What you need to know about passing the WASL
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The reading and writing portions of the 10th-grade WASL will be given Monday through Thursday. The math and science high school WASL will be from April 15 to 18.
Grades 3-8 will be tested between April 14 and May 2. Local school districts decide when students are tested in that three week window.
The WASL has become a regular part of the school year for students in the third through eighth grades, and the 10th grade.
Still, test anxiety for students (and for parents) exists for this high-stakes test. The 10th-grade test is one of the requirements for graduation and the scores for all grades is part of what determines whether the school is meeting federal benchmarks. Here are some answers and tips to guide families through these testing times.
Question: Who takes the WASL?
Answer: Third- through eighth-graders and 10th-graders get tested for reading and math. Students in grades four, seven and 10 are tested in writing. Students in the fifth, eighth and 10th grades get tested in science.
Q: Will this count for grades?
A: The results of the WASL test, which are released several months after the test, generally do not count for student report cards. However, the state requires all high school graduates to pass the 10th-grade reading, math and writing portions of the WASL. High school students who do not pass the math portion also have options for fulfilling their graduation requirement. High school students get numerous chances to retake the test; the state also has alternative ways to fill those requirements for students who have not passed the test. Tenth-graders do not have to pass the science test.
Q: Is the math portion still required?
A: In 2007, the state Legislature changed the high school math WASL graduation requirement. However, the math WASL is not optional, and students must take the test to graduate. Students in the classes of 2008 through 2012 who do not pass the math portion have the option to take and pass math classes every semester until they pass the WASL test or graduate. The class of 2013 is the first class that will have to pass the math WASL.
Q: Why do schools give the WASL?
A: In 1993, the Legislature passed an education reform law that included a call for standardized testing, which would measure whether students met the established state standards in reading, math, science and writing. After the federal No Child Left Behind Act was signed into law in 2002, the state started using the WASL results to measure whether schools and districts are making adequate yearly progress toward the federal goal to have 100 percent of children meet grade-level standards by 2014. Scores also follow the child, and schools also use it as a tool to determine whether a student needs help in certain areas to meet standards.
Q: What
A: Level 3 is the minimum score to meet the standards. Levels 1 and 2 mean that students need more work. Level 4 means the student exceeds state standards.
Q: Are there sample questions available for parents to look at?
A: Sample questions are available from the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction at www.k12.wa.us/Assessment/WASL/testquestions.aspx
Source: The Olympian archives; Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction
For students
General tips
Get plenty of sleep.
Get a good breakfast.
Bring a snack to school.
Come to school on time.
Take the WASL seriously.
Listen carefully to test directions.
Read each question at least twice, underline key ideas and words.
Do as much of the test as you can.
Don't rush through the test. There is no time limit.
Answer all of the questions. You can get partial credit.
Reading tips
Remember to survey, question, read and review.
Use your writing and test-taking skills to communicate successfully what you know.
Math tips
Read the problem and make sure you know what you are being asked to do.
Recognize that for the WASL, even if you get the correct answer, it's more important to explain how you got to the correct answer.
Show a step-by-step procedure.
Use math vocabulary in your solutions.
Writing tips
Do an idea sheet and rough draft; then revise and edit a final copy. This is not a timed test, so you can take as long as you need to write it.
Good writing has six traits: organization, content and ideas, conventions, voice, sentence fluency, and word choice.
For Parents
Make sure your child eats a nutritious breakfast and gets plenty of sleep and exercise.
Incorporate learning into everyday tasks, such as cooking or traveling. At the grocery store, ask your child to help you find the better value. When you're traveling, ask your child to figure out how many miles you've driven. For older students, ask them to figure out the cost differences in colleges, or financing a used car.
Play board games that involve problem-solving.
Monitor required reading at home, ask your child about what he or she is reading and ask him or her to summarize the main idea.
Read and talk together about a variety of materials, such as newspapers, how-to manuals, cookbooks or literature about common interests.
Have your child read aloud what he or she writes, explain the purpose of the written material and help clarify anything that is unclear.
Help your student proofread for spelling, punctuation and grammar mistakes.
Talk about how you use math at home and at work. Discuss how math connects with daily experiences, events and situations.
Have your child explain the steps used in solving math problems.
Provide practice using tools of measurement.
Have your child practice estimation when solving for cost, distance and time.
Have your child practice using correct math vocabulary when he or she is completing homework.
Encourage your child to speak to you in complete sentences and to use descriptive language.
Review your child's homework and completed assignments. Challenge your child to find errors and correct them.
Talk about the test and test preparations with your child, and let your child know that you value education.
Sources: Olympian archives
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