AzMerit testing coming up soon

TUCSON, AZ (Tucson News Now) - Spring break is a time for children to enjoy some time off from school, but education experts urge parents to encourage their students to spend part of it prepping for the AzMERIT test.

The AzMERIT is a statewide test that all third graders through high school students are required to take. The Arizona State Board of Education adopted the new achievement test in November 2014.

It measures their proficiency level in English Language Arts and Math. High school students do not need to pass it in order to graduate.

The Tucson Unified School District released the "Top 8 Tips" for helping your child prepare for the AzMerit on its website. See the advice here:
http://www.expectmorearizona.org/blog/2015/03/30/top-8-tips-for-helping-your-child-prepare-for-azmerit/

Robbie Ramirez is a TUSD instructional coach and advocate for Expect More Arizona. She said it is crucial that basic needs are met the week of testing.

"If our children aren't ready and they're tired and they're hungry, it makes it very difficult for them to concentrate and ultimately it really affects the way they perform," she said.

Ramirez highly suggests parents go over the AzMERIT practice tests and test strategies with their children to help relive test anxiety. Sample tests can be found here: http://azmeritportal.org/