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  • Governor's Communications Office, 360-902-4136

Gov. Gregoire: Help All Students Meet Graduation Standards

For Immediate Release: December 14, 2005

Governor�s plan will help struggling students pass the WASL and will address flexibility, maintain accountability

LYNNWOOD � Governor Chris Gregoire said today that Washington high school students struggling to meet state academic standards would get substantial help as part of a proposal that she will submit in January.

�This is extremely important. I want all our kids to have an equal shot at a better life, and I know their parents do, too. I�m not willing to give up on one high school student,� said Governor Gregoire following a discussion with sophomores at Lynnwood High School. �I want each and every one to graduate and become successful citizens.�

Governor Gregoire will propose targeted investments to better help students meet the standards of the Washington Assessment of Student Learning, or WASL. The funding will be administered through local school districts that are better able to assess the specific needs of their students, she said.

�The WASL is tougher for some students than others and can be a bump on the road to graduation. Different students learn at a different pace � and we must acknowledge that � but we must maintain a high standard of learning for all our students,� she said. �That is why we must work to create effective alternatives that measure their skills and knowledge.�

To help each and every student meet state academic standards and earn a high school diploma, Governor Gregoire will propose in her 2006 supplemental budget nearly $40 million to help students who have struggled in one or more of the WASL reading, writing and mathematics tests.

School districts will administer the funding for intensive instruction that best fits the needs of their students. Options could include summer school, before- and after-school and Saturday classes, skill seminars, and in-school or out-of-school tutoring.

Governor Gregoire will require school districts to be accountable. They will be required to report the options selected by students, the number of students taking part in each option and, most importantly, the results students achieve. Her proposal also addresses obstacles faced by students for whom English is a second language.

The Governor includes $3.4 million for a new approach to teaching math, including teaching materials that better target areas where students are having the greatest difficulty.

�Many students dislike or fear math � much like many adults,� said Governor Gregoire. �But math is an essential skill and key to maintaining a quality workforce in Washington.�

Under Governor Gregoire�s proposal, periodic submission of math work samples or mini-WASL assessments. Success on these work samples or mini-WASLs will lead to a determination that the student has met the state mathematics standard for high school graduation.

Governor Gregoire will also propose nearly $3 million to better track academic data on students and better measure the success rates of academic programs. The effort will help monitor individual student performance and indicate when a student or program needs to be adjusted or improved.

Addressing the high school dropout rate

The high school dropout rate in Washington is 30 percent. Governor Gregoire told the students that a high school graduate will earn more money than someone without a diploma.

�To earn a million dollars in your lifetime, you will have to work much longer without that diploma,� said Governor Gregoire. �With a diploma, you can make a million dollars in 35 years, on average -- without one it will take you 45.�

Her proposal includes funding to help students find a career path that best suits their skills and ability.

� Navigation 101, a program to help high schools guide students in focusing on what careers they will pursue after high school;

� A program to provide $100,000 in grants to help schools assist students seeking to move from high school into the building trades and crafts.

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