WASL Scoring

The Washington Assessment of Student Learning (WASL) includes a mix of multiple-choice, short-answer and essay questions. Subjects tested include reading, writing, math and science.

When is the WASL scored?

Tests for students in grades 3-8 are scored during the summer, and results are returned in early fall (typically late August or early September). All 10th-grade WASL tests are scored in the weeks immediately following the test administration, and results are returned to students and their families in June. This provides students who may have struggled with the exam time to get academic help by taking summer school or making plans to retake the exam in August.

Results for summer retakes of the 10th-grade WASL are available in late fall.

Who scores the WASL?

Pearson Educational Measurement oversees the scoring process.

Over the years, hundreds of Washington teachers have participated in scoring the WASL. These teachers see it as a valuable professional development experience because it deepens their understanding of the state learning targets.

WASL scorers who are not Washington teachers must have, at a minimum, a four-year college degree. Priority is given to individuals with degrees and backgrounds related to language arts, math and science, and to those with specialized education and professional experience, including experience in performance scoring. Teaching experience is preferred but not required. All scorers must meet stringent qualification and monitoring standards. All scorers – both Washington state teachers and Pearson personnel – are monitored daily to ensure they are scoring to the criteria set by Washington educators. Scorers who are unable to score according to the criteria are dismissed.

Who determines the scores needed to achieve the standards on the WASL?

Groups of teachers work with business, parent and community leaders to determine the scores - for every grade and every subject tested - students must achieve in order to "pass" the WASL. This work is overseen by a Technical Advisory Committee, a group of state and national testing experts.

How do you ensure the scoring is consistent and fair?

The following quality control measures are used to ensure scoring is fair and consistent:

• Ten Percent of All Papers Are Scored Twice: This helps ensure the tests are being scored consistently and reliably. All 10th-grade WASL writing assessments and extended response answers are now scored twice because, starting with the class of 2008, students must “meet standard” on the reading and writing WASLs to earn a Washington diploma. (Retakes and alternatives to the WASL are available for struggling students).
• Supervisors Periodically Re-read Scored Student Work: Each scoring supervisor re-reads an average of 5 percent of each reader's work every day. If a scoring supervisor discovers that a reader consistently assigns scores other than those the scoring supervisor would assign, he or she consults with the scoring director and together they retrain that reader, using the original training materials. Readers who prove unable to score consistently with the Washington scoring rubrics after retraining are released from the project.
• Blindly Inserted Validity Papers: “Validity papers” are student responses that have been pre-approved by Washington content specialists as being a clear example of a certain score point. These validity papers are blindly inserted into a scorer's pile of student responses. Scoring supervisors receive a daily report of how well scorers' decisions matched with the pre-determined score on the validity papers. Any variation from the scoring criteria is addressed immediately.

How can I view my child's results or test?

Each school/district decides how student results are released. They might be mailed home or reviewed during a parent-teacher conference. Parents also have the option of viewing their child's test but must adhere to strict guidelines to ensure overall test security. To get more information, contact the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction's assessment office at assessment@ospi.wednet.edu.