Parents must be getting smarter. Based on my informal observations, I think the number of parents that opted out of WASL has grown since last year. Every year more parents opt out because they realize they have the right to do so and because they are seeing the negative impact that high-stakes testing has on education.
If you already let your child take the WASL test, please know that you have the right to view your child’s completed test, even from previous years. It is the federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) that grants parents this right. Viewing the test is a good idea since NCS Pearson, the company that scores the WASL, has a long history of scoring errors.
I know the school districts flaunt the study by Dr. Catherine Taylor that deems the WASL a high quality test. They don’t tell you that Dr. Taylor was one of the developers of the WASL. Independent studies on the WASL have given it a failing grade.
A lot has to be done to improve education, but spending millions on a subjective and unreliable test is not the answer.
Kathy Storkersen
Edmonds
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
