Replacing the WASL in Shoreline schools

Two new tests replace the Washington Assessment of Student Learning (WASL) this spring in Shoreline and school districts throughout Washington.

Measurements of Student Progress (MSP)
The name of the MSP, given to students in grades 3 to 8, conveys the goal of the test: to measure student progress. The MSP will be shorter to take than the WASL and will be moved online over the next few years. Reading, math and science will take just one day each instead of two with the WASL. For now, writing will still take two days.

The dates for testing in spring 2010 are May 12-28 for paper-and-pencil and May 3-June 4 for online testing in grades 6 to 8 in reading and math. In Shoreline, online testing will be used at Kellogg Middle School for reading and at Room Nine Community School for grades 7 and 8 for reading and math.

High School Proficiency Exam (HSPE)
This test measures the proficiency of students in high school and serves as the state’s exit exam. Students must pass this assessment or a state-approved alternative in reading and writing in order to be eligible to graduate. The dates for testing in spring 2010 are March 16 to 18 (reading is one day; writing is two) and April 13 (math) and April 15 (science). Students in the classes of 2010-2012 must pass both the reading and writing assessments to be eligible to graduate. If a student has already passed a specific assessment via the WASL (ie., reading), they will not have to take the HSPE in that content area.Students in the Class of 2013 are the first to be required to pass reading, writing, math and science assessments.The HSPE is shorter to take than the WASL and will also be moved online over the next few years. Reading, math and science will take just one day each instead of two with the WASL. For now, writing will still take two days.

Visit Washington’s Online Testing Web site, to download tutorials, view demos, and more.