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PARTNERSHIP FOR LEARNING ARTICLES WEB SITES
Partnership for Learning Articles - Frequently Asked Questions
Standards Assessment Accountability Certificate of Mastery
Standards
Q. What are the state's academic standards?
Q. Why were the state’s academic standards developed?
Q. Who developed the state's academic standards?
Q. What subjects are covered by the Essential Academic Learning Requirements?
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Assessment
Q. What is the WASL?
Q. What's the difference between a criterion-referenced test and a norm-referenced test?
Q. What subjects are covered by the WASL?
Q. Who takes the WASL and when is it taken?
Q. Who created the WASL?
Q. Who determined the scores needed to achieve the standards on the WASL?
Q. Who scores the WASL?
Q. What ongoing role do teachers play in the development and scoring of the WASL?
Q. What is being done to provide teachers with more tools to help students with the WASL?
Q. Are refinements made to the WASL over time?
Q. How can parents be assured that the WASL is graded fairly and accurately?
Q. Do students in bilingual/ESL programs have to take the WASL?
Q. Do private schools or home school students have to take the WASL?
Q. How and when are scores reported?
Q. Will the state tests affect my child's grade?
Q. Can I get a copy of the WASL?
Q. What will be done to address the needs of students with disabilities?
Q. Can students use computers when taking the test?
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Accountability
Q. What is the purpose of the accountability system?
Q. What is the current status of Washington's accountability system?
Q. What are the state's improvement goals?
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Certificate of Mastery
Q. What is the Certificate of Mastery?
Q. When will the Certificate of Mastery become a graduation requirement?
Q. What happens if a student doesn't meet the standard in all of the required areas the first time he or she takes the 10th-grade WASL?
Q. Who can I contact for more information on education reform in Washington state?
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Standards
Q. What are the state's academic standards?
A. Washington's academic standards, known as the Essential Academic Learning Requirements (EALRs), describe the specific knowledge and skills Washington's public school students are expected to learn as they progress through school.
Q. Why were the state’s academic standards developed?
A. There are fewer and fewer opportunities and options for young people without skills in areas like reading, writing and math. As a result, it's more important than ever for students to get a good education and learn what they need to be successful in today's world. Washington's academic standards were developed in core subject areas to provide clear and common expectations for what students should be learning and to ensure that all students, and not just a few, are expected to learn high-level skills and knowledge.
Q. Who developed the state's academic standards?
A. The Washington State Commission on Student Learning was established by the Legislature to create the EALRs. The commission created subject advisory committees composed primarily of Washington teachers and curriculum specialists, and these committees conducted an exhaustive, multi-year process to develop the EALRs. The Commission on Student Learning disbanded in 1999 and the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction is now responsible for maintaining and revising the EALRs.
Q. What subjects are covered by the Essential Academic Learning Requirements?
A. In 1995, the Commission on Student Learning adopted standards for reading, writing, communication and math. Science, social studies, arts and health/fitness EALRs were adopted in 1996.
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Assessment
Q. What is the WASL?
A. The Washington Assessment of Student Learning (WASL) is a statewide assessment designed to measure whether public school students have mastered the state's academic standards. Unlike many other standardized assessments, the WASL asks students not only to choose right answers and demonstrate subject content knowledge, but also to explain their thinking, write essays, and figure out how to solve complicated math problems.
Q. What's the difference between a criterion-referenced test and a norm-referenced test?
A. A criterion-referenced test measures students' performance against set standards. The WASL is criterion-referenced and measures whether students have learned the specific skills, concepts, facts and ideas found in Washington's standards. By using a combination of multiple choice, short answer and essay questions, the WASL allows for a deeper assessment of important skills and knowledge found in the state standards.
Norm-referenced test like the Iowa Test of Basic Skills (ITBS), also administered in Washington state, help us learn how students compare to each other by measuring their scores against an average national score. Norm-referenced tests are scored using a
national curve in which half the students receive a score above 50 percent and half below. The comparison group is called the "norm," explaining why these tests are often referred to as "norm-referenced" tests. Norm-referenced tests are generally comprised of multiple choice and/or true-false questions.
Q. What subjects are covered by the WASL?
A. The assessments currently measure student achievement in reading, writing, listening and mathematics. Science assessments were piloted in the spring of 2001, and assessments for social studies, arts and health/fitness are scheduled to be developed in
the future.
Q. Who takes the WASL and when is it taken?
A. The WASL is currently taken by most 4th-, 7th- and 10th-grade public school students. The WASL is given throughout the state during the last two weeks of April and the first week of May; schools and school districts may administer the test anytime during that time period. The WASL is not a timed assessment, but a student will typically spend several hours a day over a five-day period actually taking the test.
Q. Who created the WASL?
A. The Commission on Student Learning was directed by the Legislature to create an assessment to measure students' progress in meeting the EALRs. The commission created content committees for each subject, composed primarily of Washington state teachers, to develop, revise and approve all WASL items in conjunction with the state's assessment contractor. The commission also created a Fairness Committee, composed of a diverse group of citizens from across the state, to review all WASL items for bias. The Commission on Student Learning disbanded in 1999, and OSPI is now responsible for the ongoing development of the WASL. Among other refinements to the development process, teams of Washington state teachers now develop the WASL items. The state's assessment contractor then works with these teams to refine the items if necessary.
Q. Who determined the scores needed to achieve the standards on the WASL?
A. The Commission on Student Learning established standard-setting committees composed primary of teachers from the relevant grades to determine "how good is good enough" to meet the standards.
Q. Who scores the WASL?
A. The WASL is scored by National Computer Systems (NCS Pearson), a company renowned in the testing industry for the high caliber of its training and quality controls. In the summer of 2001, 158 3rd-, 4th- and 5th-grade Washington state teachers participated as scorers of the fourth-grade writing assessment at a scoring site in Mesa, Arizona. OSPI plans to phase in Washington teachers as scorers in all grades and subjects over the next several years.
Q. What ongoing role do teachers play in the development and scoring of the WASL?
A. Teachers play a variety of roles. For example, teams of Washington state teachers develop all new test items for the WASL. These teams then collaborate with the state's
assessment contractor to fine-tune these new items. The role of teachers in the scoring of the WASL is also being expanded. In the summer of 2001, Washington 3rd-, 4th- and 5th-grade teachers participated as scorers of the 4th-grade writing portion of the WASL. OSPI plans to expand the role of Washington teachers in scoring over the next several years, phasing in teachers as scorers in all grades and subjects. Every year, more than 100 Washington state teachers also participate in "range-finding," an exhaustive three-week process to ensure the criteria used by scorers accurately reflect our states' academic standards.
Q. What is being done to provide teachers with more tools to help students with the WASL?
A. This fall, OSPI expects to release between 30% and 40% of all items from the 2001 WASL, including all of the writing prompts. To help educators make use of these items, OSPI plans to:
- Provide educators with information about how students generally did on the released items.
- Provide an annotated set of anchor (exemplar) papers for all of the released short-answer/ extended-response items, and writing prompts so that teachers and parents can better understand what "meeting the standard" really looks like.
- Conduct nine workshops for teams from schools and districts in late October and early November to help educators use WASL information to improve student learning.
Q. Are refinements made to the WASL over time?
A. Yes. For example, in response to concerns about the age-appropriateness of the fourth-grade math WASL, OSPI hired the Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory to conduct an independent analysis. Changes were incorporated into the test administered in the spring of 2001. Some questions were deleted, others reformatted to improve clarity, the test-taking period was spread over three days instead of two to lessen stress on young students and new guidelines to better gauge age-appropriateness were used.
The lessons learned from the 4th-grade math study are being applied to other grades and subjects. For example, the 7th- and 10th-grade math assessments have been shortened, and guidelines that were developed to ensure the age-appropriateness of items are being applied to the development of all new test items, not just the 4th-grade math questions.
The writing prompts are now also being piloted every fall to ensure that they are appropriate. Teachers in selected schools have students try out the prompts, providing lots of information about how the prompts work. Prompts that work best in these pilots are then used in the actual WASL in future years.
Q. How can parents be assured that the WASL is graded fairly and accurately?
A. Scorers must have a four-year college degree and pass competency tests. They must also undergo extensive training and are held accountable daily for accuracy and consistency by scoring supervisors. A variety of technical means are used to further ensure accuracy and consistency, such as randomly selecting responses to be double scored.
Q. Do students in bilingual/ESL programs have to take the WASL?
A. Teams including a student's regular classroom teacher, the building administrator, the ESL/bilingual/migrant specialist(s), a student's parents or guardian and an interpreter (if necessary) make decisions about WASL accommodations and exemptions for
ESL/bilingual students. The need for testing accommodations is determined by assessing the student's English proficiency level. If a student scores in the limited proficiency range during a year he or she would take the WASL, accommodations can be recommended for the WASL.
A limited number of exemptions are granted for students who are not proficient in English. Exemptions may be recommended if a student meets both of the following criteria: (1) the student has spent one school year or less in a school where English is the
language of instruction; and (2) the student is not proficient in English and scores at the lowest level on a state-approved oral language proficiency test.
The Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction is presently evaluating commercially available tests that may be used in lieu of the WASL to assess these students in the future.
Q. Do private schools or home school students have to take the WASL?
A. No; private and home-schooled students are exempt from the WASL. However, private and home-schooled students, their parents or their schools can contract with the testing service to take the WASL exam.
Q. How and when are scores reported?
A. Parents and teachers receive scores for individual students each fall in the form of a score report. Scores show student performance relative to a high and fixed standard of achievement and provide information on strengths and weaknesses within each subject, such as problem solving in mathematics or grammar, punctuation and spelling in writing. Results provide teachers information about where students need help and can help
refine instructional strategies in the classroom. Scores are also compiled to show performance trends at the school building, district and state levels.
Q. Will the state tests affect my child's grade?
A. In general, the state tests were not designed to be a grading tool. However, some schools may use the test results to help make student retention and promotion decisions. Parents should feel free to ask their child's teacher or principal how the test will be used in their child's school.
Q. Can I get a copy of the WASL?
A. Example questions in each grade level and subject matter are included in the publication, Reaching Higher, which is available through the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction. Parents who wish to see a copy of the actual test taken by their child can go to their child's school during the April/May testing period and, by signing a confidentiality agreement, review an actual copy of the test.
The tests are not released publicly because many of the same questions will be used on future tests. Because the WASL is a relatively new assessment, there are a limited number of test questions available. Each year, hundreds of new items are piloted by students in Washington state so that eventually, old questions can be released to the public and replaced with new, well-piloted items. This fall, OSPI expects to release between 30% and 40% of all items from the 2001 WASL, including all of the writing prompts.
Q. What will be done to address the needs of students with disabilities?
A. As with any other aspect of education for students with disabilities, local school officials have to identify what falls within a student's Individualized Education Plan (IEP) and what it excludes. The state has compiled a list of accommodations to the WASL available for students with disabilities, including additional time, special testing environments and variable testing formats, such as Braille. Specific guidelines are available to help districts make decisions about accommodations.
To address instances where a student cannot fully participate in all or some of the general content areas of the WASL, even with accommodations, the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction has developed the Washington Alternate Assessment System (WAAS). WAAS has been designed to measure progress toward each student's Individualized Education Program (IEP) goals, which are aligned to statewide standards and to create incentives for movement, where appropriate, to full participation
in the WASL.
It is the responsibility of the student's IEP team to determine that student's participation in the WASL, an alternate assessment, or some combination of the two (with or without accommodations). IEP teams choosing to utilize alternate assessments determine the
most appropriate type of assessment tool to be used. IEP teams may opt to use a commercially available test to measure progress in reading, mathematics, writing or listening. This fall, OSPI will conduct a review of the commercially available tests, selected by a panel of IEP teams, and plans to correlate these tests to the EALRs. If an IEP determines that any component part of the WASL is inappropriate for the student, and the commercially available tests are also inappropriate, then a portfolio assessment may be used.
Q. Can students use computers when taking the test?
A. Students with special needs who use computers as an accommodation during the course of the school year are allowed to use them on the state test. In most cases, this requires a provision for computer use in a student's Individualized Education Plan (IEP). Beyond that, students are not permitted to use computers on the WASL. It may be possible to change this restriction in the future, but several important needs must be
met, including access to a computer for every student, uniform software that does not allow spelling and grammar checks and does not save student work and a scoring system that can capture, process and score responses created on pages outside of the
test booklet.
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Accountability
Q. What is the purpose of the accountability system?
A. The purpose of accountability is to help ensure schools are making continuous improvements in raising student achievement.
Q. What is the current status of Washington's accountability system?
A. Washington is planning accountability requirements that ask schools to take seriously their progress toward reaching standards - but it is proceeding slowly and carefully. Washington has set goals for improvement for reading and math - asking every school to make progress from its own starting point (not compared to other schools with different students) - and appropriated funds to expand the state's capacity to assist schools with large numbers of students not meeting state standards. Decisions about what should be done at the state level about schools that continue to have large numbers of students who do not meet state standards and are not showing signs of improvement despite extra help have yet to be made.
Q. What are the state's improvement goals?
A. In the spring of 2001, Washington's Academic Achievement and Accountability (A+) Commission adopted performance improvement goals that expect every school to make progress helping more students meet standards each year. These goals ask schools to make improvements based on their own starting point - not compared to other schools -and are similar to the three-year reading improvement goals the Legislature adopted for elementary schools in 1998. Using scores from the spring 2001 WASL as a baseline, all schools that administer the 4th-, 7th- or 10th- grade WASL will be expected to reduce the number of students not meeting standards in reading and math by 25% over three years.
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Certificate of Mastery
Q. What is the Certificate of Mastery?
A. The Certificate of Mastery is designed to "certify" that a student has truly mastered the standards in core subjects like reading, writing and mathematics. It's a credential students will earn by meeting standards in a few core subjects on the 10th-grade WASL. Eventually, students will need to earn the certificate as part of the state's graduation requirements.
Q. When will the Certificate of Mastery become a graduation requirement?
A. In January 2000, the State Board of Education established that the class of 2008 will be the first class required to demonstrate achievement of the reading, writing, math and listening standards as measured by the 10th-grade WASL in order to earn a diploma (with science added in 2010).
Q. What happens if a student doesn't meet the standard in all of the required areas the first time he or she takes the 10th-grade WASL?
A. Once the Certificate of Mastery becomes a graduation requirement, students will have multiple opportunities to retake the assessment in the areas in which they did not meet standard and they will have time for targeted assistance during their last two years of high school. Evidence from other states indicates that retakes and targeted help make a big difference. Last year, for example, was Indiana's "2008." A total of 54% of Indiana's Class of 2000 passed its 10th-grade math and verbal tests on the first try, but with retake opportunities and targeted help, the final graduation rate was 89%, equal to Indiana's historic rate.
The State Board of Education has created a Certificate of Mastery study committee to help it study the validity and reliability of the 10th-grade WASL as a graduation requirement. This new requirement won't become effective until the board determines the test is absolutely sound for this purpose. The board is scheduled to make its determination in 2004. The study committee and the Superintendent of Public Instruction are committed to investigating means in addition to the 10th-grade WASL for students to demonstrate achievement of the standards.
Q. Who can I contact for more information on education reform in Washington state?
A. Please contact Partnership for Learning at 1-800-550-5437 or visit their Web site at: http://www.partnership4learning.org.
Resource provided by Partnership for Learning.
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