WASL FAQ
How will students and parents receive the scores?
Scores will be mailed home the week of June 12-16.
What will the report look like?
Click here to see a sample score report.
What is the minimum score required to pass the 10th-Grade WASL reading, writing and math tests?
Students generally have to achieve a score that represents approximately 65 percent of the points possible on each test to pass. That score or above means they have met the required standard for proficiency in that particular subject.
What is a good score on the WASL?
Students get two scores: scale and level. The scale score is a number (e.g. 410) that places a student into one of four levels: Advanced (Level 4), Proficient (Level 3), Basic (Level 2) and Below Basic (Level 1). The goal is to “meet standard” with a level 3 or 4 on each section of the WASL.
What happens if a student does not meet the standard?
Students who receive a Level 2 in any subject may register for summer school offered at Evergreen School District or Vancouver School District. These students should consider registering for a retake in August. Click here to register for a retake.
Students who receive a Level 1 in a subject area will take classes during the next school year designed to develop the skills necessary to meet the standard in that area.
Why make students take the 10th-grade WASL science test this year if it’s not required to graduate?
The goal of each of the tests is to make sure students have a solid, working knowledge of the subject matter. Science becomes a graduation requirement in 2010. Having students take the test now help students identify strengths or areas where they need more work and help educators refine the science test for when it becomes a graduation requirement in 2010.
If a student misses one or more of the 10th-grade WASL tests, when can they be made up?
Students who miss any or all of the WASL testing days will not lose any of their five opportunities to take the WASL, but they will need to wait until the next regularly scheduled WASL administration – March/April or August. This year, the first opportunity for students to make up any missed tests will be August 7-10. With the WASL now a graduation requirement, test security is important to ensure the reliability and validity of the results for each student.
Can ninth-graders take the test?
Yes. School districts must provide the opportunity for ninth-grade students to take the test, but no ninth-grader is required to take it. It is the student’s choice. If a ninth-grader decides to take the test and does not earn a score high enough to meet the required standard, the student will have used one of his/her opportunities to take the test but will still have an additional four opportunities.
If the state can send families information about their student’s performance on the WASL in June, why do we have to wait until the fall before getting a complete picture of how well a school, district or the state did?
Returning individual student results in June is the state’s top priority. This is particularly critical for students who may not have passed one or more sections of the exam and who may need to get help over the summer, and/or sign up for the August retake or adjust their 2006-07 class schedule. Schools, districts and the state will use the next couple of months – just as they do every year – compiling all of the individual scores, collecting information about students who might have moved during the testing window and accounting for students who didn’t take the test, for whatever reason. In June, the state will know enough about 10th-grade WASL scores to give the public an overview of how students statewide performed on the test. By late summer – after all enrollment information has been verified with schools and districts and the Washington Alternate Assessment System’s portfolio and developmentally appropriate WASL have been scored – the state will have a comprehensive report to share with the public.
What WASL information goes on students’ transcripts?
According to a bill passed by the 2006 state Legislature, the only information that will be included on a student’s transcript is whether a Certificate of Academic Achievement or a Certificate of Individual Achievement has been earned by the student.
Does passing the 10th-grade WASL mean a student is ready to graduate?
To be eligible for graduation, students must do more than pass the 10th- grade WASL. They need to meet grade point and credit requirements, complete a Culminating Project, and create a plan for their next steps beyond high school. The final two years of high school should be a rich and meaningful opportunity for all students to chart a course for their futures, regardless of their post-graduation plans.
Does passing the 10th-grade WASL mean a student is ready for college?
No. The WASL is not a college- readiness exam. Passing the 10th-grade WASL means a student has demonstrated required skills in reading, writing and math, but college- readiness requires advanced coursework in those and other subjects.
How many times may students retake the WASL?
Students who do not meet the standard on one or more of the 10th-grade WASL tests may retake each of those tests up to four times. Students who are unable to pass the WASL by the end of 12th grade may get an additional four opportunities if they enroll in a high school completion program at a community or technical college.
What specific help is available to students who don’t pass the 10th-grade WASL?
School districts will offer some type of summer school/extended learning program for students who did not pass portions of the 10th-grade WASL. Please contact your school/district for more information.
If a student did not pass more than one of the 10th-grade WASL tests, does that student have to retake all portions of the test in the summer, or can they focus on one subject and retake another subject at a later date?
Students who don’t pass the 10th-grade WASL in more than one subject may benefit by focusing on one subject during the summer and retaking that test in August, and then focus on taking the other subject or subjects during the next WASL testing window, which would be in the following spring. To be clear, students have 5 opportunities to take the WASL in each subject.
When will scores from the August retakes be available?
Students will receive those reports in mid-October.
Are accommodations available for special education students and students who are not fluent in the English language?
Yes. Please read the state’s “Guidelines for Participation and Testing Accommodations for Special Populations in State Assessment Programs” (October 2005) (PDF).
If a student has the skills but is having trouble passing the WASL, what are his/her options for earning a Certificate of Academic Achievement (CAA)?
Legislation passed in 2006 authorizes the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction to implement other ways for students to fulfill the graduation requirement. This legislation specifically states that these options available to students must be "comparable in rigor" to the WASL.
If, after two tries, a student does not pass one or more subjects on the WASL, the student is eligible to use the Certificate of Academic Achievement Options. School districts also have the option of holding individual students to certain attendance and remediation requirements - as spelled out in their Student Learning Plan - before they may access the CAA Options. The three options include:
- Student Grade Comparison
This option compares the class grades of a student who did not pass the WASL in a given subject area with those of other students who took the same courses and met or achieved slightly above the passing score on the WASL. If the student’s grades were equal or better than the average grade of those who scored at or slightly above state standards, that student could be considered to have met state standards.
- Collection of Evidence
Collection of work samples that shows students have met state standards. Work samples will be developed in class or out of class under the supervision of a teacher. In addition, guidelines for collections of work samples are being designed for students in certain approved career and technical education programs who are working toward industry certificates. A trained state-level team of educators will score these work samples.
- Consideration of a Student’s PSAT, SAT or ACT score
For math only, students have the option of using a qualifying score on the Preliminary Scholastic Assessment Test (PSAT), the Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT), or the American College Test (ACT) as an alternative to passing the math portion of the WASL.
Before the Collection of Evidence option is available, the State Board of Education must approve the guidelines and scoring process. This decision must be made by Dec. 1, 2006. The State Board also has until that date to determine acceptable scores for the PSAT, ACT and SAT.
Can students choose to bypass the 10th-grade WASL and use the CAA Options?
No. Students are required to take the WASL at least twice.
What will happen to students who choose not to take the 10th-grade WASL or the assessments available for students in special education?
They will not be eligible to earn a Certificate of Academic Achievement or a Certificate of Individual Achievement. Beginning with the class of 2008, students must earn one of the certificates to graduate from high school.
Do private-school students and home-schooled students have to pass the 10th-grade WASL in order to graduate?
Private-school students do not have to pass the 10th-grade WASL to get a diploma. Home-schooled students who want a diploma from a Washington public high school must pass the WASL and complete all of other state and local graduation requirements. |
