News Releases
Office of Governor Gary Locke
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - September 1, 2004
Contact:  Governor's Communications Office, 360-902-4136

Gov. Gary Locke’s Statement on 2004 WASL Scores, ‘No Child Left Behind’ Data

Gov. Gary Locke today issued the following statement on the release of the 2004 Washington Assessment of Student Learning (WASL) scores and data from the federal “No Child Left Behind” law.

On the 2004 WASL scores:

“I am pleased with the exceptional progress Washington students are making on the WASL. The latest scores show that our students continue to make steady, consistent improvement in reading, math and writing.

“Our state’s high standards are paying off. Students showed improvement in every subject area and at every grade level. There were improvements across the board for all minority and ethnic groups, and we’re making progress on closing the achievement gap.

“I congratulate students, teachers, principals, parents and school district staff for their hard work. I also commend Superintendent of Public Instruction Terry Bergeson for her leadership in our successful education reform efforts.

“Washington state is a national model with a tradition of setting high achievement standards for students and continuous school improvement. Our system of standards and testing is viewed as one of the best in the country.

“We’re on the right track. We are committed to making sure every Washington student meets or exceeds our state’s tough new academic standards. We must continue to work together to give our children the education they deserve and need to succeed.”

On the “No Child Left Behind” data:

“Significantly more Washington schools and school districts have met the Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) requirements this year. This is very encouraging, but we must continue to urge the federal government to make sensible changes to this law and provide funding for it.”

Related Links:
- OSPI


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