What is tested on the WASL?

"It's good, otherwise there will be kids passing who don't know what they are doing." - Emily Siderius, WHS Class of 2008

According to the Washington State OSPI (Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction) Web site, the WASL assessments "require students to both select and create answers to demonstrate their knowledge, skills, and understanding in each of the Essential Academic Learning Requirements (EALRs)--from multiple-choice and short answer questions to more extended responses, essays, and problem solving tasks."  The EALRs are minimum standards for learning for particular subject areas, and have been developed over the years by educators.

Recently, the state has been developing Grade Level Expectations (GLEs).  GLEs are based on the EALRs, but are written to be more specific to what is actually done in the classroom.  If you really want to get a specific idea of what the WASL will be asking you to do, check out the GLEs.  You can view them online by grade level here, or by clicking at any time on the logo in the navigation bar to your left.  Easy-to-use and printable copies are available for each subject area by clicking on the links below:

As you look at the GLEs, you'll see that some standards have a big "W" by them.  As you might guess, that stands for "WASL," and you should be prepared to encounter that standard on the test.