Washington Assessment of Student Learning – WASL
http://www.k12.wa.us/assessment/WASL/default.aspx

The Washington Assessment of Student Learning (WASL) is a series of tests that helps make sure our students learn the foundational skills and knowledge that educators, parents and community leaders say are important to their success in life.
The WASL serves two purposes. It helps us find out how each student is doing and how each school is doing. Schools pay attention to WASL results. They use them to improve teaching and to do a better job of meeting every student’s academic needs.
The Education Reform Law passed by the Washington State Legislature in 1993 required the state to create a set of common learning standards for grades K-10. The law also called for a testing system that measured student learning of those standards. Washington fourth-graders started taking the WASL in 1997. Students are now tested each spring in grades 3-8 and 10 in reading and math. Students also are tested in writing in grades 4, 7 and 10 and science in grades 5, 8 and 10.
In 2004, the state Legislature set a date for the state to implement the third piece of its education reform efforts: student accountability. Starting with the class of 2008, all students must show they have a certain level of skill in reading, writing and math (and, soon, science) to be eligible to graduate. One of four ways students statewide must do this is by passing the WASL (or a state-approved alternative – available after two attempts at the WASL) or, for students receiving special education services only, passing one of the options available under the Washington Alternate Assessment System (WAAS).