Analyzing WASL scores a precise science
October 8, 2008
By Laura Geggel
No WASL test’s journey is complete until Greg Lobdell, co-founder and director of research of the Center for Educational Effectiveness, Inc., has analyzed its data.
At the Sept. 25 School Board meeting, Lobdell presented on the three-year trends he had gathered regarding Snoqualmie Valley School District’s WASL scores.
Lobdell’s presentation addressed two main questions: Where is Snoqualmie Valley in relation to other schools and districts? And where does Snoqualmie Valley want to be academically?
First, Lobdell reported Snoqualmie Valley students had scored higher than the state average in all grade levels and subjects — including reading, math, writing and science. Except in three specific areas, the scores from all subject tests improved at a rate faster than the state average.
Two of the areas — fourth- and sixth-grade reading — improved at a rate equal to the state due to the ceiling effect; as performance moves above 85 percent, the ability to improve faster than the state decreases.
The third area — seventh-grade math — was improving at a rate equal to the state.
Second, Lobdell showed student progress in the areas of reading, writing and math. Lobdell did not dwell on science, even though Valley students showed a large upward jump in meeting science standards, because there are only two year’s data for the science WASL — not enough to show a trend.
Students meeting standard in reading, writing and math, however, thrilled school district administrators. In 2004, about 43 percent of tenth-grade students met standard in all subject areas. In 2008, about 63 percent were meeting standard.
If the graph included retakes, about 96 percent of sophomores would be meeting standard, Lobdell said.
The amount meeting zero of the three WASL subjects decreased substantially, with about 20 percent of sophomores failing in reading, writing and math in 2004 and only 2 percent failing in 2008.
Lobdell said the vast improvements could be linked to the district’s recent focus on comprehensive literacy. For example, more than 60 percent of Valley sophomores met WASL science standards, compared to the state average of 40 percent — largely because they scored well on the extended response questions, which requires reading, writing and reasoning skills.
Superintendent Joel Aune congratulated the district in its improvement, but said it still had a long way to go.
“The key is we’re not satisfied, we’re not content,” Aune said. “We’re beginning to look at moving students within levels.
“The best is yet to come. I think the upward trends will continue.”
To compare Mount Si High School sophomores to tenth-grade students in every other high school in Washington state, Lobdell showed a scatter plot ranking the reading- and math-learning index against the percentage of poverty in each district. Compared to the 2002-03 school year, most schools showed improvement by 2008. Mount Si had a large jump of seven-tenths of a percent.
“This places them as one of the top performing high schools in the state,” Lobdell said.
If Mount Si High School’s progress is large enough, it could qualify for a School of Distinction Award from Terry Bergeson, the state’s superintendent of public instruction. The award analyzes high school improvement rates over a five-year period. Normally smaller schools show more improvement.
“It’s the law of large numbers,” said Lobdell. “The larger the population, the more schools tend to mirror the state.”
This makes Mount Si’s rate of improvement all the more impressive since it has a large student population, Lobdell said.
“You tend not to see the big swing,” he said.
Terry Bergeson will announce the School of Distinction award in late October.
Bergeson is not the only one looking at the WASL results. Lobdell shares his company’s analysis with every principal in the district, which helps school employees develop school improvement plans.
Director of Curriculum Don McConkey applauded the district for using data to drive its decisions. Still, he cautioned against championing the WASL as the authority for student evaluation.
“It’s one assessment done at one time during the year,” he said.
Regardless of how heavily the district plans to weigh the WASL, staff are using it to help students achieve better results next year.
“Instead of worrying about all students, they’re worrying about each student,” Lobdell said. “SnoValley is so high-performing, we’re really looking at one or two students here or there who are struggling.”
Reach reporter Laura Geggel at 392-6434 .221 or lgeggel@snovalleystar.com. To comment on the story, go to www.snovalleystar.com.
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