State providing study guides for AIMS
The Arizona Republic
Oct. 2, 2005

Personalized booklets help students focus on weakness

Pat Kossan

Beginning this week, all juniors and seniors who haven't passed the AIMS high school test will receive personal study guides to help them learn the specific skills they need to pass the exit exam.

This is the first year that Arizona seniors must pass the test to get diplomas, and it's the first time the state has ordered the booklets. It's part of a last-minute push to get 53,000 juniors and seniors to pass the reading, writing and math tests before graduation day.The guides are designed for teachers and parents to help students focus on what they still need to learn to pass the Arizona Instrument to Measure Standards. None of the guides was published in Spanish. However, schools did receive letters to parents in Spanish and English explaining the guides. State officials said Arizona law requires teaching materials to be published in English only.

The booklets are arriving a little late to help students before the Oct. 25-27 testing dates.

It will be the second chance to take the test for 34,000 juniors and the fourth chance for the 19,000 members of the Class of 2006 who still must pass the test before graduation day.

Those kids who still fail after the fall test will be able to print new individual guides from the Internet.

The test will be administered again in the spring and it will be the fifth and final chance for members of the Class of 2006 to pass the test before graduation day.

There is more information at www.yourstudyguide.com/Arizona.

Reach the reporter at pat.kossan@arizonarepublic.com.