Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/426191
AEA Advocate x Winter 2014/15 19 IN DEPTH LOOK IN DEPTH LOOK IN DEPTH LOOK IN DEPTH LOOK IN DEPTH LOOK IN DEPTH LOOK IN DEPTH LOOK IN DEPTH LOOK IN DEPTH LOOK IN DEPTH LOOK IN DEPTH LOOK IN DEPTH LOOK IN DEPTH LOOK IN DEPTH LOOK IN DEPTH LOOK On November 3, 2014, the Arizona State Board of Education (SBE) selected AzMERIT— Arizona's Measurement of Educational Readiness to Inform Teaching as Arizona's new statewide standardized test. The Arizona Education Association (AEA) and our members believe this new test aligned to the state standards will provide a good assessment of our students' academic progress; however, successful implementation of the new test will depend on adequate funding, time, and support, and effectively using the test to provide educators with meaningful information to adjust instruction rather than to punish students and teachers. AzMERIT is provided by the American Institutes for Research (AIR) and will be given to students in 3rd grade through high school in Spring 2015. AzMERIT will replace the AIMS test in reading, writing, and math. According to SBE, AIR will create the new assessment, customized for Arizona, from state assessments developed for Utah, Florida, and the 20 states in the Smarter Balanced consortium. "The new assessment will be overseen and controlled by Arizona, and will measure each child's mastery of Arizona's standards," said Board President Thomas Tyree. "This assessment will provide reliable and timely information to parents, teachers and policy makers to support our schools as they help prepare Arizona students for success in life, in career, and in college." As the State Board moves forward in implementing the new test and reviewing accountability measures tied to it, Arizona will be given an opportunity to change the stakes and ensure our state is measuring not just a single test score, but the outcomes we want, such as foreign language competence, AP and honors classes, community service, performance in the arts, CTE certification, and more. "Teachers use tests as a valuable tool to assess whether students are on track to succeed," says AEA President Andrew F. Morrill. "Arizona must stop its testing obsession and get back to supporting real instruction and keeping good teachers in the classroom." The SBE has stated they will discuss the establishment of a safe harbor year for accountability measures in order to establish baseline data. Over the next year, the Board will address policies related to the assessment, such as Move on When Reading, A-F School Letter Grades, use of student test scores for Teacher and Principal Evaluations, and the potential use of End of Course assessments in high school course grades. Changes in accountability measures will also require action at the Arizona Legislature. "We want our students to have a well- rounded education that provides them the skills and knowledge they need to compete in a global economy," says Morrill. "So, let's measure the things we believe provide a high quality education to our children and stop reducing them to a single test score." According to experts, the new implementation will result in lower test scores the first year. AEA believes students and teachers will need time to adjust to the new assessment and that a baseline must be set in order to provide meaningful comparisons. In addition, schools are underfunded and lack the support and resources necessary to properly implement the assessment. AEA will advocate to hold students and teachers harmless for the first two years of the test and to ensure more teachers are included in the decision-making process to ensure fair accountability measures are put in place. For more information, visit the Arizona Department of Education's AzMERIT website at www.azed.gov/azmerit, and visit the AIR website at www.air.org. 2 AzMERIT Is the New Statewide Assessment