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WASL: Just the FAQs

Leon Baranovsky — Sat, 14 Feb 2009 11:24:06 +0000

Confused about the Washington Assessment of Student Learning? You’re not alone. Especially after superintendent of schools Randy Dorn talked about replacing the WASL.

The Seattle P-I has a handy WASL Q&A. A couple of key items:

Is the WASL going away? The WASL may go away eventually, but not this year. Every child in grades 3-8 and 10 is required to take the WASL as usual this spring.

Is the WASL required to graduate high school? High school students must pass the WASL’s reading and writing tests or an approved alternative, and attempt to pass the math and science tests until 2013, when those two tests become graduation requirements as well.

WASL to be Replaced by New State Schools Chief

Leon Baranovsky — Sun, 25 Jan 2009 01:56:09 +0000

The Washington Assessment of Student Learning (WASL) was scheduled to become a requirement for high school graduation, but Randy Dorn, new chief of Washington state schools, this week announced plans to replace the WASL with a better, shorter, less expensive exam starting in 2010.

WASL has been criticized as too expensive and unfair to minority students. The proposed “Washington Comprehensive Assessment Program” would be shorter and quicker to take. Students in grades 3-8 would take the Measurements of Student Progress and high schoolers would take High School Proficiency Exam. The new tests would:

Include more short response (such as fill-in-the-blank) answers for reading and math tests.
Have fewer extended-response questions, from about 40 percent of the test questions now to no more than 25 percent.
Eventually all be administered and graded via computer

Washington Science Standards Scrutinized

Leon Baranovsky — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 20:41:02 +0000

In 2008 only 39.7 percent of 10th graders passed the science section of the Washington Assessment of Student Learning (WASL). In response, revised science standards for grades K-12 were recommended by a task force comprised of over 30 teachers and scientists. According to the new guidelines, all students should be able to accomplish:

Systems thinking to analyze and understand complex phenomena.
Inquiry activities to develop understanding of scientific ideas.
Application of the science they are learning to solve real-world problems.
Understanding of the domains of science: physical science, life science, and earth and space science.

“In the United States, we teach a mile wide and an inch deep. The folks that are doing better on national standardized tests teach less, more deeply,” said Mary McClellan, science director for teaching and learning at the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction. The new, recommended science standards cover fewer concepts per year, but investigate each topic in greater depth.