WASL (Washington Assessment of Student Learning) scores are back, and Renton School District staff isn’t celebrating universal increases, as it was last year. But staff isn’t bemoaning universal decreases either.

As district spokesperson Randy Matheson says, district scores from this spring’s state test are all over the board.

“We’re seeing numbers all over the place, and quite frankly we haven’t analyzed how these changes came to be,” Matheson says.

He says some groups of students recorded “huge increases” on the state’s biggest test, such as Renton High School’s English Language Learners (ELL) and Dimmitt Middle School’s sixth-grade special education students, both which increased their reading scores 26 percent from last year, to 45 percent and 39.4 percent, respectively.

Other student groups didn’t fare as well. District-wide, fourth-grade students dropped several percentage points in every category except writing, which stayed about the same as last year. Fourth-grade students statewide also recorded decreases in every subject except writing, which increased a couple percentage points.

Seventh-grade scores were also down in reading and math district and statewide, but fifth-grade scores in those categories were up.

“So we did see some growth in certain areas, and we also saw that we’re going to need to analyze some challenges in certain areas,” Matheson says.

Challenges exist in the district’s 11 of 12 Title I schools that did not meet the Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) standard set by No Child Left Behind.

Schools with a certain ratio of low-income students receive Title I status by the federal government, which means they receive federal funding. Washington Title I schools must improve WASL scores each year, or make Adequate Yearly Progress. Those schools that do not make AYP are subject to federal-funding sanctions. The goal is to have all students pass the WASL by 2014.

Bryn Mawr Elementary is Renton’s only Title I school that made AYP this year. The schools that did not meet the AYP standard are Benson Hill, Campbell Hill, Cascade, Highlands, Kennydale, Lakeridge, Renton Park, Sierra Heights, Talbot Hill and Tiffany Park elementaries and Dimmitt Middle School.

All but four of Renton’s 12 Title I schools met the AYP standard last year. Matheson says this performance decrease is due to a significant increase in the passing percentage required by Washington schools this year. This decrease in AYP performance from last year to this year also occurred statewide, Matheson says.

But that doesn’t mean Renton School District staff isn’t concerned with the AYP decreases.

Matheson says district staff is “concerned and baffled” by the results. Much analyzing remains.

“That’s what we have to do,” Matheson says. “We can’t just say this school passed and this school failed. We have to take a look at individual students’ individual numbers and find out what help schools need to do better on the test.”

The WASL measures student progress not only within grades and subjects, but within 37 categories of students, determined by race, ethnicity, ELL and special education, and so on. Renton principals are breaking down results within these categories at their schools.

District staff is also busy readying this year’s programs aimed at improving WASL scores and general student achievement.

Most exciting for the district is its participation in The Summit Project, a school-improvement initiative funded by the state education office. As part of the program, the state will pay for professionals to evaluate Renton’s classes, staff and programs and then create a detailed improvement plan, to be implemented over the next three to five years. Renton joins four much smaller districts in the state that have already begun participation in this pilot program.

Renton was chosen as the urban district to participate in the pilot. After rigorous data collection, a comprehensive district-improvement plan will be ready by January.

“The intent of the process is to see rapid increase on test scores across all grade levels and subject groups,” Matheson says.

He says the project has been successful in those districts that have begun participation in the pilot project. In addition to Renton, participating school districts are Mount Adams, Mount Vernon, Othello and Wapato.

“What we’re hoping is that this Summit initiative helps us better understand the data and put together a plan to help all students succeed,” Matheson says.

Other more established district improvement efforts will continue this year, such as the use of school-improvement facilitators and Late Start Fridays. Like last year, school will start 90 minutes late on 30 Fridays this year. Teachers and staff members use this time for collaboration and training. District teachers will also continue scoring and writing WASL questions.

The WASL has many detractors, Matheson says, partly

because the test only gives a snapshot of student performance on one particular day. WASL scores can change every year, he adds.

“It’s very difficult to find out what changes mean on a standardized test like the WASL,” Matheson says.

But, he adds, as a federally required test used to measure student achievement and determine state and federal funding, for now the WASL is here to stay.

“We have the WASL in this state … and it’s mandated by the federal government … and we’re committed to have students do better on the test,” Matheson says.

The class of 2008 was the first class required to pass the reading and writing sections, and starting with the class of 2013, students will be required to pass the math section or two end-of-course exams. The math WASL is scheduled to end in 2014.

The WASL

The WASL is the state’s biggest test. It’s used by Washington state to determine if students are meeting state and federal education standards. The federal No Child Left Behind Act requires yearly math and reading tests for third through eighth graders. Annual science tests must also be given to students in an elementary, middle and high-school grade.

Students in grades three through eight and ten take the reading and math WASL, grades four, seven and 10 writing, and grades five, eight and 10 science.

Details of the results of the test for the Renton School District are available online at www.k12.wa.us