Abolish WASL:
The Washington Assessment of Student Learning or WASL has been a failure.
The WASL measures student learning of the state’s academic standards. Students
are tested each spring in grades 3-8 and 10 in reading and math. Students also are
tested in writing in grades 4, 7 and 10 and science in grades 5, 8 and 10. Over
$22 million has been allocated and spent. Between $15 million and $25 million in
additional funds could send good money after bad.
WASL means nothing outside Washington State. I am not in favor of
'reinventing the wheel'. The state of Maine has chosen to employ the Scholastic
Aptitude Test (SAT) to validate the level of learning by their graduating seniors.
This would save money for both the state and parents, validate the State of
Washington graduates against a known quantitative standard and export the time
and expense of grading this test to an outside agency. Win, win, win.
Tests for the other grades would be the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills (ITBS).
The Washington Assessment of Student Learning or WASL has been a failure.
The WASL measures student learning of the state’s academic standards. Students
are tested each spring in grades 3-8 and 10 in reading and math. Students also are
tested in writing in grades 4, 7 and 10 and science in grades 5, 8 and 10. Over
$22 million has been allocated and spent. Between $15 million and $25 million in
additional funds could send good money after bad.
WASL means nothing outside Washington State. I am not in favor of
'reinventing the wheel'. The state of Maine has chosen to employ the Scholastic
Aptitude Test (SAT) to validate the level of learning by their graduating seniors.
This would save money for both the state and parents, validate the State of
Washington graduates against a known quantitative standard and export the time
and expense of grading this test to an outside agency. Win, win, win.
Tests for the other grades would be the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills (ITBS).
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Jon T. Haugen for Senate, 18th District (D)