Brendan Dougherty is a strapping six-foot-three one-hundred-eighty pound 16-year old. With his gifted physique and drive for excellence, Brendan is an accomplished swimmer and water polo player. His self motivation extends to school, where he attends 5 a.m. swim practices, maintains a 3.5 g.p.a. and has already completed his required high school volunteer service work.
In addition, he is employed with the Bellevue School District, pays for his own car insurance and is responsible for driving his twelve year old sister to middle school. As intelligent, responsible and well rounded as Brendan is, he may not be qualified to graduate from high school. How can this be?
Welcome to the harsh reality of the Washington Assessment of Student Learning (WASL). In 1997 WASL was implemented in response to a nationwide concern over the quality of education. The goal was to raise academic standards, ensure a solid base of knowledge, and increase the value of a high school diploma.
Currently, fourth, seventh and tenth graders take the four-part WASL exam. Starting in 2008, students must pass to graduate. In Brendan's case, he did not pass the fourth nor the seventh grade exams and it is doubtful whether he'll pass the tenth grade test. Brendan is not an anomaly; recent test results indicate a diverse range of the student body, including a disproportionate percentage of low-income teenagers, will not pass the tenth grade WASL exam. Obviously, something is amiss if a kid like Brendan cannot graduate from high school.
The cloud of the WASL hangs over the heads of teachers, schools and students as they endure extreme pressure to perform well. The impetus for the WASL came from President Bush's No Child Left Behind Act, which holds schools accountable for the education their students receive. WASL test scores are used to identify poor performing schools and serve as the basis for teacher reassignments or other sanctions. As a result, this encourages cutthroat competition and teaching to the test at the expense of scholarly enrichment.
Moreover, incidents of testing misconduct have occurred because schools that administer the test have an inherent conflict of interest. In one case, an elementary school teacher allowed students to correct their exam after the test was completed.
This teacher received a 15-day suspension for violating WASL test-protocols. Lastly, and most importantly, we can only imagine the stress Brendan and other students must bear knowing that if they don't pass the WASL they won't graduate.
Concerns with the WASL exam extend beyond the pressure-related issues.
The money used in creating, administering and evaluating the WASL is money not used for teaching. Furthermore, the test reduces the precious time teacher's have to instruct. In addition, it's redundant for elementary students to take the WASL since they already take the comparable Iowa Basic Skills Test. For those in high school, there are the California Achievement Test and The Scholastic Aptitude Test.
Another concern deals with the stigma and embarrassment of failing, which promises to exasperate the schism among the student body and increase a drop-out rate which already exceeds 25 percent. Finally, the relevancy of WASL to the career paths that students will pursue is tenuous at best.
After high school most kids either attend college, seek employment or enlist in the armed services. Regardless of a teenager's career choice, mastery of WASL is a woefully inadequate measure of a student's individuality, abilities and potential.
This test provides a lack of insight into student interests, capabilities, character, and employability all of which are important for entering the adult world. Therefore, broadening the WASL to augment the academic content would provide a more useful assessment. In Brendan's case, his employment, participation in sports, extra community service, and high g.p.a. should be encompassed as part of the WASL assessment.
The following are some important performance measures that should be included in the tenth-grade WASL. These would give students a variety of options to score points while simultaneously providing test reviewers with a more in-depth student profile. For example, timeliness and attendance reflect an individual's commitment and reliability, which are essential for most career choices.
The Presidential Fitness Test serves as another performance measure that demonstrates athleticism and physical capabilities necessary for many jobs and armed services positions. Thirdly, letters of recommendation could provide a unique insight that standardized tests cannot. An oral interview is another source that could assess communication and social competency necessary for functioning in the adult world.
In addition, extracurricular activities could showcase a student's interests, teamwork and time management abilities which are necessary skills for surviving in the 21st century. Employment is another performance measure that demonstrates such sought after attributes as work ethic, independence and budgeting.
A seventh option could be a driver's license, which exemplifies "real world" application of reading comprehension, listening and successful test taking. Furthermore, low income and special-needs students should be recognized for the inherent barriers they face. Together, these eight options would enhance the WASL and ensure deserving students like Brendan have the opportunity to graduate.
This current obsession to test our kids diverts attention from the major issues troubling our schools. Unmanageable class sizes, inadequate teacher support, tenuous school funding sources, and a shameful drop-out rate are just a few of the problems plaguing many of our schools. The solution lies with motivated students, involved parents, committed teachers, and securely funded schools. When these become the priority the current compulsion for accountability will cease and the coveted test scores will naturally be achieved.[[In-content Ad]]
