Arizona: A Parent's Guide to Understanding AIMS Dual Purpose Assessment (continued)

Arizona Academic Standards

The Arizona Academic Standards are established academic expectations for teaching and learning. They are statements of knowledge and skills that every child is expected to learn. The standards were developed by the State of Arizona educational community and adopted by the State Board of Education to meet federal and state guidelines. Currently, academic standards for Grades 3 through 8 have been developed in the following content areas:

• Reading

• Writing

• Mathematics

• Science

• Social Studies

• Foreign Language

• Technology

• Arts

• Comprehensive Health/PE

• Workplace Skills

The AIMS DPA currently assesses students in the areas of reading, writing, and mathematics.

What do the test results mean?

The AIMS DPA provides a norm-referenced test score (NRT) and an AIMS score. The results of the tests are used by classroom
teachers to guide instruction and improve student learning.

• The NRT compares a child’s performance on certain test items to the performance of students nationwide by way of a percentile ranking

• The AIMS score assesses a child’s knowledge of the Arizona State Standards. Each child will receive one of the following scores for each of the three areas tested - reading, writing, andmathematics.

• Exceeds the Standard – denotes superior academic performance on challenging subject matter reflected by the content standards

•  Meets the Standard – denotes solid academic performance and understanding of the state content standards

• Approaches the Standard – denotes partial understanding of the skills and knowledge necessary for proficient work at grade level

• Falls Far Below the Standard - denotes insufficient understanding of the prerequisite skills; students who achieve at this level have serious gaps in knowledge and skills and may require remediation

For more information about the Arizona Academic Standards or for sample test items, visit the Arizona Department of Education website at www.ade.az.gov/standards/AIMS.