This was written by a student
in
WASL Up With That?
What is going to happen when 58% of the Senior class of 2008 aren’t allowed to
graduate because of the WASL?
The WASL (Washington Assessment of Student Learning) is what they call a
high-stakes test, which means it measures how well the students are doing at
specific schools and uses the scores to decide whether a school receives money
or whether a student can move onto the next grade level, take electives, graduate
or even go to college. Last year 58% of all 10th graders who took the WASL
failed to meet the standard on at least one section of the test. Scores for
students
in other grades were equally grim for most districts. (www.mothersagainstwasl.com)
Your diploma and your chances of getting into college are hanging in the balance
because of one test!
The most important problem with this test is the hours spent teaching how to
pass one test. We have WASL Math, WASL English, and soon we will have WASL
Science. Vocational programs and art programs have been cut to accommodate
these WASL classes. Arlington School Districts job posting states The classroom
teacher will teach to the WASL. Curriculums are being designed to focus mainly
around this test. We aren’t getting the advantage of having teachers who are allowed
to do what they’ve had a passion to do, which is teach what they know. Teachers
are here to help enlighten students, to help build us into somewhat upstanding,
well rounded citizens through their teachings. That is why they wanted to
become teachers. It’s becoming a very hum drum job for them as well as for
students preparing for this test.
The WASL costs about $18 per section, per student. The four section WASL costs
about $72 per student. It has recently been calculated that the cost to the
state and districts is about $60 million a year. While we are getting school
budget cutback after cutback because citizens of
The writing section of the WASL is graded on the 6-trait writing of a 5
paragraph essay. This forces students to no longer have their own expression
through their writing. How many good books are written this way? Writing is an
art. As an art, writing needs freedom and diversity. This test is trying to
take something that is not uniform at all, art, and turn it into something
uniform.
If
worrying about not receiving your diploma isn’t enough, a bill has been and is
currently being brought up basically saying you can’t have your driver’s
license if you can’t pass the WASL. You already have to pass drivers education,
the written test, and the driving test. Is the WASL going to show that you are
responsible enough to have a license better than the other requirements already
present?
Your parents can send a letter with you to school to opt out of taking the WASL
your Sophomore year. However the class of 2008 needs to pass the WASL in order
to graduate, so if you’re a sophomore now you will need to take the test at another
time. With hard work, I believe by the time you are seniors this wont be a
requirement anymore.
The way to stop this is to speak out. Write Editorials to the local papers. You
can join Stop the WASL (http://groups.myspace.com/STOPTHEWASL ) where you can
learn more and
discuss the goings on are with this test.