Lawmakers have come up with various plans to fix the system, but all have been shot down by the courts. Now, they must come up with a system by this June that the high court deems constitutional, or face a possible freeze of state school aid. The two sides were expected to face off last month in court. The issue has drawn national attention because Arizona's law could chart new legal ground and spur legislation in other states. Arizona is wrapping up work on its academic-content standards for reading, language arts, writing, mathematics, science, social studies, workplace skills, technology, the arts, health education, and foreign languages.
Social studies is the only area that still needs final state school board approval.
The statewide task force convened to write the social studies standards threw out its earlier drafts and started afresh after disagreements emerged over what exactly the standards should cover. Arizona is now scrambling to revamp its statewide performance-based test in reading, writing, math, and science. In 1995, Republican state schools chief Lisa Graham Keegan suspended the test instituted by her Democratic predecessor, a test that many say was well-conceived but rife with implementation problems. State officials now are hoping to field-test a new assessment this spring in order to test high school students in 1999 and younger students in 2000. High school students would need to show proficiency in reading, writing, and math as outlined in the state standards to graduate.