More than 80,000 Arizona students are struggling to pass state English and math standards because of a law that is nearly two decades old, and which has been proven ineffective.
That law was the result of a ballot measure in 2000 that forced non-English speakers to only speak English in school, the idea being that they would pick up the language more quickly.
But not only are so-called ELL students passing the AzMERIT test in English as a rate of just 4%, but they are also falling behind their English-speaking peers in math and other subject areas. Now the state schools chief is making moves to change that.
→ Search AzMERIT Test Score Results By School, District
After the Arizona Legislature failed to refer a repeal of the ELL law to the voters last legislative session, Superintendent of Public Instruction Kathy Hoffman is making a repeal her top priority for 2020.
Dillon Rosenblatt with the Arizona Capitol Times has reported on thisand joined The Show to explain how we got here.
