Parents of high school sophomores might want to circle the week of Aug. 7 on their calendars before planning that trip to the ocean.
That’s the testing window the state has set for retakes of the Washington Assessment of Student Learning, better known as the WASL, the state’s battery of exams students must pass to graduate.
The class of 2008, this year’s sophomores, is the first class that must pass the reading, math and writing exams to get their diplomas. They get their first crack at the WASL this spring.
| The state has set Aug. 7-10, 2006, as the dates for retakes on the Washington Assessment of Student Learning, or WASLs.
Locations have not been determined. Here are the dates and subjects: Aug. 7: Reading Aug. 8: Math Aug. 9: Writing (expository) Aug 10: Writing (persuasive) |
Results will be available by June, and students will know by the end of the school year if they failed any portion of the WASL and need to retake it.
Chances are most students will have to retake at least one subject area. Only 42 percent of last year’s high school sophomores in Snohomish County passed all three.
School districts are trying to determine what, if anything, they can offer students in the way of WASL retake preparation over the summer. Many already have embedded new courses during the school year to improve students’ prospects of passing the WASL.
The Edmonds School District expects to know by January what it can offer next summer.
“We are already discussing what changes we need to make to our summer school offerings,” said Debbie Jakala, a district spokeswoman. “We think it’s very important to offer our students the opportunity to improve their learning in order to meet the new graduation requirements.”
Lakewood School District last summer provided reading, math and writing classes to incoming sophomores who failed any portion of the WASL as seventh- graders. That same program could be extended to include students preparing for retakes, said Allen Sharples, the district’s director.
All will be contingent on money. “It’s a big financial chunk,” Sharples said.
Marysville School District Superintendent Larry Nyland can imagine many parents wanting their kids attending summer school to get over the WASL hurdle. He would like to see the district offer classes.
How they would be paid for – tapping into tight district budgets or by fees – needs to be worked out, he said.
“We haven’t got to that stage where we have something definite,” he said.
The state superintendent’s office chose the week of Aug. 7 after consulting with the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association to ensure the testing dates occur before the first day allowed for fall sports turnouts.
State leaders believe the percentage of sophomores passing the reading, writing and math sections of the WASL the first time will improve this spring because students will be more motivated with their diplomas on the line.
Nevertheless, thousands of students are likely to fail at least one exam.
August will be the first retake opportunity. Students will be given four retake chances on any section of the WASL they fail. Science will not be included in the summer testing schedule until 2008 and won’t become a graduation requirement until 2010.
Students must retake the WASL at least once before they can take an alternative assessment based on class grades or other work. Those options are being piloted this winter and will be available in 2006-07.
Reporter Eric Stevick: 425-339-3446 or stevick@heraldnet.com.
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