The state’s schools chief says a report released Jan. 3 ranking Arizona’s education policy above the national average shows recently enacted policies are moving the state in the right direction.
“Among the significant policy measurements such as establishing high academic standards, the testing of math, language arts, science and social studies and holding schools accountable for academic performance, Education Week rates Arizona 14th of the 50 states, well above the national average,” Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne said. “My goal as superintendent is to ensure that students soar academically by establishing and administering education policy that encourages excellence in the classroom. This report demonstrates that Arizona is a leader that effort.”
However, the state’s ranking in other portions of the annual Quality Counts report was dismal, with Arizona and Louisiana tying for the next-to-worst ranking in the “Chances of Success” section. Only New Mexico fared worse.
The report says weak school performance is unable to overcome the disadvantages of poverty, lack of English skills and low parental education.
Additionally, the report ranks Arizona 43rd in terms of student achievement, faring particularly poorly in reading and math proficiencies in grade school and junior high students.
Horne, though, dismissed the student achievement findings of the report, saying it uses a limited assessment and includes the scores of fewer than 6,000 students per subject. Instead, he points to another study that ranked Arizona 21 of 50.
On the Terra Nova test, a national test taken by more than 600,000 students, Horne said, Arizona students perform well above the national average.
He also said the state’s “Chances for Success” ranking measures factors, such as family income, that are not under the purview of the Arizona Department of Education.