What
happens if you fail to meet standard?
"If we don't pass, it's like it's (years of school)
all for nothing." - Juana Magdaleno, WHS Class
of 2008
 In
this case there is less to fear than you might think. However,
in order to stay on top of exactly what the rules will be
regarding retakes and other options, you need to be reading
the daily newspapers--and as of March 2006, the rules are
changing. The
latest information (March 4, 2006) is available
in this report from The
Seattle Times. Here's their summary of the proposed alternative
graduation requirements:
- Proposed alternative graduation requirements for students
who fail the state's standardized test
- Students could pass a part of the WASL, such as the math
section, if their grades in that subject were as good
or better than their classmates who passed the test.
- A portfolio of school work could show a student's mastery
of subjects contained in the test.
- For the math portion of the test, a student's score on
certain college entrance tests, such as the SAT and ACT,
could be substituted.
The WASL may
be retaken up to four times in order
to earn the "Certificate of Academic Achievement" (CAA). In
order better get an idea of the paths available to graduation,
carefully check out this flow chart. 
Another good site to bookmark as you ponder
your WASL options is The
Class of 2008: Facing the Test, an ongoing special
report at The Seattle Times.
Finally, keep checking the OSPI
Web site and the WASL
Resource Center 2006 for additional
details. You'll find answers for just about all your
question regarding graduation requirements, retake information,
and alternative assessments in this publication: Preparing
Students for Life and Work: A Guide to the New Graduation
Requirements (available here
in Spanish).
No matter what happens, you can bet this is one page we'll
need to update soon! |
