WASL: Setting Kids Up to Fail?

Thursday, April 14, at 8:00 p.m.

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Its very name strikes fear into the hearts of educators, parents and students alike — WASL. The Washington Assessment Student Learning test is an exam given to 4th, 7th and 10th grade students in order to gauge the academic progress of students and perhaps more importantly, to see if public schools are teaching kids what they need to know in math, science, reading and writing.

But why is the WASL so scary? Simply because starting in 2008, students will be required to pass the WASL to graduate high school. And for many, that's not an easy task. "Last year we had a frightening statistic because only 40 percent of the kids passed all 3 standards at the proficient level," State Superintendent of Public Instruction Terry Bergeson explains.

Will your kids be ready to pass the test? In this Learning Curve special report, reporter Jenny Cunningham looks at what schools are doing to get kids up to speed.

Following the Learning Curve Special Report, a panel of experts, parents and students will join Enrique in the studio to weigh in on the WASL.

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