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State High Schools Called Soft: Study Says Arizona Must Raise Bar to Prepare Teens for College, Work Force

Posted on: Sunday, 19 February 2006, 15:00 CST

By Jackie Leatherman, The Tribune, Mesa, Ariz.

Feb. 19--Arizona's mandatory high school classes and exit exam are "not sufficient" to prepare students for college or the work force, according to a recent report.

The study by P ublic Works, a national public policy consulting firm, scrutinized Arizona's Instrument to Measure Standards, stating that its "10th grade assessment . . . does not appear to set a sufficiently high bar." It also states that the academic standards, which outline what is taught in classrooms, are "significantly less demanding than national experts recommend."

Public Works presented the findings Thursday to Gov. Janet Napolitano and a council she formed this year to better align academic pathways from preschool through the postgraduate level.

The report is one of the first steps the council is taking to ensure students exiting each grade are prepared for the next step whether it be the next grade or the work force.

The report says 43.9 percent of Arizona high school graduates meet the basic university eligibility requirements.

The report also states that business leaders are saying math and reading skills need to be raised.

"This isn't just about high school; it's about the entire pipeline and leaks all the way through," said Robert Muller, a consultant from Practical Strategy, who helped author the report. "There are a significant number of Arizona students in the system who are not proficient."

Karen Butterfield, a deputy associate superintendent for the Arizona Department of Education, cautioned the council that the academic level of AIMS was designed to fit all of Arizona's students -- not just the brightest.

"Folks are just getting used to high-stakes testing," she said.

"If we move too quickly (to raise standards), it could be disastrous. Not all kids are going to be taking physics, precalculus and bioscience. We need to be realistic with that rigor."

But Napolitano said she thinks the report "tells us we've got to do more, more quickly."

"The colleges need to tell us clearly what collegereadiness needs, and we need to backtrack from there to kindergarten," she said.

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Copyright (c) 2006, The Tribune, Mesa, Ariz.

Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News.

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Source: The Tribune

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