Beginning with the upcoming school year

Beginning with the upcoming school year, the state will do away with the Stanford Achievement Test and combine the ARMT with the ASA.

Students will take the ARMT+ test next spring, which will include reading, math and science.
Grades three through eight will take the test, Mullins said.

"The SAT is a norm-reference test that was 'normed' 10 years ago," Mullins said. "It has become an older test. The focus now will be on the Alabama course of studies, and the new testing will measure how well we are teaching the children."
Arab remained in fourth place in the state on the SAT; however, students' grades did improve.

Mountain Brook was first at 89, followed by Vestavia Hills at 82.34 then Cullman City at 81.17. Arab was fourth at 79.59 and Madison City was fifth at 79.17.
Locally, Albertville was 56.42, Boaz was 61.92, Guntersville was 71.08, and Marshall County was 57.67. The state average was 58.42.

One score of note was fourth grade math, where students scored 90, the system's highest score since the test began in 2003.

Though it remained in fourth place on the final SAT, Arab's overall score improved over last year's 78.2.

Arab's scores on the SAT have climbed steadily in recent years. In 2003 - when Arab broke into eighth place in state SAT scores - the mean score in the system was 68.66.
Mullins said he, the faculty and staff of Arab City Schools are pleased with the test results.

"It's always pleasing when hard work pays the dividends that you expect," he said. "We are truly blessed with wonderful people - students and adults. That's not a clich/. That is absolutely true."