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AIMS tutoring money found, after all
Tom Horne, the state's superintendent of public instruction, announced Thursday he had found enough unexpected money in his agency's account to reinstate a free tutoring program for students who failed one or more parts of AIMS.
Horne had suspended the program in February, saying the money ran out.
But this is not a complete reversal. The funds will be available solely for math tutoring, the one part of AIMS not yet administered this year. Reading and writing test segments were given in February.
Horne said there is only enough cash to help seniors; the prior program also aided juniors.
He said if lawmakers want tutoring for next year's crop of seniors they will have to give him more money.

Tucson Region

Bill reinstating AIMS-score booster gains

By Howard Fischer
Capitol Media Services
Tucson, Arizona | Published: 03.14.2008
PHOENIX — High school seniors who can't pass the AIMS tests may still be able to graduate.
Without discussion, the House gave preliminary approval Thursday to reinstating a program that allows high schoolers to augment their scores with good grades.
Without that measure, bonus points available for the last two years — since AIMS passage became a graduation requirement — will go away.
Although the AIMS test is important, it should not become the one thing standing in the way of graduation for good students, said Rep. David Schapira, D-Tempe.
State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne said the test is specifically designed to ensure that students know the subjects the state has determined are necessary to graduate: math, reading and writing.
"Tests are part of life," Horne said. "Get over it."
The bonus-points system is available to high schoolers who have taken the AIMS test each time it has been offered and participated in remedial work in their areas of failure.
It allows good grades in required courses — not electives — to be counted for up to 25 percent of a student's AIMS score.
If there are enough bonus points, the student graduates even without getting a passing score on each of the three AIMS segments.
Horne said about 3,000 seniors in each of the last two years got their diplomas solely because they had enough bonus points to get a passing grade on AIMS.
Schapira said, if he had his way, AIMS would be scrapped — at least as a graduation requirement.
"This isn't taking what the teachers are teaching in the classroom and putting it in the form of a test," Schapira said.
"That's called a final exam, which students are taking and are required to pass in order to pass their courses."
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