Posted October 31, 2005

In 2004, the Washington Legislature passed House Bill 2195, which solidified the requirements for students to earn a Certificate of Academic Achievement or Certificate of Individual Achievement (for qualifying students enrolled in special education) in order to graduate, beginning in 2008. To obtain a certificate, students must meet reading, writing and math standards on the high school Washington Assessment of Student Learning. The certificate requirements are in addition to other state and local graduation requirements.

HB 2195 also directed the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction to explore the development of one or more alternative assessments comparable in rigor to the skills and knowledge students must demonstrate on the WASL. This alternate route to an academic certificate is designed for students who have the required knowledge and skills, but for one reason or another, can’t demonstrate them on the WASL. Students must take the WASL at least twice before they can access an alternative route to their certificate. The Legislature must approve any proposed alternative assessments before they are implemented.

Over the past year, OSPI reviewed a variety of alternative assessment options with hundreds of Washington stakeholders. Four potential options came out of that process, and two are being piloted during the 2005-06 school year in about 20 high schools, skills centers and alternative schools across the state:

• Combination of WASL scores and grade-point averages in classes that reflect the content of the WASL to create a GPA/WASL index.

• Performance-based option in which students submit a collection of their work to demonstrate they meet WASL standards in a particular subject area. Examples of work may include in-class work, scores on national assessments, industry certifications, and a culminating project.

According to OSPI, the final option proposed to the Legislature likely will include a combination of these two measures of student performance. While the pilot project will continue through next April, OSPI will recommend an alternative assessment proposal for legislative approval in January, so that guidelines and training for using the alternative can be in place by next summer, with implementation to begin in October 2006. The legislative proposal will include an appeals process to be used in special situations, such as students moving into the state late in their high school career.

For more information on the alternative assessment project, visit OSPI's Web site or contact OSPI’s Bob Butts at 360/725-4971.

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