Few parents in county are viewing WASL tests

Published 10:31 am Monday, March 3, 2008

The Washington Assessment of Student Learning continues to grow in its use and influence.

But few parents have taken the extra step of seeing how their child answered the secretive exam’s questions, nearly a year after being granted that option.

Out of a pool of 750,000 records statewide, parents of 536 students have asked to see their children’s test booklets from the 2004-05 WASL exams. Parents of about 70 Snohomish County students were among them, making up 14 percent of the state total.

In the Edmonds School District, 13 parents viewed their child’s test.

Viewing the completed tests takes time, and can be done only under strict security precautions.

No cell phones. No notes. Just one hour. And parents must sign a document acknowledging that they will be charged with a misdemeanor and fined up to $500 for sharing a test’s content with others.

Those who have seen the WASL tests call it an eye-opening experience.

“School is a little bit different for my son than it was for me,” said Dori Mashburn, who reviewed the tests her son passed as a fourth-grader at Silver Firs Elementary School last year.

Mashburn said she remains baffled by some of the math questions, and whether the writing tests were scored consistently.

Still, she said it was worth seeing her son’s actual work.

“You get a flood of paperwork that comes home … but having seen the actual WASL exam, you can spend more time on those areas where they were closer to the line,” Mashburn said.

Requests to view tests were spotty across school districts. Northshore led the area with 19 requests, followed by Everett and Edmonds with 13 each.

That’s expected to change this year as the WASL becomes a graduation requirement. Parents of high school students can appeal the results if they have reason to believe something went wrong.

Requests must be made through the state Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction. The state retrieves booklets from a secure storage center, then notifies the local school district, which sets a time for the parent to review the tests.

Educators also benefit from the experience, said Peter Hendrickson of the Everett School District.

“It helps remove some of the mystery from this test. … I think it helps create some trust with parents,” he said.

Being so accommodating will get tougher, however, if the requests skyrocket, schools say.

Two school staff members are required to be on hand during viewings, including one versed in the tests who can answer questions.

Not all questions have answers, however.

Parents can see how many points their child got on each question, but more detailed scoring guides have not been released.

The state may release portions of the scoring guides in the future, said Greg Hall of the Everett School District.

At issue is security. The state publicly releases about one-third of the questions used on each WASL test, but saves and closely guards the rest for future exams.

Also, the state is making efforts to improve the way it reports scores to parents. It has redesigned individual student reports this year to be more personalized and informational, including how parents can get remedial help.

“We need to keep working toward a better answer,” said state Sen. Rosemary McAuliffe, D-Bothell, who chairs the Senate’s Early Learning, K-12 and Higher Education Committee.

Melissa Slager is a reporter with The Herald in Everett.