What changes would you make to the AIMS test?
"I felt the test was extremely easy. I was taking it as a sophomore — I was an average student — and I still thought the test was way under my level. They also need to think of more important writing prompts and more exciting things to read (in the reading section)."
Jeremy Lappitt,
18, senior
"For the most part, it's easy, especially the math and the reading. I think writing's an important skill, but when they grade the writing, there's no way to standardize it. There's no right answer, and the prompts are bad. (The math section) is conceptual and not specific. I think adding calculators would further dumb down the test."
Alex Dwyer,
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18, senior
"We're not challenged to think outside the box (on the test). It's dumbed down. The AIMS testing and all the standardized testing is very short-sighted. It sounds like a good idea, but they need to have definite measures where every student's ability level is measured. It's not fair to make everyone average. And, it's detrimental to our classrooms because teachers have to take away time from their normal classroom stuff. We have to work on prompts that the state sends us, and if we don't do them they ask the school why we didn't do them. It's contrary to the nature of knowledge. You're just regurgitating facts."
Bridgette Gilliland,
18, senior
"I think at this moment AIMS is pointless. It should be more challenging if you're going to measure student's learning. You should make it more difficult and give students programs so they can study. Right now, no one studies for it. The incentive to have to pass AIMS in order to graduate is causing them to dumb down the test."
Melanie Brill,
18, senior
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