The state schools superintendent has proposed changes in the state’s graduation requirements that would give the Renton School District more time to adopt new math standards.

Only about 40 percent of the district’s students passed the math Washington Assessment of Student Learning (WASL) in 10th grade in 2009; but poor scores statewide didn’t stop the Washington state Legislature from requiring students to pass the state math assessment before graduating.

“State law today says that the kids sitting in your ninth grade in your schools will pass the math assessment and will pass the science assessment or they will not graduate,” said Dorn at an annual Washington State School Directors Association conference Nov. 19. “I want you to know that to me that it is a problem.”

While the legislature is looking at deeper budget cuts to education next year, Renton is among hundreds of districts scrambling to find ways to improve the state’s 45 percent pass rate for the math assessment, now called the High School Proficiency Exam (HSPE).

The legislature is asking for too much from districts and giving too little time, Dorn said.

Dorn proposed a number of changes to the legislature, including pushing out math changes to the class of 2015 and science to the class of 2017.

This will give the Renton School District’s new math curriculum and special teacher training two more years to improve student learning.

The district has intentionally phased in various changes to the system, taking a holistic approach, said Renton Superintendent Mary Alice Heuschel.

“People want a silver bullet, an easy answer, and there isn’t one,” she said. “You have to address things as a system.”

In 2007 the state asked the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction for higher math standards. Those standards were released about a year ago and are expected to be reflected in the HSPE.

Districts have less than two years to prepare for the changes, Dorn said. “I have got to give you time to plan for it so you actually have a plan in place.”

Recognizing the new standards, Renton schools decided to increase rigor, removing remedial math courses from high schools.

However, it takes time for districts to align their curriculum and instruction with the state standards, said Debra Tito, Renton’s director of assessment. Dorn’s proposal “gives that time so students aren’t being penalized for the lack of alignment.”

If approved by the legislature, Dorn’s new graduation requirements would give Renton more time to improve its scores.

“We will continue to focus on supporting teachers and students,” either way Tito said.

The district’s approach is systematic and overarching, but little focus has been brought to preparing students for the state assessment. The focus has been on building skills.

“Our work is to prepare a student to pass our math classes…and then eventually their skills will build to pass the WASL,” said district spokesperson Randy Matheson. “Whatever we’re doing is going to better a student’s understanding of math overall.”

Students will take the new assessment test, a lighter version of the WASL, for the first time this year. Few know how the new exam will change test scores.

If something doesn’t change next year, about 60 percent of Renton’s class of 2013 will spend their last two years of high school trying to pass the math assessment.

“Now we have a choice, and I had a choice. I could just let it ride and wait until 2013 and wait for the train wreck,” Dorn said. “I don’t think that’s leadership. I don’t think that’s right.”

The requirement changes and proposals can be confusing.

Currently classes through 2012 need to pass the 10th-grade math HSPE or take two additional math classes after 10th grade.

Dorn is proposing that this requirement be maintained until the class of 2015.

He then proposed a new state assessment requirement based on new end-of- course exams that will begin in 2011. The exams focus on specific courses, such as Algebra I instead of the broad HSPE.

The exams are taken at the end of the school year in addition to HSPE. It’s not yet known how the teacher’s grade for a course will interact with the state end of course exams.

“You could pass the class and not pass the test, or you could pass the test and not pass the class,” Tito said.

Dorn proposes that these new end-of-course exams be a requirement for graduation instead of HSPE.

Students will be required to take three math courses and score “proficient” in the third course to graduate or they can take a fourth year of math and score “basic.”

The “basic” rating signifies that students have basic skills for life, but aren’t prepared for higher education.

“My proposal strikes a really good balance between realistic and rigorous in my mind,” Dorn said.

The legislature also had a plan for requiring students to pass the science HSPE. Dorn asked the state to push these requirements to 2017, because the state assessment for science is relatively new.

Only 38.8 percent of Washington students passed the science WASL in 2009. For Renton it was 41.1 percent.