Majority of Arizona students fail recent statewide tests

PHOENIX (3TV/CBS 5) -- It has no doubt been a difficult two and a half years for Arizona students with many still playing catchup after dealing with learning loss during the pandemic.

New test results just released by the Arizona Department of Education show many Arizona students are falling behind. Overall, 41% of Arizona students passed the English Language Arts section while only 33% passed math.

It is a small improvement over 2021′s test scores. This year ELA scores are up 3% while math scores saw a 2% bump but despite that, the majority of Arizona students failed the most recent statewide assessment.

“It’s really hard as a teacher who sees what kids are capable of and then sees the test scores that come out. You know, unless you’re really farming into the test the entire year. Kids aren’t really able to show what they know on tests like that,” Beth Lewis with Save Our Schools Arizona said.

Public and charter students in grades 3rd through 8th took the tests. This is the first year the state has administered Arizona’s Academic Standards Assessment known as AASA. This test replaced the AZM2 test.

“We’re comparing apples and oranges and what we’re really not doing is assessing whether kids can read. I have a lot of students that can read and can read well, but they might not do well on tests like that,” Lewis said.

Arizona’s Family asked Lewis what parents can do at home to help their kids who might be struggling in school. She says it sounds simple but reading is key!

“It’s kind of like diet and exercise. It’s all about the little things you do every single day. And then making sure that you reach out to your teachers and make that a dialogue. Make sure that you’re working with the teachers to get your kids what they need,” Lewis said.

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