Onion Headline - The WASL Stupidifies Students into Failing
The infamous WASL (Washington Assessment of Student Learning) has been inconveniencing students for years. Rate of Failing has increased year after year the easier the test becomes. PTAs have been protesting that the WASL is unessecary; that students have been adequately educated. Results show that one in two tenth graders have failed any part of the WASL. To graduate, students are required to pass this test, and if failed; they must retake it. The probability of failing a second, third or fourth time is high. Upon further inspection I have discovered that the WASL employs three techniques to fail students.
1. Stupidification factor: Problems are made so easy that they are actually difficult. Example problem: “A cat walks towards two bowls of milk, which one does it choose? Take into account that both bowls are equally desireable in quantity, flavor and nutrition value.”
2. Inconvenience factor: The WASL test lasts two weeks and many many hours. Why spend the time taking a test that will determine nothing about your future?
3. Incentive factor: Nothing is gained from passing this test except from the fact that you wouldn’t have to take the test again. A sort of roundabout, circular logic fallacy.
Katy from Everett, Washington reports “I had no idea how easy the test was, it caught me by surprise and dumbfounded me why they would even have a test so easy, and by the time I got back to doing the test, it was too late.”
My own personal experiences had been very similar because I had to struggle to stay focused on the question. I was one of the lucky ones, I barely passed.
