Going to a public high school in the state of Washington can often be an uncertain thing, especially in Seattle. Students never know when they’ll come to class one day to discover some new policy or budget cut has turned their world on end. However, one thing has been pretty consistent: every spring, for about three weeks, students in Washington miss a bunch of class time one way or another because of the WASL. Now, this is about to change as well.

State Superintendent Randy Dorn is enacting a plan to replace the WASL with the Washington Comprehensive Assessment Program (WCAP), which is comprised of two different tests: Measurements of Student Progress (MSP) for students grades 3 – 8, and the High School Proficiency Exams (HSPE), none of which have acronyms that are as easy to say as the WASL. These tests are going to be shorter than the WASL, particularly in the written response section, as well as cheaper for the state and easier to administer.

In his plan, Dorn lists one of his goals for the new tests, which the state will begin to administer in March 2010, as “increasing the use of technology.” Instead of spending three hours every test day hunched over a test booklet, using pencils with bad erasers, students will take their tests on a computer. Dorn hopes to have computer testing in effect statewide by 2012, as it is also supposed to increase the speed with which students get their results.

What will be confusing to many Garfield students are the new math sections of the standardized tests. The plan is to implement four new “end-of-course” tests as part of the test in 2011: Algebra, Geometry, and Integrated I and Integrated II. The average GHS student has not taken a straight-up algebra or geometry class, instead learning these aspects of math in different “integrated” classes.

Juanita Doyon, director of Mothers Against WASL, was quoted on the Seattle P-I website as saying that parents are “very happy that the WASL is going to be gone,” as teachers spend too much time prepping students for it. However, the high school graduation requirements (another concern of the parents) of the WASL will remain in the WCAP, most likely ensuring that schools will encourage WCAP preparation.

Of course, this will only be an issue for the Class of 2012 and beyond. The rest of us will still get to sleep in for at least a little next spring.