For the Renton Reporter

The state’s education office announced today (Thursday) that ninth graders will not be allowed to take this year’s high school Washington Assessment of Student Learning (WASL). The Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) reports the move will save the state nearly $500,000 in unfunded testing costs.

WASL testing for students in grades three through eight and 10th will take place as scheduled.

Some schools have in the past used the high school WASL with ninth graders to determine in-school program placement. Those schools may use the test for that purpose again this year.

In Renton, hundreds of ninth graders voluntarily signed up to take the 10th-grade WASL, scheduled March 16-19, according to Randy Matheson, a district spokesman. Since 2006, OSPI has allowed ninth graders the option of taking the high school WASL in math, reading and writing. The intent was to let students who felt they could meet standard on the high-school WASL take the tests a year early.

OSPI determined that it would cost $477,000 in additional testing costs to allow ninth-graders to take the test. Those funds are not provided in the current state budget.

WASL testing for grades three through eight and 10 remains the same this spring.

High School WASL testing is March 16-19

Grades three through eight test April 13 – May 1

For more information, visit State testing 2009