AIMS to continue through lawsuit
The Arizona Republic
Oct. 25, 2006
Anne Ryman

Students still need to pass the AIMS test to get a high school diploma.

A Maricopa County Superior Court judge has refused a request to put the AIMS requirement on hold while a class- action lawsuit works its way through the courts.

Judge Kenneth Fields this month denied a request for a preliminary injunction, which would have suspended the test as a graduation requirement while the case was in court. A trial date has not been set.

AIMS, short for Arizona's Instrument to Measure Standards, is a reading, writing and math test. Arizona students must pass all three parts to get a high school diploma.

Espinoza vs. State of Arizona, filed in April by two advocacy groups, argues the state fails to put enough money toward education.

Without proper funding, many Arizona students don't receive the services and programs they need to reach the state's academic goals and pass the AIMS test, the suit says.