About half are proficient in first round of new state tests

SEATTLE (AP) — About half of Washington students earned proficient scores in new, more challenging tests in the first year they were given across the state, education officials announced Monday.

When those zeros are added to the scores of students who actually took the tests, only 26 percent scored proficient on the new English language arts exam and only 14 percent got a college-ready score on the math test.

Dorn says the Legislature needs to make another attempt to fix the high school assessment system and should have passed a bill he supported this past session, which would have given tests a much lower weight in the graduation requirements.

At a news conference after the test results were released, he reminded parents and students that the assessments show how students are doing at one point in time.

The results showed stark contrasts between how kids of different ethnic groups seem to be doing in Washington public schools.