Our View: How you (yes, you) can boost AzMERIT scores

• AzMERIT was a tougher test that measured tougher material
• Low scores are no reason for panic or complacency
• All Arizonans have a role in helping improve academic achievement

The high failure rate on the new AzMERIT test means Arizona has a lot of homework to finish.

The results were not surprising. They should not be alarming, either.

This was a tougher test that measured tougher material. In addition, the test itself was new. The state's educators warned the first year's scores would be low.

Nevertheless, the test revealed good information that's worth using now.

First of all, Arizona needs to stay calm and keep focused.

It would be a mistake to use the poor scores to once again lob spit wads at the ongoing effort to raise academic achievement in our state.

There was a great deal of unproductive noise surrounding the standards measured by this test. Arizona renamed the much maligned Common Core standards as Arizona's College and Career Ready Standards. They reflect our state now. It’s time to get over any residual resentment and concentrate on the next steps.

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For example, children in low-income schools, minority children and those who are learning English as a second language scored lower in general on the AzMERIT test. These kids face challenges that can hurt their academic performance, but there is no reason they can’t excel.

Arizona needs to redouble efforts to help these children raise their academic achievement. They are bright, capable and important to the state’s future.

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There’s also no point in pretending the failure rate was limited to certain segments of the population.

How you can help

The majority of all Arizona kids scored below proficiency standards on AzMERIT. There’s plenty of room for improvement, and the entire state has a role in that effort.

-- It starts at the top. Lawmakers and Gov. Doug Ducey recognize that schools need more money. The plans for a temporary infusion of cash – largely from the state land trust – represent a down payment. We need an ongoing and long-term commitment to make up for the years of underfunding that put Arizona at the bottom of the pack nationally for school funding.

-- Arizona voters can hold elected officials accountable.

-- The state can make sure schools get the test results in a more timely manner. Students took the test last school year. Because the test was new, it took time to score. In the future, results should be available within the school year, says Charles Tack, public information officer for the Arizona Department of Education. That will make it a more useful tool for teachers.

-- Schools also need to embrace accountability and use the results wisely to help students in areas where they are weak. All children are capable of learning. Teachers who don’t share that view don’t belong in the classroom. Principals and other administrators who don’t provide teachers with the support they need don’t belong in the education system.

-- That brings us to the parents. The test results provide information on how children performed in different areas. Use that information. Turn off the television, games and other electronic devices. Get out the books. Practice math. Get your kids to school every day and make sure they do their homework. Get involved.

-- The same goes for students themselves. Unlike the AIMS test it replaced, this test does not determine whether a student graduates. It’s not high-stakes. But it should be high-value. It is a tool, like all tests should be. It is a measure of where students need to work harder.

This year’s results show how much work needs to be done by everyone who cares about K-12 education in Arizona.