WASL is history, says Dorn, but new exam is coming
DONNA GORDON BLANKINSHIP; The Associated Press
Washington’s new superintendent of public instruction wants to replace the Washington Assessment of Student Learning with two separate tests and use a computerized testing system. But he said Wednesday that the new exams will still be hard and that high school students will still need to pass to graduate.
Nothing will change for the Class of 2009, Superintendent Randy Dorn said, but he promised that by next fall academic testing in Washington will be completely different. He said the changes will fulfill his campaign promise to replace the WASL.
The new “Measurements of Student Progress” would be given twice a year in grades three through eight. High school students would have multiple chances to pass the new “High School Proficiency Exams.”
The biggest changes would be in the length of the tests, the speed of scoring and how long the tests will keep children away from their regular classwork. The tests would eventually have more fill-in-the-blank questions, rather than multiple choice, and most of the exams will be taken on a computer.
“Some people say that I may be moving too quickly,” said Dorn, who took the oath of office last week. “To be honest with you, we should have moved four or five years ago to what we’re moving to today.”
The WASL has been controversial since its inception nearly a decade ago, mostly because it is so difficult for some children to pass and the testing itself takes up so much class time. Dorn said he wants to replace the WASL because it takes too long for the results to get to teachers and parents and it isn’t diagnostic enough to help teachers guide students’ learning.
Starting in fall 2009, the superintendent’s office plans to start phasing in achievement tests that students take on a computer instead of answering questions in a paper test booklet. But even when the math, reading and science tests are all computerized, students would continue to take the writing test with pencil and paper.
Dorn told a news conference that the current testing disrupts school schedules for as long as three weeks, including makeup exams. The new system would take about 2 1/2 days for grade school and middle school students, and Dorn wants to eventually shorten the high school exam to less than a week.
Dorn consulted with legislators and Gov. Chris Gregoire before making his announcement, but emphasized that he did not need their approval to make the changes.
Under state law, the superintendent can, in consultation with the state Board of Education, develop and revise a statewide system to test proficiency in reading, writing, math and science. Leaders of the education committees in the House and the Senate may ask to review any changes.
Senate Education Committee Chairwoman Rosemary McAuliffe, D-Bothell, who led a task force to explore the future of the WASL, said lawmakers would be involved in any changes.
“I think we all want to work together,” she said.
Gregoire said she agreed with many of Dorn’s ideas and thought they would add to the improvements that have already been made on the statewide assessments.
McAuliffe said she would prefer to focus on children who have the biggest challenges to passing the WASL – kids learning English as their second language, those in special education, or those living in poverty – and find more ways to eliminate barriers for them.
Senate Minority Leader Mike Hewitt, R-Walla Walla, called Dorn “pretty arrogant” for speaking about what he could and couldn’t do without the Legislature.
“It’s as if he’s never served in the Legislature before,” Hewitt said of Dorn, who was chairman of the House Education Committee when he served in the House. “Well, we’re still controlling the budget, and we still make the laws in this state.”
McAuliffe introduced a bill Wednesday to eliminate the WASL as a graduation requirement, but said she proposed it as a courtesy to the state teachers union, which wants a hearing on it, and she does not oppose continuing the graduation test.
The president of that union, Mary Lindquist of the Washington Education Association, spoke in support of Dorn’s plans Wednesday but said the union would continue to oppose using a statewide test as a graduation requirement.
SCHOOL LEADERS OPTIMISTIC ABOUT NEW TEST
Some schools chiefs in the South Sound were long on hopeful comments but short on specifics Wednesday when new Superintendent of Public Instruction Randy Dorn announced a major overhaul to the way Washington tests its students.
“I’m not surprised that people would look for ways to shorten the test to save money and shorten the turnaround time,” said Art Jarvis, superintendent of the 29,000-student Tacoma School District.
Dorn says he’ll replace the Washington Assessment of Student Learning with two separate tests as early as next school year and employ computers in online testing of children.
Clover Park Superintendent Debbie LeBeau and Franklin Pierce Superintendent Frank Hewins said they like the idea of spending less time testing and of using test results to tailor instruction to the gaps in students’ knowledge. Neither believes altering the test will change what teachers teach or what kids are expected to learn.
Puyallup Superintendent Tony Apostle and Federal Way Superintendent Tom Murphy declined to comment, saying they needed more details.
Bethel schools officials are looking forward to working with OSPI on the changes, said Ann Varkados, assistant superintendent of curriculum.
LeBeau said she was heartened by Dorn’s plans. She favors getting test results to teachers and parents more quickly and shortening the test, particularly if it saves money. Clover Park serves about 12,000 children.
“It looks like the proposed revisions will address the concerns the public, staff and teachers had with the WASL,” LeBeau said.
But while she likes the idea of online testing, she also wonders what kind of support the state will give districts to make it possible. Not every school system has computer labs in every school.
There’s also the issue of how the changes are implemented.
“We’ve put a lot of time, energy, effort and dollars into getting used to the WASL and the way that’s set up,” said Franklin Pierce’s Hewins. A new test would be “just one more thing to add to the (to-do) pile.”
But he said, “If it’s done thoughtfully and in a realistic period of time, with the appropriate staff development that would go along with it, it’s certainly doable.”
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