Post by Moses on Jun 27, 2005 0:52:08 GMT -5
You won't believe your eyes when you read today's article. Arizona may lose up to 23,300 diplomas next spring to its newly instituted high stakes exit exams. What's more -- their school superintendent Tom Horne thinks this statistic gives him reason to celebrate. He is already declaring victory! You really must read this piece to fully appreciate his twisted, heartless logic.
I think what galls me the most about these exit exam policies is the unbelievably high number of casualties that state superintendents are willing to accept while still patting themselves on the back.
This piece leaves me absolutely speechless.
www.geocities.com/stophsa
(see letter to the editor which follows)
12,000 MORE PASS AIMS, BUT THOUSANDS MAY DROP OUT
Pat Kossan, The Arizona Republic, June 24
An additional 12,000 members of Arizona's Class of 2006 passed the high school AIMS test on their third try this spring and after state officials lowered the passing score.
The number of Arizona's seniors who have passed the exit exam jumped to 39,700, state officials reported Thursday, or 63 percent of Arizona's first class that must pass the reading, writing and math test to get a diploma on graduation day.
There are still about 23,300 kids who haven't passed the exit exam, and they have two more tries before Graduation Day.
But state schools chief Tom Horne is celebrating anyway, because he figures most of the kids who haven't passed are likely to drop out anyway.
"I've always said 90 percent of the students who would normally graduate would pass AIMS," Horne said. "I've reached my goal earlier than I expected."
Only about 70 to 72 percent of Arizona's high school students typically graduate. Horne said that means by Graduation Day, with or without an AIMS test, only 45,720 members of the Class of 2006 will pick up diplomas. So, by his calculations, a whopping 86.8 percent of those likely graduates already have passed AIMS.
Phoenix Union High School District's Class of 2006 made great gains this spring, and now more than half of its seniors have passed AIMS. But Phoenix Union administrator Joan Mason is counting the kids on the losing side of that equation, and knows of about 1,100 kids who still have no reason to celebrate. She doesn't understand a state policy that doesn't work to increase the number of Arizona students graduating from high school.
"I guess the goal is not to increase student achievement across the board and keep students in school, but the effect is to keep pushing the same kids out," said Mason, director of English-language learning. "I think the goal should be 90 percent of all students, not 90 percent of those who graduate anyways. It doesn't make sense to me."
Mesa's Westwood High School senior Luiz Avalos is still waiting to find out if he passed the AIMS math section after a third try. He laughed at the idea that he or his classmates who haven't passed AIMS are likely to drop out.
"I think that's hilarious," Avalos said. "I been going to school since kindergarten. I have no intentions of dropping out."
This session, Arizona legislators gave graduating seniors a chance to increase their AIMS scores if they passed core high school courses.
Even with the break, Horne said it's not realistic to expect all kids left in the Class of 2006 to pass an exit exam or to graduate.
"We're not going to get kids who would otherwise drop out," Horne said.
www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/opinions/articles/0626sunlets263.html
To the editor
From Sidney A. Jordan
Published in the Arizona Republic (06/26/2005)
Schools chief failed those 23,000
Tom Horne, state superintendent of public instruction, should either be asked to resign or be instantly fired.
Approximately 23,000 students who he is charged with educating are failing - and he is celebrating. I bet if the figure were higher he would really be out dancing in the streets.
For a person in his position to think that the failure of any one - and I mean any one - student is a reason to rejoice is plain stupid. Such a number should mean that he has failed the people of Arizona.
Many of the students he is talking about have spent the last 10 to 12 years on the goal of achieving a high school diploma. And now he is celebrating because they failed. A success rate of 70 percent is not something to be happy about. It is a good thing he is not trying to be a doctor.
Tom Horne is a failure, and not the students he is charged with educating.
I think what galls me the most about these exit exam policies is the unbelievably high number of casualties that state superintendents are willing to accept while still patting themselves on the back.
This piece leaves me absolutely speechless.
www.geocities.com/stophsa
(see letter to the editor which follows)
12,000 MORE PASS AIMS, BUT THOUSANDS MAY DROP OUT
Pat Kossan, The Arizona Republic, June 24
An additional 12,000 members of Arizona's Class of 2006 passed the high school AIMS test on their third try this spring and after state officials lowered the passing score.
The number of Arizona's seniors who have passed the exit exam jumped to 39,700, state officials reported Thursday, or 63 percent of Arizona's first class that must pass the reading, writing and math test to get a diploma on graduation day.
There are still about 23,300 kids who haven't passed the exit exam, and they have two more tries before Graduation Day.
But state schools chief Tom Horne is celebrating anyway, because he figures most of the kids who haven't passed are likely to drop out anyway.
"I've always said 90 percent of the students who would normally graduate would pass AIMS," Horne said. "I've reached my goal earlier than I expected."
Only about 70 to 72 percent of Arizona's high school students typically graduate. Horne said that means by Graduation Day, with or without an AIMS test, only 45,720 members of the Class of 2006 will pick up diplomas. So, by his calculations, a whopping 86.8 percent of those likely graduates already have passed AIMS.
Phoenix Union High School District's Class of 2006 made great gains this spring, and now more than half of its seniors have passed AIMS. But Phoenix Union administrator Joan Mason is counting the kids on the losing side of that equation, and knows of about 1,100 kids who still have no reason to celebrate. She doesn't understand a state policy that doesn't work to increase the number of Arizona students graduating from high school.
"I guess the goal is not to increase student achievement across the board and keep students in school, but the effect is to keep pushing the same kids out," said Mason, director of English-language learning. "I think the goal should be 90 percent of all students, not 90 percent of those who graduate anyways. It doesn't make sense to me."
Mesa's Westwood High School senior Luiz Avalos is still waiting to find out if he passed the AIMS math section after a third try. He laughed at the idea that he or his classmates who haven't passed AIMS are likely to drop out.
"I think that's hilarious," Avalos said. "I been going to school since kindergarten. I have no intentions of dropping out."
This session, Arizona legislators gave graduating seniors a chance to increase their AIMS scores if they passed core high school courses.
Even with the break, Horne said it's not realistic to expect all kids left in the Class of 2006 to pass an exit exam or to graduate.
"We're not going to get kids who would otherwise drop out," Horne said.
www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/opinions/articles/0626sunlets263.html
To the editor
From Sidney A. Jordan
Published in the Arizona Republic (06/26/2005)
Schools chief failed those 23,000
Tom Horne, state superintendent of public instruction, should either be asked to resign or be instantly fired.
Approximately 23,000 students who he is charged with educating are failing - and he is celebrating. I bet if the figure were higher he would really be out dancing in the streets.
For a person in his position to think that the failure of any one - and I mean any one - student is a reason to rejoice is plain stupid. Such a number should mean that he has failed the people of Arizona.
Many of the students he is talking about have spent the last 10 to 12 years on the goal of achieving a high school diploma. And now he is celebrating because they failed. A success rate of 70 percent is not something to be happy about. It is a good thing he is not trying to be a doctor.
Tom Horne is a failure, and not the students he is charged with educating.