TUSD seniors who did not pass the AIMS but satisfied all other requirements will be allowed to walk in graduation Wednesday.
The unanimous vote by the Governing Board during an emergency meeting Monday affects 140 seniors - 4 percent of TUSD's senior class.
While the students will be allowed to participate in graduation ceremonies, they will not receive diplomas.
Instead, there will be opportunities over the summer for AIMS intervention, and students can return in the fall to take the test again. Another option would be for students to take the ACT or the SAT, which can serve as a substitute for AIMS scores.
Cholla High Magnet School senior Olivia Gaxiola learned last week that 11 points were all that separated her from passing the math portion of the AIMS.
Usually, Gaxiola earns grades of A and B, but math is sometimes challenging for the 17-year-old senior with aspirations for a career in law.
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Knowing that, she attended tutoring sessions after school and on Saturdays for weeks to prepare. She was told that her efforts would help raise her score enough to meet graduation requirements.
She is one of a number of students who were given misinformation on how much weight the AIMS test really held this year.
In years past, districts were allowed to augment AIMS scores up to 25 percent by giving students points for grades of C or better.
However, this is the first year in which AIMS determines 95 percent of a student's eligibility for a diploma in Arizona.
TUSD Superintendent John Pedicone recommended that students who have completed all of their coursework be allowed to walk, but he noted that it is a one-time exception.
The fact that a number of students may have received inaccurate information played into his recommendation.
"We need these students to graduate and to be able to get a high school diploma - the absence of that for any of these students is not acceptable," he said.
Governing Board member Miguel Cuevas agreed, saying the waiver is fair.
In the future, the district will be more clear about what is required of students for graduation, Pedicone added.
For Gaxiola, there's no question about whether she'll continue to work toward a diploma, especially because she and her brother, who is also a senior, will be the first in their family to do so.
"It's such a big relief," she said. "I can't explain how happy I am to be walking with classmates who I've known since kindergarten, and my brother."
Last week, the Sunnyside Unified School District waived its graduation policy for 55 students who are in the same situation.
Students in that district had to appeal their cases, and those who could likely meet state standards by the fall will be able to participate in the graduation.
In TUSD, students will have to sign letters of assurance stating they'll take advantage of the additional assistance.
Contact reporter Alexis Huicochea at ahuicochea@azstarnet.com or 573-4175.
