People are talking quite a bit about whether Dorn has the authority to making sweeping changes to the WASL without consulting the Legislature.

Here is the Code (28A.655.070) that Dorn’s office is quoting:

(3) (b) Effective with the 2009 administration of the Washington assessment of student learning, the superintendent shall redesign the assessment in the content areas of reading, mathematics, and science in all grades except high school by shortening test administration and reducing the number of short answer and extended response questions.

Well, that settles it, right? No. (more…)

Tags: Dorn, WASL

Tonight at 7 and 10 p.m., watch TVW for The Impact with Jennifer Huntley.

Here’s what she tells me you can look forward to on tonight’s show:

• We’ll have lawmaker reaction to State Superintendent Randy Dorn’s announcement to throw out the WASL.
• Tough choices are being made to balance the current budget…find out how the state’s Department of Social and Health Services is managing the cuts.
• And want to learn more about how the state spends your money? A new budget website gives you a chance to examine the books.
• We’ll also bring your questions on transportation issues to top lawmakers.

Guess what else is on the show: Me.

Tags: Budget, Impact, Legislature, WASL

Tags: Dorn, education, WASL

Dorn’s press conference is playing on TVW right now. Go. Watch.

Not convinced? Here’s what Dorn just said on the technology:
“I don’t have to tell print journalists that the use of technology will rock your world. ”

And now for more on Dorn’s power to change the WASL without legislative approval: According to the draft schedule, there’s a 10 a.m. hearing next Tuesday when Dorn has the stage during a work session to present his “action plan” for the WASL.

We’ll have that live. Also, I’ll very soon have a clip where Dorn foreshadows this very day.

Tags: Dorn, WASL

Here’s a press release from Senate Democrats that I was forwarded just now. It’s from Sen. Rosemary McAuliffe, who has worked on the WASL since before it was created. Most recently, she worked over the interim with a group of legislators on a WASL reform bill.

Here’s what she says:

Sen. Rosemary McAuliffe, chair of the Senate Early Learning & K-12 Education Committee submitted Senate Bill 5414 this morning to implement the findings of the bi-partisan WASL workgroup that she created last year. She also responded to state Superintendent of Public Instruction Randy Dorn’s proposed changes to the Washington Assessment of Student Learning (WASL).

McAuliffe said:
“Superintendent Dorn’s recommendations and those of the WASL workgroup share common ground. We both want to develop a balanced assessment system that parents, teachers and students can get real results from – not just test scores. We need a system that informs instruction and addresses each student’s individual learning needs.

The WASL workgroup recommends multiple testing formats to both enhance student learning and gather the data that we need to continue improving our schools. In whatever specific path we take, our common goal is to enhance student learning.

This will be a collaborative process with Superintendent Dorn. I’m looking forward to working with him to refine our state testing system to meet the needs of students, teachers and parents.”

Tags: Dorn, McAuliffe, WASL

As posted below, Superintendent of Public Instruction Randy Dorn said he can change the WASL because the law gives him the latitude.

I checked on that with a staff member. They don’t speak on the record, so I’ll paraphrase what I understand.

State law outlining the WASL has some broad requirements and some narrow requirements. For example: There is no section in the law that requires it to be administered with paper-and-No. 2-pencil. (Or at least, I should say, no section that either of us knew of.)

That means administering the test on computers is a possibility that doesn’t require Legislative approval. It does, however, require school districts to have adequate computer supplies.

One example of a narrow requirement: The high school math test must be administered end-of-course. That means students take the Algebra test when they finish the Algebra math class. That’s an example of something that would require legislative approval.

More soon on the Legislative approval piece.

Tags: Add new tag, Dorn, WASL

We’re airing Dorn’s press conference at 12:30 (in an hour) on TVW. You can also watch online.

Also: I just saw Austin Jenkins of Inside Olympia. He told me a bit more about the idea of testing on computers.

Basically, each student would take the test during their regularly scheduled computer lab time. Students couldn’t share the answers with their friends with later computer lab classes because all the test are different.

I’ll find out more on that in the next few minutes. See you at 12:30.

Tags: Dorn, WASL

Very interesting, from Dorn’s Q&A on the new Measurement of Student Progress and High School Proficiency Exam (nee WASL).

Q: Does Supt. Randy Dorn have the authority to replace the WASL?
A: Yes. Under Washington law (RCW 28A.655.070), the superintendent has the ability to modify the state assessment system. The state Legislature, if they desire, can request input in the changes.

I had assumed that any changes would need Legislative approval. I’ll check into exactly how much requesting power the Legislature has…

Also: The Q&A says test results will be back in two weeks. That’s fast.

Tags: Dorn, WASL

In recent years, the WASL has been criticized as too expensive. The costs ballooned after the state created the test for many reasons, policymakers say, including increased demand on the testing industry through federal No Child Left Behind standards, increased add-ons, etc.

But cutting the cost of the WASL is tricky: It’s expensive to craft, administer, rate and distribute statewide, customized assessment tests.

In Superintendent of Public Instruction Randy Dorn’s ideas for re-doing the WASL, you’ll see this phrase time and again: “Fewer constructed response items.”

“Constructed response items” are basically story problems that require students to write out their answers, not just fill in a bubble. But they don’t just exist in the writing or reading section of the test. Math, science, reading and writing all require some constructed response items.

Why? (more…)

Tags: education, WASL

Here is the PDF of the plan. (Mouse over for full reading without leaving the blog.)

Here is the proposed timeline for scrapping the WASL and implementing a replacement.

I’ll be reading these as you are. E-mail nikis@tvw.org with questions/comments/copy editing. More posts on this shortly.

Tags: Dorn, education, WASL