Oregon Public Broadcasting

This week, Washington middle school students will start taking the state's new assessment test. The first students to dive in won't use paper and pencil; instead, they'll take the test online. Doug Nadvornick reports.

Chris Barron from the state school superintendent's office says a quarter of Washington's schools will participate in the online testing. They have a month to test sixth, seventh and eighth graders in reading and math.

Barron says Washington joins about 20 other states, including Idaho and Oregon, in offering online exams. He says, in the long run, Washington expects to save a lot of money.

Chris Barron: “We won't have to publish a million-eight test booklets and we won't have to mail them and distribute them and score them and all that.”

Barron says about three-quarters of Washington students will take the new test using the traditional pencil and paper. Their two-week testing window will start May 12.

He says the state will expand the online exams to more schools, grades and subject areas over the next few years.

Online: Washington's Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction