As
a statewide, nonprofit organization, Parent Empowerment Network represents the
interests of a growing number of parents, teachers, and students throughout
It
is in the spirit of improved communication and understanding that we ask public
school principals and teachers to do all that is in their power to simply
accept the decision of parents to opt their children out of WASL without
subjecting either the student or parent involved to any form of coercion or
enticement, or deception as to the worth of WASL.
There
is no doubt that WASL is a controversial and unproven test. It was not designed
for the purpose of placing students in programs or determining graduation.
(Please see WEA survey results and OSPI technical reports.) Yet, it is being
misused to place students and determine graduation.
Many
parents do not want their children to be exposed to what has been proven to be
an inappropriate test. (Please see Orlich and Willhoft research.) Parents do
not take their decision to opt out of WASL lightly. They realize that the
school will receive a zero for their student’s score, which will be averaged
into the score that is put in the paper for “all the
world” to see. However, parents, like teachers, know that there are far better
ways to determine the quality of student work, schools, and teachers than
standardized test scores. Parents rely on teacher-graded, daily work and tests
to determine how their children are progressing academically. Parents rely on
the attitudes of their children toward school to know how they are progressing
socially and emotionally. WASL inhibits progress in all of these areas.
Parents
are ultimately responsible for the education of their children. They do not
give up that right or responsibility when they entrust their children to the
care and teaching of the public school. Each child in
Members
of PEN understand that great pressure to improve test scores is
placed on school employees by the state and federal government. However, we ask
that school employees remember that it is parental tax dollars that pay for
schools and for the salaries of school employees. When the state or federal
government gets in the way of good communication and good decisions on the part
of schools and families, it is essential that local adults use their own good
judgment in communicating with each other for the good of children.
Thank
you for your cooperation in this matter.
Sincerely,
Juanita
Doyon, Director
Parent
Empowerment Network