," Anderson said. "It was approved behind closed doors (at 2 a.m.) and that is not the way to do it."

He recalled that many teachers have asked him not to get rid of AIMS, because it is what motivates their students and its loss would be detrimental to class atmosphere.

The state board of education next meets in August to select the task force. If it recommends replacing AIMS, it would be 2012 before a new standards test was in place, Horne said.

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William Roller can reached at
wroller@yumasun.com or 539-6858.