Which students are taking the WASL early?

Published 11:15 pm Sunday, March 9, 2008

Everett is one of the most aggressive school districts in the state at encouraging freshmen to take the Washington Assessment of Student Learning a year early.

This year, 1,476 freshmen — roughly 90 percent of Everett’s ninth-grade class — have signed up for WASL exams that are scheduled to begin today.

It’s a trend that’s becoming more popular around the state. Two years ago, only 6,000 freshmen took the WASL early. This year, 23,715 have signed up to take at least one portion of the test.

“For most ninth-grade kids who have been working hard and have been passing their classes, there’s no reason they can’t pass it in the ninth grade,” said Terry Edwards, a curriculum director with the Everett district.

State law allows freshmen to take the reading, writing and math sections of the 10th-grade WASL a year early. Passing the reading and writing sections or an alternative to the WASL is a graduation requirement for this year’s seniors. Passing the math exam has been delayed as a graduation requirement until 2013.

This week, two-thirds of sophomores in the Everett School District won’t even need to show up for reading and writing WASL exams, because they’ve already passed.

And Everett School District isn’t the only place where students have been taking the WASL early.

Olivia Welch-Houseman, 15, is a Darrington sophomore who took four exams — reading, writing, math and science — last spring, but didn’t expect to pass them all. Science is not being offered to freshmen this spring.

“I figured I might get two out of four,” she said.

She thought it would be good experience and she could learn what she still needs to work on.

As it turned out, Welch-Houseman passed all four tests. It was particularly remarkable to her because she had not yet studied geometry, which is a part of the math exam. She’s looking forward to WASL testing time.

“While everybody else is prepping for the WASL and getting kind of nervous, I get to sit back and relax,” she said. “I will be sleeping in and curling up with a nice Stephen King book.”

Still, other districts don’t push the early testing.

For instance, just seven Monroe High School ninth-graders have signed up for the WASL while Granite Falls and Sultan had just one freshman each, according to state records.

“Our philosophy is it depends on the student and if they’re confident with the material,” said Rosemary O’Neil, a Monroe School District spokeswoman. “If they want to take it a year early, they can. It is an individual student decision.”

Statewide, reading is the most popular exam for freshmen who have signed up early; 23,140 students registered for that portion while math was the least popular with 20,730 freshmen. Last year, about 14,000 freshmen registered to take at least one exam early.

Darrington High School has 14 of its 50 freshmen signed up for the WASL this spring.

Brett Galbraith, a counselor at Darrington High School, said he talks with students, but the decision is in their hands.

“There was one kid this year I know would pass, but he decided not to take it now and that’s fine,” he said.

In Stanwood, 402 of the district’s roughly 475 freshmen are signed up to take the WASL. Most of the students not taking it are in special education, but about 20 students have also opted out until next year.

Part of Stanwood’s decision to push taking the WASL a year early was based on parent feedback last year when freshmen were taking practice WASLs during the testing period. Some parents suggested that the time would be better spent taking the real exam so students could get all or part of the WASL requirement out of the way, said Cathy Britt, a school district spokeswoman.

The Lake Stevens School District did not push taking the WASL a year early last spring, but dozens of students chose to give it a shot.

Of the 69 students taking the reading exam, 65 passed. That’s 94.2 percent.

In writing, 61 of the 64 test-takers passed. Of the 86 students taking the math WASL, 88 percent passed.

This year, 182 Lake Stevens freshmen are registered.

At Mariner High School south of Everett, 340 of the school’s 520 students have signed up to take all or parts of the WASL a year early. That’s up sharply from around 90 last year.

Arlington High School also saw a big jump from roughly 200 to 300.

At Lynnwood High School, just a few freshmen will take the WASL early, Principal David Golden said.

Many freshmen would not have covered enough material to pass the 10th-grade math exam and all students would probably score higher in reading and writing with another year in high school, Golden said.

“They are just more mature,” he said. “They are that much more ready for it.”

Reporter Eric Stevick: 425-339-3446 or e-mail stevick@heraldnet.com.

Early test takers

Freshmen have been taking the 10th-grade WASL a year early in growing numbers since 2006. Here’s the breakdown on the ninth-graders taking the exam:

2008 — 23,715 (pre-registered)

2007 — 14,000

2006 — 6,000