Hot Topics for Washington’s Assessment Program

Joe Willhoft

OSPI Assessment and Research

OSPI/WERA Assessment ConferenceDecember 7-8, 2006

Seatac Hilton

The Basics• Census testing of all 10th grade students, regardless of

students’ grade level last year, all included in AYP; students not tested if the HS WASL was previously passed.

• Class of 2008 must pass Reading, Writing, and Math to earn a diploma.

• Diploma issued via a “CAA” or “CIA”, displayed on HS transcript.

• Home-based & private school students are NOT required to take WASL, and cannot earn a Washington HS diploma; must be flagged in CSRS.

• “Class of 2008” = Student first entered Gr 9 in 2004-05 school year.- A CSRS data element (“Grad Year”) should be set when student

enters Gr 9;- Value may be changed by IEP team, or for a student new to a

district.• Reading, Math, Writing results will be delivered to districts

Thurs., June 7, 2007.

Third Day Added to HS Writing Test

• High School Writing to span 3 days in 2007 – March 13, 14, 15.

• One of the three days will be used to pilot new prompts for future use.

• Need to assure year-to-year equivalence, and fairness, of writing test.

• Only applies to high school; due to high stakes nature of test.

• Third writing day is not an annual event; will need to repeat every 3 or 4 years.

• In 2007 (and beyond) high school writing uses separate booklet for each day.

Math Proposal from State Superintendent and Governor

• Nov. 27 Bergeson and Gregoire announced a proposal to send to legislature.

• Applies to students in Classes of 2008, 2009, 2010.

• If standard on math WASL not met via the math WASL or a CAA Option, can still earn diploma if:– Continues to take math WASL each spring, and– Continues to take and pass math courses.

• Proposal supported by State Board of Education.

• Is a proposal only, Legislature has final say.

CAA Options• Legislature approved three options for those whose

knowledge and skills are at standard, but for whom paper/pencil test does not show this

• Passing score on the options required to be at least as rigorous as WASL.Collection of Evidence (COE) – student must have taken and not

passed WASL twice; must also meet attendance, remediation indicated on SLP.

WASL/GPA Analysis – student must have taken and not passed WASL twice; must also meet attendance, remediation indicated on SLP; OSPI likely to establish restrictions on which courses apply; OSPI developing tool using transcript files uploaded to OSPI.

PSAT/SAT/ACT option (only for WASL-Math) – student must have taken and not passed WASL twice; Class of 2008 may use PSAT/SAT/ACT score taken at any time; State Board of Ed approved cut scores in November. Scores: PSAT=47; SAT=470; ACT=19

Segmented Math CourseUnder Development

• Year-long math course will be ready for 2007-08.• Available for juniors and seniors.• Design of course:

Sixty days’ instruction in number sense and algebraic sense, followed by short WASL on those topics (20-25 items; about 100 minutes);

Fifty days on geometric sense and measurement, short WASL on those topics;

Forty days on probability and statistics, short WASL on those topics;

• All WASLs include assessment of math process strands.• Scores from three short WASLs are combined into a

total WASL score.

Appeals for AssessmentsNeeded for Graduation

• Appeals are only available for HS assessments.• Two types of appeals: Score appeal and appeal

for transfers or special circumstances.– Score appeal requires parent/guardian to view test

and identify items not properly scored.– Transfer and special circumstances appeal under

development; draft guidelines due January 2, 2007.

• Districts should have out-of-state transfer students register for spring WASL until appeal guidelines are confirmed.