Helping Today’s 10th-Graders Become Tomorrow’s Leaders

In the coming days, thousands of Washington families will receive an envelope in the mail revealing how their 10th-graders fared on the Washington Assessment of Student Learning (WASL). It is an exciting and, understandably, anxious time for families, who all want their children to achieve academic success.

Many students will have met the standard in all three subjects (mathematics, reading and writing), which earns them their Certificate of Academic Achievement. Senate Democrats congratulate these students, and encourage them to continue working hard to meet the remaining state graduation requirements.

Other students will need more time and extra help to pass all three sections of the WASL. To those students, we say: We have committed to getting you the resources you need to succeed. You will have many opportunities to demonstrate your skills and knowledge.

The individual score report sent to families (click here to see a sample) is designed to give parents and students useful information about students’ strengths and weaknesses in the various content areas. This report will be a valuable tool as your family works with schools to make decisions about your student’s next academic steps.

The scores will undoubtedly serve as a wake-up call for some students. It’s no longer acceptable in Washington to allow any students to drift through their K-12 experience without gaining the math and language proficiency they’ll need to find rewarding, well-paying jobs. Washington has decided to expect more from our future physicians, writers, nurses, engineers, mechanics, artists and teachers. They deserve the best education in the nation.

To achieve that, there are those who will need extra instruction to master certain skills. Some other students have a firm grasp on the subject matter but don’t do well on traditional tests. Or it may be that some students simply didn’t sleep well the night before testing, or were distracted, and need another chance to demonstrate their knowledge.

Whatever the situation, a system is in place to help. It’s important that families in every community understand how to access that system. School principals will have more details on the resources available to students, which include:

• $28.5 million in state funding for extra learning opportunities such as summer school and before- and after-school programs.
• Up to four free WASL retakes for each student.
• Alternative assessments for students who fare poorly on pen-and-paper tests and who have retaken the WASL at least once. The state is in the process of approving various alternatives.
• Developmentally appropriate assessments for students with special needs and English language learners .

In addition, the Legislature this year approved a thorough study of the characteristics of students who do not pass one or more sections of the WASL, so that we can break down potential barriers to academic success.

Finally, a world-class education system must include teachers, principals and superintendents who are well-prepared and appropriately compensated for the tremendous work they do each day in the classroom. Washington Learns, Gov. Chris Gregoire’s citizen commission on education, will be submitting recommendations to the Legislature on school funding, including teacher compensation.

Just as families must understand how to access available resources to help their students, it’s also critical that they’re clear on the WASL’s purpose. This is not just another state-mandated hoop for students to jump through on the way to earning their diploma. The test is designed to make sure that students — no matter whether they live in Seattle, Yakima, Vancouver or within any other of our state’s 296 school districts — are well-prepared for whatever post-high school path they choose. As the most trade-dependent state in the nation, our graduates are competing for jobs with the best and brightest not just in California and Oregon, but in South Korea, China, India and other emerging powers around the globe.

Change is never easy, and this year’s 10th-graders are the pioneers in this new approach to education. This is the very first step in an ongoing process. While there is still more work to do to help every student succeed, the Class of 2008 can be proud to be part of a pivotal moment in Washington’s history. No longer will we allow students to fall prey to a mediocre education. We want the best for tomorrow’s leaders.

For more information, please go to the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction’s WASL Web site.