Fact check
“Arizona lowered the grade needed to pass the Arizona English Language Learner Assessment (AZELLA) in 2026.”
Reasoning
The claim is directly supported by the provided evidence, which reports that the department lowered the passing grade, resulting in a significant increase in reclassification rates for 2026.
On confidence: Two independent excerpts from the same reputable investigative source (ProPublica) directly state that the Arizona Department of Education lowered the score needed to pass AZELLA in 2026.
Important context
The change was approved by outgoing Superintendent Tom Horne and led to the statewide reclassification rate rising from about 12% to 26% in 2026.
Evidence
Supporting (2)
- 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…
- Tier 1 — Primary sourceArizona Made It Easier for Students to Pass AZELLA English Test — ProPublica
“I don’t see any basis for validity whatsoever.” After dropping during the pandemic, AZELLA passing rates held steady at 12% statewide for three school years, including in 2025, when more than 118,000 took the test and just over 14,000…
Limitations
Evidence is limited to the ProPublica articles; no additional sources are provided to corroborate the policy change beyond this reporting.
- Last verified:
- Sep 27, 2026, 4:36 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