TW

1st paragraph

Students in the public school system are constantly tested and evaluated by their test scores. In a classroom setting, tests are important and can provide essential information on a student’s progress. However, there has been a recent push from the No Child Left Behind act (NCLB) to use the scores obtained from a standardized test, as the single measure of a student’s performance. This has become the central purpose of NCLB; it requires students to take a test to determine whether they should go on to the next grade level, or whether a student qualifies for graduation. This is why the state of Arizona gives the Arizona’s Instrument to Measure Standards test (AIMS). There are several parents who probably do not have a problem with this program because their children have several chances to take the AIMS test and do not have any problems passing it. The majority of the students in Arizona pass the AIMS test (Arizona Department of Education, personal communication (ADE), February 21, 2008). Many parents have the assumption that this program is just a way to help failing schools and improve teacher quality. What you do not know is that your children may be affected by this program in ways that you have not seen.


New Paragraph revised

Students in the public school system are constantly tested and evaluated by their test scores. In a classroom setting, tests are important and can provide essential information on a student’s progress when used properly. Policy makers enjoy these tests because they can assess and compare students’ results on a national standard (The American Psychological Association, March 17, 2008). This is the reasoning behind why the State of Arizona under the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) gives a test called the Arizona’s Instrument to Measure Standards (AIMS). This test determines whether students should go on to the next grade level, or whether a student qualifies for graduation and the majority of the students in Arizona pass it. (Arizona Department of Education, February 21, 2008). Many parents have the understanding that this program has been implemented to help failing schools and improve teacher quality. But what has the AIMS program really accomplished in Arizona and has it had any unforeseen consequences?