WASL scores indicate Snoqualmie Valley students’ strengths and weaknesses
September 30, 2009
By Laura Geggel
Snoqualmie Valley School District is using a soon-to-be extinct test, the Washington Assessment of Student Learning, to learn more about its students’ progress.
Data from the Snoqualmie Valley 2009 WASL shows a number of trends: the gender gap between girls and boys is narrowing, the achievement gap decreases the longer a minority stays in the Snoqualmie Valley district and students in grades six and seven need to work on their reading skills.At the Sept. 24 Snoqualmie Valley School Board meeting, Greg Lobdell, co-founder and director of research of the Center for Educational Effectiveness, Inc., presented his company’s analysis of the Valley’s WASL scores.
Lobdell showed that when Snoqualmie Valley WASL scores increased, they increased at a rate higher than the state average. When Valley scores decreased, they decreased at a rate slower than the state.
These trends could show Snoqualmie Valley teachers have improved they way they teach reading, mathematics and writing.
“You might interpret it to mean the school district of Snoqualmie Valley is improving faster than the state,” Lobdell said. “The teachers teaching math in Snoqualmie Valley are better aligned with what the state standards are.”
In addition to looking at WASL averages across the district, Lobdell’s company examines the progress of each student in the four WASL subjects of math, science, reading and writing. Students can place between one and four, with four being the best.
The goal of the district is to move students up the ladder to a four. Principals and teachers have access to this data, meaning they can stage an intervention for a student who has remained at the same rung from one WASL to the next.
“If a student has shown they are struggling in math, do we have them in an intensive remediation class?” Lobdell asked. “Similarly, if a student is performing at an advanced level for a number of years, do we have him in the appropriate AP or honors class?”
The 2009 WASL scores show a large number of six and seventh graders placed at level two for reading. This red flag will help teachers reexamine the way they teach as well as help students who appear to be struggling.
The Valley’s demographic data shows the district has a growing Latino and English language learner population. While some of these students may have lower WASL scores when they first enter the district, longitudinal data shows they improve every year they stay in Snoqualmie Valley.
“That’s a very positive thing to see,” Lobdell said.
In a trend that is seen throughout Eastside school districts, the gender gap between girls and boys is narrowing. Until recently, girls significantly performed better on the WASL than boys.
Standardized testing has proved controversial. Research done by Catherine Taylor, an associate professor at the University of Washington, shows girls and boys do not perform equally on multiple choice exams.
After the WASL
State Superintendent Randy Dorn ousted the WASL after taking office in early 2009. Now, students in grades three through eight will take the Measurements of Student Progress and students in grades nine-12 will take the High School Proficiency Exam.
“They are fundamentally the same test,” Lobdell said. “It’s a name change.”
The new tests will be shorter, meaning they won’t have extended response questions. The tests can also be taken online, as opposed to the pencil-and-paper WASL.
Snoqualmie Valley deputy superintendent Don McConkey thanked Lobdell for his company’s analysis the district’s WASL data.
“Our staff has become so sophisticated of asking really good questions,” McConkey said. “We just transfer those questions to Greg (Lobdell). Our staff spends more time analyzing the data instead of (figuring out) the data.”
Laura Geggel: 392-6434 ext. 221 or lgeggel@snovalleystar.com. Comment at www.snovalleystar.com.
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