Questions about the WASL
Q. What are the state's academic standards?
A. Washington's academic standards, known as the Essential Academic Learning Requirements (EALRs), describe the specific knowledge and skills Washington's public school students are expected to learn as they progress through school.
Q. Why were the state's academic standards developed?
A. There are fewer and fewer opportunities and options for young people without skills in areas like reading, writing and math. As a result, it's more important than ever for students to get a good education and learn what they need to be successful in today's world. Washington's academic standards were developed in core subject areas to provide clear and common expectations for what students should be learning and to ensure that all students, and not just a few, are expected to learn high-level skills and knowledge.
Q. Who developed the state's academic standards?
A. The Washington State Commission on Student Learning was established by the Legislature to create the EALRs. The commission created subject advisory committees composed primarily of Washington teachers and curriculum specialists, and these committees conducted an exhaustive, multi-year process to develop the EALRs. The Commission on Student Learning disbanded in 1999 and the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction is now responsible for maintaining and revising the EALRs.
Q. What subjects are covered by the Essential Academic Learning Requirements?
A. In 1995, the Commission on Student Learning adopted standards for reading, writing, communication and math. Science, social studies, arts and health/fitness EALRs were adopted in 1996.
Q. How and when are WASL scores reported?
A. Parents and teachers receive scores for individual students each fall in the form of a score report. Scores show student performance relative to a high and fixed standard of achievement and provide information on strengths and weaknesses within each subject, such as problem solving in mathematics or grammar, punctuation and spelling in writing. Results provide teachers information about where students need help and can help refine instructional strategies in the classroom. Scores are also compiled to show performance trends at the school building, district and state levels.
Q. Will the WASL scores affect my child's grade?
A. In general, the state tests were not designed to be a grading tool. However, some schools may use the test results to help make student retention and promotion decisions. Parents should feel free to ask their child's teacher or principal how the test will be used in their child's school.
Q. Can I get a copy of the WASL?
A. Example questions in each grade level and subject matter are included in the publication, Reaching Higher, which is available at your child's school. Parents who wish to see a copy of the actual test taken by their child can go to the school during the April/May testing period and, by signing a confidentiality agreement, review an actual copy of the test.
The tests are not released publicly because many of the same questions will be used on future tests. Because the WASL is a relatively new assessment, there are a limited number of test questions available. Each year, hundreds of new items are piloted by students in Washington State so that eventually, old questions can be released to the public and replaced with new, well-piloted items. This fall, OSPI expects to release between 30 and 40% of all items from the 2001 WASL, including all of the writing prompts.
Q. Does the WASL puts too much pressure on students?
A. The intent of education reform is to ensure that Washington's students earn a meaningful diploma, and that they have a core set of essential knowledge and skills needed to successfully pursue their interests after graduation. The WASL, which students take in 4th, 7th, and 10th grades, was created to measure how well students are meeting these standards. The state does not encourage any decisions about student promotion or retention to be tied solely to WASL scores.
The only state-level student requirement related to the WASL is the requirement that students beginning with the class of 2008 demonstrate achievement of the 10th-grade reading, writing, listening and math standards to earn a diploma. It's important to remember that once this Certificate of Mastery requirement takes effect, students who do not meet the standard in one of the required subjects will have multiple opportunities over several years to retake all or part of the test. They will also receive targeted help during their last two years of high school.
Many states now require more testing than is required in Washington, and many have adopted promotion and retention policies tied to their tests as well as graduation requirements that kick in well before 2008. Nonetheless, across the country, most students aren't complaining. More than two-thirds say the number of tests they take is reasonable, and only 5% say they get so nervous before standardized tests that it affects their performance, according to public opinion research announced in Education Week in 2001. The same poll found that in places where students must take an "exit exam" to graduate, 63% of students admit this requirement motivates them to work harder in school.