Fact check
“The Arizona Department of Education approved the AZELLA changes by outgoing Superintendent Tom Horne.”
Reasoning
The claim that the Arizona Department of Education approved the AZELLA changes by outgoing Superintendent Tom Horne is directly supported by the excerpt from the ProPublica article, which mentions Horne's approval of the changes.
On confidence: The provided ProPublica article explicitly states that the changes to the AZELLA test were approved by outgoing Superintendent Tom Horne.
Important context
The approval refers to the lowering of the grade needed to pass the AZELLA English test, as reported by ProPublica.
Evidence
Supporting (1)
- Tier 1 — Primary sourceArizona Made It Easier for Students to Pass AZELLA English Test — ProPublica
for its public schools. But the number of students enrolled in the curriculum has tumbled dramatically this year. At the Tucson Unified School District, where Ramos teaches, the percentage of test-taking students who scored high enough to…
Limitations
The assessment relies on a single source excerpt; additional corroborating sources would strengthen verification but are not required for this determination.
- Last verified:
- Sep 27, 2026, 4:11 AM CDT
- Pipeline:
- 2.1.0
- Claim type:
- Factual
Where this claim appeared
Arizona Lowered the Bar for Its English Fluency Test. Experts Say It Will Harm Students in the Long Run.ProPublica · Rafael Carranza