PHOENIX β Arizona schools are working with federal investigators to avoid civil rights violations for removing thousands of students learning English from language support classes before they were ready.
For the second time in five years the U.S. Department of Justice cautioned that the Arizona Department of Education needs to raise its testing standards or face penalties including losses in federal funding, according to a settlement agreement reached earlier this month.
Education officials also have to find out how many students in Kindergarten and grades 3-12 need additional help in the classroom then catch them up to speed.
Education experts warn the state's low expectations for English proficiency can hurt high school graduation rates and college preparedness for students learning English as a second language.
