It’s that time of year again. The sun is starting to peak out of the clouds, sneakers are replaced with flip-flops, and the Washington Assessment of Student Learning (WASL) is back. But there might be changes coming soon to the WASL people have grown accustomed to.

To graduate high school, students must pass the reading and writing section of the WASL. Math also has a requirement, but there are alternatives. If the math section of the WASL isn’t passed, students need to take a math class each remaining year of high school, and earn a D or better in each of those classes in order to graduate.

Newly elected Superintendent of Public Instruction Randy Dorn was the one who proposed changes to the WASL. The several reforms to the WASL will start in 2010, if they are approved. Some of the changes include taking the test via computer, fewer extended answer questions, and faster results, among others. With this new test, Dorn hopes to reduce the amount of time students spend on response, and minimize the cost.

Even though Ssuperintendent Dorn is seeking to improve the WASL, it is easier said than done.

Regina Carr, the Dean of Pathways at West Seattle High School, works closely with students struggling with passing the test and suggests that this new WASL isn’t going to be easy to be put into place.

“It’s going to take a while to put [the new WASL] in place,” said Carr. “It is very complex.”

Six hundred students will be participating in the WASL this year, including a large amount of seniors and juniors who have not yet passed. There are no changes for the WASL yet, so remember: it still counts.