Why is there so much controversy regarding the AIMS test?
That is a very complicated question and one that has been compromised by politics, clever sound bites and very reasonable substantive controversy. I will give you an illustration and perspective to consider looking both at AIMS and the Arizona Content Standards and in parallel our local Kyrene grade level curriculum development and district curriculum based testing program. On March 22, 2001, a major Arizona newspaper sub-headline indicated that the Senate will take aim on the AIMS test. In this piece, there were complaints about the AIMS test, the graduation requirement, and specifically what was termed the secrecy of the test, which keeps parents, teachers and others from “seeing” the test. The complaint of graduation determined by a single AIMS test event as opposed to a portfolio of products has always been a bad idea and seems to have resulted because of lobbied political initiatives and alarm by various constituencies for tight fisted and expedient public education accountability
