2004 WASL scores encouraging for districts state wide

Low income students score just as well or better than other students

At the releasing of the 2004 Washington Assessment of Student Learning scores yesterday, the Moses Lake School District was mentioned as one of many districts in the state whose results show significant improvement.

"The whole district is in a major change," State Superintendent of Public Instruction Terry Bergeson said of the MLSD via live video conference.

According to comments made on the 2004 WASL score release, low income students at Lakeview Terrace Elementary exceeded all-student averages in two out of three categories.

"We are pleased with our scores this year, but we know there is still a lot of work to do," Moses Lake School District Superintendent Steve Chestnut, who was watching Bergeson deliver the news, said.

Chestnut said literacy coaches and after-school programs have contributed greatly to the success of the district's WASL scores.

As a district, Moses Lake schools scored highest in fourth grade reading with 77.9 percent passing the test, and 10th grade writing scores reaching as high as 63.9 percent passage rate.

Other districts mentioned for their improvements include Granger, Yakima, Colville, Hood Canal, Vancouver, Longview, and Puyallup.

"The state's scores are a great thing to celebrate," Bergeson said.

Administration representatives from other parts of central Washington were equally confident of their schools' progress.

"We started this journey three years ago that set clear goals for our students," Superintendent of the Yakima School District Ben Soria said.

School districts with some of the largest low-income populations, such as Kennewick with 92 percent, reported increases of 25 to 30 percent in reading, writing and math.

Across the state the most significant changes in test scores came from seventh and fourth grade reading and math scores, according to a WASL press release from the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction.

In that statement a 12-point gain in reading for seventh grade students was reported, with 74 percent of fourth graders meeting the 2004 standard.

The number of students in the 10th grade passing the test increased by four percentage points in reading, math and writing.

Bergeson credits a district wide commitment to high standards, leadership and proper use of classroom assessments for the increase in test scores.

"I commend the teachers, principals and school leaders in these schools for their courage and professionalism," Bergeson said. They've chosen to get needed help so that they can give every child an opportunity to learn and achieve-and their work is paying off."