Testing Information
Updated: 3/29/22
Downloads
Testing Information 2022 (English)
Testing Information 2022 (Spanish)
State Test Dates
ACT Aspire Grade 9 (Cohort 2025)
• April 4 - 29
ACT Grade 11 (Cohort 2023)
• April 5 - 7 and
• April 12 - 14
AzSCI
• March 21 - April 15
Upcoming Bell Schedule Changes
Due to testing for the next couple of weeks, we will be following the flipped bell schedule we had today. Here is what it looks like for the next couple of weeks:
Week of 3/28/2022
3/28/2022 – No change
3/29/2022 – Periods 1, 3, 5, & 7 (no bells or announcements), AZScience Testing 11th grade
3/30/2022 – No change
3/31/2022 – No school for students
4/1/2022 – No change
Week of 4/4/2022
4/4/2022 – No change
4/5/2022 - Periods 1, 3, 5, & 7 (no bells or announcements), ACT Testing 11th grade
4/6/2022 – No change
4/7/2022 – Periods 1 thru 7
4/8/2022 – No change
Week of 4/11/2022
4/11/2022 – No change
4/12/2022 - Periods 1, 3, 5, & 7 (no bells or announcements), ACT Aspire Testing 9th grade
4/13/2022 – No change
4/14/2022 – Periods 1 thru 7
4/15/2022 – No School – Spring Holiday
General Information
In an effort to ensure student success, the Arizona State Board of Education will replace the AZMERIT Reading, Writing, and Math assessment with the AASA (Arizona’s Academic Standards Assessment) and ACT beginning Spring 2022. As students continue to develop the needed skills to compete globally, Arizona will be ready to assess their preparedness and measure their proficiency.
How is AASA and ACT state test different from the AZMERIT state test?
The new state tests are: AASA (grades 3 – 8), ACT Aspire (grade 9 or Cohort 2025) and ACT (grade 11 or Cohort 2023) and will tell teachers, students and parents if students are on track to be college and career ready upon graduation from high school.
Additionally, students will take AzSCI (Science) again this year in grades 5, 8, and 11 (Cohort 2023).
How will AASA and ACT data be used?
The AASA and ACT data will provide information to the public regarding:
AASA will be given to students in grades 3 through 8, in English Language Arts (ELA) and Mathematics. Assessments in ELA will contain a writing portion, editing tasks, and paired reading passages.
At the high school level, the ACT Aspire will be given to students in Cohort 2025 (grade 9). Content areas include English, Math, Reading, Science, and Writing (essay). Language and editing tasks and open-ended questions are included.
The ACT will be given to students in Cohort 2023 (grade 11). Content areas include English, Math, Reading, Science, and Writing (essay). This assessment is the high school requirement for ELA and Mathematics. The Cohort 2023 students must also take AzSCI for their high school Science requirement and it assesses Essential Standards in physical science, earth science, and life science.
Will my child take the test on a computer?
All TUSD students will complete the state testing on a computer.
Can my child ‘opt out’ of state testing?
No. All students are required to take the state tests at their home school.
What does it mean to pass AASA and ACT?
A passing score on AASA and ACT means that a student is on track for college or a career upon graduation.
How do we expect students to score on AASA and ACT?
As a new test, student results will be analyzed by the State and success levels will not be known until late summer.
However, on the older AzMERIT test, about 40% of students across Arizona passed the test and it is expected that the AASA and ACT will be similar.
How can parents help their children?
Parents have the most important role in encouraging the success of their children. TUSD students have taken AZMERIT tests and in-district benchmark tests for many years. Parents should assure their children that, like these other tests, the AASA and ACT tests are a part of everyone’s education and that the tests are a useful tool to help improve our schools.
Parents should make sure that children have a good night rest before testing, and that they have a good breakfast during the testing dates.
Breaks and snacks in the classroom are part of the testing schedule.
Parents may also want to review sample tests with their children and ask their children to answer or describe how they would answer test questions. Access to sample questions is listed below.
If parents have concerns regarding the AASA and ACT testing, they are encouraged to speak to their children’s teacher(s) and to their school principal.
More Information
Arizona Dept. of Education AASA Information
Student & Family Resources
AASA Resources
ACT Aspire Exemplar Items
ACT AZ-Specific Website
ACT Sample Essays & Writing Test Scoring Rubric
Downloads
Testing Information 2022 (English)
Testing Information 2022 (Spanish)
State Test Dates
ACT Aspire Grade 9 (Cohort 2025)
• April 4 - 29
ACT Grade 11 (Cohort 2023)
• April 5 - 7 and
• April 12 - 14
AzSCI
• March 21 - April 15
Upcoming Bell Schedule Changes
Due to testing for the next couple of weeks, we will be following the flipped bell schedule we had today. Here is what it looks like for the next couple of weeks:
Week of 3/28/2022
3/28/2022 – No change
3/29/2022 – Periods 1, 3, 5, & 7 (no bells or announcements), AZScience Testing 11th grade
3/30/2022 – No change
3/31/2022 – No school for students
4/1/2022 – No change
Week of 4/4/2022
4/4/2022 – No change
4/5/2022 - Periods 1, 3, 5, & 7 (no bells or announcements), ACT Testing 11th grade
4/6/2022 – No change
4/7/2022 – Periods 1 thru 7
4/8/2022 – No change
Week of 4/11/2022
4/11/2022 – No change
4/12/2022 - Periods 1, 3, 5, & 7 (no bells or announcements), ACT Aspire Testing 9th grade
4/13/2022 – No change
4/14/2022 – Periods 1 thru 7
4/15/2022 – No School – Spring Holiday
General Information
In an effort to ensure student success, the Arizona State Board of Education will replace the AZMERIT Reading, Writing, and Math assessment with the AASA (Arizona’s Academic Standards Assessment) and ACT beginning Spring 2022. As students continue to develop the needed skills to compete globally, Arizona will be ready to assess their preparedness and measure their proficiency.
How is AASA and ACT state test different from the AZMERIT state test?
The new state tests are: AASA (grades 3 – 8), ACT Aspire (grade 9 or Cohort 2025) and ACT (grade 11 or Cohort 2023) and will tell teachers, students and parents if students are on track to be college and career ready upon graduation from high school.
Additionally, students will take AzSCI (Science) again this year in grades 5, 8, and 11 (Cohort 2023).
How will AASA and ACT data be used?
The AASA and ACT data will provide information to the public regarding:
- Are students learning what they should be learning?
- Are teachers teaching what they should be teaching?
- Are schools providing appropriate supports to students and teachers?
- Determine A-F School Letter Grades.
- Provide contributing data for Teacher and Administrator evaluations.
- Assess if any student needs to be retained in Grade 3 as part of the “Move on When Reading” legislation.
AASA will be given to students in grades 3 through 8, in English Language Arts (ELA) and Mathematics. Assessments in ELA will contain a writing portion, editing tasks, and paired reading passages.
At the high school level, the ACT Aspire will be given to students in Cohort 2025 (grade 9). Content areas include English, Math, Reading, Science, and Writing (essay). Language and editing tasks and open-ended questions are included.
The ACT will be given to students in Cohort 2023 (grade 11). Content areas include English, Math, Reading, Science, and Writing (essay). This assessment is the high school requirement for ELA and Mathematics. The Cohort 2023 students must also take AzSCI for their high school Science requirement and it assesses Essential Standards in physical science, earth science, and life science.
Will my child take the test on a computer?
All TUSD students will complete the state testing on a computer.
Can my child ‘opt out’ of state testing?
No. All students are required to take the state tests at their home school.
What does it mean to pass AASA and ACT?
A passing score on AASA and ACT means that a student is on track for college or a career upon graduation.
How do we expect students to score on AASA and ACT?
As a new test, student results will be analyzed by the State and success levels will not be known until late summer.
However, on the older AzMERIT test, about 40% of students across Arizona passed the test and it is expected that the AASA and ACT will be similar.
How can parents help their children?
Parents have the most important role in encouraging the success of their children. TUSD students have taken AZMERIT tests and in-district benchmark tests for many years. Parents should assure their children that, like these other tests, the AASA and ACT tests are a part of everyone’s education and that the tests are a useful tool to help improve our schools.
Parents should make sure that children have a good night rest before testing, and that they have a good breakfast during the testing dates.
Breaks and snacks in the classroom are part of the testing schedule.
Parents may also want to review sample tests with their children and ask their children to answer or describe how they would answer test questions. Access to sample questions is listed below.
If parents have concerns regarding the AASA and ACT testing, they are encouraged to speak to their children’s teacher(s) and to their school principal.
More Information
Arizona Dept. of Education AASA Information
Student & Family Resources
AASA Resources
ACT Aspire Exemplar Items
ACT AZ-Specific Website
ACT Sample Essays & Writing Test Scoring Rubric