The eighth grade assessment is moved to the ninth grade. The eleventh grade assessment is repealed. The implementation of the WASL in social studies, health, and fitness at the middle and high school levels is delayed for two years. The implementation of the WASL in the arts at the middle and high school levels is delayed for three years. Ninety days after adjournment of a session in which bill is passed.
Education reform requires that there is a statewide system of student assessment.
This bill creates a sensible system by rearranging, adding and getting rid of tests so that there is a basic skills test one year followed by a test that requires a student to apply those basic skills. As for the Goal II WASL timelines, there is strong agreement in the field that it is important to have assessments in social studies, arts, health and fitness to show that those subjects are valued at the state level. But it is also important to delay the requirement of the WASL assessments in those areas because it is too much too fast.