As pointed out by Linda Shaw in the Seattle Times today, this was the last time students had to take the WASL as we know it.
Moving forward, SPI plans to implement a more streamlined test.
Tune in to TVW at 10 to hear what Dorn has to say about the latest WASL scores. We'll post a summary following his press conference.
UPDATE:
Dorn's office just posted the WASL results online. During the press conference he made it pretty clear that he's frustrated with some of the AYP (adequate yearly progress) provisions of the No Child Left Behind Law and its punitive approach towards schools.
Dorn's press release states:
As expected, results were mixed from the spring 2009 administration of the Washington Assessment of Student Learning (WASL). Scores in grades 3-8 and 10 mirrored 2008 results, increasing in seven subject areas, decreasing in seven and remaining unchanged in six.
Yet, preliminary results from AYP, the accountability arm of the federal No Child Left Behind Act, show that 1,073 schools moved into improvement status, up from 618 last year.
“Our state testing scores are flat, yet the federal system shows an additional 500 schools are failing,” Dorn said. “What is failing is No Child Left Behind. The law is completely unfair. While we know there is certainly room for improvement in our schools, it’s a statistical guarantee in this law that all of our schools will soon be in federal improvement status. That’s unrealistic.”
