Published: Tuesday, March 31, 2009
WASL rules relaxed for math students
OLYMPIA -- Gov. Chris Gregoire threw out an academic life ring to hundreds of high school students Monday.
The governor signed into law a bill that gives amnesty to students who failed the math WASL in 10th grade and erroneously assumed they didn't have to take the exam their junior and senior year.
The new law means students no longer are required to take the math Washington Assessment of Student Learning after 10th grade if they continue to take and pass math courses until they graduate.
"The governor's action means hundreds of kids in our county will be able to graduate on time without the technical glitch hanging over their head," said Rep. Marko Liias, D-Mukilteo, prime sponsor of the bill.
Across the state, students did not take the math WASL in the spring of 2008, wrongly figuring they could skip the test and be eligible to graduate as long as they kept passing math classes through their senior year.
It affected roughly 150 students in the Edmonds School District and nearly 80 in Marysville.
"There was definitely some confusion about the issue," said Warren Hopkins, deputy superintendent of the Arlington School District.
A 2007 law eased the graduation requirement for the math WASL by postponing when students would have to pass the test to graduate. However, the law did require students to retake the math WASL once a year through their senior year while also taking math classes.
Under the bill signed Monday, high school students will no longer have to take the math WASL annually. They will have to take it at least once.
"This legislation in no way reduces our state's education standards," Gregoire said.
Beginning with the class of 2013, all students must pass a math assessment to be eligible to graduate.
Meanwhile, the face of student assessments is changing and so might the rules.
State schools Superintendent Randy Dorn plans to unveil a slate of new state exams next year. He plans to dump the WASL and replace it with new assessments in reading, writing, math and science.
It still will be in students' best interest to pass the math WASL or an alternative assessment by the 11th grade so they can complete the math graduation requirement, Dorn said.
"This is a common sense change to the law," Dorn said. "And there's still plenty of incentive for students to pass a math exam by the 11th grade. We just want to ensure that students have the basic math skills before they take that next step in life, whether it's college or the work force."
Reporters Kaitlin Manry and Jerry Cornfield contributed to this story.
The governor signed into law a bill that gives amnesty to students who failed the math WASL in 10th grade and erroneously assumed they didn't have to take the exam their junior and senior year.
The new law means students no longer are required to take the math Washington Assessment of Student Learning after 10th grade if they continue to take and pass math courses until they graduate.
"The governor's action means hundreds of kids in our county will be able to graduate on time without the technical glitch hanging over their head," said Rep. Marko Liias, D-Mukilteo, prime sponsor of the bill.
Across the state, students did not take the math WASL in the spring of 2008, wrongly figuring they could skip the test and be eligible to graduate as long as they kept passing math classes through their senior year.
It affected roughly 150 students in the Edmonds School District and nearly 80 in Marysville.
"There was definitely some confusion about the issue," said Warren Hopkins, deputy superintendent of the Arlington School District.
A 2007 law eased the graduation requirement for the math WASL by postponing when students would have to pass the test to graduate. However, the law did require students to retake the math WASL once a year through their senior year while also taking math classes.
Under the bill signed Monday, high school students will no longer have to take the math WASL annually. They will have to take it at least once.
"This legislation in no way reduces our state's education standards," Gregoire said.
Beginning with the class of 2013, all students must pass a math assessment to be eligible to graduate.
Meanwhile, the face of student assessments is changing and so might the rules.
State schools Superintendent Randy Dorn plans to unveil a slate of new state exams next year. He plans to dump the WASL and replace it with new assessments in reading, writing, math and science.
It still will be in students' best interest to pass the math WASL or an alternative assessment by the 11th grade so they can complete the math graduation requirement, Dorn said.
"This is a common sense change to the law," Dorn said. "And there's still plenty of incentive for students to pass a math exam by the 11th grade. We just want to ensure that students have the basic math skills before they take that next step in life, whether it's college or the work force."
Reporters Kaitlin Manry and Jerry Cornfield contributed to this story.
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