Is anyone familiar with the AIMS testing that is slowly creeping across the American schools? If so, how does it affect home schooling? We have AIMS here in AZ and this is the first year it is in full swing. AIMS: Arizona's Instrument to Measure Standards It is estimated that 4,500 seniors who sat through four years of classes and earned the required 21 credits will not get a diploma because they failed the AIMS high school exit exam. Another 16,000 seniors will drop out, most before taking their last shot at the test. This is the governments answer to a crappy education system? They have three additional tests (exit exams) that have to be taken and passed in order to graduate. English, Math, and History. This is such BS!!! I have 2 seniors that are waiting to get the test results back to see if they can graduate or not this year. What is a kid's motive to stay in school all four years if they have a chance of it being for nothing????? I am so steamed about this.. Any thoughts?
My thought is that a HS Diploma should indicate a persons knowledge. Not being expelled is a nessesary but not sufficiant requirement for a HS diploma. I also expect that the graduation test should be pretty easy for most students. For nothing?!? Learning to read, write and figure are not nothing, even if no diploma is forthcomming. History and science are good to know even if that knowledge is not certified by a diploma. A diploma is not the goal of schooling. The goal of schooling is an educated person. The exit exam is part of this confusion between education and certification.
Very valid Mike, I did not actually mean the four years to be "nothing" any education is valuable. I have to wonder though if a high school student would or could recognize the value without the recognition that comes with their diploma? To go 4 years and not receive that validation, yet watch your piers receive it, has to be disheartening and self discouraging. If you look at the numbers I posted in regards to passing and failing you will see that most students are struggling with the test. I feel that kids are pushed through the education system and not really properly accredited for their actual knowledge. Is this because of class room size, young teachers, a goal of government funds verses actual education? I feel that the government stepped in to do what the teachers should have been doing all along, assuring that our young get truly educated. How can kids pass the classes and get all their credits needed, yet not pass these tests? What does that say about the teaching system? Society, employers and higher education facilities disagree. The diploma in high school, I feel signifies that the students have learned what they were supposing to, not just what they wanted to. If they choose to go to college then that would be the place to pick and choose your education desires. Maybe here is where the diploma is not the goal. I just don't or can't understand how the numbers are not alarming to the people that put this law in place. How can they not admit this is a huge problem? They are pushing better education, yet allowing 16,000 students to potentially drop out! If I am missing something, please educate me. T
I think that we both agree that education is being poorly served by the govenment. While a diploma may be the motivation for a student, it should not be the goal of the school. The numbers you cite are an indication that either the AIMS tests the wrong things or that students get a lousey education.
I think standarized tests are dumb...and even dumber when they depend on rather you can or can't get out of higschool. That's nonsense. Many people don't do well on tests, but they are really inteligent people. I had to take these dumb standardized tests a few times before I passed. I would have just said screw it, but I was so close, I figured I might as well give it one last try. The ones in Oregon, Certificate of Initial Mastery (CIM) didn't determine if you graduate or not. Not when I was in school anyway. I think they are talking about making them manditory, though. I think they need to evaluate the *teachers* to see if they are teaching in a way that can reach students. But nothign seems to happen to teachers when students don't pass these tests. Some of the best teachers I've had have been young teachers.
I have to agree young teachers that have 2-3 years under their belt are mostley in my experience alot better. They can relate to the students because not to long ago they were in the same situation. I think some of the older teachers are sometimes more worried about the pass/fail rate int their classrooms so they can keep a job.
I took the first version of the AIMS test (while attending Fountain Hills High) before it was a requirement to graduate. It sucked. I was always in advanced placement and honors classes in school and I failed the test miserably, as did almost all of my classmates. I'm so glad It wasn't a requirement for graduation at the time, I would have been screwed.
