Lawmakers contemplate changes in statewide testing
Washington parents began receiving two-page letters from schools this week outlining the rules and schedule for statewide testing this spring. Many set it aside in confusion.
The Associated Press
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TED S. WARREN / AP
Washington Superintendent of Public Instruction Randy Dorn speaks to about state education reform efforts Wednesday, April 7, 2010, at Foster High School in Tukwila, Wash. The event was the first public appearance for Dorn after he served a one-day jail sentence earlier in the week for a March 21 DUI arrest. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren) WATW106
Washington parents began receiving two-page letters from schools this week outlining the rules and schedule for statewide testing this spring. Many probably set the letters aside in confusion, which is nothing new.
State rules for who has to take the High School Proficiency Exam — and its predecessor, the Washington Assessment of Student Learning, or WASL — have been confusing parents and students for years.
Four bills before the Legislature may simplify things in the near future. Some proposals take aim at the most confusing part of high-school testing — the rules that cover which high-school math exam or exams a studen