In Alabama, academic achievement levels define students’ mastery of the state’s academic content standards at grade level. The State Board of Education adopted academic achievement standards in a resolution dated July 9, 2002.

Since 2002, the Alabama State Board of Education has used the Stanford 10 and the companion Otis-Lennon School Ability Test, Eighth Edition (OLSAT 8), for annual assessment of students in Grades 3-8.

• The reading assessment tests vocabulary and comprehension in Grades 3-8 and word study skills in Grade 3.
• The mathematics assessment tests mathematics procedures and problem solving in Grades 3-8.
• The language assessment tests language mechanics and language expression in Grades 3-8.
• The science assessment includes life science, physical science, earth/space sciences, and the nature of science in Grades 5 and 7.
• The social science assessment includes history, geography, civics and government, and economics in Grade 6.

In the spring of 2004, the Alabama Reading and Mathematics Tests (ARMT) were administered statewide to Grades 4, 6, and 8 in an effort to fully assess student achievement of Alabama’s content standards.

ARMT for Grades 3, 5, and 7 will be pilot tested in fall 2004 for statewide administration in spring 2005.

• The Alabama Reading and Mathematics Tests are criterion-referenced tests based on Alabama’s academic content standards in reading and mathematics.

In order to receive a high school diploma, Alabama students are required to pass the subject-area tests of the Alabama High School Graduation Exam (AHSGE).

• The AHSGE is an assessment of required high school core course work.
• The AHSGE is given at Grade 10 as a checkpoint so that students’ strengths and weaknesses on the content of the test may be identified.Students who pass a subject-area test in Grade 10 will be given credit for passing.
• The AHSGE is administered at the end of Grade 11. For students failing to pass, it is offered again in the summer between Grade 11 and Grade 12, in the fall of Grade 12, at mid-year of Grade 12, and in the spring of Grade 12.

Merit’s Language Arts and Math software programs correlate to Alabama’s academic content standards (Courses of Study) and can help students prepare for the ARMT, Stanford 10, and AHSGE assessments. The content and format of Merit’s programs can help students develop and strengthen their test-taking skills as well as their reading, writing and math skills.

Merit reading software has been proven -- through rigorous, scientifically based research -- to increase both student reading comprehension and standardized test scores. Merit research study findings reveal that education software is an effective tool to improve test scores and academic performance.

Published: January 2005