In continuing to ensure all Arizona children have the opportunity to succeed, the Arizona State Board of Education assessment, AASA, AzSCI, Aspire ACT and the ACT - Arizona's Measurement of Educational Readiness to Inform Teaching, is administered each spring to Arizona students in grades 3 through high school. A passing score on state assessments is not required for graduation.

All State Assessments are computer-based tests which provide engaging questions and measure critical thinking skills for college and career readiness. These tests reflect what students are learning in the classroom and provide parents with meaningful information to know if their children are on track to succeed. Teachers use the assessment, which is aligned with what they are teaching in the classroom, as a tool to measure student progress. Assessments can tell both teachers and parents if a student is mastering a subject, or if they need to spend additional time learning that topic. State assessments are ONE tool available to measure whether students are mastering the skills they need to be successful in college, career, and life. Report card grades, participation, work habits, group projects, and homework are all important in determining a child’s academic achievement. 

All students at the grade levels referenced below are required by law to have the opportunity to take the assessments during the designated testing dates. This means that all students present on designated testing dates will be provided testing materials. Students who are absent will be given the opportunity to take the test during the make-up window. 

Students in Grades 3 through 8 take AASA in English Language Arts and Mathematics at their grade level. The English Language Arts test includes a writing portion and a reading portion. AASA goes beyond multiple choice questions. This means that the test results provide a better indicator of what students have learned during the school year. Additionally, grades 5, 8 and 11 take the AzSCI test to measure student proficiency in Arizona Science Standards.

Students in 9^th grade take the Aspire ACT. This assessment predicts success on the ACT and measures ELA, Reading, Science, STEM and Math. These scores are compared nationally. Juniors (11^th grade) are required to take the ACT. The ACT is designed to measure college and career readiness and scores are compared statewide and nationally. Students take tests in ELA, Math, Science, STEM and text complexity.