The Chandler school district is already several weeks into the new year, and yet the question remains, will there be an Arizona’s Instrument to Measure Standards (AIMS) assessment?  It is a question that has been on the minds of students and educators since last year, when many were informed that AIMS would be replaced by another assessment. Principal Dan Serrano recently said that is not entirely true.

“AIMS is not totally gone,” Serrano said, “science AIMS counts.” Currently, the science AIMS is the only assessment that will remain and will now count for students unlike in previous years.

With so little knowledge on such an important assessment, many are anxious to find out if the test will affect them. Rumors about the new assessment have many confused and believing things that may not be true. The instrument that will replace AIMS, and which grade levels it will affect, is still unknown.

“Most likely seniors,” Serrano guesses will be the students who take the new test, though there is no confirmation of this as of yet.

If the test is in fact going to be taken by seniors, english teacher Rhonda Duering believes it won’t have a significant impact on them. “I don’t think it’s going to affect seniors too heavily,” she states. Duering also believes the this type of measure may be somewhat inadequate, “What happens if we give a new test to a group of seniors and 40% of them don’t pass the test, my question at that point is what are they going to do? Are they going to let 40% of seniors not graduate based on a test that was obviously invalid?”

“I don’t know if standardized tests is one size fits all” Duering states. She feels standardized tests in general are invalid, especially AIMS. “If we have to have a test, to be completely honest, I’m so glad were getting rid of the old AIMS. I feel like it was bulky and invalid.”

Many students and teachers may be affected by the science assessment, and will have to consider the importance of it. Science department chair, Jerry Bell, believes several will be held more responsible.

“Because it has more accountability to it, I think the teachers and the students will both take it more seriously.” Bell says. He also deems the science assessment necessary, “I think its good to have some kind of a standardized measurement of science learning.”

The AIMS assessments have been around since most students were in elementary school, and many were familiar with it. Students and teachers don’t know what to expect on a new standardized test, making many nervous and uncomfortable with the uncertainty.

Though much about the new assessment is unknown, it’s arrival will be met with nervous and uncertain anticipation.