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State and Feds at Odds Over New Rules for Scoring Arizona Schools

The U.S. Department of Education changed itstest, making it easier for them to
rules for measuring the progress of publicunderstand. Horne emphasizes the need for
schools during the 2005-2006 school year. Themore time for these students. So far,
impact was devastating to the Arizonafederal officials ignore Horne's argument by
schools, which had more than 600 schoolsstating that if a group of students are not
marked as ?failed?. That is nearly threecounted, then they probably are not being
times  as  many  schools  as  last  year.taught.
For the first time, the Arizona schools wereHorne filed a lawsuit against the federal
forced to include AIMS test scores forgovernment in July 2006 to stop the inclusion
reading and math of students, who are inof English as a Second Language student test
their second or third year of learningscores until their fourth year of English
English. Another change lessened the amountlanguage classes. Until the lawsuit is
of help a school may give special educationsettled, the Arizona schools must continue to
students in completing the AIMS test.include  these  student  test  scores.
Additionally, the Arizona schools now are
required to expand the number of studentsHorne, as well as many educators and
tested each year. In the past, they testedadministrators across the state, see the
students in the third, fifth, eighth andfederal mandate as impractical. They say it
tenth grades. Now, the Arizona schools mustpaints an unfair picture of many reputable
test all students in grades three throughArizona schools. They are concerned that the
eight,  as  well  as  high school sophomores.negative ?failed? label and bad publicity
will damage individual Arizona schools that
Superintendent Tom Horne is outspoken on thehave worked hard to maintain their otherwise
federal mandates, calling them illogical andhigh  achievement  levels.
absurd. He cites that these changes are
responsible for nearly 400 additional ArizonaIn 2005, there were 54 Arizona schools that
schools failing to meet minimum federalfailed to meet the minimum progress measure
progress measures, with about 112 schoolsfour or more years in a row. In 2006, that
failing only because of the requirement tofigure increased to 66 Arizona schools. This
include the scores of students within theirmandate puts more Arizona schools on the road
first three years of learning English. Heto potentially failing four years in a row,
vehemently stated that the new federal ruleswhich means mandatory state intervention into
make it impossible for many Arizona schoolsthose Arizona schools' daily operations. If
to succeed. Many Arizona schools studentsthese ?failed? Arizona schools continue to
have only arrived from Mexico the year beforefail in future years, federal law requires
and cannot be expected to be proficient inthe state to make even bigger changes, which
English, making it more difficult for them tousually starts with the replacement of
pass the math and reading portions of theprincipals  and  teachers.
AIMS  test.
Horne hopes to prevail through a favorable
The only consolation offered by federalcourt decision. Otherwise, many Arizona
officials is for the Arizona schools to offerschools soon will experience dramatic
those students a translation of the AIMSconsequences.



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