No vacation from test preparation

In a classroom at Lewis and Clark High School this week, Chas Nolan pored over a math problem to figure whether a blob of ice cream would still fit in the cone after it melts.

The 16-year-old decided there was one thing, beyond knowing the diameter of a cone, that would help the Washington Assessment of Student Learning math question make sense.

“Should we go get real ice cream and find out what happens?” Nolan asked.

Probably not, said LC math teacher Wes Marburger. With a week’s worth of math lessons packed into one day, an ice cream break would be hard to fit in.

Nolan is one of about 250 sophomores from Spokane’s six high schools who gave up four weeks of summer to attend a “boot camp” for students who failed one or more sections of the WASL.

The state-funded courses began Monday for most Spokane sophomores, the first class required to pass the high-stakes exam in order to graduate. Mead and Central Valley students started a few weeks ago.

“I thought I passed the first time,” said LC student Shadavia DeLeon, 16. “I came here this summer to learn. I have to graduate.”

The four-hour classes in reading and writing or in math are designed to help students pass a retake scheduled for August. Students have five chances to pass the test. After two failed attempts, they can also show proficiency by alternative methods, such as passing the math section of SAT.

DeLeon, like many students, passed the reading and writing portion this year but missed the math section by only a few points.

“These kids are here because they want the extra help,” said LC Principal Jon Swett.

Spokane district staff said they made calls to hundreds of students and parents after WASL results were released in June, encouraging them to seek help this summer and take another crack at the test before next spring.

Schools have reported a good turnout for the summer programs.

According to 10th-grade WASL scores released to families last month, about half of the state’s sophomores didn’t pass the math section of the test and are in need of remediation.

In Spokane, about 2,200 sophomores in the district’s six high schools took the exam in 2006. According to district officials, 1,093 passed the math portion of the test, 1,612 met standard in writing and 1,688 met standard in reading.

The Legislature approved $28.5 million for summer school programs, after-school programs, test preparation seminars and tutoring for students during the school year.

In its first year, the summer school programs seem to be a hard sell for some families.

“Four hours of math alone is a lot to expect out of these kids,” said Marty Robinette, the director of summer school programs at Lewis and Clark.

Each high school had at least one full WASL math class with 20 to 30 students, while the enrollment in reading and writing classes was between 10 and 15 at each high school. Central Valley had 49 students enrolled in WASL math classes.

Low enrollment numbers may also be attributed to the curriculum, which was designed to help students who fit into a level two, or a “near miss” category to pass the August retake, officials said. Levels three and four are passing. Levels one and two fall below the required score needed to pass.

Those students who scored in the level one bracket are not likely to be helped by a short intense summer program.

“The level one kids, we are suggesting they take another year of math,” said Howard De Leeuw, director of summer school programs at North Central High School. “That will most likely give them the skills they will need to pass.”