Recent Letter to the EditorAt long last K-12 public education is subject to accountability. The results have been overwhelmingly positive. Statewide results are as follows:
This is the first time our State has ever seen such progress. Why then is there proposed State legislation to take away accountability? In a recent national study the WASL, our State’s standardized test, was given an F in math. Rather than fix the WASL some of our legislatures have decided that we need to eliminate accountability and take no responsibility for the F in math. Was accountability the problem or does the problem lie within the content of the WASL? Let’s take a look at a WASL math question. (You can find this on the OSPI website under Assessments/mathematics).
Does math appear to be missing from the above question? Calculating survey results would require math but choosing the survey questions??? The aforementioned national study claimed that the Washington State math assessment standards are “poorly written, unclear, and needlessly long, often having little apparent connection to math”. When do we address the truth? The WASL math test is flawed, not our children, not accountability. The Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction should take responsibility and add clarity and reason to our State’s standardized tests. Our children when properly prepared using end-of class assessments will pass any reasonable standardized test. That the legislature wants to eliminate accountability at any level rationalizes incompetence. Until we fix our State’s standardized test we should not punish our children but we must always protect, maintain and multiply accountability. WASLpass ResultsExam results are in. Waslpass program users meet AYP and users for two years are now off the list for school improvement. The results are so positive that we now guarantee our WASL Exam preparation program with the following: If a student scores 90% or higher on each module of our Reading Comprehension and/or Math Course(s) and fails the WASL Exam, we will provide a full refund or credit for that student to their school or district. There are 5 ways to effectively use WASLpass making it a perfect fit for your school or district:
About the WASLThe Washington State Assessment of Student Learning (WASL) is both a multiple choice test and one that requires the student write out the answers demonstrating their perceptions, knowledge and skills in each of the Essential Academic Learning Requirements (EALRs). The WASL has a variety of written response requirements including short-answer questions to more extended responses, essays, and problem solving tasks. WASLpass methodically addresses the complete array of student required responses. WASLpass uses multiple choice questions, questions requiring a short response and extended responses. This year WASLpass has updated the math program to include mini masteries for each lesson. Mastery is the goal and successfully passing the WASL will be the reward. WASL RetakesWashington State Students have four opportunities to retake each portion of the WASL exam. 10th grade Students who did not pass one or more 10th-grade WASL content areas (reading, writing or math) on their first attempt will work with teachers to develop a strategy for strengthening their skills and retaking all or parts of the test. Starting this year, WASL retakes will be offered each August and each spring, during the regularly scheduled WASL testing of high school students. The first scheduled WASL retakes will be held Aug. 7-10. Students may retake the test at any official assessment location around the state. Important WASL retake information:
WASL AlternativesThere is now legislation that authorizes The Office of the Superintendent of Puplic Instruction to implement three objective alternatives for students who did not pass the 10th grade WASL after two attempts. They are:
In math, students also have the option of using a qualifying score from the PSAT, SAT or ACT exams to demonstrate achievement of the state math standard. The State Board of Education will set qualifying scores on those exams. Reclassifying Students Buys Time for Taking WASLOne in four sophomores in Seattle Public Schools has failed so many classes that the district has "reclassified" them as freshmen. Nearly half the sophomores at Rainier Beach High School and about one-third of the 10th-graders at Cleveland, Chief Sealth and Franklin are now considered freshmen. The 827 students districtwide can remain with their peers in classes, sports and other activities but must make up the credits in night or summer school in order to graduate on time. The reclassification — of which parents and students were notified in recent weeks — is intended to delay the Washington Assessment of Student Learning for 10th-graders who are struggling academically. The class of 2008 is the first that must pass the WASL to graduate. By removing hundreds of potentially low-scoring students from this spring's WASL, Seattle's WASL scores will likely increase. District officials say it's about making sure students are prepared for the high-stakes exam. WASL Alternatives are PASSEDThe package of WASL alternatives that state senators passed on a 33-10 vote Friday evening was drawn from state schools superintendent Terry Bergeson's recommendations. A companion measure passed the House on Thursday night. Both bills set up several options for graduation other than passing the WASL, including portfolios of work graded by experts and a comparison of grades with contemporaries who pass the test. WASL Testing Environment Polices CalculatorsThe WASL math exam allows calculators on half of the math test. Proctors, teachers or adult supervisors, are to clear all calculators of their memories. The calculators are to recleared prior to leaving the testing site. If this is so, choosing to use your own calculator may result in a loss of information stored in memory. Beware! |
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