Congresswoman Debbie Lesko (AZ-08) sent a letter to U.S. Department of Education Secretary Betsy DeVos urging the department to grant the waiver request of the Arizona Department of Education in order to implement the state’s new Menu of Assessments. Congresswoman Lesko was joined by Senator McSally (R-AZ), Congressman Biggs (AZ-05), Congressman Gosar (AZ-04), and Congressman Schweikert (AZ-06). Last week, Congresswoman Lesko met with Secretary DeVos and discussed the letter with her.

“Arizona was the first state in the nation to offer our schools a menu of standardized tests for high school students,” said Congresswoman Lesko (AZ-08). “By allowing local schools to choose a high-quality assessment like the SAT or ACT, students are placed on a path to be college or career ready, while increasing equity and reducing over testing. I urge the U.S. Department of Education to grant this waiver request and provide flexibility and autonomy to Arizona in its education policies.”

Background: In 2016, Arizona was the first in the nation to sign into law an innovative and new approach to student achievement assessments. This bipartisan policy allowed local schools to choose from a menu of rigorous achievement assessments, known as Menu of Assessments, in lieu of the statewide test, AzMERIT. Over 50 schools in Arizona opted for an alternative test from the Menu this spring, administering either the SAT or ACT for high school students.