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Senate OKs AIMS graduation bill

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PHOENIX — State senators gave preliminary approval this afternoon to extending the ability of high school seniors to use their grades to supplement their AIMS scores and graduate with their classmates.

HB 2008 continues the practice where students who have failed one or more parts of the test can boost their scores by up to 25 percent. Plans are to have the emergency measure on the desk of Gov. Janet Napolitano by Wednesday — just in time for some students who otherwise will not graduate this month.

The 18-5 vote came over objections from some lawmakers who said the inability of some students to pass the math, reading and writing portions of the test shows they have not learned what they need. "A diploma should mean something,'' said Sen. Ken Cheuvront, D-Phoenix.

Tuesday's action is a compromise of sorts.

The bill retains that option of a 25 percent bonus for this year's crop of seniors as well as those scheduled to graduate in 2009. But the measure would cap maximum bonus points at 15 percent for the class of 2010, and just 5 percent for those in the class of 2011 and beyond.

Rep. David Schapira, D-Tempe, who crafted the legislation, said this compromise is acceptable to the governor.

Before approving the bill, senators rejected a proposal by Sen. Ron Gould, R-Lake Havasu City, to prevent students in grades 3 through 8 from moving onto the next grade unless they pass the AIMS competency test for their own grade levels.

Gould said the reason some students can't pass the AIMS graduation test is because of "social promotion'' in the lower grades.

Some other senators said they like the concept but, because of the approaching high school graduation ceremonies, did not want Gould's amendment to slow passage of this bill.