There will be no more waffling over the WASL – at least under that name. The battle over the highly controversial test ended Thursday, as State Superintendent Randy Dorn outlined a new test to measure student achievement during a press conference in Renton. The new test, which will be shorter than the WASL, will eventually be taken on computer and should start next spring.

WASL results have improved slightly with about 93 percent passing the exam in 2009, qualifying for high school graduation. Dorn said that the real problem is the 25 percent of students that never take the test because they drop out of school. Curbing dropout rates is top priority said the Superintendent.

The high-school tests will be known as the High School Proficiency Exams (HPSE). Student will still need to pass the reading and writing portions of the test as a high school graduation requirement. Starting in 2013 students will also have to pass the math portion of the test to graduate.

The new elementary- and middle-school tests will be called Measurements of Student Progress (MSP). These tests will be implemented strictly to gage students progress and give teachers and parents a better way to measure their progress.

Dorn was elected last year, defeating longtime incumbent Terry Bergeson who helped develop the WASL. He vowed to replace the controversial testing system during the campaign.

The State Legislature passed a bill earlier this year aimed at redesigning the WASL and setting in motion Dorn’s actions.