WASL NO MORE

Change is in the air. Yes, we just installed a new (half) African American president in the White House, who has promised to end the war in Iraq, and create 3 million new jobs in the next couple of years. We have a new Superintendent of Pubic Instruction, Randy Dorn, who on his second day in office declared the WASL dead. That is all the good news regarding "change" that I can see right now.

I think the latter calls for some celebration. The much maligned WASL was a thorn on the side of many parents, students and administrators. It took too much time, too much money, and only provided information to a few in the office of the state superintendent. Terry Bergeson was defiant to the end, defending the test's virtues that only she could appreciate. Fortunately, the voters thought otherwise.

We now have a new system of tests. You may read all about them on:

http://www.k12.wa.us/WCAP/default.aspx

The key difference here is that the grades 3 - 8 tests will be replaced by a new series of tests called Measurement of Student Progress (MSP). These are shorter, computerized tests which take a short time to grade. High school tests will be more end-of-course tests, rather than one battery that is administered to all students. Dorn is also trying to have the legislature approve the removal of WASL as a graduation requirement. All this will not affect the 2009 tests, but will start with 2010.

One big hole in the "new" MSP is that the tests will still be unique to the state of Washington, with no way to compare the results between Washington and other states. This will be problematic in an era of global competition, where one needs to measure how our kids stack up with other states or nations. I am hoping that this message will be heard at OSPI and rectified soon.