By Eric Stevick
Herald Writer
SULTAN — A new federal law that requires all students in grades three through eight be tested in math and reading each year will likely mean more "WASL-like tests" in Washington state, the state superintendent of public instruction said Wednesday.
The Washington Assessment of Student Learning, is a rigorous series of exams given each spring to students in the fourth-, seventh- and 10th grades. By 2008, high school students will be required to pass the exams to graduate.
Terry Bergeson, the state schools superintendent, said the state will likely add tests similar to the WASL in grades three, five, six and eight to meet the federal requirement by the year 2004.
Bergeson visited each of the Sultan School District’s four campuses Wednesday on an in-service day for teachers.
Under a new law, pushed hard by President Bush, all schools receiving federal aid will be required to test students from the third through eighth grades each year on standardized reading and math tests selected by the states. The schools are required to share the results with parents.
"I don’t mind the tests as long as they don’t mess up our (state academic) standards and our assessments," Bergeson said.
To provide some relief for teachers and students, Bergeson said she hopes to convince the Legislature to scale back on other standardized tests, such as the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills, which compare student performance from state to state.
It is important to continue some nationally-standardized testing to see how Washington fares alongside other states, but it would require a much smaller sample to gain that information, Bergeson said.
Part of Bergeson’s morning was spent going from room to room at Sultan Middle School where teams of teachers discussed learning improvement strategies.
From a reading committee, Bergeson learned that the school will soon begin setting aside 20 minutes of sustained silent reading time at the end of each day.
"You will just have that sacrosanct time," Bergeson said. "Just to get that agreement is a miracle."
Teachers said they hope to instill a desire to read among all students.
"We need to establish the joy of reading," said Ken Morrell, a seventh-grade humanities teacher.
Students school-wide will also have Accelerated Reader tests — computer exams that test comprehension and give immediate feedback — available in all the classrooms.
Other committees concentrated on math, writing, helping students at risk of failing and increasing public involvement in the school.
You can call Herald Writer Eric Stevick at 425-339-3446
or send e-mail to stevick@heraldnet.com.
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