Arizona Lowered the Bar for Its English Fluency Test. Experts Say It Will Harm Students in the Long Run. by Rafael Carranza, Arizona Luminaria Co-published with Arizona Luminaria

Arizona Lowered the Bar for Its English Fluency Test. Experts Say It Will Harm Students in the Long Run. When students score high enough on a state test, they’re considered fluent in English. But experts say thousands of students are leaving Arizona’s program for teaching English before they know the language well enough to succeed. by Rafael Carranza, Arizona Luminaria Co-published with Arizona Luminaria https://www.propublica.org/article/arizona-english-language-test-azella?utm_source=sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=majorinvestigations&utm_content=secondary The number of Arizona students enrolled in English-learning classes dropped dramatically this year, in part because the state’s Department of Education made it easier for students to pass its standardized fluency test. Experts warn this change will do lasting harm to tens of thousands of students who will exit the state’s structured English immersion program before they know the language well enough to succeed. Such students are already part of the lowest-performing group on standardized tests, and the loss of specialized instruction could further harm their long-term academic success, according to education researchers. The Arizona Department of Education said its decision to make it easier to pass the test came after it administered the test last year to 600 native English speakers. Outgoing Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne, who approved the changes, was unavailable for an interview.