Relating to removing AIMS references and modifying the menu of assessments.
Provisions
1. Replaces references to AIMS with statewide assessment.
2. Modifies the year in which LEAs may begin to select assessments from the menu of assessment to School Year 2019 for high schools and School Year 2020 for K-8 schools.
3. Requires SBE to approve proposed assessments for the menu if the assessment is nationally recognized, an early college credit examination or is adopted for Move on When Ready and is not on the menu by March 1, 2018.
4. Permits SBE to approve all other proposed assessments if the assessment meets statutory requirements.
5. Directs SBE to notify LEAs of the results of proposed menu additions by May 1 each year.
6. Removes the prohibition on D and F LEAs selecting assessments from the menu.
7. Prohibits SBE's rules from requiring additional items other than those outlined in statute.
8. Requires LEAs that select an assessment from the menu to provide necessary accommodations for ELL students and as required by a student's IEP team.
9. Requires assessment providers to demonstrate that proposed assessments meet or exceed the level of rigor of state standards and that assessment scores and can be scaled rather than equated for accountability purposes.
a. Removes assessment scores from the requirement to establish comparable student performance levels and scores for achievement profiles.
10. Defines nationally recognized as an assessment that is accepted by universities for college credit or admissions.
11. Contains an emergency clause.
12. Makes technical and conforming changes.
Current Law
SBE is required to adopt and implement an AIMS test to measure student achievement of SBE adopted academic standards for reading, writing and mathematics (A.R.S. § 15-741).
A.R.S. § 15-741.02 requires SBE to adopt a menu of locally procured achievement assessments to measure student achievement of the state's academic standards. Beginning in School Year 2018, high school LEAs may begin to select an assessment from the menu instead of using the statewide assessment. K-8 LEAs may begin to utilize the menu beginning in School Year 2019. For a menu to be considered, SBE must require the proposed assessment provider to provide evidence that the assessment is high quality, demonstrate that the assessment meets or exceeds the state standards, demonstrate that scores can be equated for accountability purposes, submit a third-party evaluation that shows the assessment has met statutory requirements and provide a copy of assessment scores to the Arizona Department of Education.
Additional Information
Prior to 2015, Arizona used the AIMS test as the required statewide assessment in specified areas. After revising the statewide standards, the state selected AzMERIT as the new statewide assessment and began administering the new assessment in 2015. The AIMS Science assessment is still used for the science portion of statewide assessment requirements. More information regarding statewide assessments may be found here.
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Fifty-third Legislature SB1098
First Regular Session Version 4: Chaptered
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