Standardized Final Exams For Arizona Schools Better For The Students Or Just Another Measurement For The State
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Standardized Final Exams for Arizona Schools: Beneficial for Students or Just Another State Metric?
Summary
A bill in the Arizona state legislature aims to introduce standardized final exams for core high school courses. Supported by key educational figures, this proposal is intended to provide a consistent measure of student performance across the state. However, it raises questions about its actual benefits for students versus its utility as a state accountability tool.
Article
A current bill in the Arizona state legislature proposes the implementation of standardized final exams for specific high school core courses. Introduced by the Senate Education Committee Chairman, this bill is backed by influential educational leaders.
Tom Horne, the head of Arizona schools, supports the bill, alongside several educational researchers. Paul Koehler, director of the nonprofit research agency WestEd, argues that these exams offer a broader and more logical assessment of student performance in Arizona.
The standardized exams would extend beyond core subjects to include art and music, while grades three, six, and seven would have state-developed final exams in social studies. School districts in Arizona could opt to use only the state exams or supplement them with their own.
The inspiration for standardized end-of-course exams comes from Advanced Placement courses, which allow students to earn college credits while in high school. Some states have already implemented similar systems successfully, with New York awarding special diplomas to students who pass these exams.
Consistency and Accountability
Standardized testing in Arizona is seen as a means to ensure uniformity in education across the state. It allows the state to evaluate whether individual schools offer the same quality of education. Arizona State University professor Thomas Haladyna supports the approach, suggesting that it promotes systematic teaching and addresses inconsistencies that currently exist.
Concerns and Criticisms
Currently, local teachers and districts design final exams for coursework. The Mesa school system, Arizona's largest district, already uses district-wide exams crafted by their teachers. Joe O'Reilly, the district's testing director, expresses concerns that state-designed exams might reduce local involvement and immediacy, as exams currently are administered, graded, and returned promptly. He also questions the effectiveness of multiple-choice tests in assessing skills in music, art, or laboratory science.
Parents have voiced concerns over the amount of homework assigned to boost performance on the Arizona Instrument to Measure Standards (AIMS) exam, suspecting it's more about improving test scores for funding than actual learning.
Parents are justified in their concerns since these proposed exams won't impact student promotion or graduation. Instead, they serve to rate school performance alongside AIMS scores and other factors like graduation and attendance rates.
Overall, the debate continues on whether these standardized exams truly enhance education for students or merely add another layer of measurement for the state's benefit.
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