"Options for those who fail WASL explored"
The Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction recently put the finishing touches on its two proposals — the portfolio of class work ... and a comparison of a student's grades with those of classmates who took at least two of the same classes, yet passed the WASL.Yeah, whatever. Since the government education bureaucracy is obviously uninterested and/or incapable of enforcing any standards, maybe it's time to cut it out of the loop altogether. Let's just eliminate the requirement for government high school graduation standards. A high school diploma should be awarded to anybody who asks for one, along with a heart-shaped lapel sticker that says "I feel good about myself". Apart from this, those who wish to make a positive impression on prospective employers and colleges should be able to take standardized tests and report their scores. Posted by Stefan Sharkansky at January 13, 2006 11:06 AM | Email This
My "individual project" was a 10-foot long papier-meche arm of Grndl (aka Grindl).
I still have it. Anyone wishing to borrow it so they can badger or threaten an administrator into allowing you to graduate HS is welcome to contact me.
I'm certain that even though I am disinclined to loan it out, enough money could potentially be given to me to let ya borrow it.
Short of that, pass the !@#$ test. It's not that hard. I've seen it. My wife has seen it. Just do it.
Posted by: SnoCo Voter on January 13, 2006 11:17 AMNow, it seems if you don't do Running Start (i.e. start taking "college" courses when you are a junior), you are screwed with respect to getting into college. And the college courses they are taking are my old junior and senior level math and english.
Posted by: swatter on January 13, 2006 12:01 PMWe could apply the same logic to the SAT, the main criteria for entering college. Poor SAT score? Not to worry. Just submit submit a few essays purchased off the internet--it's all good.
Posted by: Organization Man on January 13, 2006 12:06 PM"The idea for two diplomas in School District 218 came up as officials were searching for ways to cut costs and looked at shortening the school day--and the course load--of students who opt for a lighter schedule."
"Fran Weibel, a parent in the district, told board members it's their responsibility to make sure students aim high."
"Carol Garding, president of the local teachers union, said [...] she has problems with the current proposal because it would result in a loss of teacher jobs, a possible increase in class size and would marginalize students who opt for the general diploma."
[At least she has her priorities right!]
"Michael Cohen, president of Achieve, a non-profit education group based in Washington, D.C., said [...] 'We don't think [multitiered diplomas] are a good idea, because they frequently give students a diploma even though they haven't mastered the skills they'll need ... after high school.'"
And so it goes. Only 3 years until my youngest is out of this state's public educational swamp.
Posted by: huckleberry on January 13, 2006 12:38 PMOne, not everyone can take tests well. (And you ALL know someone in your life who is like that.)
Two, actually, there are other requirements to graduation in WA state. One is them is a senior project. Now, OSPI leaves it up to each district to determine what it is but in Seattle, it is a months-long research paper that has to have documentation, usually an adult mentor/expert on your topic and must be presented to a panel in a written form as well as be presented orally. And, they have to do at least 60 hours of community service. So yes, we are asking for more than one test.
Three, colleges and universities ask for more than one academic measure (ACT or SAT, GPA, state test score) so how come it's okay for the state to base everything on one score?
Four, if you read the article carefully, it said that the option of comparing student's scores with other students scores would be carefully done.
Again, I have no problem with assessments but the WASL is a flawed testing instrument that needs serious fixing before it is a required-to-pass-to-graduate test.
Also, FYI in case in of you have students that are reaching the age to take it, you can have your child take it in 9th grade. This is good for high achieving kids (gets it out of the way so they can concentrate on class) or, if you are worried that your child isn't doing well, it's an early warning system. (There is a year gap between the last time kids take the test - 8th grade - and when they have to take it to pass - 10th grade.)
He is going to argue for free market economics to solve the education problem.
We can *never* succeed in repairing our education system while government is in charge. As Reagan said, *government* is the problem! We must advocate free market economics!
After all, it worked for mail, it worked for our telephone service, and it has worked for our food. What could be more important than food?
Posted by: Jonathan Gardner on January 13, 2006 01:18 PMThe first variety is used in the circus, and it's existence encourages the entertainer to perform amazing, and dangerous feats. And no matter how poor the choices he makes in his act, the careless acrobat will be spared from dangerous injury. Rescue is automatic and universal.
The second variety is used to fish things out of the water. The wielder of this net identifies victims who are floundering in the water and in danger of going under. Victims must identify themselves... if the non-swimmer tries passing herself off as somebody that can swim like Mark Spitz, then she will certainly drown. Rescue is available, but the victim must participate actively in her rescue.
Which variety of safety net do you suppose has been adopted by American government?
It is extremely easier to get an A or B than it did 30 years ago. Therefore, grades have been "dumbed" down to begin with.
We didn't like how poorly our students did, so we invented a testing system- WASL (by the libs, for the libs, etc.).
Now we don't like the results, so we want to "dumb" down the WASL.
I have a niece that gets straight As but can't take the standardized tests very well. I submit that she shouldn't be getting the As in the first place.
Don't "dumb" down the WASL. If you have to do something, get rid of it entirely.
And, if you don't want to play by the rules, get a GED.
Posted by: swatter on January 13, 2006 03:47 PMFACT; EVERY STUDY THAT I HAVE SEEN SHOWS THAT CHILDREN THAT ARE "LEARNERS" HAVE IT SET INTO THEIR NATURE BY THREE YEAR OF AGE. THIS IS DUE TO THE PARENT INVOLVMENT AND THE CULTURE FOUND IN THE CHILDS ENVIROMENT!
FACT; WHEN YOU COME FROM A CULTURE THAT HAS NO RESPECT FOR EDUCATION BUT VENERATES;A IN YOUR FACE DUNK SHOOT, PIMPS, HO'S AND THE LOCAL DRUG DEALERS,HAVING KIDS OUT OF WEDLOCK, SINGLE PARENT HOUSHOLD, JESSE JACKSON AND SUCKLING AT THE STATES TEET (WHITE, BROWN OR BLACK)... 65% DROP OUT RATES ARE TO BE EXPECTED!
FACT; AFRICANS IMMIGRATING TO THE U.S. DONT SUFFER THESE STIGMAS, THEY VALUE AND RESPECT EDUCATION... THERE GO IN TIME SUCCEED. THE SAME CAN BE SAID FOR ALL "LEGITIMENT" IMMIGRANTS.
UNTIL WE HAVE A CULTURAL REVOLUTION IN THE "JERRY SPRIGNER" SEGMENTS OF OUR SOCIETY NOTHING WILL CHANGE...AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO POUR MORE MONIES INTO THE BOTTOMLESS EDUCATION PIT THAT COULD BE PUT TO BETTER USE!!!
We must have beaten the odds big time.
I don't think it is income as much as it is "parents taking an interest in their kids". If you are a one parent household, it is a lot tougher than what we had. Money isn't everything.
Posted by: swatter on January 13, 2006 04:36 PMOSPI favored the grade and portfolio approaches in part because teachers and others wanted some way for a student's class work, done over time, to count as much as a single morning with a No. 2 pencil, Butts said.
Yet, the OSPI web site makes clear the WASL isn't a timed test that would take "one morning with a No. 2 pencil":
All of the state-level assessments are untimed; that is, students may have as much time as they reasonably need to complete their work.
Besides, the work done by students up to and after the taking of the WASL in the spring of their sophomore year does count -- how else does Butts think they got to the 10th grade and then through the 12th?
If Butts's attitude toward the WASL is typical (that is, not based on fact), what chance is there for a meaningful graduation requirement to survive?
When young men and women first begin to realize the truth of the old adage, "it's not what you know but who you know," they should all be reminded of the effect of dumbed-down public education standards. When the diploma is meaningless, no one is going to rely on it to decide whether to hire anyone -- but must instead look to something or someone else to provide a hint as to which people may be able to do the needed work.
Maybe 10th graders already realize this. If so, they might be the best advocates to put forward in trying to save the WASL as a graduation requirement -- or failing that, at least to keep it as an apparently reliable and valid way for some students to show what they know.
Posted by: Micajah on January 13, 2006 04:40 PMYOU'RE RIGHT YOU DID BEAT THE ODDS AND YOU ARE RIGHT ON AS TO WHY. YOUR FAMILY HAD THE PROPER CULTURE & RESPECT FOR WHAT AN EDUCATION CAN DO. YOU WERE DESTINE TO SUCCEED BECAUSE YOUR "PARENTS" DID EVERYTHING POSSIBLE MAKE IT SO.
YOU PROBALLY HAD TO WARE HAND-ME-DOWNS, DIDN'T GET A NEW CAR EVERY FEW YEARS BUT YOUR "PERENTS"
DID WHAT IT TOOK TO MAKE IT BETTER FOR YOU AND HOPEFULLY YOU WILL BE ABLE TO MAKE IT EVEN BETTER FOR YOU KIDS AND SO ON...THAT IS THE WAY IT WORKS.
As for the colleges looking at things other than SAT scores and grades, that is so they can get around I-200. California has done the same thing. You are mistaken if you think consistently making excuses helps these kids. As the colleges have found out, letting someone in the door who doesn't meet standards results in a high drop out rate. Using your logic, it sounds like you would have no problem going to a surgeon or auto mechanic who hasn't mastered the basics so long as they can show you a portfolio of all the other nifty things they have done.
Testing is here to stay and the sooner we help our kids deal with it the better. And one of my kids is not a good test taker, but we came up with ways to deal with that problem and the results have been absolutely amazing.
Posted by: Burdabee on January 13, 2006 05:23 PMI would hope most business owners and their human resources staff would possess the ability to distinguish between literate and illiterate applicants. Yes, people can have resumes prepared for them, but employers can administer their own screening tests during the interview process. Tests prepared by the employer would be more useful even than a solid, but non-job specific, diploma.
Also, a stack of education credentials doesn't always translate into good job performance. A good work history might be a better indicator.
I think if the public education system were stripped back to fulfilling bare minimum requirements - that they do nothing other than to assure that students can read at an 8th grade level, write a coherent sentence, and do basic arithmetic - then it would cost less and we'd see better results. Do you really need to know anything about art, music, history or even science to function in a low level job? If not, then why insist that people study these things - or more especially, why insist that the government teach us about these things? What the government SHOULD do is to emphasize the value of an education and then let people decide for themselves whether to invest their time and money in it. People who have a desire to learn will seek it on their own (there are plenty of examples of impoverished people who ultimately succeeded due to their own efforts). The ones who don't want to pursue further education can dig ditches and work in the food court. Society needs those kinds of people, too.
Posted by: Peggy U on January 13, 2006 06:58 PMThere's still hope.
Posted by: Organization Man on January 13, 2006 09:13 PMWe should just give them a piece of paper reading "If U can reed this payper you be a graduate" for all the value a high school diploma has.
Posted by: James on January 14, 2006 10:32 AMPeggy U, I haven't watched the 20/20 report yet. But that is an interesting observation about competitive education and wondering why it is not embraced here. The only thing I have to add is that, while the left wing law of emulating European systems generally holds true, the overriding concerns of the left wing are the inter-related goals of maintaining victimhood, non-accountability, and not offending anyone. Competition usually flies in the face of those concerns, or makes them very difficult to achieve (just ask Walmart).
I just talked to my 10th-grader about the WASL. She said it's easy and that anyone who fails it is also failing their regular classes. Further, she said the only way to fail regular classes is to do nothing. There is so much help available right now, both for regular classes and the WASL, that you'd have to put forth more effort in TRYING to fail. I think it would be good to see a study correllating WASL scores with regular class grades. Might prove enlightening.
Posted by: Ken Wiebe on January 14, 2006 10:41 AMRemoving privileges has not motivated him so far (he has not learned to drive yet, and we will not be paying for driving lesson or any car related expenses until he is pulling a solid B).
Posted by: Peggy U on January 14, 2006 01:45 PM