Rasmussen bill wouldn’t require high school graduates to pass WASL

OLYMPIA – Passing the Washington Assessment of Student Learning (WASL) would not be a requirement for graduating from high school under a bill proposed by Sen. Marilyn Rasmussen, D-Eatonville.

“The WASL is a good test, but requiring it for a high school diploma is not good policy,” Rasmussen said. “We want to set high standards for our children and do everything we can to track their development, and the WASL can help us do that. But our ultimate goal needs to be to help our children succeed. We must make sure education works for the success of each individual child and every single student.”

Social studies, physical education and other classes lose participation because of the focus on the WASL, Rasmussen said.

“Across the state, we’re facing a 30 percent dropout rate in our schools. That is totally unacceptable,” she said. “We must not put any roadblocks in the path of success for any child in the state.”

Rasmussen’s bill eliminates the WASL as a graduation requirement and drops requirements that high school transcripts show whether a student earned a certificate of academic achievement or an alternative assessment.

Under current law, high school students beginning with the class of 2008 must pass the WASL to earn their diploma.

“Students have multiple learning styles, and they shouldn’t be penalized for it,” Rasmussen said. “Kids blossom at different times in life, and one-style-fits-all education does not fit all students.

“I’ve talked to students, to parents and to teachers, and they all have a story to tell. Among the many things I’ve heard is that some students may not test well, but that doesn’t mean they don’t know the material.”

Senate Bill 6620 was heard Thursday by the Senate Early Learning, K-12 & Higher Education Committee.

Another Rasmussen bill, Senate Bill 6472, also focuses on student achievement by requiring school boards to adopt high expectations for students who are struggling academically. Under that bill, schools would be required to promote opportunities for remedial instruction and provide early and frequent notification to parents of students in danger of being held back. The Senate Early Learning, K-12 & Higher Education Committee will hear that bill at 3:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 26, in Senate Hearing Room 1 of the Cherberg Building.

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