This school year, for the first time, the Washington Assessment of Student Learning (WASL) is for real. In March, sophomores in high school will take the WASL and must pass all three of its sections – reading, writing and math – to receive their diploma in 2008. They can retake the test if they don’t pass the first time, but no matter what else they do in the classroom, they must pass the WASL. No exceptions.
Beginning earlier this year, everywhere I went – the rural pharmacy near my house or in the stands at my grandson’s baseball game – people were talking about the WASL. I listened to concerned parents and educators and then jumped into the conversations. Now I find myself starting them.
As governor I pushed education reform and supported efforts to raise standards of learning in our public schools. I haven’t changed my mind. But as I listened to people as the summer wore on, I couldn’t help thinking that we’re headed for a train wreck.
On our current course, a very large percentage of this year’s sophomore class will be denied their high school diploma, even if they pass all their required courses and stay in school through the 12th grade. The “train wreck” will occur when these young people can’t walk the stage.
Over the past five years, an average of just 38.8 percent of 10th graders passed all three parts of the WASL. Last year, the number climbed to 42 percent, continuing a slow upward trend. It will be a great surprise if 50 percent of this year’s sophomores pass and have a clear path to their diplomas. But, unless they can pass a retest, the rest will simply not graduate – no matter what else they do in their high school years.
If things don’t change, there will be thousands of parents who will march on the schools in 2008. Their cry will be, “You have had my child for 12 years! He has had good grades and attendance, participated in school activities, and yet he won’t receive a diploma!”
Twelve years ago, the state passed an education reform law that required all students to achieve a Certificate of Mastery in order to receive a high school diploma. (At present, the only way to get that certificate is to pass the WASL.) I was a leader in getting the reform law enacted and now I intend to provide leadership in preserving the law’s intent to raise student achievement, but without relying on a single “do or die” standard for kids and schools.
I see three qualities that are essential to achieving widespread agreement about change. First, the solution must put fairness to kids as its first priority. Second, it must continue the drive to hold schools accountable for meeting high learning standards. Finally it must provide resources commensurate with high expectations.
Here are some specific criteria for making the solution fair to all students entering the 10th grade this fall. The solution must:
* Continue to encourage learning improvement, aim to meet high standards and confirm high expectations.
* Provide strong incentives for students to reach mastery levels in reading, writing and math.
* Recognize the innate individuality of students while providing a continuing focus on closing the learning gaps between racial and ethnic groups of students.
* Acknowledge the realistic capacity of the school system to deliver instruction necessary to give all students what they need to obtain a diploma by passing all three sections of the WASL.
Accountability and resources must be considered together. Schools must be held accountable for their use of resources, but they cannot be responsible when those resources are inadequate for reaching high goals. Higher expectations require greater commitment of resources.
Schools and teachers need:
* Training for all instructional staff, particularly in classroom assessment. Currently, only a fraction of teachers receive this training.
* Additional training and opportunity to work in teams and achieve better coordination within and between schools. Teamwork is improving at elementary and middle school levels, but additional effort appears to be particularly needed at the high school level.
* Better and more available resources for struggling schools and schools that include groups of students who struggle to meet standards. Improved cultural competency on all our parts may be a major factor in meeting these needs.
These sound like lofty ideas, but they are achievable. I am convinced that ways to measure learning in addition to tests like the WASL exist. I am equally convinced that support exists for adding resources to an accountable school system.
Over the next few weeks, I’ll share with you my ideas for specific changes to the current WASL graduation requirement and providing resources that will directly lead to high achievement.
Booth Gardner was Washington’s governor from 1985 to 1993. He plans to write two more columns on this topic in the coming weeks.
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