In case you haven't heard, word on the street is that the WASL is on the way out. Please read this article and share your thoughts on the subject.
Is Superintendent Dorn making the right move? Are we giving in to the rising tide of mediocrity? Has too much money been spent on the WASL to abandon it now?
What do YOU think?
p.s. Your response will be graded on a four point scale. If you do not score at least a three, you will be required to write a new post every April. Your diploma will be withheld until you are able to write a three point response.
6 comments:
I think that that is a good idea.
I'm not entirely sure what I think of this yet. Really, the WASL has a bad rep, but since I've never taken it, I can't say if it's bad or good. This new test.. The 'Measurement of Student Progress', Or the 10th grade 'High School Proficiency Exams', Telling us what we lack, rather than what we are good at. Does this really help for college? Telling us what we aren't good at; on a computer? You could probably cheat, and it also gets people out of jobs. On the other hand, less tax dollars to education, right?
I don't know any pros or cons for the WASL. I have never taken it.
I don't know enough to really say if either are bad, or which is better. As I said above, not sure what I think about this.
Is this a 3+ writing? I don’t know how its going to be graded so I don't know if it really fits the requirements.
E for effort?
lets ban, burn and cast the WASL into the Eternal abyss forever, so that we may never have to put up with that test ever again!
I believe that Mr. Dorn is heading in the right direction with his pushes to dissolve the WASL. Depending on this new test, the High School Proficiency Exam, I cannot say yet as to whether we are breaking down to the waves of mediocrity (we probably are). I know that we've spent a good deal of money (many of millions!), although I think that is never a reason to not abandon something.
Oh, I enjoy the Washington graduation standards, they greatly amuse me.
I can imagine the board members over in Olympia going, "Hey, let's stop giving the same test over and over. Let's just sneak up on those kids and give em a different test after 7 years of WASL! Yes, that's what we'll do. Good idea, superindentant!"
Not that I'm ever worried about passing a test, but I assume it will be a quite the inconvience in the elementary schools and special education classrooms. In 4th grade, when we WASLed for the first time, about 10 students in the classroom cried when they were taking it. In 1st and 2nd grade, we were terrified of taking the WASL.
Of course, this won't effect seniors, but let's just forget about the class of 2012; I'll be interested in finding out how many students next year fail the "High School Proficiency Exams" (Of course, they do have 2 more years to pass it, but who knows whether or not they'll get the hang of the test by then."
Well... I'm waiting, bring it on. And hey, maybe with such advanced technology they're deciding to use such as these computer things they're talking about, we can use blue or black ink! This is exciting!
Might i add that with this new efficiency, the fools still ignore the obvious: a standardized test is not an effective measure because people are not carbon copies of each other, nor will they just automatically be good at everything *sighs* Those with but a little knowledge the best fools be.
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