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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Newly released WASL scores show progress

Scores from the Washington Assessment of Student Learning released Wednesday showed most Spokane Valley schools making progress in reading, math and writing.

Nearly all districts posted gains on the high-stakes assessment, also known as the WASL.

Teachers across the board said gains this year were the result of more collaboration time between teachers, and a curriculum aligned with state standards.

“We had very purposeful instruction, specifically at the (fourth) grade level,” said Pam Timmer, a teacher at Trent Elementary School, which saw its reading scores rise 25 percent.

The biggest gains were made by students in the elementary grades.

In the Central Valley School District, at Broadway Elementary School, 79 percent of students passed the reading section of the test, after three years of declining scores. The year before, only 57 percent of students passed in reading. At Chester Elementary School, 94 percent of the student passed the reading section, up from 78 percent, the highest score on the fourth grade reading tests for all the four Valley public elementary schools.

In East Valley, 84 percent of Trent Elementary students passed the reading section, up from 60 percent the year before. At Skyview Elementary School, 77 percent of the students passed the writing portion, up from 56 percent.

In math, 85 percent of students at Chester and Freeman Elementary School passed.

The math section of the WASL continues to be a challenge for most districts across the state, said state Superintendent Terry Bergeson.

At the high school and middle school level, students also made gains. North Pines Middle School saw a 17 percent increase in the number of students passing the reading section of the test. Last year only 53 percent passed; this year 70 percent passed.

Almost every 10th grade class made gains in reading. Ninety-one percent of Freeman High School 10th-grade students passed the reading section. Both Central Valley High School and University High School made gains in all three subject areas.

“It’s slow and steady progress,” said Bill Ash, the assessment coordinator for Central Valley schools. “Now you really have to be cautious about sliding back down. The challenge is to sustain (the scores).”