Eastmont High School
WASL
Questions and Answers
Q: What’s the WASL?
A: The WASL is the Washington Assessment of Student Learning, a set of tests the state requires all students in grades 4, 5, 7, 8, and 10 to take every year. At grade 10, the students are tested in reading, writing, math, and science.
Q: What does the WASL test?
A: The WASL is actually a series of tests spread over a eight testing sessions, two for each subject area.
Q: What are WASLs like?
A: WASLs are different from most of the standardized tests that adults are familiar with. They are more like regular schoolwork in that they ask students to write essays, show their work in math, and solve problems. The tests aren’t timed, so the students can have however long it takes them to finish. They’ll be able to use dictionaries for the writing and calculators for part of the math. They can also get credit for partially correct questions, and some questions have more than one correct answer.
Q: Why does Eastmont have to take participate?
A: The state requires
the WASL for three reasons. The people of the state and the school district can
use WASL results to help them find out how the schools are doing. The schools
can use WASL results to help them know how well their instructional programs
are working. Students and their parents can use WASL results to help them make
decisions about their future school and career choices.
Q: Does the WASL count toward graduation?
A: Not yet. Beginning with the class of 2008—this year’s grade 8 students—meeting the minimum standards on the WASL will be one requirement for a diploma. Right now, it isn’t.
Q: If it doesn’t count for graduation, then why does anyone think it’s important?
A: People pay close attention to the WASL results because—rightly or wrongly—they see them as indicators of quality schools and bright students. In August, when the scores are released, you will see a chart on the front page of the Wenatchee World showing how Eastmont’s sophomores did compared to other schools similar to us. (See the back of this sheet for Eastmont’s scores compared to the schools in the Big Nine league.) The test scores are public information, and they send a message about the quality of Eastmont’s programs—and of Eastmont’s students—to the public.
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2003 Grade
10 WASL Results |
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Big Nine League Schools |
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Percentages
meeting standards. |
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Math |
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Reading |
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Writing |
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Science |
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Kamiakin |
59.5 |
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Kamiakin |
77.5 |
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Kamiakin |
83.2 |
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Kamiakin |
52.4 |
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Richland |
52.6 |
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Southridge |
74.2 |
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Southridge |
80.4 |
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Southridge |
39.1 |
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Southridge |
48.5 |
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Richland |
72.1 |
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Richland |
76.0 |
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Richland |
38.1 |
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State
Average |
39.4 |
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State
Average |
60.0 |
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State
Average |
60.5 |
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Walla Walla |
33.9 |
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Kennewick |
36.1 |
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Walla Walla |
52.1 |
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Walla Walla |
56.6 |
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State
Average |
31.8 |
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Walla Walla |
34.9 |
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Kennewick |
49.2 |
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Kennewick |
54.9 |
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Moses Lake |
29.9 |
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Moses Lake |
33.0 |
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Eisenhower |
45.6 |
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Eisenhower |
53.6 |
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Eastmont |
28.5 |
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Eastmont |
28.5 |
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Eastmont |
45.5 |
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Eastmont |
51.0 |
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Kennewick |
25.5 |
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Eisenhower |
28.2 |
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Pasco |
44.7 |
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Moses Lake |
50.9 |
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Eisenhower |
25.2 |
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Wenatchee |
25.5 |
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Moses Lake |
44.2 |
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Wenatchee |
48.8 |
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Wenatchee |
20.8 |
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Pasco |
24.5 |
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Davis |
37.5 |
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Pasco |
46.5 |
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Davis |
17.0 |
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Davis |
18.4 |
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Wenatchee |
36.2 |
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Davis |
40.4 |
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Pasco |
15.5 |
Results for any school in the state at http://reportcard.ospi.k12.wa.us/