Washington Assessment of Student Learning

WASL was the standardized educational assessment test administered by the state of Washington from 1997 to 200 from 1997 to 2009. It tested the students in Washington’s public schools in reading, writing, mathematics and science. Students in third through eighth grade took the WASL reading and mathematics sections. In addition, fifth and eighth graders were required to take the science section, and fourth and seventh graders also take the writing section. Tenth graders were tested in all four sections. For the Class of 2008 and 2009, the WASL was a graduation requirement. Private-school and home-schooled students were exempt from the WASL A student’s performance on the reading, math and science sections is reported using “scale scores”. Scale scores are three-digit numbers that are used to place the student into one of four levels: Advanced (Level 4), Proficient (Level 3), Basic (Level 2) and Below Basic (Level 1). A scale score of 400 is assigned to a student who has just barely met the state standard; this score is at the lower end of Level 3. Students scoring in Level 4 are said to have exceeded the state standard. Students with scores in Level 1 or Level 2 have not met standard. Students generally have to achieve a score that represents approximately 60 to 65 percent of the points possible on each test to pass. That score or above means they have met the required standard for proficiency in that particular subject.