91% of Students Pass the Test

By Sara Schilling, Tri-City Herald, Kennewick, Wash.

Jun. 4–At least 57 more high school seniors from the Tri-Cities passed a high-stakes reading test this spring and at least 78 more passed in writing.

The Washington Assessment of Student Learning results don’t guarantee those students will graduate, but they do represent an important step toward earning a diploma for the historic Class of 2008.

Students in the class “have risen to the challenge,” said state Superintendent Terry Bergeson in a news conference Tuesday. Just over 91 percent of seniors statewide have passed the reading and writing WASL or an approved alternative, she said.

They’re the first students required to do that to get a diploma. They also must earn enough credits, create a plan for beyond high school and complete a culminating project.

In Kennewick, 43 more seniors passed the reading WASL in the spring and 66 more passed the writing test, according to district data.

That leaves 12 seniors who may not graduate because they haven’t passed the WASL or an alternative, according to district figures.

A larger number — 31 seniors — aren’t on track for graduation because they haven’t earned enough credits or fulfilled other district requirements.

That appears to be a trend across the state, Bergeson said. A study by Washington State University last year found 5.3 percent of seniors in 13 school districts were earning enough credits to graduate but didn’t have the WASL scores, while four times as many — 21.5 percent — passed the test but lacked credits.

More work also needs to be done for students who are new to the country and learning English, Bergeson said. Just 61.2 percent of seniors classified as English language learners met reading and writing standards, the data showed.

Two students from Southridge High School in Kennewick were among those who did not pass.

Hiren Panchal and Paul Thoul, both 18 and recent immigrants, earned more than enough credits to graduate, completed a culminating project and met requirements in reading and math.

But the seniors barely missed passing the writing WASL and won’t be able to graduate with their class.

“I really wanted to walk with my class,” said Panchal, who came here from India 11/2 years ago after a flood in his hometown threatened his chance to finish school there.

He speaks three languages, including English. Thoul, a refugee from Sudan, speaks five languages.

The seniors have worked hard and made great gains in the short time they’ve been in the country, their teachers said. Neither spoke English before coming here.

Panchal and Thoul plan to take the WASL again in August and hope to be granted an exception from the district to walk in Southridge High’s graduation ceremony.

They plan on going to college and want to see the law changed so other students don’t end up in the same situation.

“(I feel) really discouraged,” said Thoul, who wants to be a doctor. “…All the people — people like us from different countries — they try their best to learn. We tried our best to learn.”

Bergeson said the state needs to improve options for English language learners, including designing more personalized programs for students and aligning their graduation dates to reflect the extra time they may need.

In her briefing, Bergeson singled out a few schools for “meeting the challenge” of preparing students for graduation, including Grandview High School. She praised the school for its focus on personalized learning, bilingual graduation specialist and options for fifth-year seniors.

She also presented senior Lupita Garibay with a certificate of academic achievement for passing the WASL or an alternative in reading, writing and math. About 70 percent of students from the school are from low-income families, according to 2006-07 information from the state.

The achievement gap between white and minority students and rich and poor students significantly has narrowed for the Class of 2008, Bergeson said.

Between 84 percent and 93 percent of seniors in all major ethnic demographic groups met standards, and so did nearly 87 percent of low-income seniors, state data said.

In Richland, 14 more seniors passed the reading WASL in the spring and 12 more passed in writing.

Three seniors likely won’t graduate because they haven’t met either or both of those standards, the district said. Two of those students are English language learners.

At Pasco High, if all seniors pass their classes and senior projects, 10 still won’t graduate based on WASL scores, the district said.

That district didn’t release the number of seniors who passed the state reading and writing tests in the spring.

Seniors can take the WASL one more time in August and still graduate in their senior year if they pass.

The state will release the rest of the spring high school WASL results in two weeks. Elementary and middle school scores will be released later this summer.

* Sara Schilling: 582-1402; sschilling@tricityherald.com

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