It is evident that Arizona’s education is lacking in every area of standards when compared to the rest of the country. The bill that stipulates all third graders must pass the AIMS Reading test in order to progress to fourth grade is one of the brightest ideas Arizona has had yet.
Furthermore, the loophole needs to be closed and I congratulate Sen. Rich Crandall for addressing the problem that would allow parents and students to cheat the system.
According to the statute, the law allows students some leniency if English is their second language and other reasonable circumstances. Arizona needs to be accountable for educating its students and preparing them for the future.
There are too many drop-outs when students get to high school, and if they understand the material they will have a better chance at graduating with a diploma.
Education is the foundation to a better future and we need to ensure our children are as prepared for the future as possible.
Kaitlynn Meelhuysen
Gilbert
Rational Human posted at 2:24 pm on Fri, Mar 9, 2012.
Students in Japan go to school an average of 232+3x days, while students in the
U.S. go to school an average of 184+4x days. In countries where students do even better than Japan the amount of time studying is even greater. I think it's pretty obvious what is lacking in our education system. Both discipline and time studying is lacking in American schools. There is no reason to give children so much time to play in today's competitive world. You could start by eliminating the three month long summer vacation, and give the teachers more disciplinary authority. I remember when I misbehaved at school I got my behind paddled at school and then at home when my parents were told about it. Today the kids can sue everyone if they even threaten to use physical punishment. Today's children spend more time texting, playing video games, and just goofing off than they do studying for their future.
sockratties posted at 11:16 am on Thu, Mar 8, 2012.
Another layer of bureaucratic dross plastered onto a failing system. We will dumb down our kids even more by having another level “teaching to the test.” Get the government out of the education business. We have competent teachers who are dedicated to providing the best learning experience possible. Arizona politicians continually reallocate funds to private industry, redirect dedicated resources to support personal agendas and micro-manage school districts. More AIMS testing will be another boon to the charter school industry supported by Arizona's legislative special interests.
Another piece of legislation will not improve Arizonan student's poor performance. The problem is at least fourfold:
1. There is no comprehensive plan for educating a student from k through 12 with entrance into college as a goal. A path with vocational options needs to be available.
2. Students who can excel are not able to because they are restrained by those who are more challenged. These exceptional students are easily bored and become disinterested, sometimes dropping out.
3. Students who find learning difficult have no options but to repeat and become discouraged.
4. Parents are often not involved (for a variety of reasons) and may even be at odds with the teacher.
Parents need to be held responsible for the academic performance of their children. Teachers need to regain authority and be supported by the system. The system needs to lose the massive bureaucratic fat that wastes a good portion of the school budget. There should be no new building of facilities until all local facilities are busy all year around. Students should have on-line learning available to augment classroom activities. Politicians and lawyers need to step away from the school system and let the people who teach, teach. There are far too many people in the education industry in Arizona who have no idea what education, teaching, or learning is about. How many “experts” have heard what the kids think. Why not ask the student? Because if someone else has the answer they won't get to be the expert anymore.
Dale Whiting posted at 8:23 pm on Wed, Mar 7, 2012.
Every state needs to increase both standards and resources to help students meet those higher standards. We are in a race to the top and the competition is world wide. Go take a math, science or engineering course in college. Chances are, the stiffest competition will be coming from the foreign students! And normally they get the jobs!
samkat posted at 6:45 pm on Wed, Mar 7, 2012.
I wonder how well the kids who do their courses online will fare?
VofReason posted at 12:44 pm on Wed, Mar 7, 2012.
Why do you think that they now need students to pass a test tio ensure they know how to read to get out of third grade? Hmmm, they don't trust the educators? Why do they require HS students to pass AIMS before they graduate? Same?
Suelee posted at 9:56 am on Wed, Mar 7, 2012.
Just a thought: Have the AIMS tests actually contributed to a higher drop out rate? If I cannot get a high school diploma without passing the AIMS test, no matter how many years I spend in school, and I am not able to pass the test (or at least perceive that is true), wouldn't I be better off just dropping out of high school now and maybe get a GED later in life? I know this type of thinking is not the way adults think, but is surely the way teens think.
Now, as far as requiring all third graders to pass the AIMS reading test to move to 4th grade, where are the studies that support this requirement. To paraphrase a recent movie, "Show me the data!?