I’m often asked about the Washington Assessment of Student Learning (WASL), a benchmark test of reading, writing and mathematics application skills for our students. Nearly everyone has an opinion about the test, but the work of public schools is not “the test.” Our work is to prepare young people for their future.

People also have strong opinions about making sure each student learns to read with skill, write clearly and effectively, and be able to problem solve with mathematics. We know these core skills are essential to continued learning in a society that is more and more reliant on the ability to obtain and apply new learning. Why are we so obsessed with wanting skills but so fearful of a test that is a measure of the progress our schools and our students are making as learners?

Schools have never before set the goal of every student actually learning the skills that are necessary for life-long learning. Reading, writing and mathematics were taught to all, but if you did not learn the skills well or at all, our old economy provided many ways one’s labor and effort could earn a respectable income. Those options are disappearing. Reading, writing and applying mathematics in life are essential for future learning, employment and citizenship in our democratic society.

We know that learning these skills is no guarantee of future life success. The absence of these skills creates a high probability that a person will be dependent on the rest of society in some costly and probably negative way. Public education is there for everyone; the future success of our nation depends on the work our teachers are doing with students to adapt to the new demands of our society.

Change is difficult because of its complexity and scale. Schools are now experiencing the effects of change previously experienced by other industries and societies. The ties we have to “the way it used to be” create a strong source of resistance to new work, within both our educational systems and our communities.

Before you think this is another “pie in the sky” plan that isn’t changing the practices of schools for the benefit of students, look at the results our teachers are showing with student improvement in these skills. We’ve been especially effective in overcoming poverty’s negative impact on student learning through grade four.

The challenge we face today is sustaining the gains made in our elementary schools into middle and high schools. This is new territory. Children become more independent and can be attracted to distracting elements of society as they move into middle and high school. Dropping out of school is the solution too many students choose as a result of the hopelessness created by addiction, laziness and poverty. Resistance to structure and the obligations of emerging adulthood also create alienation and a disregard for the benefits of school for some.

What are we doing to address this challenge in Spokane public schools?

First, we are using Grade Level Expectations (GLEs) to help teachers, students and parents know what skills in reading, writing and mathematics look like at each grade level. We are supporting teachers by connecting these learning targets to curriculum materials and classroom-based tests that will provide frequent guidance to students, parents and teachers about student learning.

Secondly, the WASL is just one measure of our progress. The WASL is aligned with the skills we want our students to know, understand and apply. Aligning the content and the test with actual teaching is a monumental change in focus and effort for Spokane and the educational system in our state.

Finally, we are working to support teachers in making this major transformation. Changes of this magnitude in the business community fill the news. Our teachers are quietly and effectively making a big shift in the practice of teaching. This effort is hard work. As I visit classrooms each week, though, I see the powerful, positive effects of teachers engaging students in learning the skills they will need in their future.

Spokane public schools’ teachers, principals and support staff value the direction our school board, on behalf of the community, has set to form a strong foundation for each student to continue learning. Reading, writing and mathematics skills are necessary elements of strong families, civic survival and economic vitality.

We’re working to make sure each graduating senior has the skills and the abilities to choose a pathway to future learning with confidence and hope.