OLYMPIA — Lawmakers have agreed on other ways high school students can qualify for graduation if they can’t pass the WASL exams.
Under SB 6475, students who do not pass any part of the Washington Assessment of Student Learning can make up for it through the use of scores on other standardized tests, their grade point average, or a portfolio of their academic work.
The Senate got the bill back Tuesday from the House and signed off on minor changes made there. Gov. Christine Gregoire is expected to sign the bill.
“This is a great first step to creating a comprehensive assessment system,” state Sen. Rosemary McAuliffe, D-Bothell, the prime sponsor of the alternatives bill, said last week.
The WASL has been a leading issue throughout the session. Starting in 2008, students must pass it in order to graduate. If they fail twice, they can pursue any of the four options in the bill:
• They can use their grades in courses in the subject area they failed, as long as they are equal to or higher than those of students who took the same courses and passed the WASL test.
• Those who don’t pass the math portion can replace it with their score from one of three national standardized tests.
• They can complete an approved vocational track.
• They can pursue the portfolio method, which was perhaps the most worrisome to the House. This option allows students to present a collection of work to demonstrate their skill and knowledge. The Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction will develop the rules, and the state Board of Education will decide if they are tough enough.
“We wanted to be sure that they weren’t just putting together a scrapbook,” said Rep. Gigi Talcott, R-Tacoma.
The House action on March 3 vote followed several days of negotiations. When it seemed passage might be a problem, McAuliffe said she told House members that if the bill didn’t pass, she would work to lift the requirement that students pass the WASL tests in order to graduate.
Jerry Cornfield and Blythe Lawrence are reporters with The Herald in Everett and contributed to this story.
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