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Parent Empowerment Network Plans Legal Action on Behalf of Students
Press Release
For Immediate Release:
AS THE CLASS OF 2008 RECEIVES THIRD ROUND WASL SCORES, PARENT EMPOWERMENT NETWORK PLANS LEGAL ACTION ON BEHALF OF STUDENTS DESTINED TO BE DENIED DIPLOMAS BASED ON WASL FAILURE
Contact: Juanita Doyon 253-973-1593
http://www.mothersagainstwasl.org
Parent Empowerment Network has been encouraged by legislators and school administrators alike to move forward with legal action.
“My organization has made it our goal to ensure that NOT ONE STUDENT is denied a diploma based on his or her WASL scores,” said Juanita Doyon, Director of Parent Empowerment Network/Mothers Against WASL. “Denying a diploma to a student who has completed high school and all state and local graduation requirements except this new requirement of passing a very poorly designed and questionably scored test is a travesty. And it is a travesty that goes against all sense of fairness and all educational research and advisement. Even the technical report on WASL itself advises against making important decisions based on WASL scores.”
“While school and district scores may be useful in curriculum and instructional planning, it is important to exercise extreme caution when interpreting individual reports.…Scores from one test given on a single occasion should never be used to make important decisions about students’ placement, the type of instruction they receive, or retention in a given grade level in school,” WASL Technical Report, Riverside Publishing Company.
One problem with using WASL scores to determine whether a student is worthy to receive a high school diploma is the high possibility of scoring error. Recently, the state superintendent admitted that out of 85 tests rescored at the request of parents, 13 scores were found to be in error and were changed. If parents had not taken the time to view their students’ tests and appeal these scores, 13 out of 85 students might have been denied diplomas because of scoring errors. A very small percentage of parents view their students’ tests.
Parent Empowerment Network is not alone in its stand against the WASL graduation requirement. Next week, concerned parents and educators, including several leaders of educational organizations, will meet to discuss legal action. The meeting will be led by Parent Empowerment Network and the organization’s attorney, Jeffry Finer, of Spokane.
Regardless of this year’s WASL pass rates, a disproportionate number of low income, minority, and special education students will be denied diplomas if current law is allowed to go forward.
Juanita Doyon stated, “The legislature was ready to do the right thing by delaying the reading and writing requirements. It is unfortunate that the governor put her foot down, threatening veto and special session if legislators moved to delay reading and writing, in addition to math, for the Classes of 2008-2013. It is apparent that Governor Gregoire lacks understanding of the varying needs, capabilities, and interests students bring to school. In her push to move forward with diploma denial, she is ignoring the impact that poverty and special needs have on learning, and she is ignoring the failure of the state's education system to ensure ample and equitable education services to all students. We are now forced to seek legal recourse for students.”
Parent Empowerment Network (PEN) is a nonprofit organization with members throughout the state of Washington.
— Press Release
Parent Empowerment Network
2007-06-08
INDEX OF OUTRAGES
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