In my 25 years in public education, I’ve never felt as optimistic about our schools as I do today. After more than a decade of thoughtful reform, we’re finally making real progress in our classrooms.
I’m not just talking about rising test scores. I’m talking about effective, enthusiastic teachers, engaged students and focused principals. I’m talking about teachers collaborating on purposeful and innovative instruction. I’m talking about energized schools where every adult believes every student can succeed.
Let’s be honest. Before our state launched these reforms more than a decade ago, public education was hit or miss. Some students learned, some even excelled, while others slipped by, either struggling mightily or putting forth little effort. Too many simply dropped out. Without consistent expectations for each grade level, we couldn’t accurately measure how well our schools educated our kids.
Now, whether it’s View Ridge Elementary in Everett, Stanwood High School or Centennial Middle in Spokane, positive change is spreading across the state. Hardworking educators tell me their job satisfaction and sense of accomplishment is higher than ever.
It’s unfortunate the good news is dampened by the negative rhetoric aimed at the Washington Assessment of Student Learning (WASL) from outside our schools.
The truth is, testing is not new to education. Teachers have always used some form of test to assess progress and determine grades. Most test results carry consequences. Students who fail important classroom tests can lose class credit and be denied a diploma. Yet because there’s wide variation in the rigor of class material, all students are not assessed equally.
What’s different about the WASL? It’s based on a set of learning standards for every grade level that were created by Washington teachers. A recent independent study by Achieve, Inc. concluded that the WASL measures appropriate and reasonable standards. The WASL has been scrutinized by educators and revised by teachers. It’s objective, reliable and free of bias.
Despite critics’ claims, it’s not possible to drill students on the WASL. It’s not that kind of test. Students can’t cram for it because it doesn’t measure memorized facts. And teachers can’t really teach to it because the areas it covers are too broad. It measures whether students have learned basic reading, writing and math skills. It measures whether they have learned to think critically and clearly. Good teachers incorporate such skills into their everyday lessons and that is the best way to “teach to the WASL.”
Making sure all students pass the 10th-grade WASL before graduation is a great way to ensure our schools have done their job and preparing students to be successful beyond high school. Students have five chances to pass the 10th-grade WASL. We make accommodations for special education students and give students who require a different format a chance to demonstrate their skills through an alternate assessment. Students who need retakes receive focused assistance and individual learning plans.
In this information age, education is a high-stakes proposition. The future hinges not on a single test, but on the quality of education a student receives. Expecting students to learn basic skills before they graduate is infinitely more just than handing them a diploma that won’t get them far beyond the graduation stage.
Our state’s education reform has revealed many things about our schools. The most pressing, of course, is the unacceptably high number of students who are not achieving at high levels. It has also revealed the powerful resolve of our educators and our students: When given a challenge, they rise to it.
Other states are proving this kind of reform works. In Virginia, when seniors were required for the first time last year to pass state assessment tests for graduation, 94 percent did. In Massachusetts, 95 percent of students passed the first year their graduation requirement was enacted. Sure, some kids struggled. Some took the tests numerous times. But schools identified struggling students early on and gave them the extra help they needed to be successful in the end.
Educating all students is hard work. But it’s the right thing to do. There’s no telling how great our schools – and our state’s future – will be if we stay focused on this worthy mission.
Gary Kipp is executive director of the Association of Washington School Principals.
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