WASHINGTON STATE ALTERNATIVE METHODS OF ASSESSMENT

The Center for Educational Policy Research (CEPR) is contracted with the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) to manage the Pilot Project of Alternative Methods of Assessment to the Washington Assessment of Student Learning (WASL). The OSPI pilot project will determine how best to implement a Collection of Evidence model in Washington state and create the submission guidelines, model work samples, and the scoring guides and process. The pilot includes twenty high schools, Skill Centers, and alternative schools. Each school will recruit and provide support for students who did not meet one or more standards on the WASL to compile work samples in reading, writing, or mathematics. Each student will submit a collection of work samples that will be reviewed by a panel of educators in the spring of 2006.

In addition, two related studies are underway. They are: 1) researching how grade point average can be used within the context of a cohort, and 2) designing an appeals process to address students in unique circumstances. Based on the findings of the pilot and related studies, policies and procedures of an alternative assessment system will be developed for implementation by September 2006.

Dr. David Conley, Executive Director of CEPR, has extensive experience developing alternative methods of assessment and is also familiar with the Washington educational system as a result of projects he has conducted in the state over the past several years. These Washington-based projects include working with OSPI to conduct a process to garner input from parents, administrators, teachers, principals, and other organizations. This input, received between December 2003 and August 2004, informed the selection of four possible alternative assessment methods that were tested for feasibility from January 2005 to October 2005. The Feasibility Study findings identified two options for alternative methods of assessment to the WASL that are currently under consideration for implementation in September 2006.

Please contact Tris O'Shaughnessy with any questions you may have.