Sunday is deadline to sign up for summer WASL retake

OLYMPIA, Wash. — High school juniors and seniors have until Sunday to sign up to retake the 10th grade Washington Assessment of Student Learning this summer.

Ten percent of the class of 2008 has yet to pass the reading and writing portions of the statewide test, which they are required to pass to graduate. More than a third of next year's seniors have not met the standard in math.

Passing the math WASL is not required for graduation, but students are required to take the test at least once and continue to take math classes until they graduate, said Thomas Shapley, a spokesman for the state Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction.

State officials are still reviewing test results for the class of 2009, but preliminary numbers show that of next year's juniors, 85.1 percent have passed the reading WASL, 88.4 percent have passed the writing WASL and 53.4 percent have passed the math.

Students can sign up to take the summer WASL online or by telephone and they are not required to take the exams in their home district. The tests will be given in August around the state.

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