From AIMS to AzMERIT

Arizona Department of Education has recently released information for parents and teachers regarding the transition to the new assessment, AzMERIT.


Click below to view the modules.  Each module is approximately 12 minutes in length.

Module Part 1: Review of the need for a new assessment and the selection process.

Module Part 2:  Explanation of how AzMERIT differs from past assessments.

Module Part 3:  Overview of the major shifts in English Language Arts and Mathematics.


ADE also released their blueprints.  Blueprints are a breakdown of the percentages on each test.  See the example below:

http://www.azed.gov/assessment/files/2014/11/azmerit-math-public-blueprint.pdf

The example above is from the Mathematics blueprint for 4th Grade.  Notice the largest percentage will come from Number and Operations-Fractions.  Teachers will be sure to spiral fraction review throughout their curriculum.

Another thing to pay particular attention to is the shift to more informational reading.  See the blueprints below:

http://www.azed.gov/assessment/files/2014/11/azmerit-ela-public-blueprint.pdf

http://www.azed.gov/assessment/files/2014/11/azmerit-ela-public-blueprint.pdf

You can see that in 3rd Grade, the split is 35% and 35% for Literature and Informational Text.  However, by 11th Grade, the split is 30% and 40%.  Teachers are beginning to phase in more informational text, not to "prep for the test", but that's what we do as adults.  We tend to read more informational text.  Therefore, we are preparing our students for college and career.

Click below to view the blueprints for English Language Arts and Mathematics.

ELA

Math


All teachers, students, and parents are encouraged to take the sample tests.  Click here to view the tutorial and be directed to the sample assessments for ELA and Math.