At an all-school assembly last week, all 62 sophomores at Darrington High School were asked to stand before their peers.

They are the first class that must pass state reading, math and writing exams to graduate.

At times, talk about passing the Washington Assessment of Student Learning can seem abstract to young people. School leaders wanted to stress that it is real and will directly affect their futures.

If history repeats itself, about three-quarters of Darrington High School 10th-graders and 58 percent of sophomores across Snohomish County will fail at least one section of the exam on their first try.

“Our feet are to the fire,” said Dave Holmer, the Darrington High School principal.

State and local education experts predict significantly improved passing rates on the WASL this spring because students will be more motivated once their diplomas are on the line.

Even so, thousands of students likely will have to retake the sections of the exam they fail, some as early as August. In all, they will get four retake chances to pass any subject they fail.

Last year’s juniors were the first to retake portions of the WASL to boost their scores, which appear on their transcripts.

A state analysis of those results shows that retaking the test will boost many students over the bar.

If the graduation requirement were in place for students who first took the test in 2004, for example, the state estimates one round of retakes could have boosted the number of students passing all three tests to 62 percent from 39 percent.

“Clearly, most of the kids improved if they were close to the standard on the first try, and it is very likely they will pass it on their next try,” said Terry Bergeson, the state superintendent of public instruction.

Students the farthest away from passing, however, would have a tough time closing a bigger gap.

Special education students and English language learners are more likely to be well below standards.

In Snohomish County, for example, about 49 percent of special education students and 58 percent of limited English speakers scored well below standard on the 2004 reading test.

Special education students will have a better chance on the WASL next spring, when many will be allowed to take tests at a grade level that better suits their developmental level.

The state also recently plucked out the best teaching materials to recommend to schools with heavy concentrations of recent immigrants learning English.

Regardless, the graduation requirement isn’t going away, the state superintendent said.

She likened today’s school reform environment to when Americans were spurred by the former Soviet Union’s launch of Sputnik in the 1950s space race.

“We need to stay the course,” Bergeson said. “India and China are coming.”

School leaders say getting all high school students to pass the WASL will be challenging. Trying to meet the needs of students a whisker away in one subject will be much different than students who failed all three by a wide margin.

Several schools are adding required classes for struggling students.

In the Marysville School District, for instance, 1,500 middle and high school students will be taking reading courses instead of electives to sharpen skills.

“We call them ‘selectives’ instead of electives,” said Cindy Clauson, the district’s director of student achievement.

With 10th-grade WASL results due before students begin vacation in June, students will also be able to take specialized classes next summer to prepare for an August retake.

In Everett Public Schools, about 70 students retook one or more sections of the WASL. Nine students retook the reading test, 13 the writing test and 25 the math test. In each subject, about half of the students passed the test on the second try.

Nearly 63 percent of Edmonds-Woodway High School students passed the three required WASL exams last spring, the best showing in the county.

Principal Alan Weiss said he is proud of his school, but knows there is a long way to go to help all students to pass.

“It is going to be a never-ending battle,” he said.