Green Piano

The U.S. Department of Education changed its rules for measuring the progress of public schools during the 2005-2006 school year. The impact was devastating to the Arizona schools, which had more than 600 schools marked as failed. That is nearly three times as many schools as last year.

For the first time, the Arizona schools were forced to include AIMS test scores for reading and math of students, who are in their second or third year of learning English. Another change lessened the amount of help a school may give special education students in completing the AIMS test. Additionally, the Arizona schools now are required to expand the number of students tested each year. In the past, they tested students in the third, fifth, eighth and tenth grades. Now, the Arizona schools must test all students in grades three through eight, as well as high school sophomores.

Superintendent Tom Horne is outspoken on the federal mandates, calling them illogical and absurd. He cites that these changes are responsible for nearly 400 additional Arizona schools failing to meet minimum federal progress measures, with about 112 schools failing only because of the requirement to include the scores of students within their first three years of learning English. He vehemently stated that the new federal rules make it impossible for many Arizona schools to succeed. Many Arizona schools students have only arrived from Mexico the year before and cannot be expected to be proficient in English, making it more difficult for them to pass the math and reading portions of the AIMS test.

The only consolation offered by federal officials is for the Arizona schools to offer those students a translation of the AIMS test, making it easier for them to understand. Horne emphasizes the need for more time for these students. So far, federal officials ignore Hornes argument by stating that if a group of students are not counted, then they probably are not being taught.

Horne filed a lawsuit against the federal government in July 2006 to stop the inclusion of English as a Second Language student test scores until their fourth year of English language classes. Until the lawsuit is settled, the Arizona schools must continue to include these student test scores.

Horne, as well as many educators and administrators across the state, see the federal mandate as impractical. They say it paints an unfair picture of many reputable Arizona schools. They are concerned that the negative failed label and bad publicity will damage individual Arizona schools that have worked hard to maintain their otherwise high achievement levels.

In 2005, there were 54 Arizona schools that failed to meet the minimum progress measure four or more years in a row. In 2006, that figure increased to 66 Arizona schools. This mandate puts more Arizona schools on the road to potentially failing four years in a row, which means mandatory state intervention into those Arizona schools daily operations. If these failed Arizona schools continue to fail in future years, federal law requires the state to make even bigger changes, which usually starts with the replacement of principals and teachers.

Horne hopes to prevail through a favorable court decision. Otherwise, many Arizona schools soon will experience dramatic consequences.

Patricia Hawke is a staff writer for Schools K-12, providing free, in-depth reports on all U.S. public and private K-12 schools. For more information on Arizona schools visit http://www.schoolsk-12.com/Arizona/index.htmlHugh Sung
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Personal goals I want to achieve as a University of Phoenix student.

There are many goals I want to achieve as a student of the University of Phoenix. Some of them will be easier to achieve then others, but I will be doing my best to accomplish them all. One of the obvious goals is to achieve the highest grades as possible. Throughout High School this was not a goal for me and I chose not to apply myself and was happy to settle for just any grade. In doing so I missed out on a lot of material I could have been studying and learning about. Settling for any grade also posed a problem when I graduated High School. When I graduated High School and began looking into going to college I found I was limited in the colleges I could apply to. I found I was limited due to the below average grades I received. When I started my Associate Degree my outlook on education completely changed and I was not willing to settle for any grade. I also did everything I could to learn and take away as much information I could from each and everything course. As!

I am starting my Bachelors Degree at the University of Phoenix I still have the mindset of obtaining the highest grades as possible. I feel even stronger about obtaining and maintaining high grades. To achieve this I will stay committed to reading all of the material provided and will complete all assignments to the best of my ability.

Another goal I have is to stay organized in school so I will have free time for friends and family. I have been doing this by listing out everything, which is required for me to do during the school week. I list out the assignments and readings as well as deadline for the material to be completed. I have been able to stay organized this way by doing a little work each day. I find pacing myself has been a big help instead of attempting to do everything all as one and waiting until the last minute. I recently began using my lunch break at work to complete some schoolwork as well. This has been extremely useful as it allows me to spend more time with family and friends since a good portion of my daily schoolwork can be completed. It is very helpful having a good portion of my schoolwork done before I even leave from work.

An additional objective of mine is to be able to assist others during the time I am obtaining my degree, as well as after my degree is obtained. I really enjoy meeting others and assisting people any way I can with issues and problems they may have. Assisting people with their problems is a big part of what I do as a police officer and that is one of the biggest motivators that keeps me in the profession. With the education and experience I am receiving at the University of Phoenix I am able to take the skills and experiences and apply them on a daily basis to assist coworkers as well as members of the public whom I deal with throughout the day. I realize some people are not as fortunate to be able to continue their education and feel those fortunate enough to have been able to continue their education have an obligation to assist others. During my schooling I hope to assist my peers with any problems or questions, which may come up. I have some skills in t!

he area of computers, which may be helpful to those who have no had the opportunity to get behind a computer much.

My final goal is to learn as much from my peers as possible. During my Criminal Justice degree program at the University of Phoenix I will have the opportunity to meet and speak with many different people who are doing the exact same thing I am doing as a police officer. Some people will have less experience and others will have more, but most important everyone learned things from their own experiences. A goal of mine is to learn from each and every one of my peers and to take something from each person. Each person will bring to the table different strengths, which will assist me in my field now and for years to come. I hope in meeting new people it will give me the opportunity to build up many more contacts and recourses in the field. These are a few of the many goals I plan on achieving as a student at the University of Phoenix. With determination and discipline I believe I will be successful in achieving these goals.

Kenneth Tapscott is a Criminal Justice major currently working in the law enforcement field. Hugh Sung
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