Nearly 500 Snohomish County sophomores don’t have to worry about the WASL graduation requirement this year, after passing the state reading, writing and math tests a year early.
Alicia Wunder, 15, is one of those students.
She passed each of the 10th-grade Washington Assessment of Student Learning exams as a freshman in the Granite Falls School District’s alternative Crossroads program.
“The WASL seemed pretty easy (but) it makes me feel good to be done,” she said.
In all, 1,484 Snohomish County students took all or parts of the WASL as freshmen last school year, according to figures from the state Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction.
Snohomish County accounted for about one third of the 4,284 freshmen statewide who took the exam early.
Only 5 percent of freshmen statewide took the test.
This year was the first time that freshmen had the option of taking the WASL a year early. The Legislature allowed the move in light of the graduation requirement.
“It clears away the possible log jam,” state Sen. Dave Schmidt, R-Mill Creek, said. “They’re done and have it out of the way.”
More students chose to take the reading and writing tests than the math test.
In all, 3 percent of students statewide in the class of 2009 took and passed all three tests. In Snohomish County, 5 percent of the class already has the WASL requirement out of the way.
For comparison, the WASL passing rate for the class of 2008 so far stands at 41.5 percent statewide and 43.9 percent across Snohomish County high schools. Now juniors, they were the first class to fall under the new requirement.
Early testing was voluntary and intended for freshmen who felt they were ready.
Some schools promoted the option, while others did not. Participation rates ranged from none, in the Sultan School District, to 66 percent of Everett School District freshmen.
Seeing so many teenagers voluntarily take the WASL is another indicator that families are taking the exam seriously, said Larry Nyland, the Marysville School District superintendent.
“It’s encouraging,” he said. “This shows it’s very much on the parent and student radar screen.”
The numbers also reflect the range of student skills high schools must deal with.
Even as many freshmen were able to meet the state’s 10th-grade academic standards, many sophomores were not and are catching up now as juniors.
The hope is that students who pass the test early will start taking advanced course offerings that much sooner, said Terry Edwards, the Everett district’s executive director of curriculum and assessment.
“It allows us to better focus our resources on those kids that may need help,” he added.
High schools in the Everett district last year made an intentional effort to encourage ninth-graders to take the WASL if they felt they had a shot.
Schools will take the same approach this year, Edwards said.
“We took that stance that, ‘Hey, it’s a freebie. Go for it.’ So I would think even more would be taking it” next spring, he said.
The state will pay for students to take all or part of the exam up to five times.
Monroe High School opted to give its freshmen a mock WASL last school year while sophomores took the real test.
The practice test helped teachers target student needs, while making sure teens didn’t risk losing one of their chances, Assistant Superintendent Fran Mester said.
Edmonds-Woodway High School leaders also were quiet on the early testing option.
“I don’t think there is any real advantage for a ninth-grader to take it unless it’s going to be a slam dunk,” Principal Alan Weiss said. “All in good time.”
At Lakewood High School, counselor Joyce Scott said freshmen were encouraged to talk to their English and math teachers about their WASL prospects before signing up.
Students who took the exam were expected to fare well.
“It certainly is a confidence-booster at a very young age,” Scott said.
Students who passed all three tests as freshmen still will take the WASL science test in the spring with their peers.
Passing the science test will also be required for graduation starting with the class of 2010, this year’s freshmen. Those students won’t be able to take that test early, however.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
