CMP
I didn’t think the WASL was all essay. I had to grade them for a temp-agency after I had graduated college and couldn’t find a real job. Granted, that was ten years ago, but I do remember it rather well. It was rather disheartening to read some of these essays, knowing that this was the future of Washington…pretty pathetic. I remember with the math portion, kids would have to explain how they reached their answer, which I always found difficult, even from my own test-taking days pre-WASL. If the education system would focus on something other than standardized tests, you might have more time to teach these kids more important things to actually make them kinda smart. But most school children I encounter are lazy and have this misguided sense of entitlement which I’ll blame on their parents. I’ve concluded no kiddos for me unless I can afford to send them to private school. My parents work for the Bellevue School District and after hearing stories about how things work over there, moving across the lake isn’t the answer to your problems.