Many unfortunate students in the Valley will be taking the AIMS test this week. The standardized test, which stands for Arizona's Instrument to Measure Standards, is proof positive that the education system in Arizona needs some revamping.
There isn't much wonder as to why the state is ranked 50th in the U.S. in public education. Perhaps the debacle with standardized testing will factor into the impending fall election for state superintendent.
Testing occurs throughout grade levels, but high school students are required to pass the AIMS test to graduate.
The security precautions surrounding the test make airport security checks look insufficient. For this silly test, it is necessary to remove the majority of posters from classroom walls -- pretty much any poster that has words on it, including the alphabet.
Teachers administering the test cannot even look at the test. However, the secrecy of the content is challenged by the fact that it is not administered at the same time throughout the Valley, as some schools will be taking it later in the month. In other words, nothing can stop students from revealing questions or other information on the test to other students. Thus, the so-called fail-safe is ineffective and irrelevant.
Also worth mentioning, special-needs students present in the classroom must also take their grade level AIMS test, even if they perform at another grade level. While testing is beneficial for all students, the AIMS test is not tailor-made for special needs, making it frustrating and even wasteful for students with such needs.
AIMS does not have a positive effect on the classroom, either. Teachers are forced to alter curriculums to fit the AIMS test, rather than taking educational liberties. It discourages educators from utilizing a more interesting and hands-on approach. Ergo, learning becomes boring to both teachers and students.
In the end, AIMS is just another link in the chain attached to the iron ball that is dragging education down in Arizona. It can be added to the English-language learners crisis that befell the governor and the Legislature, the passing of the Deficit Reduction Act in Congress that cut billions of dollars in student financial aid and of course our usual problems with tuition increases and additional costs here at good old ASU.
There is a real disconnect between the Legislature and education; there is a budget surplus, but none has been allotted to higher education. Perhaps the reason that the Legislature consistently fails education is because education failed them. For example, Rep. Colette Rosati R -- Scottsdale has claimed the Irish discovered America, according to azcentral.com.
In any case, as elections approach for positions in the Arizona Legislature and for state superintendent, we should all bear this in mind with hopes of a brighter future for ourselves at the University and for education in Arizona. Frankly, it sucks to be last.
Rick Beitman is a political science and French junior who is taking a break from major controversy for a week. He can be reached at richard.beitman@asu.edu.
