Arizona ended standardized testing to graduate high school in 2015. Horne wants to restore it

In his State of Education address Tuesday, Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne called for changes across the board, such as expanding safety and the use of AI in schools.

Horne also wants to bring back standardized testing to get a high school diploma.

Lawmakers repealed standardized testing graduation requirements in 2015.

Horne contends that has led to many students getting a diploma without skills needed to enter the workforce.

That call for standardized tests could gain some momentum at the state Capitol this legislative session.

Republican Sen. John Kavanagh has introduced a bill that would direct the state Board of Education to establish a method to determine the minimum performance on a statewide exam.

"Making it a high-stakes test will motivate them to study and pass the test. They'll know that we mean business and that they can't just slack off and do nothing," Kavanagh said.

His bill would give students multiple chances to pass.

In his speech, Horne also promoted a new artificial intelligence tutoring program that is being utilized by about 20 school districts so far.

Horne: AI tool 'will give every student tutoring'

Horne praised the AI tool, called Khanmigo, as a resource designed to help teachers and also give students the one-on-one tutoring they need.

“It does not substitute for teachers, it helps them,” Horne said. “It gives them the equivalent of two assistants so they can concentrate on creative teaching.”

With the Achievement Tutoring Program recently ending, the Arizona Department of Education has invested in what they believe is the next revolutionary teaching tool.

“We have paid $1.5 million to Khanmigo to cover the first 100,000 students; the rest can be covered for $25 per student per year,” Horne said. “We will work hard to convince public schools it is worth it. We showed that live human tutors make a huge difference, we can’t afford a million of them but Khanmigo will give every student tutoring.”

An ADE spokesperson said Khanmigo is not primarily used during in-class instruction, but includes resources from the nonprofit Khan Academy that can be used during class time.

“This is the future and we are making the tools available today," Horne said.