Parents key to success on AIMS test
Wednesday, 17 November 1999
Ben Kirkby,
The Arizona Daily Star
By Hipolito R. Corella
The Arizona Daily Star
Sonia Knop is not clairvoyant, but she sees the future clearly
when it comes to her children's performance on the AIMS test.
``I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that my kids will pass the
AIMS,'' Knop says.
She lacks the hesitation one might expect from a mom who has a
daughter enrolled at Desert View High School, where last spring
only 1 percent of the sophomores met the state standard in the
math portion of the test.
Knop said her confidence is bolstered by her involvement in the
education of her four children.
``I go to the teacher and tell them, `This is what I want my children
doing,' '' said Knop, 43, who works in quality control for a local
firm.
Her involvement includes asking teachers for extra math homework,
keeping in contact with teachers and keeping close tabs on the
academic progress of her children.
``It's something that I've done since they were in kindergarten,''
Knop said of her children - Erin, 14, a ninth-grader; Kenneth,
13, an eighth-grader; Timothy, 12, a seventh-grader; and Andrew,
11, a fifth-grader.
Educators said Knop is on track to help ensure that her children
are prepared to tackle Arizona's Instrument for Measuring Standards,
the state's math, reading and writing test that in 2002 will determine
who gets to graduate from public high schools.
``There's no more positive an indicator for student success than
parental involvement and care,'' said John Wright, vice president
of the Arizona Education Association.
He said it is important for parents to use the AIMS test results
and work with teachers and school administrators to ensure that
their children can meet the state's expectations.
He said parents can use the test results to motivate their children
and improve their education.
Other suggestions from parents, teachers and education officials
to help your child pass the AIMS test include:
* Know the state academic standards and the kind of material included
on the AIMS test. Information on the test can be found on the
Internet at http://www.ade.state.az.us - the Web site for Arizona
Department of Education. Test samples are available at the Pima
County School Superintendent's Office, at 130 W. Congress St.
* Know the course options available to your child at his or her
school. Ask school officials how individual classes correspond
with the state standards.
* Emphasize mathematics early in your child's schooling. Two-thirds
of the current AIMS test focuses on algebra and geometry.
* Help with homework. If the subject matter becomes too difficult
for you, find family members, tutors or others to help.
* Talk to your child's teachers.
* Be vigilant in what your kids are doing in school and what they're
being taught.
Knop said being involved in your child's schooling does not necessarily
require several hours on campus, a daunting task for many working
parents. Things like participating in parent-teacher conferences
and keeping in contact with your child's school aren't time-consuming,
she said.
Knop said she will go to the next Sunnyside Unified School District
Governing Board meeting to tell district leaders that the poor
showing among district students is a battle cry for better curriculum
and higher expectations.
``We need to fight for these kids' education,'' she said.
But across town, fellow parent Chris Smith said he doubts parental
involvement alone will help more students meet state expectations
when it comes to math performance.
Smith, 43, a hydrologist, said the abysmal showing among students
in the math portion of the AIMS test means the exam isn't worth
the paper it's printed on. The high failure rate is a sign of
poor school performance, not poor student performance, he said.
``It's shocking to see that something turned out so poorly, and
they're still going forward with it,'' he said.
Smith said he stresses the importance of solid math skills to
his son, a freshman at Mountain View High School. But he still
worries his son won't be adequately prepared for the mathematics
portion of the test.
He said it is unlikely schools across the state will be able to
transform a failure rate of 90 percent among last year's sophomores
into top-notch math scores by the time the AIMS test is mandatory
for a high school diploma.
He said more needs to be done in the lower grades to better prepare
pupils for the expectations they will face in high school.
Smith's wife, Carlena, said the AIMS test is being given too much
weight in graduation requirements. She said a student can do well
in school without having to meet college standards.
``They're acting like the diploma is going to make your life,''
she said.
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